Seeking Safety

by Karen Ward

  SEEKING SAFETY

  KAREN WARD

  Smashwords Edition

  Copyright © 2011 Glenda Hays

  Writing as Karen Ward

  All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be used, transmitted, or reproduced in any manner, electronic or otherwise without prior written permission from the copyright holder except in cases where permitted by law.

  This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are either products of the author's imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual places, events, or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  Cover images from COVERS BY RAMONA

  Ebook formatting by www.ebooklaunch.com

  Table of Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  About the Author

  PROLOGUE

  Seattle, Washington May 1999

  "No, Melanie, you absolutely can NOT go to that rock concert! You are not going to drive all the way to Spokane and stay overnight at God only knows where with just your friends and no chaperone! I've already given you my answer, now please stop begging!" repeats Patricia Brentwood, extremely frustrated with her fifteen year old daughter Melanie who has been begging to go to the concert for over an hour. She simply is refusing to listen.

  "But Mom, all my friends are going! It's not a big deal anymore. Everybody goes to these concerts without chaperones. You can't possibly be that mean to me! Please!"

  Melanie's father, Mark Brentwood intervenes, "Melanie, you heard your Mother! Just because your friends are traveling all the way to Spokane from Seattle for a concert does not mean you are old enough or mature enough to go out of town without chaperones. Too many bad things happen at those concerts. I've seen the reports of all types of drugs being passed around, numerous drug overdoses, sex orgies, and even kidnappings and murders. Now, be a good girl and go to your room, change your clothes and get ready for dinner. It will be ready in about an hour."

  I glare at my father and make a point of stomping my feet as I make my way to my room where I slam the door as hard as I can. I am furious with them because my boyfriend and two best friends are all going to Spokane to the concert of my favorite band and my stupid parents won't let me go. They are so old fashioned and just plain mean! They don't understand how embarrassing it is to not be able to go when all of my friends are going. It is not a big deal to go to concerts out of town these days. Everybody does it! Well, too bad for them, I'm going anyway! My mind made up I quickly change into jeans and a lightweight sweater. I grab a sweatshirt that I tie around my waist, empty the contents of my piggy bank and stuff the money in my jeans pockets, and climb out of my bedroom window. I was supposed to meet my boyfriend down at the end of the block fifteen minutes ago.

  I run as fast as I can but when I get to the pre-arranged meeting place, he is already gone. Oh no! What am I going to do now? I sit down on the curb for a few minutes and contemplate my options. Then, it hits me! I know, I'll hitchhike to Spokane and meet up with them at the concert! It can't be all that dangerous. Mom and Dad always exaggerate stuff like that. Yeah, that will work! I walk to the main highway out of Seattle and start raising my thumb looking for a ride.

  ******

  An hour after their confrontation Mark Brentwood calls, "Melanie! Come to dinner!" When she doesn't come out of her room he strides purposefully down the hall, exasperated with his daughter, and opens her door. When he looks inside, he sees that she is gone and her window has been left open, the curtains fluttering in the wind. His stomach sinks to his toes and his heart stops, before starting up again at a furious pace. He screams "Patricia, she's gone! Oh my God! She's gone ..." he says, sobbing the last few words.

  Patricia Brentwood runs down the hall to her husband's side, staring into the empty room. She asks, "Oh my God! What are we going to do Mark?"

  ******

  Thirty year old Darren Calloway feels as if he is riding on top of the world! He just left the lawyer's office where he finally gained complete control over his late father's vast fortune. He sold the family furniture conglomerate and the mausoleum his father called a home and now he has a boatload of cash in the bank. He is busily making plans in his head for what he is going to do with all that money.

  First, he is going to pay off the note on the land in Idaho where he is building his militia compound. That will keep the government from holding that over his head. He is planning to make some improvements too like running water so he can have a hot shower now and then. He plans to use the computer he just bought to spread his message and gain more members and support for his anti-government group. That means building an office and buying a generator big enough to support a computer network and heat water for those showers he wants.

  When he first spots the hitchhiker along the side of the highway out of Seattle he doesn't pay much attention. Then as he passes by he realizes that hitchhiker is a very young, very pretty girl. Well, look at that! He could use someone to warm his bed at night, especially a looker like her! He slams on his brakes and whips his pickup to the side of the road. The young girl runs up to the passenger side door. Wow, she is even prettier than he first thought! His male member springs to attention when he mentally pictures her in his bed.

  I am getting so discouraged. Isn't anybody going to stop? Wait! That pickup is stopping. I run to where the truck is stopped and open the door. My heart is pounding with excitement as I carefully look at the man in the driver's seat. He looks like a nice man. He is clean cut and is dressed nice. He smells good too. Yes, it will be all right.

  "Would you mind taking me to Spokane mister?"

  Darren, his heart pounding with anticipation, smiles warmly and says, "I'm going right through Spokane, hop in."

  I happily climb into the passenger seat of the pickup and fasten my seat belt. "I really appreciate this. I need to get to Spokane to meet my friends at the big rock concert they are having at the fairgrounds."

  The man grins at me, "It is not a problem at all. A concert, that really sounds like fun. What's your name?"

  I take a deep breath and smile back at him relaxing, "Melanie Brentwood."

  "It's nice to meet you Melanie. I'm Darren Calloway." He pulls back onto the highway and heads down the interstate chatting companionably. All the while he is contemplating the beautiful young girl in the passenger seat. She has sparkling green eyes, long dark blonde hair falling around her shoulders, naturally dark lashes, and a creamy complexion. Her makeup is light and understated emphasizing her natural beauty. She is of medium height and has a cute figure with full, lush breasts. Yes, she will do just fine!

  After an hour or two he pulls into a truck stop to buy gas for the truck. He asks me as I return to the truck from the restroom, "Melanie, do you want anything from inside?"

  "Could I have a soda please?"

  Darren smiles and says, "Sure. I'll be right back." Just before
Darren fills the fountain cup with soda, he empties a packet of powder into the cup. Then he stirs it thoroughly and adds a lid and straw. When he reaches the truck he hands the soda to Melanie and says, "Here you go." Then he climbs in the truck and heads toward Spokane. Grinning to himself he thinks, this has turned out to be a really productive day.

  "Thank you." I sip my soda and soon fall into a deep, drugged sleep.

  As Darren Calloway drives right through Spokane to his compound in Idaho he thinks about what he is going to do with his beautiful captive. He pictures the scenarios in his mind and finds that he is getting more and more excited. By the time he reaches Idaho he is downright uncomfortable in his tight jeans.

  ******

  Mark and Patricia Brentwood are beside themselves with worry. They notify the Seattle police department about their daughter running away from home. They furnish them with a relatively new picture and ask them to check the concert venue in Spokane. They give them the names of all of Melanie's friends that are supposed to be at the concert. The Brentwoods are certain that is where Melanie is headed.

  After the authorities locate and interview Melanie's boyfriend and best friends at the concert in Spokane, they are convinced that Melanie never made it to the concert venue. They report their findings back to a very disappointed, very worried, Mark and Patricia Brentwood. Weeks, months, and then years pass without any sightings of their beloved daughter. With broken hearts, they cling to hope and to each other.

  ******

  I am awakened by someone grasping my chin, shaking my head, and calling my name. "Melanie, wake up."

  I slowly open my eyes and gaze into the cold grey depths of Darren Calloway's eyes. It takes a minute for me to recognize the handsome older man and when I do I smile and innocently ask, "Are we here?"

  He grins and smirks, "Oh yeah, we are at our destination." His heart is pounding with anticipation.

  When I try to move, I realize my hands and feet are tied to a bed and that I am naked. A wave of sheer terror flows through my body and I stare at the man, panic plainly showing on my face. Oh God! Where am I? What is he going to do to me? Is he going to kill me? I frantically glance around the dimly lit cabin ... the room I am in appears to be sparsely furnished and very small. A kerosene lantern flickers on the table across the room and I see a big black thing with a pipe leading up through the ceiling. I'm not sure what that is, maybe a stove of some kind. My heart is pounding with fear and my gaze returns to Darren Calloway's cold grey eyes.

  Darren Calloway grins cruelly and says, "Now, Melanie my dear. It's time for you to pay me for giving you a ride." He strips out of his clothes and climbs on the bed kneeling between my legs, his heart pounding with anticipation.

  He examines his beautiful captive starting with the top of her head. As his eyes slowly move down from her very pretty face to the graceful curve of her neck to her plump full breasts with rosy nipples puckered from the chill in the cabin and then lower over her flat stomach to her private area, his male member twitches with need. He licks his lips and slowly lowers himself on top of me.

  As he is surveying me, I am examining his huge muscular body. He has well defined muscles in the arms, legs, and across his chest. He has a flat stomach and when I reach his private area and see the size of his male member panic flows through me. He is huge! I have never seen a completely naked man before and that part of him is so much bigger than I ever thought it would be. Realization flows through me. Oh God, he is going to rape me! Then he slowly lowers himself down on top of me.

  ******

  Darren Calloway is very pleased with his young captive. He hasn't had stronger orgasms with any other woman in his life. He hopes she will come to accept her fate and he is not forced to kill her. She will bear him a strong, handsome son if she does.

  Early the next morning he dresses and exits the cabin leaving her tied to the bed covered only by a thin blanket. He is smiling and happy as he heads to the cook shack at the far end of the compound for some breakfast. Once he has satisfied his hunger, he seeks out James Bixby at his shack in the compound and asks James to send his woman, Jasmine, in to take care of Melanie. Someone needs to bathe her, feed her, and explain to her what is expected. He really hopes Melanie will learn to accept him. He likes his conquest and very much wants to keep her.

  ******

  I am still lying tied on the bed covered only by the thin blanket with tears streaming down my face. I am so distraught. Oh God, what am I going to do? Help me, please! Why didn't I listen to my parents? I'm so sorry Mama. Please forgive me.

  I am completely surprised when a beautiful young woman with long auburn hair not much older than I am walks into the cabin. I watch her as she walks across the room and sits on the side of the bed.

  Jasmine Leblanc looks at Melanie's bruised and battered face and asks, "Oh Sweetie, are you all right?" Jasmine's heart is breaking. She well remembers her first few days in captivity. She was so frightened with no one to help her understand what was expected. Maybe she can help this young girl ease into her new life. Maybe she can save her from dying.

  I nod my head and shyly ask, "Who are you?"

  Jasmine smiles and says, "My name is Jasmine and I live here at the compound with James Bixby. I've been here now for five years. Darren asked me to come in and help you clean up. I brought you something for your breakfast. What's your name?"

  "M..M..Melanie. Where am I?" This woman seems nice. Maybe she will help me. Hope springs to life inside and my heart starts pounding with excitement.

  Jasmine answers, "This is an anti government militia compound in Idaho."

  "Will you help me get away?" Please God, please let her help me!

  Jasmine replies honestly, "Oh Melanie, you can't get away. Guards are stationed all around and they will kill you if you try to leave. You do have a choice to make though. You have to choose whether or not you want to live or want to die. That is the only options you have."

  I shake my head in denial. "No!! I can't stay here! I have to get away. Please, Jasmine, you have to help me,"

  Jasmine shakes her head. "No, Melanie. I won't help you. You see, I choose to live and in order to live I have to abide by the rules. They are not always pleasant or something I would normally choose for myself, but I want to live. I hope you will make the same choice." While Jasmine has been talking, she has been heating water on the wood stove. She unties Melanie's hands and feet and hands her a cup of tea. She says, "Here drink this. It will help with the pain of your injuries." Jasmine knows the tea will prevent her from getting pregnant too but she will keep that bit of information to herself for now.

  I vigorously shake my head, "No, I don't want it." I am not about to trust this woman, or anybody in this place. I am sure that man drugged me. That is why I am in this mess. I wrap the blanket tightly around my body and start to walk toward the door.

  Jasmine calls to me, "Melanie, please don't do that. Guards are right outside the door and they won't hesitate to shoot you. Darren Calloway has issued the order for you to be shot if you step outside of the cabin. He is the leader here and everyone obeys his orders without question. Come over here and bathe and I will help you put on some clothes. As long as we stay in the cabin you are safe."

  I look at Jasmine stunned. I am sure shock is plainly visible on my face. "Are these people crazy? How can they get away with killing people at the drop of a hat? It is against the law!"

  Jasmine answers honestly, "These men make their own laws. They don't recognize any laws of the United States. Here, I brought you some muffins for your breakfast. Please, come on over here and let's get you cleaned up."

  My stomach rumbles with hunger. I walk over to the table and take the warm rag Jasmine is offering and begin to wash myself.. Then I slip the sheath type dress over my head. "Don't I get underwear?"

  Jasmine replies, "Not yet. Once Darren is satisfied that you are his and will remain here without being watched, you'll get regular clothes."

  "Why can't
I use the bathroom to clean up?" I look around the cabin but don't see a door to another room.

  Jasmine laughs, "Honey, we don't even have running water here. We haul water from the creek that runs through the back side of the compound."

  My mouth falls open and I ask, "Where do you go to the bathroom?"

  Jasmine laughs again and explains, "I believe you'll find a slop jar under the bed. One of your duties will be to empty it every day. The men dug a pit a good ways from here where we empty the slop jars every day. They sprinkle lime on it to quell the odor. Once you make your decision to live, I'll be happy to show you the ropes."

  I sit down at the small table across from Jasmine. I am very confused. This is more that I can take in at the moment. I can't believe people really live like what Jasmine is describing. I pick up one of the muffins and take a bite. "Mmmmm, these are good! Did you make them?"

  Jasmine explains, "We have a communal cooking shack. All of the women here share cooking and cleaning duties. If you make the decision to live you will be the fifth woman living here at the compound."

  "You say that like others have died here?"

  Jasmine looks down at her hands before she answers, "Sadly, that is true. A few other young girls have been brought here and did not choose to live."

  "What happened to them?"

  Jasmine shrugs her shoulders, "I really don't know. I guess they died from the beatings or something. All I know is they were here one day and then they weren't here the next."

  Jasmine stays with me for most of the day, but eventually she says, "Well Sweetie, I have to go help with dinner. That means I have to tie you back up."

  A wave of fear washes over me, "Please don't leave me!"

  Jasmine smiles sadly, "I'm really sorry but I have to attend to my responsibilities. I don't want to make James Bixby mad. I can't help you any more today. I do hope that you will choose to live, Melanie. Once you accept your fate, it's really not so bad here. I really hope you don't die."