by Ellie Aiden
The last cell on the right is where I’m headed, and when I arrive, Tom Cress and is wife Melanie are huddled in the corner, clinging to one another.
Slipping my keys in the lock and opening the cell door, I order, “Up, let’s go!”
The two only hesitate for a moment before they obey my command, following me into the interrogation room. Directing them to sit in the two chairs on one side, I take the chair on the other.
Drumming my fingers on the metal table and getting a kick out of the evident fear on their faces, I decide to get straight to it. “How much did you know about your daughters planned attack on the church, Tom?”
His eyes widen, almost as if he wasn’t expecting me to ask that, although I can’t imagine why. No way they didn’t know. I look to Tom and motion for him to speak.
“We…I…our daughter had nothing to do with thattt.” He stutters on the last word, but was it because it’s a lie, or because he knows it doesn’t matter if it’s the truth.
“Bullshit! Don’t fucking lie to me. You two are both traitors to the church, traitors to God, meaning both of your lives are forfeit. Telling me what I want to know only determines if your death comes quickly, or if I get to make it very slow, and very painful.”
Melanie has tears pouring down her dirt stained face, and Tom visibly shudders with my declaration.
Tom slides his arm around his wife’s shoulders before trying to convince me again. “I know it doesn’t matter what we say, but I’m telling you she had nothing to do with the attack, and she didn’t tell us anything leading up to her escape. Although, that doesn’t mean we didn’t know something was going on.”
Now we’re getting somewhere. “Go on, Tom. Your answers could earn your wife dinner tonight.”
He looks to his wife, his eyes bleeding with compassion, and it makes me laugh, the act forcing his eyes back to me. “We knew something was going on, but she told us nothing. I think she did that on purpose so we wouldn’t get in trouble if things went south. When she said goodbye to us before the ceremony, it was more like a final goodbye.” He pauses, looking at his wife once more before he continues. “I’d planned to tell the Vater, but I couldn’t interrupt the ceremony, and then before it was complete the compound was attacked. What was I supposed to do?”
He sounds convincing. But do I really believe a father would turn on their own child? I guess it’s possible, but if that’s the case, then I won’t get to make Anna Cress’s parents suffer anymore, and where’s the fun in that.
Rising from my seat, I usher the two back to their cell before turning and heading back down the walkway. As I close the door, I hear Tom Cress yelling.
“I want to see the Vater! I have the right to see the Vater.”
Fuck your rights.
chapter 9 - My Other Three O’Clock
DAVID
After questioning Tom and Melanie Cress, I had no choice but to fill the Vater in, and unfortunately, he believed Tom’s claims. I was ordered to release them both, but I waited two days just out of spite, claiming I had been too busy to deal with the paperwork. I had also been forced to move Ash Booker to a cell in the bunker a few days ago, not only was she starting to smell rotten, but the elders were starting to question my methods. It didn’t mean I couldn’t torture her at all, but it did mean I was limited on what I could get away with, and it meant no more bonding with Tara, at least not through torture.
It’s been nearly two weeks since the attack on the compound. The construction department has made a lot of headway on the north wall, so things are just starting to go back to normal. There’s still a need for heightened security on that end, but Elder Smith estimates that project could be done in about two weeks. They’ve simultaneously been conducting repairs on the main building, but that’s a little more difficult. So we might be looking at months before the work is done.
This morning I had woken up to another summons to appear before the council. Most likely it’s another security debriefing. They have been calling for those about once every couple days, so before I headed out, I made sure to grab all my notes.
Now, I make my way through the main building, past Vater Henry’s office to the ceremony hall. The change in venue is my only indication this meeting might not be about security. The last few meetings have been fairly casual and held in the Vater’s office, or yesterdays was held in the bunker, as the elders wanted to visit the prisoners.
As I approach the doors, Elder Thompson stands waiting. He took a pretty good blow to the head from a chunk of ceiling in the attack, and with the exception of a bandage on his forehead, he seems mostly recovered now.
“Excellent, I had hoped you would arrive early,” he says, as I eliminate the last few feet of distance between us.
I extend my hand to shake, and the elder returns the gesture before filling me in on why he wanted to speak to me.
“I have some information I think you might be interested in. The boy that was seen with Anna Cress in Bonham, and then again the night of the attack, was spotted in Greenville. That’s a town about…”
I cut him off before he can finish. “I know where it is. And if he was spotted there, I have no doubt she is with him.”
He nods his head in agreement as I run a hand across the top of my head. “That means she’s with Diablo, not the Titans, Elder. Which means we may have been wrong.”
Nodding again he says, “We don’t have time to discuss it further, but I assume you will handle this new information appropriately?”
Reassuring him I will, the two of us enter the ceremony hall.
We’re the last two to enter, each of the elders already in their places with Vater Henry front and center. Approaching, I pull my notes from their place in the file and start to speak, but I’m cut off by Vater Henry.
“That’s not what we are here for today, my son. We have something equally as important though.” He pauses, as I put away the papers, stepping back a few feet to wait. “As you know, the loss of Elder Jacobs was unfortunate, and it’s imperative that we replace him with someone who is as capable as he was. I had been waiting for God to steer me in the right direction, and last night he spoke to me.”
He pauses, as if for dramatic effect, and I have to actively refrain from rolling my eyes. I’m deeply religious. I believe in and fear God, but Vater Henry is full of shit. God doesn’t speak to him.
When he speaks again, his voice is raised to garner my full attention. “God showed me your face, son.”
Well in that case, speak to God all you want old man.
“And you will be the new elder over the security department.” Mid-sentence, the Vater steps forward, extending his hand to shake before finishing, “I trust you will handle the church’s safety as Elder Jacobs would, if not better.”
Shaking the Vater’s hand firmly, I nod and comment on his expectation, “I assure you, I will have the compound secured as it should be, and I will do whatever it takes to keep it that way.”
Seeing his approval, the other elders in the room make their way over to offer congratulations, and all I can think about is sharing this good news with my future wife.
***
ANNA
The last week training with the General has been a living nightmare. Each day we spend one hour running laps around The Castle, followed by at least thirty minutes of sit-ups and push-ups, before ending with an hour of weight training. By the end of day two I had lost all feeling in my legs, and we didn’t do anything that could be considered fighting until yesterday. When the General finally said okay, let’s see how hard you can hit, he spent twenty minutes knocking me on my ass every time I tried. He’s a damn masochist, I tell ya.
Of course, it hasn’t helped that Brea and Camila have turned our training into some sort of made for T.V. movie. It was just them the first couple days. Then on day three Tommy and Easton joined. On day four three girls I don’t know showed up, and yesterday there were at least fifteen people watching. Luke said I should use it as m
otivation. I told him to shove his motivation up his ass.
Today after warm ups, we worked on defense. Things like how to get out of a choke hold, and he even showed us a few pressure points. He’d given me the first piece of advice I had really felt was useful when he said with my size, pressure points would be key in a lot of situations. And while I did feel like I learned a few things today, we aren’t moving fast enough for my taste.
We finished about five minutes ago, and I decided a bath was in my future, so now I’m practically sprinting back to my room. As I push through the bedroom door, I run into a very firm chest and stare up into Luke’s worried blue eyes.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, as I make my way over to the bed.
Sitting down, I remove my shoes and socks and turn back to Luke who is leaned against the door frame, arms crossed in front of his chest.
“I just got word a man was asking about you in town today,” he says, his words filled with worry. “One of my guys followed him. He ended up in the woods outside town, and there was a woman with him.”
Balls. Why me? Why is everyone out to get me?
Letting out a deep sigh, I flop back on the bed and then think better of it, getting up to stand instead. The level of nasty sweat on my body right now is not natural, and I don’t want to sleep in it tonight.
“Who do you think it was?” I ask him, crossing my arms to mimic his stance.
Shaking his head, he leaves his place against the door frame and comes to stand in front of me. “I don’t know, but it has to be someone from the Church. You don’t know anyone else, but,” he leans in kissing me on the forehead and adds, “we’ll deal with it later because right now you stink. Go take a bath.”
I push his chest as he stumbles back, and I mock offense.
He’s right though, I do stink.
***
ANNA
Later that evening as we all sat around the dining room table eating dinner, one of Mateo’s men interrupts, informing him the man and woman who had asked about me in town had moved their camp closer to The Castle. He had thanked the man, and told him to keep him posted, but that had been the end of it.
Now as I lie here in bed next to Luke, I can’t stop imagining all the horrible things that may be coming, and who the man and woman might be. There aren’t a lot of options for who it could be. I mean, outside of this castle, I probably know twenty people on the face of the planet. My first guess was David or one of his men, but they wouldn’t have been camped out with a woman. So that limits the options even further.
Looking at the clock, I see its three a.m., and knowing I have training bright and early in the morning, I really need to get some sleep, but I can’t just lye here not knowing who it is. I slip from the bed as quietly as I can, doing my best not to wake Luke, and grab my shoes before slipping out into the hall.
Making my way downstairs, I try my best not to make a sound as I pass by where Mateo sleeps in the master bedroom. Slipping out the front door, I cast a cautious glance around and seeing no one, I make my way across the driveway. It takes me only 5 minutes to make it to the front gate, and as I slip past the guard shack, a shadow appears. My heart jumps into my throat as I dive back behind the small building. Crouching down and holding my breath, I pray no one saw me.
“Clearly, we need to work on your sneaking abilities in training tomorrow.”
S.O.B.! Of all the people it could possibly be it had to be him?
Since its clear hiding will do me no good at this point, I stand and step out from the cover of the guard shack as casually as possible. He doesn’t know why I’m out here. I can just tell him I couldn’t sleep and went for a walk.
“General,” I greet him in a flat tone, crossing my arms across my chest and mimicking his posture.
Raising a brow, he asks, “Why are you sneaking out the gate at three a.m., Anna?”
Okay, act cool. You got this, Anna. “I couldn’t sleep, so I decided to go for a jog, clear my head.”
He doesn’t look like he believes a word I said, or sound like it either. “Uh huh. I’d say that’s highly doubtful, considering the amount of whining you do each day during training. So, what are you really doing out here?”
Did he just say I whine? How dare he!
“I’m serious, General.”
Shaking his head, he widens his stance further. “So it isn’t that you were going to try to find the man asking about you around town?”
I shake my head adamantly, but before I can rebuke his thinking he cuts me off.
“It’s like you don’t listen at all in training, Anna. If you want to figure this out, that I understand. But how can you be so stupid as to go out in the middle of the night by yourself.” It isn’t spoken as a question, the man just called me stupid.
First whiney, and now stupid. Geez, and I thought he was starting to like me.
Without another word, he turns his back on me and sets off down the dark dirt road.
That’s it? Call me whiney and stupid and then just turn around and walk off? You aren’t gonna tattle on me, drag me back to the house kicking and screaming, anything?
I huff out a breath, and figure I’ll just head back to the house. Maybe I can convince Luke to check things out with me tomorrow.
As I turn to head back, the General calls over his shoulder, “Well, are you coming or what?” He doesn’t wait to see if I’ll follow, just continues down the road until he disappears into the shadows.
This seems like a bad idea. Although, it can’t be worse than going alone, so after a moment of thought, I rush to catch up.
***
ANNA
We had only been walking for about fifteen minutes when the General had said he’d done his own investigating after dinner. He’d sought out Mateo’s man who’d made the report, and got him to tell him a general area where the couple had set up camp. He said we were looking at at least a thirty-minute walk, maybe forty, and despite having completed my first week of training, I’m already short of breath. The General has rolled his eyes at my dramatic wheezing at least five times, but ask me if I care.
Thirty minutes in, and the General grabs my shirt, pulling me behind a large tree and squatting down. Scanning the area, I don’t see anything, but it’s pretty dark given the moon is mostly behind the clouds.
The General makes some sort of hand gestures I most definitely do not understand before rolling his eyes and whispering, “Three O’clock.”
Aww shit, military time. Not my best subject.
Turning my head in the direction I think is right, I don’t see anything other than trees. As I’m about to tell him so, he grabs my head in both of his meaty paws, turning it the opposite direction.
Oh, my other three o’clock. Got it.
And now that I’m facing the right way, I spot two shadowy figures huddled together in a small grouping of trees. It’s freezing out here. If I was to guess it can’t be more than forty, and they don’t have a fire. That doesn’t seem smart at all.
I look back to the General, shaking my head to let him know I see them, then shrugging my shoulders because I’m not sure where we go from here. I want to ask him, what now, but before I can he stands and begins stomping through the dead underbrush, straight toward the couple.
Oh, I see, we’re going for the direct approach. Wouldn’t have been my chosen method, but you do you.
I march behind him, seeing two figures turn and begin scrambling back from the beast of a man. Honestly, who can blame them. The General is terrifying. I still can’t see their faces, but it’s clear one is a man and the other a woman. The man has one arm stretched across the woman protectively, and the other out in front of him to ward off the stranger approaching them.
When the General speaks, I swear he dropped his voice an octave just to sound scarier. “Who are you? What are you doing here?”
He stops only feet from the couple, widening his stance and throwing his shoulders back. Neither of them have spoken, but as I make it th
e last few feet to catch up, the clouds part just slightly, casting a sliver of light on the woman and her mousy brown hair.
Mother.
The name catches in my throat as I freeze, and the General lunges toward who I can only assume is my father. He grabs him by the throat, lifting him straight up, his feet unable to touch the ground.
“No,” my voice cracks, and it comes out as a whisper. It’s clear no one even heard me given my father is still a good two-feet off the ground.
I don’t think, I just charge, ramming into the General’s back, beating my fists against it and demanding he put him down. “Stop, put him down. Now! Stop, please!”
The General doesn’t let go, but he does turn to look down at me, cocking his head to the side. He seems to see the fear in my eyes along with the tears as he slowly sets my father down. My father collapses to the ground, choking and unable to speak.
“Anna.” It’s a whisper from my mother who still sits on the ground, staring up at the man before her, tears pouring down her cheeks.
“Mother…” I’m not sure what to say, but it seems to be enough to calm the General down as he steps back a few feet to give us space.
My legs won’t hold me up anymore, and I drop to my knees, looking back and forth between the two of them, not understanding how this is possible. Why are they here? How are they here?
It seems my voice is refusing to work, but at least my parents both seem to be suffering with the same issue. Instead, they both crawl on hands and knees to where I sit, wrapping me in a tear soaked embrace.
We stay like that for what seems like forever before my mother finally speaks. “We didn’t think we would ever see you again, Anna.” And then I’m crying again.
I feel like that’s all I’ve been doing lately, but at least these are happy tears. The General stands off to my right, hidden in the shadows, and the three of us finally sit back, drying our tears.
“Why are you here, I mean, how are you here?” I ask, reaching to hold my mother’s hand.