by Ellie Aiden
“So if you found her, where is she David?”
This is the part I’m not looking forward to, but I know I have no choice. “When we approached, I tried to reason with her, but they attacked us. We may have been evenly numbered, but they didn’t fight fair. They all had guns, Vater. I lost a good man in the fight. Jimmy White was shot in the back trying to walk away. Bunch of cowards.” I will my face to turn red, hoping to validate my disgust, and from the look on the Vater’s face it seems to be working.
“I’m sorry to hear about Jimmy, but have no fear my son, they will be judged by God, and I have no doubt it will be harshly,” the Vater says, standing and making his way around to perch on the corner of his desk. “Were you able to bring his body back?”
I shake my head and clench my fists for good measure. I need to be convincing.
Disappointment crosses his features as he continues. “Very well. When you’re certain it’s safe, send a team to retrieve him. His wife and child need to be able to give him a proper service. As for Anna Cress, there’s nothing that can be done about her right now. We need to focus on rebuilding what those heathens destroyed last night. We need to comfort our people, reassure them.”
I stand, knowing our meeting is almost over but needing to correct him on one of those thoughts. “Vater Henry, I think you might be wrong about Anna. There is something we can do about her.” Inclining his head, he encourages me to elaborate. “We have her parents and her best friend, Ash Booker.”
A look of surprise sweeps across his features as he asks, “How so? I was under the impression Ash Booker escaped with her brother and Anna.”
“As did I, but it seems she was injured in the escape, and they left her behind. One of my men found her unconscious near the north wall,” I lie.
She wasn’t found by one of my men. I found her, bound and gagged in my apartment. Someone had left her for me like a gift on Christmas morning, but who, I still don’t know. I’d be willing to bet it was the Mutter though. Regardless, I’m not complaining because that girl is every bit the leverage we need to take down Anna Cress. More so even than her parents.
The Vater clears his throat before beginning a quick pace up and down the length of his office. “What are you suggesting, David? That we harm the girl, use her as bait to get Anna to turn herself in?” He doesn’t seem thrilled about this idea.
As I said, he’s weak.
“The former no, the latter, yes,” I lie again. “We don’t need to harm her. We only need to threaten that if Anna doesn’t turn herself in for judgement, then her best friend will be punished. I also suggest we bring her parents in for questioning as well. I just can’t believe neither of them knew she was conspiring with a local gang. If they didn’t know, then they weren’t doing their due diligence as parents if you ask me.”
The Vater hum’s his agreement to the last part, stopping his pacing to face me, and then I go in for the kill.
“Vater, I was second in command to Elder Jacobs, and while the man wasn’t without sin, he was good at his job. He kept the people of the church safe for two decades. Everything I know I learned from him, and I’m good at my job. I’m the only one that can take point on this, and I certainly hope you will consider me to replace Elder Jacobs as the head of the security department.”
He seems to consider this, scratching his salt and pepper beard that has certainly grown fuller in the last few weeks. If he doesn’t agree with me, I’ll have to take more drastic measures, but hopefully it won’t come to that.
Dropping his hand, he seems to come to a conclusion and I hold my breath, waiting for the verdict. “I’m proud of all your hard work, my son. However, appointing a new elder isn’t something decided on a whim. I’ll need to consult God, as well as the other elders, but I assure you, your dedication to the Church and our way of life will weigh heavily on my decision.” He pauses to take a deep breath, and then continues. “I agree with questioning Anna’s parents, so you have my blessing in that regard. I would suggest keeping Ash under lock and key, at least for now. No one needs to know she is in our possession. At least not until I decide how to handle her. Now, my son, if you don’t mind, it’s been a long and trying day already. If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get cleaned up and get some rest. I suggest you do the same.”
There’s nothing more I can say, so with a nod, I turn and leave his office.
Not much I can do other than wait for him to make the right decision, and should he not, well let’s just say it won’t end well for the Vater.
Heading down the hall toward my apartment, I decide to make a quick stop to see Michelle Hoya. It’s time I find out who is listed as a compatible wife in my file. My mind flits back to Tara winking at me outside Vater Henry’s office before sashaying down the hall. Yes, she’ll do just fine.
***
ANNA
I had watched the men around me grieve the loss of their friend before they buried him under a massive pine tree. Talon’s death was senseless and cruel. An untimely death brought about by power hungry members of the church. It was clear the other three men and Talon had been close, as evidenced by their tears. The stages of grief played out quickly as their sadness turned to anger. It was all Luke could do to stop Easton from chasing David down and ending his life. In the end, Luke had promised revenge, but convinced him this wasn’t the time or the place.
Chase, Cody, and I had kept watch while they grieved and buried their friend, and now the five of us sit near the grave site in silence while Tommy patrols the area. The day is getting late, probably midafternoon, but none of us seem to know what to say, what to do, until Luke speaks.
“We can’t stay here. I think the safest place for us is at Diablo Headquarters. With six of us on foot, it’ll probably take two days.” He runs a hand down his dirt streaked face, letting out a sigh and then continues. “We need to regroup, come up with a plan, and we can’t do that here. The church will be back. They aren’t gonna stop, Anna.”
The two of us make eye contact holding it until Luke looks away in the direction of a twig breaking in the distance. When Tommy steps into sight, we all let out a collective sigh of relief. None of us are ready for another fight, and we all know Luke is right. We have to leave, now.
When Luke looks back to me, I try to convey my acceptance and trust. “If you think we’ll be safe there, then I trust you.”
Cody and Chase both nod their heads in agreement as Luke stands to retrieve his bag. The rest of us follow suit, each grabbing our own bags, waiting for Luke to lead the way. Two days on foot will be rough, especially for my team. This isn’t something we’re used to. I guess you could say we’ve lived a pampered life behind the walls of the compound, and now we are about to hike through the woods, me in what looks like a wedding dress, to some unknown destination two days away.
Looking at the faces of Cody and Chase, it’s clear they aren’t looking forward to this either. Cody has the most experience in this department, having been a hunter for the church. He’s used to traipsing through the woods in all sorts of weather. Chase on the other hand, has served as an intern under my father in the infirmary, and until last night, had never set foot outside the church. He was born inside the compound, so this will be the biggest adjustment for him. And as for me, while I didn’t come to live at the compound until I was five, I don’t really have many memories of life before that, and I’ve only been outside its walls a handful of times before today. The church has spent the last couple decades convincing its members the only safe place left on the planet was inside the church compounds spread throughout the globe. So while I’ve seen enough in the last few weeks to know the church can’t be trusted, that doesn’t make me feel any better out here; exposed.
As our group follows behind Luke, headed east, my thoughts wander to all the dangers we may face in the coming days. There are too many unknowns outside the walls of my former home. And despite my nerves surrounding this journey, I can’t help thinking things may be so much wo
rse for my best friend.
chapter 4 - Chocolate Or Something
DAVID
After stopping off at Michelle Hoya’s office this afternoon and ensuring mine and Tara’s files had been altered, I felt confident she would be assigned as my wife. Her placement had been put on hold last night, but I planned to put a bug in the Mutter’s ear to make sure they didn’t delay too much longer. After all, even after her placement and our assignment, practice dictated we wouldn’t marry for another three months. I’m not a patient man. So once I decide I want something, I’ll stop at nothing to get it, and fast.
When I make it back to my apartment, I stop to take a breath before entering. I havn’t moved Ash yet. She still sits on the other side of this door, bound and gagged, guarded by one of my most trusted men. While the Vater knows I have her in my custody, he doesn’t know where she is, and I plan to keep it that way for a few days at least. I’ve spent every spare second since I headed out to find Anna this morning dreaming up ways to torture the petite little thing; ways to make her suffer.
As I step through my front door, a chill goes up my spine with the anticipation, and I nod at the guard I assigned to watch her before stepping through the door to my spare bedroom. Getting the first glimpse of her, I’m immediately ready. I wouldn’t say I get off on hurting little girls, but I’m definitely gonna enjoy every minute of her torture. I love to hear them scream.
“Have you been a good girl while I was gone?” I run my finger through the tear tracts on her cheek as my other hand unstraps the gag in her mouth. When she doesn’t respond, I grasp her hair on the back of her head, yanking her head back so she has no choice but to look at me. “Answer me, little bitch!”
She stutters out a, “yes,” as her dried tears are replaced with fresh ones. Yes, I am gonna enjoy this.
“Your best friend, hell, even your brother left you. That’s how worthless you are,” I hiss before licking my tongue down her tear streaked face.
I like to tear them down, makes them more compliant.
Her body visibly shudders as she lets out a strained sob. Letting go of her hair, I walk to the chest of drawers on the far wall, squatting down to open the bottom drawer. This is where my toys are. Most of these were gifs from Elder Jacobs, but a few I picked up from traders or scavengers. Rummaging through the drawer’s contents, I search for what I’m looking for. I find its best to start off small, working my way up to the big stuff. When my hand lands on the black riding crop, I hum my approval.
“Yes, this will do nicely. Don’t you think?” I ask, turning and showing her my find.
Her wince at the sight only serves to confirm my choice. Walking back to her side and kneeling before her, I stroke the keeper up her leg, stopping short at the hem of her dress and leaning in to whisper in her ear.
“Your time with me doesn’t have to be painful. In fact, it could be the opposite.” Leaning back so our eyes connect, I continue, “Tell me what I want to know, and I promise to take very good care of you, little girl.” I stroke the keeper back down her right leg, then up the left one as I ask my first question. “Where is Anna Cress going?”
I pause my strokes, letting her know should she answer correctly, all of this could stop. She opens her mouth to speak before closing it again, turning her head to face away from me. Well, that just won’t do.
Standing to get a better angle, I grip her jaw, yanking her back to face me before growling out a warning. “You will give me what I want. The only question is how much you suffer between now and then. Now, answer the question. Where is Anna Cress going!?!”
Through clenched teeth she growls, “I. Don’t. Know.”
Before the last word is out, the crop whistles through the air before connecting with the top of her right thigh. Her head jerks from my grasp as she lets out a pained cry, new tears welling in her eyes.
I must admit, I enjoyed that very much.
Reaching down and pushing her dress away so I can see the welt left behind, I decide her left thigh is feeling lonely. The crack echoes through the room, much harder than the first one, and she lets out a scream.
“Try again,” I encourage, although I won’t be mad if she refuses a little longer.
A sob escapes her lips as she gasps for the air she needs to speak. “I really…don’t know. We didn’t have a plan for where we were going to after we got out. I…I swear.”
They’re just a bunch of idiot kids, so it wouldn’t surprise me if that were true, but a few more whips should confirm it.
After four more cracks across her legs and a final one connecting across her back, she maintains her claim. These morons staged an uprising, escaped, and had no clue where to go after. Kind of makes you wonder if they really thought their escape would be successful.
I have a lot more questions, and no doubt the little bitch will make me work for them, but it’s been a long day and I think it will do her some good to sit in here alone, wondering when I’ll be back.
Securing the gag back in her mouth, I turn the light off and shut the door behind me.
***
ANNA
When we escaped the compound we headed north with nothing more than a goal of putting distance between us and the church. After being attacked by David and his team and losing one of our own, Luke had been adamant we head to the Diablo Headquarters, which happened to be pretty much due south and then slightly west of here. Unfortunately, we couldn’t just go south, we’d be heading straight back to the compound. So when Luke took off a couple hours ago with the rest of the group following, he had said the safest thing would be to travel east first, then turn south. It would make the trip longer, but it was pretty much our only option. It not only took us further from the compound, but kept us from having to pass through Bonham since we all agreed that would the first place David and his men would be looking for us.
This first hour was pretty uneventful, our only issues being dodging low branches or skirting around felled trees. But no more than thirty minutes later we came across a clearing with graying wide strips of concrete stretching north and south. Luke told us it was an old highway, a road that would take travelers from one town to the next. I’d seen them in books in the library, but in person it seemed much more massive. This one had seen better days, with large sections completely taken back by mother nature, and huge cracks stretching down its length for as far as the eye could see. When we had gotten a couple hundred yards on the other side, Luke turned right, headed south.
We only made it another two hours before the night made it too dangerous to continue. When we came across an abandoned barn, we decided this was probably our best option for a camp site. Easton and Tommy set off to search the perimeter, while Luke asked Cody to find some fire wood and the rest of us cleared an area in the middle of the barn for a fire. Once Cody came back with the wood and Luke got the fire going, Easton came back in, setting out a few jars of what looked like chili. While the chili cooked over the fire, the rest of us looked on, none of us seeming to want to speak first. Despite the events of the last twenty-four hours though, that’s just not my style.
“So.” Okay, so maybe I hadn’t thought further ahead than that. I look around at each of the dirty faces of some of my closest friends, and know I have to do something to get us out of this funk. “So, Luke, will we see any cool sights on the way to HQ?”
Luke seems surprised by my spontaneous question, and it makes my heart happy when he lets out a little chuckle. “Define cool,” he says with another laugh.
It feels nice to hear him laugh, and when I look around our fire, the other faces look less forlorn and more lighthearted. I need to keep this going, take everyone’s mind off the last twenty-four hours.
“What restaurants do you recommend?” I ask, trying to suppress a giggle.
Looking at me, his eyes seem much lighter, and when he speaks, I can tell he needs this. “Well, there’s an excellent burned down Italian restaurant about fifteen miles from here.” That gets a laugh ou
t of everyone, and Luke leaves his seat on the opposite side of the fire to join me. Nudging me with his shoulder he adds, “The town use to be called Paris, and do you know what Paris is famous for?”
The only thing I can think of is the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris, France, but before I can guess, Cody cut me off.
“Eiffel Towers.” He says it with a laugh, not sounding serious at all.
So when Luke says, “Exactly,” he has all our attention. “Only this is Texas, or I guess, was, so this one has a cowboy hat on top.”
I’m pretty sure he’s joking, but when I see Easton nodding his head, I’m not so sure.
Ohhh, I wanna see the Eiffel Tower with a cowboy hat. Crossing my fingers.
The small talk continues, with Luke telling us about a friend of his that runs a ranch about halfway between here and HQ. He mentions hoping that we might be able to convince him to loan us a few horses, or perhaps give us a ride if not. That would cut the trip in half, and it’s obvious Luke is anxious to get there as quick as possible. I don’t blame him, the faster we get there, the faster we can figure out a plan to get Ash back.
After the five of us finish our chili, Easton leaves out the big barn door only to be replaced around the fire by Tommy a few minutes later. I guess they’ll be taking turns keeping watch throughout the night. I need to know which shift will be mine so I can mentally prepare myself for not getting a full ten hours of sleep.