by Fall, Carly
“Sophia, this is Noah, the leader of the Six Saviors.”
Blake heard Sophia gasp, and then she said something, but Blake couldn’t make out what it was.
Noah smiled. “I bet you have heard a lot about me, and if it was from that bastard Micah, I can tell you about ninety-nine percent of it isn’t true.”
He listened as Sophia spoke, and his brow furrowed as he looked at Blake.
“Blake said that? Well, I like to think of myself as an honorable male, but it’s nice to hear someone agrees with me.”
Noah turned and began pacing the room. “Listen, Sophia, here’s the deal. Megan is safe. She seems happy, but she misses her moha. Based on how smart she is, I’m guessing she gets it from you, because there’s no way she got it from that jackass father of hers.”
He listened for another minute. “Look, here’s the deal. Blake says you want to be rescued from Micah, and we’re willing to come and do that. However, if this is some sort of trick or something . . . if we get there and we find out that you’re being used willingly as some type of bait, I’m going to be very pissed off. And when I get angry, I do stuff like leave you to Micah and make promises that you’ll never see Megan again. Get it?”
Blake heard Sophia’s sobs, and every nerve in his body roared. He stomped over to Noah. “Don’t you dare make her cry,” he hissed.
Noah looked down at Blake, a perplexed look crossing his face. “Okay, Sophia. Just so we’re clear. You play by our rules, we get you out of there, and you’re free to do what you want. You can stay with us, we can put you in a safe place, or you can go on your way. However, if you don’t play by our rules, we leave you. Got it?”
Sophia talked fast, and Blake’s irritation grew as he still couldn’t hear what she said.
“Okay, Sophia,” Noah said, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You’re welcome. We’ll see you soon. I look forward to meeting you.”
He handed the phone back to Blake.
"Sophia?"
"Yes, I'm here. Thank you, Blake. Thank you for everything . . . and I do trust you, Blake. I do. You’ve done everything you’ve said you would."
Her soft voice reverberated through his bones, settling some of his nerves.
"I'll see you soon, okay?"
"I look forward to it, Blake."
The line went dead and Blake focused on the happenings in the room, determined to get out of the silo as soon as possible and get to Sophia.
“Okay, so what’s the plan here?” Noah asked as he stared at the map.
“We can come up with a plan on the way,” Blake said as Nico, Hudson, and Annis came into the room. Nico led her to the table, and she felt around for a chair and sat down.
“No, we can’t,” Noah said. “I want this to be in and out. No surprises, everything executed perfectly.”
“Noah—”
“Look, Blake,” Noah said, turning to him. “I don’t know if I believe you that you aren’t working with Micah, although you’ve really given me no reason not to, nor do I know if I trust Sophia. I've put my trust where it didn't belong in the past and people have ended up dead. We’re going to do this my way, or no way at all. I lost Talin, and I’m not going to lose any of the other Warriors. Do you understand me?”
Blake bit his tongue and nodded his head.
“Now, let’s get down to the planning. Ideas? Thoughts?”
Blake remained quiet as he listened to the words floating around the room, his addiction monster creeping up on him.
Noah had made one thing perfectly clear: although Blake had been treated well, he still held the status of persona non gratis, or the fucking half-breed who didn’t quite belong.
Chapter 55
Sophia paced the small living room, the phone in the pocket of her jeans. How it sent a signal out of this tomb, she didn’t know, but she was thankful it did. Hopefully, the Saviors would be here soon and she’d be done with this torturous existence. She pulled out the phone and looked at the time. The call with Noah ended just about two hours ago. Blake had said they were two hours away. She inhaled deeply, getting ready for her new life, and a buzz of excitement rolled through her.
What would the Saviors be like? Would their females accept her? It looked as though Megan had certainly made herself comfortable as she snuggled in the large bed.
And what a beautiful place to live! On Blake’s camera, it looked so opulent, yet comfortable. In her current residence, the faded brown couches smelled musty, and the small bedroom looked a little worse for wear. She knew from the dust and grime that this basement hadn’t been used in a long time. The Saviors’ residence seemed new and inviting. Her old house had been decent, but she realized it had been a structure to keep her and Megan captive. There weren’t any niceties, just what needed to be there in order for Megan and her to survive: minimal furniture, no luxuries. Another cell, another prison.
After talking to Noah, she believed what Blake said about the Saviors. Noah seemed like a respectable male concerned about those in his household and willing to protect them at any cost, even if it meant leaving her behind. She admired and valued that as a sign of a true leader, one with dignity and honor.
Her talk with Noah had indeed been interesting. He’d made it very clear he didn’t trust her, and she got the feeling Blake wasn’t too high on his list either. Why, she didn’t know, but as she thought about it, she had a feeling it had something to do with his addiction.
Although she didn’t understand addiction—the only thing she’d ever pined for were fresh tomatoes grown in her garden and SR44—she knew she’d witnessed him in the throes of its shackles. When he landed in her shed, the sweats, him fighting his constraints, and the way he seemed to black out for a few minutes all looked as though he fought some internal demon. Perhaps withdrawal from the drugs he spoke of?
As she looked around the room, she felt hope and excitement, two very distinct things she hadn’t experienced in a very long time. Sure, her nerves rattled as she thought of the confrontation that would take place once the Saviors arrived, but it was to be expected. The Saviors were coming to get something Micah felt was his, but he needed to realize she wasn’t some cow or piece of property. She needed to focus on the possibilities of her life after she left with the Saviors. Noah had made it clear she would be free to do what she wanted. It had been so long since she gave any thought to what her desires in life were! Where did she see her future going? Who would be in it? Would she be mated? To whom? Smiling, she considered all the things she would need to learn about this land. Her life would be different than she ever imagined it would be since stepping on the escape pod, tasked to do nothing but further her race.
She wanted to see and experience everything: walking down the city streets, flying in a plane, and most importantly, feeling safe and not owing anyone anything.
Except Blake. She owed Blake her life.
Walking into the bedroom, she hummed a tune of an old SR44 lullaby that spoke of new beginnings, rebirth, and the future. She bustled around, making the bed and straightening up, using the busy work as a distraction. She honestly didn’t care in the least bit if this place was left a mess—she just needed to keep busy.
While she worked, her mind wandered, taking her to places where she didn’t worry about mating cycles, whether the streets outside her compound ran with blood, or if the Colonists raged in the cities. She thought of hugging Megan and allowing the girl to grow up in a place full of love and fun, a place where she played with other children and laughed as a child should.
She didn’t realize anyone had come down the stairs until an arm snaked around her waist.
Gasping, she tried to pull away, but the grip only tightened.
“Hello, Sophia,” Jael whispered into her ear as she struggled. “You seem awfully happy.”
Panic shot through her, as she feared Jael would find the phone in her pocket. If he did, her chances at a new life would be over. “Micah!” she screamed.
“Micah wen
t out for a while, so I thought we’d have that practice session,” Jael said, grabbing her breast and squeezing.
“He said you were to leave me alone!” Sophia yelled. She eyed the bed, wondering how she could get to the knife.
“Well, I can’t,” Jael said, his hand moving down her torso. “I just can’t wait to get in your pants.”
He ran his hands over her lower abdomen as he grounded his erection into her bottom. His hand stopped as he felt the phone in her pocket. “What’s this?” he asked.
“It’s—”
His hand slipped into her pocket and pulled out the phone. Sophia trembled in fear for what Jael would do if he realized it wasn’t her phone or what would happen if he disabled it. She could handle almost any physical retribution, but if the Saviors couldn’t find her, her hopes for a future would be gone. At least Megan was safe.
“Did Micah get you a new phone?” Jael asked, holding it up in front of her face.
Y-yes,” she whispered, hoping the Saviors and Blake would come for her before she was caught in the lie.
“How nice,” Jael said, turning it off and throwing it against the wall. The little bit of hope that had sprung shattered against the wall along with the phone.
“We don’t want a phone call from the almighty Micah interrupting us.”
“I’ll tell him what you’ve done when he gets back,” she hissed, tears streaming down her face as she stared at the scattered silver remains, feeling utterly defeated.
Jael laughed and spun her around so they were face to face. “Go ahead,” he snarled, “because when you’re with child, he’s not going to give a shit what I do to you and when I do it.”
He was probably right. Micah only cared about furthering his so-called cause, one that she didn’t believe in any longer, but she couldn’t let on that she had finally seen through the lie.
“Lie down on the bed, Sophia,” he demanded. “It’s time you and I became intimately acquainted.”
Sophia glanced over her shoulder at the freshly made bed. The knife was still wedged between the box spring and mattress.
She did as she was told, her hopes of a future completely dashed. Megan was safe, and that's all that mattered. Anger rushed through her, and she decided that today either she or Jael would die.
Chapter 56
Blake sat in the back of the Hummer wedged in between Nico and Cohen, with Annis on the other side of Cohen. Noah drove, Hudson rode shotgun. Jovan and Rayner had been instructed to stay at the silo in case Blake was playing the Saviors. He didn’t know what to do to show them that they could trust him, but figuring that out would have to wait.
He stared at his phone, the red dot signifying Sophia’s position, the yellow dot representing them. The two dots gradually came closer, and Blake’s heart pounded in his chest.
“We’re almost there,” Nico murmured.
Blake nodded, looking forward to seeing Sophia and watching her reunite with Megan. He wanted to thank her for saving his ass, both physically and mentally. He’d been an untrustworthy bastard for quite a long time, and her belief in him to get Megan to safety boosted him more than anything he could have imagined. Sure, he’d said thank you before, but he needed to tell her what it meant to him, and he needed to do that while clean and sober.
“How much further?” Hudson asked from the front seat, cracking his knuckles.
Blake tapped the phone and zoomed out, looking for the actual mileage. The screen went black.
“What the fuck?” he yelled, wanting to heave the phone though the front windshield. The phone still had power, and all the other apps were functional.
“What happened, Blake?” Noah asked. “What’s going on?”
“Her phone was disabled,” he snapped.
Noah pulled over to the side of the road in the residential area. “So, where do we go from here? Why was her phone disabled?”
“My guess is it was one of the Platoon,” Blake said, trying to piece together what to do next as well as ignore his raging monster. He’d lost Sophia, and the rampant voice in his head told him everything would be better with just a little bit of heroin. The pain and worry would be gone, and he could float his way into utopia. Taking a deep breath, he tried to block out the need and desire and focus on how they were going to find Sophia.
“Maybe it’s like last time and she just turned it off for a minute,” Noah speculated.
Maybe, but he doubted it. His hope quickly spiraled down the shitter while his worry for Sophia escalated.
“Lucky I’m the intelligent one in the group and I took a screenshot,” Cohen said, squeezing Annis’s hand.
Blake was uncomfortable with Annis being on this mission, but she was not to be deterred. She claimed she wanted to be there for Sophia, and it certainly wasn’t Blake’s place to argue, but he couldn’t help but wonder if Cohen had tried to stop her.
“Thanks for being so damn smart, Cohen,” Noah said.
“And good looking. Don’t forgot that,” Cohen said.
Blake rolled his eyes and Annis chuckled.
Nico moved jamming Blake up against Cohen.
“This is not cozy,” Cohen mumbled as Noah drove away from the curb.
“Tell me about it,” Blake answered. “But at least you’re good looking.”
Chapter 57
Jael tugged off Sophia’s pants, and she didn’t fight him. He stared at her bare sex, rubbing the bulge in his jeans.
“Take off your shirt,” he commanded.
She slowly sat up and did as she was told.
“Now lie back down.”
She did, allowing her arm to fall over the side of the bed.
“You’re a little too thin for my tastes, but I do have a job to do.”
He turned around and took off his shirt, tossing it to the floor. Sophia slipped the knife from its hiding spot and pushed it under the pillow. Jael stepped out of his jeans and faced her, his rigid sex standing at his hips.
He grinned. “Spread your legs.”
She did, and he knelt between them, looking down at her. “I prefer it when you fight me, Sophia,” he said, twisting her nipple.
She bit back a cry and a grimace, staring up at him.
“Micah was right. You are a cold fish.”
As he settled on top of her, a serene calm came over her. Her fear and panic disappeared, and in their place was simply the knowledge that she might die or she might kill. She felt the tip of his erection at her core and knew she had only seconds before she was completely violated.
Fisting the hilt of the knife, power surged through her, and she pulled it from under the pillow, sinking it into Jael’s shoulder.
He screamed and looked at her, his eyes wild and insane. “You fucking bitch!”
She remained calm, almost as if she were possessed, and pulled the knife from his shoulder. The coppery scent of blood coated her nose and mouth, and it dripped from his wound onto her breast. With her hand slick and sticky, she gripped the knife tighter and pushed into his chest just as his fist connected with her face.
Chapter 58
They pulled up to the long dirt driveway leading down to the house they could see in the distance, then looked at the far-away neighbors. It seemed quiet and deserted, but who knew what the Platoon had going on behind the walls.
“You sure you’re up for this, Blake?” Noah asked.
“Yeah, I’m solid.”
“Okay then,” Noah said, cracking his knuckles. “It’s go time.”
He drove slowly down the dirt road and pulled up in front of the house. “I’ve always preferred the direct approach,” Noah murmured, turning off the ignition.
Blake took a deep breath and followed Nico out of the car. Noah motioned for Hudson, Blake, and Nico to go to the front door, while Cohen and Noah went around to the back of the house.
Nico and Blake and Hudson approached the front door and split up, Nico and Blake on one side, Hudson on the other. They waited a count of twenty so Cohen and Noa
h had time to get around to the back, and then Hudson stepped back and kicked the front door, sending it flying three feet into the room.
They filed into the foyer, weapons drawn. A loud crack came from the back of the house, and Blake assumed the back door had met the same demise as the front.
“Stairs,” Hudson whispered as they entered the laundry room, pointing to the left.
Nico nodded and motioned Blake to follow him.
The door off the laundry room was slightly ajar and they stopped at the top step, hearing nothing. The shadowed room below looked ominous, and Blake could feel a presence down there.
“Someone’s down there,” he mouthed to Nico.
Nico nodded in agreement, and they slowly went down the stairs, their weapons drawn. When they reached the basement, Nico quickly peeked around the corner. “Clear,” he whispered, and they stepped into the living area.
Blake noted another room to his right, the door slightly ajar. He leveled his gun at it and pushed it open.
It took him a moment to realize that no, he hadn’t just stepped into a horror film. He lowered his gun trying to take it all in.
Sophia stood before him, naked with blood smeared on her chest, abdomen, and arms, holding a knife at her side. A large naked, man lay face down on the bed, the sheets around him stained crimson.
“Sophia?”
She stared at him, but it was as if she didn’t really see him. It was as if she resided in another plane of existence.
“Sophia,” he said a little louder, hoping to God that blood wasn’t hers. He approached her slowly, and her breathing became labored. Blake realized she was in shock.
“Sophia, honey, give me the knife,” he said, carefully inching closer to her.
She looked at her hands, and then back at him, her eyes glassy.
“Come on, Sophia. It’s me, Blake. I told you we’d come for you. We’re here. You’re safe.”
“Holy shit,” Nico hissed from behind him. Blake didn’t turn around; he kept his gaze trained on Sophia.
Blake picked up a shirt from the floor and handed it to her. “Here, put this on,” he said.