by Annette Mori
Char heard the crunching of leaves and smiled as she realized her baby sister was taking the shortcut she taught her.
“Hey, Dani. Better sneak in the back window and avoid the pig. I got to get some things together so I’ll be late comin’ back tonight.”
“Aw, Char. Ya know I don’t like bein’ in the trailer with just Ma and fatty. He gives me the creeps. He’s always lookin’ at me like I’m a big piece of fried chicken or somethin’.”
“I know. I promise I won’t be long. Just stay out of sight. Dani, if I was to ask ya to come run away with me, you’d do it wouldn’t ya?”
“And leave Ma? We can’t leave her with him.”
“I don’t want to, but Dani, I don’t think we have a choice. You caught someone’s eye and I don’t want ya endin’ up missin’ like Sarah. Nobody even cared enough to go lookin’ for her.”
“Can we come back for her?”
“Sure, someday maybe.”
“Okay, Char. I’ll go with ya.”
“Good girl, Dani.”
Char didn’t like stealing, but she had to get together some money or else they would never survive. One day she would pay it back.
On the other side of the tracks was a more affluent neighborhood. It was still rural Alabama and people trusted each other, so she knew it would be easy to sneak in and pick up a few items she could sell quickly or better yet, find some cash lying around. Most people were careless, pulled money out of their pockets and laid it on their dressers. She was counting on that.
Char had her pockets stuffed with trinkets and cash—enough to get a good start. As she approached the trailer, she heard a whimper and old fatty grunting.
Char slammed open the door and saw that disgusting pig with one hand grabbing Dani’s hair and pulling her to her knees, while he fumbled with his pants.
“Come on, you sweet little apple dumpling, all you got to do is suck it hard and I promise I won’t hurt you.”
Char saw red and picked up the first thing she could get her hands on. A clear glass ashtray was within her grasp. After she grabbed the dirty glass weapon, she swung as hard as she could and landed a solid blow to his greasy head.
He went down in a loud thud and blood poured from his scalp.
Dani started crying and Char went to comfort her.
Dani looked at her mother’s boyfriend and placed her hand over her mouth. “Is he…dead?”
“I dunno.”
“Char, what are we gonna do now?”
Dani looked at their mother passed out on the couch.
Char heard rustling outside and pulled Dani to the back of the trailer. “Come on, there’s somebody out there. We need to go. Now.”
Dani and Char crept to the back of the trailer and silently crawled out the window. After they cleared the window, they came face-to-face with an attractive woman.
“Shh. It’s okay. I’m not the enemy. I see I got here a little too late. I’m sorry about that. Let me help you. If you come with me, I promise I’ll take care of everything and make sure you both get a proper education and are well cared for.”
“I ain’t scared of you and I’m not goin’ somewhere that will get us sold off to some fat pig.” Char crossed her arms.
The woman laughed. “I promise. We do not intend to sell you to those disgusting men. We fight those men and for the most part we win, but sometimes we lose too.”
“How do I know you ain’t just givin’ us a line to get us to go with you peaceful like?”
“You’re going to have to trust me and I know that won’t be easy for you.” The woman smiled.
Char didn’t know why she instantly trusted this woman, but she did. Something about the way she smiled set Char at ease. She desperately needed to trust someone at this point and so she took a chance on the woman. That chance paid off.
†
Toni listened to Char’s story and although it sounded utterly incredulous, she believed every word. The second sleeve of her armor fell to the ground as her heart ached for the young girl whose foundation in life was so unstable. Her own childhood was a picnic compared to Char’s. At least her parents had waited until she was in her teens to send her away to that freak school. Even the isolation she felt at the geek school was no comparison to Char’s horrific teenage experience.
Although not exactly thrilled by her chosen lifestyle, her parents did manage to ignore the topic politely. At least she had been allowed to sit at the kids’ table at Thanksgiving and bathe in the admiration of her nieces and nephews as the cool aunt.
Toni stopped taking home girlfriends years ago—mainly because her parents always introduced them as Toni’s roommate or a close friend of the family. Girlfriends never really lasted that long anyway. She stopped taking her brief affairs home and started asking either Sophie or Kim to join her in her annual family obligation. At least she could honestly call them roommates or close friends of the family. Finally, she just stopped torturing herself and hadn’t been to a family reunion in years.
“I believe that was a pretty good tat, so tit’s up to you. For the record, I have very much appreciated your tits.” Char chortled.
Toni raised one eyebrow. “All right. Here’s something that won’t be too surprising to you. I’ve never had a relationship last longer than three weeks.”
“You got me beat—three days. Well, unless you count a mark. Some of those have lasted a month.”
“I’m your mark, right?” Toni noted that Char had the decency to look remorseful. At least she hoped that was what she saw.
“Yes, I’m sorry you were my mark. You’re not my mark anymore. Viktor’s goon sort of forced our hand sooner than we planned for.”
“Why all the energy and stalking to recruit me? Why didn’t you just come out from the very beginning, explain everything and then ask me. By the way, you still haven’t given me all the details. I believe you promised to explain everything to me.”
“Would you have actually considered joining our effort?”
“Probably not and, for the record, I still haven’t agreed to anything. I’m waiting for more details.”
“I have no doubt Sophie will find her way to the compound. I’d rather wait and provide the details when she arrives. I don’t want to have to explain everything more than once. If my assumptions are correct, whatever you injected in the card is attached to my body somehow. Will you always be able to track me down? Or does this biological agent expel from the body after a certain amount of time?”
“I think for now, I’ll just let you wonder.”
“Fair enough. I get it. You still don’t trust me. If I were in your shoes, I probably would be mistrustful as well. I do hope to gain your trust in time. I’d like to be among the elite few that you care enough about to give that precious gift to.”
“I must admit to being farther down the path after your personal story. I suspect you don’t tell that story to many people. I admit to being honored and touched that you would share that with me.”
“I hope I won’t live to regret that.”
“I promise I’ll do everything I can to make sure I don’t violate your trust.”
Toni pushed away the tray, leaned into Char, and stroked her cheek as she closed the gap to place a gentle kiss on her lips. Char sighed and Toni pulled Char into a longer embrace as she gently explored the lips that had taunted her all night long in her dreams.
“I’ve wanted to do that all morning—actually, since you kissed me last night.”
A loud clatter in the hallway interrupted the moment and Toni turned her head in the direction of the disturbance.
A young woman in a wheelchair cautiously pushed the door open and craned her neck to look inside the room.
“Hey, sis, did I give you enough time to have breakfast?”
Char sighed. “As usual, Dani, your timing is impeccable. Don’t bother to knock or anything, just come on in.”
Toni laughed.
“Hey, Toni. I’m Dani. You probably don
’t remember me.”
Toni grimaced as the night Dani was shot came flooding back into her memory. “I do remember you. I’m sorry you were shot,” she responded quietly.
Dani shrugged. “I’m not sorry. We got the girls to freedom and I’m working on getting back on my feet.” Dani jutted her chin out. “I will get out of this wheelchair for good someday. It’s just been a long road to recovery. Char helps me with my exercises and I can already walk ten steps on my own, more with my forearm crutches.”
Char smiled and Toni thought she saw a fair amount of pride in the look she gave her sister.
“Yes, I’m sure you will and I’m sure Char is a great support to you. She is a woman of many talents, I’m learning.”
“Oh, yes, she is, she really is, and she talks about you all the time. God, I’ve heard all about your brilliant inventions. I can’t wait to learn about them,” Dani exclaimed.
Toni couldn’t help but smile at Dani’s youthful exuberance. She looked at Char and noticed how red her neck and face appeared. Toni had to admit to feeling a great deal of respect for the young woman. She’d been through an awful lot in her limited years on the planet, yet she still retained a positive outlook on life. Her determination was inspiring. Many would have given up, yet she was still convinced of her recovery two long years after the injury.
“So, Dani, is there actually a reason for barging in for a second time this morning?”
“Uh, yeah. I wanted to let you know that Maggie thought it would be nice if we showed Toni around the compound, especially the technology and gadgets we have. She’s interested in what Toni thinks of our resources. I’d kinda like to know her opinion on that as well,” Dani divulged.
“Dani is a bit of an inventor herself and has contributed to some of our prototypes.”
Dani blushed. “Nothing like what you’ve developed, but I’m sort of proud of a few of them.”
“Who designed the simulated outside light in the window replicas?”
Dani’s face lit up. “I did that. It was so depressing down here. It’s like living in a cave, you know.”
“It’s brilliant. It really felt like dawn this morning. The simulation is spectacular. You should be proud of your accomplishment. I’m not sure I could live down here full-time, but it would be okay for long stretches because of your invention.”
“It’s difficult for me to be up top, but Char has another residence that she goes to a lot. She has to have somewhere to take her—”
Char interrupted, “Okay, I don’t think Toni really cares about my other living space. Would you like something to eat, Dani?”
Dani winked. “Oh, yeah, sorry. I forgot she’s trying to impress you. Sure, big sis, I’d love a muffin, thanks.”
Dani grabbed a blueberry muffin and took a big bite.
Toni tried not to laugh out loud as she turned her head and placed her hand over her mouth.
“Go ahead. Yuk it up. When Sophie and Kim get here, I suspect comments may be made at your expense versus mine. Perhaps we should let you take a shower and get dressed. There are some clean clothes in the dresser drawers that should fit you. If you need anything, I’ll be right down the hall, just holler,” Char said.
Chapter 15
Sophie’s Toyota Tundra rolled to a stop in front of the isolated log cabin. She unbuckled her seatbelt and unsnapped her gun holster.
Kim looked at Sophie. “It doesn’t look like there is anyone here, although I do see tire tracks that lead around back. Do you really think you need your gun?”
“It’s always good to be prepared. Come on, let’s check it out. The flashing dot is a few hundred yards or so in the direction of that cabin, but I don’t see any other buildings out here. I don’t like it. Something is amiss. Why don’t you stay here while I check things out?”
“Nope. Not going to happen. I’m coming with you. Maybe you can check out the cabin while I follow the tire tracks.”
“No. If we both get out of the truck, then we stay together. I can’t protect you unless you’re near me.”
“Okay, that sounds fine to me.”
The crunch of the gravel echoed loudly in Sophie’s ears as they approached the cabin. Sophie peered into the windows, but didn’t see any movement. She waved her hand and began walking around to the back of the cabin. The tire tracks seemed to go farther into the woods and she thought she saw the glint of metal several hundred feet away.
The slight rustle of leaves caught her attention and she started to pull the gun from her holster.
“Ah, ah, ah. I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
Sophie turned her attention to the unknown voice.
The muscular blonde with steel-gray eyes pointed a gun at Kim’s head and used her as a shield.
Sophie removed her hand from the gun and raised her hands to show they were empty. “I’m sorry. If we are trespassing on your land, we’ll leave.”
The woman pulled Kim along with her and approached Sophie. “Just keep your hands in the air while I liberate your gun. I don’t want you getting twitchy on me.”
In a movement too quick to be from an amateur, the woman removed the gun and tossed it into the woods. She kept her gun pointed at Kim’s head.
“Sophie, I know you’re calculating in your head how easy it will be to disarm me and get Kim to safety. I suggest you let that notion just die on the vine because I’m as much a pro as you are and I’d wager you have less than a fifty-fifty chance of success. I don’t really want to shoot you or Kim, but I will if you leave me no choice.”
“How…how…do you know our names?” Sophie sputtered.
“All will be revealed shortly. I need you to come this way and please don’t make me shoot you. We’re not the enemy, so don’t force me into acting like one. I also need to forewarn you that farther into these woods, there are some rather nasty booby traps. I’m a bit of an artist with explosives and I’d hate for either of you to get your pretty little legs blown off,” the blonde said.
Sophie knew the woman was right. She couldn’t take the chance and would never forgive herself if something happened to Kim due to her negligence or arrogance. She’d bide her time for now and come up with a plan for escape later.
The woman waved the gun in the direction of the cabin.
Sophie took a second to slip her hand inside her jacket pocket and push the button to send the text message to Ted. She hoped for both their sakes that Ted would get the message in time.
“It’s open, so go on inside. Oh, by the way, since I know your names I think it’s only fair I tell you mine. I’m Ronda, explosives expert extraordinaire.” Ronda chuckled.
†
Toni leaned to peer into one of the monitors and focused on the data-mining program tracking patterns in financial transactions. She was impressed with the sophistication of the program.
“So, is this how we caught your attention?”
“No, we use this program to track transactions of the shady politicians and the mob. They think they’ve hidden their tracks, but they haven’t,” Dani offered.
Char pointed to the next computer. “This computer is dedicated solely to cracking anyone’s computer password that we target. We’ve even cracked yours.”
“Impressive.”
Bzzz Bzzz Beep Beep
The noise startled Toni. “What’s that?”
“Someone entered the cabin and activated the tunnel entrance. If I were a betting woman, I would say your friends have arrived, although I don’t think they’re alone. Ronda must be escorting them here to the control center. We could probably track their progress through the security monitors there, but they’ll be here shortly so it probably doesn’t matter.” Char pointed to a row of monitors on the far right side of the enormous room.
“Hey, Toni, come here. Let me show you something,” Dani said.
Toni walked to a monitor with red dots blinking on a map of the DC area. “What’s this?”
Dani beamed. “That’s my tracking prog
ram on Viktor and his goons. We used his own technology to put undetectable tracking devices in every one of the cell phones that Viktor issues to his staff.” Dani frowned. “Unfortunately, the dots keep multiplying like rabbits and we haven’t been able to do a very good job of managing the risk. We should have known well in advance about the guy that followed you from Taylor’s Bistro. I should have sent Char a message before it became a problem. I screwed up big-time.”
“You’ve been tracking them all this time. Have you kept them from sighting us?” Toni stared wide-eyed at Dani and Char. She couldn’t help being impressed. She got a warm feeling knowing that these women were somehow protecting them from afar. No one had ever done that for her except Kim and Sophie. Toni was beginning to trust the women.
“Only for about the last six months after we saw the photos they have of you and we figured out what y’all were doing. Unfortunately, his crew is getting too big for us to manage effectively anymore. I suspect he really wants to track you and your friends down. That’s why Maggie wanted us to recruit you fast. She was worried we wouldn’t be able to protect you for much longer,” Dani divulged.
Toni was fascinated and beginning to consider what it might be like to collaborate with this mysterious organization.
Toni completely focused her attention on what Dani was showing her and was startled when Char interrupted an explanation of one of the programs running on yet another computer.
“Excellent! The gang’s all here now and about time too. I was hoping we would be able to do some advance strategic planning,” Char announced.
“I say we just shoot them all and be done with it.”
Toni looked up when she heard the unknown voice say something about shooting someone. The gun the muscular blonde was holding jolted her into action.