Wheeler’s body is racked with sobs. Both soldiers stand poised, fingers on triggers, and a hand behind their necks, holding them steady.
“Yes,” I scream. “Yes.”
Dr Hollister ticks something off of his clipboard. “Correct,” he says. I sag with relief. “Kill them.”
My heart drops into my guts. “No!” I scream, thrashing on the chains.
Cooper and Wheeler both start to scream and fight with little effect.
“You can’t do this. She gave you the answer you wanted,” Cooper shouts.
Wheeler growls from deep in his chest. “Be brave, Teddie.”
“No! You’ve got what you wanted. Please... please!”
Simultaneous gun shots ring out, and both Cooper and Wheeler fall still.
My legs fall away beneath me. The sound that leaves my throat is a mix of crying, screaming, and agony. Everything slows, only the ringing in my ears continues on. I’m throwing myself around, kicking out at the doctor, trying to bite any hand that comes near me. The soldiers pull sheets over Cooper and Wheeler’s lifeless bodies and wheel them from the room.
More soldiers file into the room to help restrain me. I fight with everything I have in me. I don’t feel pain, only a hollow ebbing in my chest. The familiar sting of a sedation needle stabs in my thigh, but I continue to lash out until my body no longer answers to me.
***
Lying face down has left a crick in my neck. My back is exposed, but there is a sheet covering my lower half. Sedation still floats through my body, and I am grateful to not feel the pain in my back or my strapped hand.
“You did so well,” says Towley from my bedside. “So very brave.”
I choose to ignore him. He wants my loyalty, he wants to break me, and hopefully my silence will make him as angry as hell. I turn my head, so I’m facing the wall.
“I have dressed your back again. I wish you weren’t so hard headed and answered correctly the first time. I don’t like seeing you in so much pain.”
I bite my tongue. He’s trying to get a rouse out of me, but he can rot in hell. Cooper and Wheeler are dead. That’s all there is.
“You promised you would eat,” he says. I scrunch my eyes shut. “Theyda, you need to eat this or we’ll feed you through a stomach tube.” I turn my face into the mattress to blot him out. “I have to admit, I’m saddened that things have gotten this way between us.” Even though he tries to keep his voice soft, I can hear the edge. “Theyda!” he shouts, gripping my bandaged hand until I scream. “You will talk to me.”
He drops my hand, and I sob into the sheets. I feel his hand stroking my shoulder and the back of my head. His touch causes every muscle in my body to tense painfully. Everything about him leaves me cold.
“I’m sorry, Theyda. I’m sorry I hurt you. I never want to cause you pain. I’m an impulsive man, but the last thing I want to do is hurt you. Forgive me.”
I can’t help myself. I have to say something. “All you have done is cause me pain.”
“I never inflicted any injuries on you. I will never be the one to do so, I promise you.”
“Then, you’re no better than Roscoe: a pathetic coward. I actually prefer Dr Hollister to you. Yes, he’s a bastard, but at least he’s got balls. I expect you’re like a Ken doll down there.”
Towley swallows down his retort and picks up the plate. “I thought you’d be interested to know that Syndicate have released another video claiming you as their ally, but don’t worry, we’ll straighten that lie out. Let’s see who turns out for their rally once they know that Theyda Woodman has just confessed to being a member of the E.N.C.”
CHAPTER THIRTY
“Wake up,” a voice whispers. The soldier from the corridor, the one who put a bullet in Cooper’s brain, stands over me. “Wake up, Theyda.”
I jerk to the other side of the bed. He shines a torch in my eyes, and then counts my heart rate with his thumb on my wrist.
“They have broadcast your confession… well, parts of it. They’re trying to turn everyone against you. We’ve just had a meeting, and Towley has informed us that Syndicate’s peace rally has been cancelled. After all, they’re lead advocate has just confessed to being a part of the E.N.C.”
“Why are you telling me this? Is this another test or something?”
He peels my gown back a little to check my dressings. “I shouldn’t be, but I wanted to tell you that I believe you.”
I laugh into the sheets. “Screw you. You murdered my friends- my innocent friends.”
“Keep your voice down,” he hisses. “No, we didn’t. We used stunt guns and sedative spikes. Towley and Hollister want you to believe they’re dead. They’re trying to break you.”
“Why should I believe you?”
“Because Cooper told me to tell you... ‘We assholes have to stick together.’”
I laugh a slightly hysterical, relief-filled laugh. They’re alive. That’s all I need to know. “So, what now?”
“I have no idea. I will aid in getting the truth out in any way I can.”
“What’s your name?”
“Anders.”
“Why are you offering to help me?”
“The government deny everything that Syndicate have been throwing at them. When they were called out about the detention centres, the government denied them, and then broadcast more information about you and your gang, or Syndicate’s affiliation with the E.N.C. They shift the focus and they’re good at it. They’re playing on people’s fears. Learning about the existence of EVO, and then being force fed every horror story to keep them on side, has turned ignorant people in hate mongers.”
“If they tell you to hurt me, you hurt me, okay? Keeping up the pretence is all we can do. If you can get the truth out there, somehow, you will have done so much for me and so much for innocent people all over the world.”
Towley enters the room with his hands in hands in pockets. “What are you two discussing?”
“The prisoner expects me to get her food, Sir,” Anders states, thinking on his feet. “I have told her that she is not in a position to make demands, Sir.”
“Quite right, but we’ll make an exception this once. Request a meal to be brought here at once. I shall remain present while Theyda eats.”
Anders rushes from the room, barely able to look at Towley.
“Are you regretting our little spat earlier?” he asks me. “I was hurt by what you said. I haven’t been able to shake it all evening.” He appears genuinely upset. “But you have had a traumatic day, and you were in physical pain, so I took comfort in that.”
“You took comfort in my trauma and pain,” I ask, pressing him further.
His eyes grow wide. “No, not at all. All I meant was that it justified your hurtful comments toward me. It was that I took comfort in.”
“Why do you want me? Do you think I’m pretty?” I ask. “You took my hair, and I’m scarred.” I keep my voice little and pathetic. Second attempt lucky. I need to try a different tactic; broken but fiery is the way forward.
He pulls up a chair, resting his arms on the pillow. I don’t mistake the wariness in his eyes, but he’s also trying to judge my sincerity. Grazing a finger down my scar until he meets my lip, he sighs deeply. “You are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen.”
“You say creature like I’m an animal. I don’t want to be an animal.”
“You are raw and wild and strong. You are a creature, Theyda. I reach out to you and you bite at me fingers. You can have no idea how euphoric it will be when the day comes that you accept my hand; when you fully let me into your fold.” He’s so close to my face that I can feel the air leaving his lips. One hand holds at my gown and the other works from my shoulder to my ear.
Anders re-enters, causing Towley to jump away from me, his chair screeching against the floor. What does he feel- guilt, embarrassment, shame? I’m not just reading into it, he believes every word he is telling me. What kind of sociopath is he?
; Straightening his tie, he takes the tray from Anders and waves him out of the room. “Mash potatoes. At least we can get some carbs in you, eh?”
I don’t even request to feed myself. I know that he takes pleasure in the task. Pushing up on my elbow, I study his face as he spoons potato into my mouth. He smiles, but I remain neutral. I don’t want to give myself away- less is more.
I clear the plate much to Towley’s satisfaction. Settling into the chair, he kicks off his shoes and stretches out, hanging his head back from the chair.
“What are you doing?”
“Getting some sleep. You should too.”
“You act like I’m going to disappear. I’m strapped to the bed for God’s sake. You’ve made sure that I’m not going anywhere.”
He just smiles and closes his eyes. “Sleep.”
***
I wake drowsy and sluggish. All I have been doing of late is waking in a state of confusion and fear. It takes a moment for me to comprehend that I am dressed in red scrubs and sat in a wheelchair in the back of a van. I’m shackled. I don’t mean hand cuffs, I mean full on shackles. My wrists are cuffed, and the cuffs are connected by thick metal. My ankle cuffs are connected by heavy chain. It clatters as I move my feet, drawing Towley’s attention.
My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. “You drugged me.”
He leans in closer. “I put a sedative into the mash potatoes. I knew you wouldn’t have taken it willingly and I wanted you to have a full night’s rest. Cruel to be kind, I’m afraid.”
I won’t rise to it. I won’t even ask who dressed me; I’m pretty sure I know the answer. “Where are we going?”
“We’re moving locations as is protocol, but we need to make a quick pit stop first.”
I slouch back, wincing as the dressings on my back pull tight against the wounds. Towley looks to move, to put his arm behind me, but he scans the van and decides against it. The three soldiers, including Anders, watch him curiously: the way he sits leaning into me, how he inclines close to me when he talks. They see his intimacy, and Towley is aware of it. He straightens up, allowing space between us, and my stomach relaxes a little.
Every bump of the van is agony, so I close my eyes and concentrate on my breathing.
“We’re nearly there,” Towley announces. “It sounds like we’ve a good turn out.”
Ahead of us, a car-park stretches out with hundreds, if not thousands, of cars. Armed soldiers act as attendants, showing cars to their bays. People walk through a marquee turn style to whatever lies beyond. It sounds like a fun fair with music, voices on loud speakers, and people laughing.
“What is this?”
“It’s our rally,” Towley says. “We took advantage of Syndicate’s sudden cancellation. A bit of a slap in the face for Grayson James to see a government rally in the same locale that Syndicate had planned to hold theirs. It shows our determination don’t you think? I need to show my face, do a quick speech, and then we will be on our way.”
An armed man hands our driver a badge, and we ascend a different road around the back of the car park and down a steep incline toward a mammoth manor house built into a cliff face. Other military vehicles are stationed outside. A cold sweat seeps through my scrubs. I have a bad feeling about this. This is a Non-EVO rally.
Towley jumps out, greets men on guard at the door, and heads inside.
“He is infatuated with you,” Anders says to me. “It’s gross.” One of the soldiers elbows him to shut up.
I shudder. “I know. He wants to collect me. It’s sick. He thinks because he doesn’t personally torture me that his hands are clean, and I will grow to love him in some way.” I have all their attention- they look appalled- I need to play on it. “He tells the world that I’m evil and dangerous, and then he tells me that I’m the most beautiful creature he’s ever seen. He knows the truth about what went down in Italy, and he is just using me to add validity to his lies. He knew I wouldn’t confess to something I wasn’t part of unless he threatened my friends.”
“Shut it, EVO,” the angry looking soldier barks.
“We need to help her,” blurts Anders. “Theyda and I have been... talking. I checked out some of the things she said, and they’re true. She killed Isaac Woodman, and she isn’t his daughter.”
“You’ve been talking to Gregor. You’re a bloody idiot,” Angry Soldier snaps. He must be the soldier who’d rather look the other way than find the truth.
“Yeah, I had to. I was careful, but Gregor outright told me that Woodman was dead before they arrived. Not only that, he gave me this.” He brandishes a USB stick. “Gregor is being eaten up with guilt. He knows what we’re doing to her, and he knows she’s innocent.”
“What’s on the stick?” the younger, slimmer soldier asks.
“CCTV from Italy.”
Both of them recoil from it.
Anger Soldier bristles. “Shit, Anders. Put that away.”
“Are you okay to know the truth and torture Theyda and her friends anyway?”
“Where are my friends?”
“They will be transferring them from the facility later. This is more than a pit stop. This is what Towley has had planned for you all along.”
Towley’s voice sounds out as he marches back toward the van. Banging on the side, he straightens his cuff links. “Get the prisoner out.” His eyes meet mine through the windscreen, and an uneasy feeling claws at my stomach. Something is happening here, only, I’m not sure what.
Angry soldier and Young soldier unchain me and drag me to my feet. I bite my lip to stop from screaming out in agony. Anders trains his gun on me, but his expression is one of concern.
I’m made to walk. I can only take small steps to appease my bruised torso and shredded back. My chains clank and clang as I move and drag painfully from my ankles. Towley doesn’t rush me, he keeps with my slow pace, every so often stealing glances that I choose to avoid.
“You look worried, Theyda,” he says. I don’t reply. “You will not be harmed today. Yes, there are many here who would like a piece of you, but I shall ensure your safety. I take your silence as confirmation of your concern.”
I won’t speak to him about this. I know his little game now: get me riled enough or scared enough to talk to him, and then he can play the reassuring, caring confidant. It’s sick and perverted, and I’m done.
I continue to shuffle toward the door. The soldiers stiffen when they see me, flexing their fingers over their triggers. I make a conscious effort to look them in the eyes, not in defiance, but in sheer hope that they’ll see me- the real me. One glowers, just one step away from growling at me. The other stares back, his face is expressionless. I look back to my feet and follow Towley into the warmth of the hotel.
More soldiers stand aside as we pass. All eyes bore into me and I feel violated. Most of these people would happily put a bullet in my head, and not only does that terrify me, it hurts like hell. I’m not who they think I am. Training my eyes on Anders, I look for a soft expression. I need to see something that resembles kindness.
Towley slows his pace to step in between us. “It appears our prisoner is taken with you, marine.”
Anders Adam’s apple bobs. “The prisoner’s scrutiny will not work on me, Sir.”
Towley laughs. “I’m sure it will not. Do not let her unnerve you. She is half the EVO she once was.” He taps at his own head, indicating the scrambler in mine. “And that is exactly what we shall show the world today.”
“Unwise move,” I say, keeping my eyes straight ahead. “You’re only going to cause more animosity, especially with the E.N.C.”
“You should know,” Towley says.
“I’m not E.N.C, and you know it.”
“That is not what you confessed.” He rolls his eyes at Young soldier. “Delusional,” he says, sighing.
“I would have said anything to stop you murdering my friends.”
Ignoring my comment, he opens a door, leading us into a grand conservatory. Walls onl
y stretch to waist height and the rest is glass. Seagulls walk along the glass ceiling, pecking at pieces of moss. Sunlight streams in, making the room a good few degrees hotter than the corridor. From where I stand, the view stretches out over the ocean. Towley crosses to the far side of the room and looks out with a satisfied grin plastered on his face.
“Come and look,” he says, beckoning me over. Angry soldier grips my elbow. “Leave her be. She is secure, is she not? Come, Theyda.”
I shuffle my way across the room, dragging the chains unceremoniously.
The conservatory is situated on the edge of a cliff. The whole front of the house is built into rock and cliff face. To our far right are fields full of busying bodies. I could be looking down upon a festival. So many people are crowded into the rally they look like ants. There are food stalls, popcorn machines; everything you’d expect at a fair ground. Some people have even laid out blankets and deck chairs. My blood runs cold. This many people are here to declare loyalty to Towley. They hate EVO, they support the detention centres, and the despicable treatment of the EVO children. I quickly regain my composure, cursing myself for allowing him to see my dismay.
“The amount of people who would see you lynched is astounding.”
I step away from the glass. “Well, they’ve missed that show.”
Towley smiles. “You are quite the character. It’s a shame you were born this way.”
I purposely turn to meet him. “I’m proud of who I am, of the people I have managed to save with my ability, of the man I was able to kill. You hate EVO because you are jealous. It’s as simple as that.”
Towley tilts his head. “You reckon so.”
“I know so. That’s why you are hell bent on collecting me, on having me for yourself. You can’t be EVO, so owning me is the next best thing.”
He turns to face the soldiers. “You can see how warped her mind is.”
“But you said I was magnificent.” I keep my voice even, but an obvious smirk in my eye.
EVO Nation Series Trilogy Box Set Page 53