“Well, your father was a prime example of why it's unwise to trust those with too much power. He appointed himself our leader at the campsite and I was not going to live under the thumb of Daniel Olivier. I preferred taking my chances out in the woods. I would take on one hundred natives single-handed before I lived under his rules.”
“Well, I don’t think that Don possesses the ability to enact the same cruel laws and regulations that my father put into place. He was starving people, did you know that? He wanted nature to take its course so that our population there would dwindle. That man we just spoke to was one of them. His daughter almost died. I could sense the fear of losing her still hanging about in his heart. It was fading away but it was still present.”
“Your father is exactly the type of person that we don’t need here. He is the proverbial wolf amongst a flock of sheep.”
“It does not help that most of the sheep are so desperate for a strong leader that they will follow anyone. That is why we need to exercise caution while we are here. Don could turn into the same beast that my father has always been. It is too much power for one person.”
“I agree, baby. You know I agree with that.” He looked at me, wanting to ask a question that he knew I would be reluctant to answer.
“Go on, darling.” I rolled my eyes to the overcast sky above our heads.
“What happened to you after I left the campsite?”
I flicked the ember off of my cigarette and exhaled the last precious puff of smoke. I watched it billow away, wanting to do nothing more than dodge that particular conversation. I knew how angry it would make him. It still infuriated me enough to drive that killer instinct I was just beginning to discover. The relationship between my father and I had always been a violent one devoid of any semblance of love and respect. But I never could have guessed, even with infinite knowledge, that he would hand me over to Adam as a peace offering. He had suggested that Adam was entranced with me, which I knew was true. If my father was aware of that, then he knew that trading me to Adam would have resulted in the worst possible assault, one that I had already experienced. The most despicable aspect of it was that my father did not care what Adam did to me. He only wanted to guarantee his own safety.
“Hey…” James was saying gently. When I resurfaced, I found that his hands were on my face. I looked up at him, realizing that I had briefly left the common time-frame in order to dwell within the space of those nasty, heart-tugging thoughts.
I opened my mouth to ask how long it had been since I had submerged into silence but before I could, James answered me, knowing that the question was coming because he knew me so well already.
“Only a few minutes.” He told me and after a gentle kiss, he studied me closely to discern whether or not I was alright.
“I am sorry.” I told him dryly. I did not know what else to say.
“Don’t apologize. You never apologize for anything. Definitely don’t apologize for that, sweetheart.”
“What occurred between my father and I is not difficult for me to discuss. The topic we were speaking of earlier is much harder. I do not understand either event, though. I do not understand how a man can want to cause harm to his own child. Not just any harm, either, but the worst. He told me that Adam wanted me. In exchange, Adam was offering him safety. I would like to give my father the benefit of the doubt and say that he just wanted to protect those he was responsible for, meaning the whole campsite.”
“But that’s bullshit and you know it!” James hissed furiously. I could see him shaking in rage.
“Please don’t get angry. It is just not worth it, James.”
“You’re worth me getting angry over, Brynna! What else did he say?”
“There were many things that he said. He did not admit it out loud but he is terrified by the idea of people evolving while he stays the same. He was going to round them all up and either banish them or kill them outright. It is truly disgusting, how horrible of a person he is. It is mind-boggling, to say the very least. The reason why he even took me away from the others is that he was afraid and repulsed by what I was turning into. When the natives attacked, I changed over so I could fight them off. I think the entire campsite saw. The other people were afraid, too.”
“How did you get away?”
“Elijah, Alice and Quinn broke into the ship to save me. They are all changing over, as you very well know. They embrace what they are turning into the same way that you and I do. Through their strength and their ability to fight, they were able to get me out.”
James nodded before asking another uncomfortable question.
“Why did he hit you?”
That bitterness I had so long embraced in order to survive the depressing truth burgeoned inside of me sickeningly, like a rose turned black with rot; it forced a small smile of disgusted disbelief to appear on my face.
“I did exactly what you just witnessed. I went out of it. It reminded him of something that he will never forgive. He knew that I was in that exact state of mind while my brother was dying. I am aware that you know all about that just like you know all about Michael, my mother, my siblings...”
For my sake, he lightened the mood with a joke.
“Yeah. That’s all public record, not that I was spying on you or anything. Not that I was looking you up, drooling over your picture, climbing up your broken fire-escape to gaze in at you longingly... Nothing like that. Of course not.”
As always, his dry sense of humor got the best of me. Despite all that we had just discussed, I laughed. I embraced him, so appreciative of his easy maneuvering out of tight emotional spaces that I was uncomfortable in. He was beyond angry at my father for what he had done. I understood that our evolution sharpened our emotions, creating a storm of potency that was felt through every last limb. Somehow, James was able to suppress his animal rage for me. After tightening my arms around him, I kissed his neck.
“I didn’t follow you to that bar. It was strictly coincidence, you know.” He added and I giggled again, shocked that he was able to bring forth such a girlish sound in me. I had never giggled a day in my life until I met him. In fact, I even hated the word ‘giggle.’
“No, you admitted that you were stalking me. You are a legitimate creeper.”
“Only for you, my love. My love, my love, my love…”
I laughed again and then we were kissing fervently, completely unaware of the world around us.
“Sorry to interrupt…”
Don blasted Abba.
“Really?” I muttered irritably. I pulled away from James, who I could see was equally aggravated by the interruption.
“I know it has only been a few hours but how are you settling in?”
I looked at James, blinking in disbelief. What a trivial question so unworthy of our time. I had to remind myself that he was just being courteous.
“It is nice.” I answered vaguely.
“Just nice?”
“What do you want me to say?” I asked, “Are you expecting thanks? Did I thank you yet?”
“No. But I’m not after gratitude. It’s unimportant to me.”
“Well, it should be very important to you.” I told him, “We are incredibly thankful that you are allowing us to stay here. The house is amazing. What you are doing here is remarkable, really.”
“I try my best.” Don replied humbly, “I know that my interruption is not welcome. But besides inquiring how you two were adjusting thus far, I also wanted to offer you work.”
James and I both were well aware that work was certainly not being offered. It was being quietly demanded. I wondered briefly what the consequences would be if we declined. I was not so narcissistic as to believe that we should be excused from responsibilities. I was simply curious. I was still on my quest to discover the complete blueprint of Don Abba's emotional and intellectual flow. In short, I was attempting to peg his personality accurately in order to determine whether or not we had anything to fear from him.
Alr
ight, that was not a short explanation...
“Do we have choices?” I asked Don.
“Of course.” He smiled and leaned against one of the porch’s posts, “Well, you do, Brynna. But James, you’ll like what I’m offering you. I know that this job is right up your alley.”
“How nice.” James replied irritably.
“Stop it.” I scolded him.
“You’re too intimidating to be put on yard work or in the garden or in the kitchen. You definitely belong with our security detail. Being a guard is perhaps the most important job here, given the circumstances. We’ve been doing the best we can with who we have, but you’re perfect for the job.”
“You really think so?” James feigned awe at Don’s vast faith in him.
I glared at James, prompting him to hold his hands up in surrender.
“I’m done.”
“Forgive him. He has forgotten his manners. He is also very grateful to be staying here. He has said so himself. Why he is not making his gratitude known is beyond me but I intend to find out.”
“It’s alright. You all have had a rough time out there. I know. It took us two days to get here. We had to fight our way through natives and creatures, too. I know how hard it is. It changes a person, doesn’t it?”
I nodded. James glared at him.
“Now, don’t get me wrong, we have many men and women working in security that are very good at what they do. The men have evolved into exactly what you’re evolving into.”
“And what is that, Don?” James asked.
“I don’t know exactly what to call it. The term around here is ‘Strong-Arm.’ I don’t know where it got started, really. But they were regular people, just like you were. Once they got here, they bulked up. They took hold of their animal nature proudly, just like you. You all have been gifted with unthinkable strength.”
James stared at him, so irritated by his presence that I had to bite my lip in order to suppress a laugh. His glare turned to me; he was even more aggravated by how amused I was by his bad attitude.
“Well, I’ll do the job because I know I don’t have a choice.” He ignored me as I buried my face in his neck so I could laugh quietly. He didn't shake me off, despite how angry he was; in fact, his arm tightened around my shoulders.
“Alright. Fantastic.” Don smiled genuinely again, “And you, Brynna,” I looked up at him, “I thought about putting you on the same job.”
“I would do it but I assume that one who works security has to spend a lot of time out of the house. Am I correct in that assumption?”
“Indeed.”
“Well, I have my sisters to look after. If it is possible, I would prefer something where I can be close to them. I do not assume that anyone will try to hurt them…”
“You don’t need to explain.” Don held up his hand in an attempt to pacify my belief that I was somehow offending him. “I understand completely.”
“Okay, then.” I frowned in uncertainty at his show of empathy. “I can do just about anything. So, you name it, I will do it,” I paused, realizing that I had given him far too much freedom to choose my occupation, “Just not bathrooms. I do not do bathrooms.”
Don laughed.
“How about helping out in the kitchen? Do you do that?”
I laughed, too, in utter relief.
“Sure. Why not? I am not the best cook in the world but I will help out as best I can.”
“Great. How would your sisters like that job?”
“They would positively adore it, I am sure. They have always liked toiling about in the kitchen. They used to bake something every weekend together. I am not saying that all of their attempts were successful…”
“That doesn’t matter. There will be plenty of help for all of you. I am just a firm believer in the fact that people need to work. If we are going to all live here together, everyone should be doing something to help out. What we grow in the garden or cook in the kitchen can certainly be kept individually but some has to go to everyone. I need your honest opinion. Do you feel that I’m right in that?”
I was not going to lie, certainly not for his sake.
“Yes, I agree wholeheartedly.”
“Good. I know that you’re very bright. People who can think like you should definitely lend their opinion because it always seems to be useful.”
Oh, flattery. The man was trying to win my approval as though the entire existence of his little colony depended on it.
“What if I had said no?” I asked in a challenge that was perhaps unfairly.
He was taken aback for a moment but he quickly shrugged off my question with his soft, easy-going smile.
“Well, I would have had to rethink a few things.”
Now, I was not foolish enough to believe that if I had disagreed with him, he would have changed his entire operation based on my opinion. When he said he would have “to rethink a few things”, he meant only that he would be shortening the duration of our stay in his home. Don believed that from his response, I would be tickled that he valued my opinion but instead, I saw only the clear message he was trying to convey: He was in control.
Because of his smile and his stature, one would not have been able to decipher that aggressive meaning behind his humdrum words easily, if one even could at all. But his ruse was not fooling James and me in the slightest.
“James, a group is heading out for the campsite tomorrow. Would you like to accompany them?”
There was another question to which there was one set answer.
“What are they after?”
“Just as much as they can carry from the underbelly of the ship. As many supplies as possible. We try to go every couple of days.”
“It takes two days to get there, you said?” I asked, and my eyes widened slightly. I did not want him to go if he would be gone for so long. I was far too used to his constant presence. We did not spend every waking moment latched together but I was comforted by knowing that he was near at all times. I could not imagine adjusting to our first days in Don’s camp without him.
“No, that was just with stopping to rest, rerouting, you know. If he leaves by sunup, he’ll be back by sundown.”
“Oh.” I sat back again and pulled James’s arm onto my shoulder where it had been before I had moved.
“That’s fine with me.” James told Don.
“Great. Adam has provided us with some knives and spears to use. However,” Don leaned forward conspiratorially, “I will tell you that I am after the guns that were brought.”
“My father’s guards have the guns. If he has joined with the Bachums, who knows where they are?” I informed him dismally.
“The Bachums and their people are in the north. We don’t know exactly where. But if any of those guns were left behind, especially since your father’s guards have a few of them, we need to have the rest. Do you know what I’m saying?”
“That certainly wasn’t hard to understand, so yes.” James replied sourly.
I rolled my eyes and swore to myself that I would beat him later for being so incredibly rude.
“You shouldn’t run into any trouble since they’re so far north. But if you do…”
“I can handle it. I’m sure your other security dogs can, too.”
“I have full faith in you. Anyway, we don’t have any rules around here, so wander about for as long as you want.”
“Well, I am so glad to hear that I don’t have a curfew, Don. Thanks.”
I scowled back at him almost evilly.
“Generally I am the one accused of possessing a snarky streak but my lovely boyfriend seems to be trying to give me a run for my money. You have my apologies for that.”
“It’s quite alright. Like I said, we spent two days out there. I can’t imagine spending a week. Have a good evening, you two.”
He was gone as quickly as he had come.
“Well, you seem to really like him.” James's irritation was evident when he stood up and started to pace. “Were yo
u just agreeing with me to agree with me when you said you didn’t trust him?”
“I don’t trust him, James. But that does not mean I am going to be openly hostile towards him when he has kindly let us into this home…”
“Everyone needs to work…” James muttered, “Like we really have a choice!”
“We do not have a choice, not if we want to stay here. It is not unfair of him to ask for everyone to contribute. I will give him that.”
“You’ll give him a lot of credit when he doesn’t deserve it. You’re falling for that little act of his. You are just like the other people here! You’re so desperate to believe that we’re safe…”
“Do not even accuse me of pulling the wool over my eyes! I am constantly on the alert for anything even remotely shady, be it here or in the woods, or…”
“You were the one that said there was no reason for them to kick my ass like they did.”
“Is that what this is about?” I asked him incredulously, “James, I told you that in a fair fight, you would have killed them. Nobody sees you as being any less for what happened…”
“I am well aware that I would have killed them in a fair fight. I certainly don’t need your reassurance on that.”
“Then I will stop reassuring you! It is all very simple, James; if we want to stay here, we need to tow the line, listen to what he says, within reason…”
“See, that!” He snapped and pointed his finger at me, “‘Within reason.' That is where the problem is going to come in. We don’t know exactly what is 'within reason' for him. I know that there is more to him than that little charade that he puts on! What was the purpose of drugging us?!”
“I suppose he needed to know where our allegiance was or…”
“No! It was a power-play, Brynna! You are not stupid! Stop acting like you are! You need to see all of this for what it is! He was showing us exactly how much control he has over the situation. He was showing us that he’s willing to resort to assaulting people in order to find out what he wants to know!”
The Shattered Genesis (Eternity) Page 53