by Amy Dunne
Tanya smiled. “Thanks.”
Alex noticed the door was only slightly ajar, but she swore she heard the soft creaking of a floorboard. She jumped up, rushed to the door and flung it open, but no one was there. She looked up and down the corridor but it was deserted.
“Anything?” Evelyn asked, worry marring her face.
“No. Must just be my nerves.”
“I better go. See you in fifteen minutes,” Tanya said and hurriedly tiptoed from the room.
Alex closed the door. “Everything’s spiralling out of control. I need time to plan our escape, and we’re running out.”
“We’ve got two days hopefully. I’ll try and speak to Elijah about Ben later. Maybe I can change his mind?”
Alex didn’t reply. On a purely selfish level she didn’t want Evelyn speaking to Elijah. In the midst of the chaos of Ben’s return, she secretly harboured hope that maybe Evelyn wouldn’t have to go through with spending the night with him. He was distracted. But if Evelyn didn’t try to speak to him, Ben stood no hope, and Evelyn would struggle to live with the guilt. “Do what you need to and let me know if there’s anything I can do.”
Chapter Twenty-five
As they walked toward the medical room, Joe ran up to meet them. He was out of breath when he reached them. “Danger,” he said, trying to draw breath.
“We know about Ben,” Evelyn said, gently stroking his arm.
“You,” he said, shaking his head. “Both of you.”
Alex’s stomach lurched. “What do—”
“They’re searching the medical room,” he said, wheezing.
“For what?” Alex asked.
“For the pills,” Evelyn said, her eyes wide with fear. “Someone must’ve heard us.”
“I looked. There was no one there.”
“Why else would they be searching? What if they find them?” Evelyn looked on the verge of hysteria.
“It’ll be okay. They might not find them,” Alex said, hugging her again. “If they do find them, deny knowledge.” They broke away as Phil, Bob, and Scott ran toward them.
“Take care of Jamie,” Evelyn begged Joe.
“I haven’t seen him since this morning. I thought he was with you.” Joe’s face mirrored Evelyn’s terror.
“I told him to go and feed Paddy a little while ago. I’m sure he’s fine,” Alex said, but had an awful feeling she was telling nothing more than a comforting lie.
“I’ll try and find him.” He rushed off just before the men reached them.
“Elijah wants to see you both now,” Phil said, shoving Alex away from Evelyn. “You walk with them,” he said to Evelyn. “You,” he said sneering at Alex, “are coming with me.”
Alex watched as Evelyn was escorted by Bob and Scott, neither of whom would look her in the eye. The betrayal from Scott smarted.
Phil gave another painful shove. “Come on, dyke. Time to go.”
Alex bit her lip and refused to respond. She kept ahead of him and managed to avoid his shoves for prodding instead. She kept Evelyn in her sight until she disappeared into the main building. They walked up the steps and into a previously off-limits drawing room. Inside, Elijah and David stood waiting with Claire and Tanya. Tanya looked distraught and was crying hysterically. Claire looked savagely thrilled.
Alex went to stand near Evelyn, but Phil blocked her.
“Imagine my surprise. Claire comes up and tells me that she’s overheard a conversation and seen some disturbing things. At first, I find it impossible to believe. But then, after ordering a search of the medical room, I’m given this.” Elijah held up a bag of tablets and shook them onto the floor. “Secret medication that wasn’t disclosed.”
Evelyn looked horrified. “I can explain them.”
“Good,” Elijah said, his eyes wide. “Because while you’re at it, perhaps you can explain these, too?” He held up two tablet packages of what Alex presumed was the pill. “We looked them up. Do you know what they are, Evelyn?”
She raised her chin and nodded. “Yes.”
“What?” Elijah asked, barely keeping hold of his fury. He looked like the drugs were taking effect.
“The contraceptive pill.”
“Exactly,” he said throwing them onto the floor and trampling on them. “I trusted you. You’re my wife. And all the time you’ve been taking and dishing out these to other women in this community. You’ve purposely been sabotaging our Lord God’s plan.” His rage was palpable. He roared in anger, spit flying from his lips. “You have single-handedly gone against me. You have treated me like a fool.”
Evelyn raised her hands in a placating gesture. “I had a duty of care to the women of this community. It’s their bodies. They deserve a choice.”
He charged over to her and grabbed her hair, pulling her head backward. “Duty of care? What about your duty to me? I’m your husband. I’m the leader of this community. You do as I say. Do you hear me? As I say.”
Evelyn let out a cry of pain.
“Let go of her!” Alex started toward him. From nowhere, the floor raised up and met her with a loud thud as she sprawled out. Her chin connected with the marble, sending pain reverberating up through her jaw and face. Her tongue was bitten and bleeding. Pain erupted at the back of her head, causing her vision to swim.
“You belong to me,” Elijah said to Evelyn, tugging harder on her hair. “You will learn to do as I say. We had a deal, Evelyn. Do you remember our deal? It was about the future of that little bastard. All bets are off now, sweetheart. Have you seen him recently? I have.”
“No!” Evelyn screamed. “I’ll do anything. Please. I’m sorry. The tablets were a mistake. I shouldn’t have done it. But please don’t do anything to Jamie.”
“Leave her,” Alex said, crawling forward.
“Oh look. It’s the he-she, trying to save the wife of a man,” Elijah said, his face contorting with rage. “Don’t worry. We’ve plans for you, too. Time to show you what a real man can do. You’re going to learn to be the woman God intended you to be.”
“Never,” Alex said, spitting a wad of blood on the floor.
“The dog’s already dead. But your fictitious husband, well, I haven’t quite decided what to do with him. I think he’ll join Ben.”
Alex bored her gaze into him. Hatred raged with such intensity her body could barely contain it.
“That’s right. Shut up and put up. Or else he’ll be joining that mongrel of yours.”
“This isn’t right,” Scott said, and ran from the room crying.
“You’re both going to do what’s expected of you. You’ll be kept separate from now on. Take a good look, because this is the last time you’ll see each other,” Elijah said, thrusting Evelyn’s head in Alex’s direction.
Their eyes met and Alex couldn’t stand one more second of seeing Evelyn in pain. “She’s pregnant.”
“No!” Evelyn cried.
The room fell silent.
“What did you say?” Elijah asked, his voice echoing around the hall.
“Alex, no,” Evelyn begged.
“She’s pregnant. So treat her with some respect.”
He turned to Evelyn, gripped her face, and raised it to his. “Is this true?”
“No,” Evelyn said, shaking her head.
“Is it true?” he asked again. This time she cried out in pain but still refused to answer. “Someone go and get a pregnancy test now.”
Bob disappeared out the door.
Alex watched helplessly as Evelyn sobbed. She felt guilt-ridden for revealing it, but she couldn’t watch her be beaten and treated badly. “I’m sorry.”
“Get her out of here. Take her to a cell,” Elijah said.
“I’ll be seeing you soon,” David said, pulling Alex to her feet and giving a short, sharp slap to her face. She tried to fight Phil off but he grabbed her and dragged her out of the room. A woozy fleeting image of Evelyn swam before her eyes before the door slammed shut.
*
As soon as h
e had the pregnancy test, Elijah demanded everyone else leave. He took Evelyn to his chambers and watched her pee on the stick. It was one of the most humiliating experiences she’d had. As the seconds counted down, she felt sick to her stomach. And then the answer was revealed.
“You’re pregnant,” he said, grinning. “You really are. This is fantastic. Praise be to our Lord God.” He didn’t even bother looking at her as he gave thanks. “My son. My heir. He’ll be a mighty leader, too. I’ll see to it.”
Evelyn took the opportunity of distraction to pull up her knickers and trousers.
“Come with me,” he said, gently taking hold of her hand. He led her into his bedroom and pulled back the duvet. “Come on, get into bed. You need to rest.”
Too emotionally distraught to reply or argue, she climbed beneath the duvet. He sat beside her.
“I know today’s been a mixed day. But let’s put it behind us now. You’re here with me. You’re carrying my son. All is forgiven.” He planted a gentle kiss on her forehead. “From now on, you’ll stay in these chambers every night. We’ll be together like a proper husband and wife. I know it can’t have been easy splitting your time between here and your own room. It damaged our marriage. But I won’t let anything threaten our marriage again. I want you to know that I still love you, Evelyn.”
No words would come out of her mouth. There was nothing to say.
“You won’t want for anything. You won’t have to lift a finger. You’ll be treated as well as a princess.” He kissed her head again and gently caressed her face. “I need you to know that I will never, ever, let you go. You’re my wife and the mother of my child. There’s nothing more important in this world. We’ll be together for the rest of this life and the eternal life, too.” He walked over to the mirror and straightened himself up. “I’m going to go get some champagne and share the news with our community. I won’t be long. Sleep, beautiful.”
She watched him lock all of the doors and leave. She jumped up, rushed to the main doors, and pressed her ear against it. It took a few seconds, but she finally managed to tune into what they were saying. It was Elijah and David.
“Sort her out. Do whatever you want, but don’t kill her. She’s going to bear children and learn to live like a woman,” Elijah said. “After that, we’ll revisit the matter.”
“Okay,” David said.
“Also, deal with the bastard and the Irish guy. Make it look like the guy killed the kid. Go for whatever floats your boat. Just make it happen and make it look convincing. We’ll bury him in camp. I want Evelyn to be able to grieve and move on.”
“What about Ben?”
“Do him, too. You, come over here and guard this door. Nobody other than David or I are permitted to enter. Regardless of what she says or does, do not open that door or go inside.”
“Yes, sir.”
Evelyn stumbled back from the door. He’d ordered Jamie’s, Murphy’s, and Ben’s executions so flippantly. He was a psychopath. Her only chance now was to fight evil with evil. She’d have to kill him. It was the only option.
*
Alex was in yet another room that was purposely built to be a prison cell. This one had nothing, not even a bed. The bathroom had a toilet and basin. Those would have to do. She heaved and heaved until she’d loosened the sealant, then pulled and pushed until she managed to drop part of it on the floor. It wasn’t sharp, or even particularly heavy, but it was something. And that was better than nothing.
She could hear a lot of noises from outside the fake window and throughout the building. She had a lump on the back of her skull from where she’d been hit, as well as a shredded tongue. Her front teeth were sensitive—surely she’d chipped one, if not two, of them. She loosened up her body and stretched, priming herself to be ready to attack when David came through the door.
She heard the sound of approaching voices. She stood, hiding the chunk of porcelain behind her back. She suspected David to be wary, but if he’d previously checked out the room and ensured it was empty, perhaps he’d be less prepared.
The lock clicked and the sound of voices grew louder. She braced herself.
The door opened and David walked in, closing it behind him. She didn’t hear the lock engage, which was a good sign. Phil or another gun-toting solider might be waiting outside, but she’d cross that bridge when she came to it.
“You and me need to have a chat,” David said, as he walked toward her. He didn’t have a weapon drawn or even on him. “I knew when we brought you back you were going to be a catalyst. I didn’t realise it was going to happen so quickly.”
Alex tightened her grip, feeling as the cold stone cut into her palm. “If you say so.”
“Elijah’s been going off the rails for the last few months, but now he’s gone too far. He can’t be saved. This community that I’ve worked hard to protect and shape has become a different monster. I want no part of it. I don’t want to be associated with a cult.”
He was less than ninety centimetres away. Just two more steps and she’d spring.
“I’ve had to hide who I am and I’m tired of it. It’s time this came to an end. People can make their own judgments and—”
Alex leapt at him, bringing the heavy makeshift weapon crashing into his face. His head snapped to the side. But he was quick, and in one fell swoop, he sent her weapon flying, leaving only hand-to-hand combat. She threw a few punches but he easily blocked them and swept her legs from under her. She collapsed under her own weight in an agonising pile.
“Now, listen to what I’m saying. You want out and so do I,” he said, spitting on the floor and wiping his bloody mouth. “Do you understand?”
Alex went to lunge at him again, but he must have sensed it because he stepped back with his hands in the air.
“I haven’t come in here with a weapon drawn. I’ve come to talk to you. I want us to agree to leave together tonight. You can bring whoever you want, and I’ll bring Scott, Gemma, and Ben. I’ll tell you where Murphy, Jamie, and Paddy are kept. You can go free them, then we can all leave together. No one else has to know.”
“Why are you doing this?” Alex asked, not believing a single word of it.
“I’ve my reasons.”
“I don’t trust you,” Alex said.
“I know,” he said turning to the door. “Gemma?”
Alex watched as the door opened and Gemma came inside. Her nervous gaze flittered between the two of them.
“Tell her,” David said.
“He’s a good man,” Gemma said to Alex. “He’s never laid a finger on me. He married me to stop Elijah marrying me off to someone else. He helped me escape in the first place. You can trust him.”
Alex couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “When you got back here he locked you up and gave you a black eye. How’s that make him a good man?”
“He had to keep me away from everyone for my own safety. And Elijah hurt me when he interrogated me, not David,” Gemma said earnestly.
“If you want to escape and save your friends, you’ve got to go now,” David said.
Infuriatingly, he was right. If he’d coerced Gemma into this as part of a sick joke, she’d have to run the risk, because how could she pass up the opportunity to save everyone she loved? “Fine.”
“You’ll need this. Try not to use it. People should do as you ask by the threat.” He slowly reached behind his back and in exaggerated movements offered out her handgun.
She cautiously took hold and could tell by the weight it was loaded. “So now what?”
“We’ll go get Ben and Scott.”
“Get Joe, Matilda, and Tanya, too,” Alex said sternly. “I’ll go get Jamie, Murphy, and Evelyn. Where are they?”
“They’re in the cellar of Elijah’s building. You have to go through the disused kitchen. No one knows about the cellar except me. Evelyn’s in Elijah’s personal chambers. There’s a guard up there.”
With her gun ready, she walked to the door, keeping the barrel and her eye
s firmly locked on David. Gemma reached down and helped him up.
“Good luck,” he said.
“I’ll meet you by the gates in half an hour,” Alex said, and rushed out the door. The corridor was deserted. She jogged through the building, avoiding people. Outside, the sky was almost dark. Using the darkness as a cover, she sprinted over to the building. The kitchen was down a set of stairs. She didn’t have a flashlight, so she had to take more time than she wanted to. Eventually she came to a winding set of stairs. At the bottom was what had once been wine cellars or cold rooms.
“Murphy?” she said quietly, her voice echoing down the narrow passageway and off the rusty metal doors.
She heard a sound further ahead. Her index finger was poised on the trigger.
“Alex?” a familiar Irish voice asked.
“Hold on.” She looked for a way to get in and found a lock. She unclipped it and pulled the metal doors open. Murphy and Jamie came rushing out. She hugged them both.
“What’s going on?” Murphy asked, looking pale.
“Long story. We’re leaving tonight. I need you to go and wait by the vehicles. Only a few of us are going, so be quiet.”
“Where are you going?” Murphy asked.
“To get Evelyn.”
“Be careful and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do,” Murphy said carefully, his message clear and over Jamie’s head. Don’t kill anyone. That depended on how others reacted.
She led them outside and they went their separate ways. She continued up the stairs and spotted Bob sitting on a chair. His hand wasn’t on his weapon. She stealthily crept closer and then pressed the barrel to his head. He froze.
“I want a quiet one-word answer. Do you have a key?” she asked.
“Yes.”
“Excellent, take it out.” She watched him slowly fumble and pass the key. “Good. Now close your eyes.” He hesitated, but she still brought the butt down on his head. He slumped to the floor unconscious. She dragged him into the room opposite and was about to leave when she heard footsteps. The swear word clearly belonged to Elijah. She heard him open the door to his personal chambers and go inside. She held the gun in front and crept to the door. She could hear his voice bellowing out from a different part of the chamber. She turned the handle and slipped inside.