WWIV - Basin of Secrets

by lake, e a

  “We need to get that place surrounded, and light is failing, Melinda,” Andy said in a lowered tone. “Mount up and let’s move.”

  Her right hand reached and took his arm, squeezing in urgency. “You got Nancy Keller with you, right?” Confused, Andy nodded. Landry’s eyes darkened. “Her husband’s dead. There was a shoot-out, Andy. They stopped, we stopped. They asked us what we were doing, I told them to mind their own business. They drew weapons, a couple guys in our group, near the front, fired theirs.”

  Evaluating the news, Andy rubbed his almost smooth chin. “How many did we lose?” he asked in a whisper.

  “Three men,” she softly replied. “Luke Dandry, Bill Walows and Enid Keller.”

  Andy’s eyes shifted, back and forth, back and forth, like a pendulum on an old clock. “How ‘bout them?”

  Melinda moved even closer, invading Andy’s personal space. “Six. All six of the Guard are dead.”

  Andy shrugged, looking back at Wilson, leaning in to hear the conversation. “Okay, just wait until we’re bedded down for the night before you tell Nancy.” Landry signaled her agreement with a quick nod. Andy leaned back in his saddle. “But why’d you wait for us to move? You still could have surrounded them?”

  Melinda sighed. “A lot of shooting went on, Andy. Not real long, but a lot of noise. I thought maybe we might have spooked them, so I held off.” Noticing his head nodding, she continued. “I sent three men to watch the place. That way, they can let us know if the camp seems on guard as we move in, right?”

  Andy grinned back at Wilson. He loved it; Landry was deferring to him as the leader. “Yeah, good idea, lieutenant. Well played,” he answered.

  Stepping away, Melinda’s face soured. “I wasn’t asking your permission, you fool. I just meant that’s what Will would want us to do.” Storming back to her horse, she pulled worn leather gloves onto her calloused hands. “You’re not in charge of me, Andy Tarlisch.”

  Hearing Wilson snickering from behind, Andy scowled at the woman. “That damn bitch,” he seethed. “Someday soon she’s gonna get hers. Maybe from Will, or maybe from me.” Andy’s group followed as the lieutenant’s team led them toward Camp Nine.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  Cara approached the pair of worn-out travelers cautiously. Seeing they were just two more of the many flowing from Salt Lake, tired looking and dirty – like the rest – she lowered her guard.

  Hoping to ease their apparent tensions, she gave them a small, gracious smile. “I’m Cara Wake. How may I help you?”

  The woman with short blonde hair approached, reaching for her hands. “Cara? Is that you? Is that really you, Cara?”

  Her eagerness caused Cara to take a small step back, studying the stranger closely. “I’m sorry,” she replied. “Do we know each other?” Her eyes may have appeared slightly familiar, but that was all.

  The woman stepped closer. “Cara, it’s me Betsi. Betsi Bond.” Looking behind her, she reached for the man’s hands. “Well, Betsi Albrecht now.”

  Cara rocked gradually, trying to recall the name, the face, the voice. Her eyes narrowed before popping open wide, like on a child’s doll. “Betsi?” she cried. Reaching to hug her former friend, tears streaked her face. “Is that really you, Betsi? Oh my Lord. It’s been so, so long.” Their embrace continued as both women shook slightly from tears – tears of joy and remembrance.

  Finally, they separated and smiled at one another. “What are you doing here, Cara? It almost appears like you’re someone important from the greeting I received from the others.”

  Cara nodded. “This is my home. This is where we’ve spent the last 10 years – Steven and I. And our two children, Joshua and Rose.” Surveying the camp, Cara shrugged. “And yes, I guess I am someone here. They elected me leader a few years ago. Four now, I suppose.”

  Betsi smiled. “I can’t believe it. And you’re just as tiny and cute as you were – what – 25 years ago? Is that the last time we saw each other?”

  Cocking an eye trying to recall, Cara’s head shook. “No, more like 20, maybe 22. We were what, 16?” Betsi nodded once. “Right after your mother died, if I recall.”

  Betsi’s face fell hearing mention of the pain-filled memory. “That was when I was 14. Just turned 14. She died that summer. About 10 years before the darkness came.”

  “I was already married when the darkness arrived,” Cara added.

  “So, you’ve been married almost 20 years then? That’s amazing,” Betsi smiled again, thinking of her wedding day.

  Taking a deep breath, Cara’s eyes moved to the ground between their feet. She measured her words before beginning. “That was my first husband actually. He died two years after the darkness. I was a widow for four years before I remarried Steven. Now we’ve been married six years this past spring.” Her tear-filled eyes made their way to her friend’s again.

  Betsi leaned forward and hugged Cara tightly. She squeezed so hard that Cara almost felt her breath disappear. Something told her that her friend felt her pain. Moving back, Cara noticed Betsi’s own tears now. “I’m so sorry. I wish would have known; I wish I could have been there.”

  Cara looked past Betsi at Jeremy, standing idly playing with his canteen. “This must be your husband.”

  Betsi blushed as she turned and slapped her forehead. “Where are my manners? This is Jeremy; Jeremy Albrecht. My husband of 10 years. Jeremy, this is one of my oldest friends in the world, since childhood, Cara.”

  Jeremy politely extended his right hand and shook Cara’s gently. “Nice to meet you, Cara. Betsi has spoken in the past about her little redheaded friend. I didn’t know she meant literally.” The group shared a chuckle. “But it is nice to finally meet you.”

  Opening her arms to the camp, Cara urged the travelers inside. “Come, please. Let’s find you a place to rest and maybe some food. If you’ve traveled from Salt Lake, you must be exhausted.”

  Betsi grabbed her arm; Cara watched as her eyes pleaded. “I need to find my Dad, quickly,” she whispered. “I need to see him right away.”

  Feeling the color empty from her cheeks, Cara knew her face went cold. “He’s not here, Betsi. Not for a while now.”

  “Cara, I need to know where he went. It’s urgent.” Betsi leaned close to deliver her important news. “Willem Tarlisch is after him. He’s out for his revenge. He means to kill my father.”

  Cara’s body swayed back from the other woman. Her eyes did a quick scan of the husband; he was already wandering ahead, enjoying the new sights. “Betsi,” she said. “He’s not here anymore. He left us, three weeks ago. We can discuss this in private.”

  Betsi glanced away and then quickly back at Cara. “Where’d he go?”

  Cara’s lips tightened. “Colorado, Wyoming, maybe Montana.” Letting a small bit of anger show to her friend, she continued. “But we really need to discuss this in private, Betsi. Not out here in the open. Do you understand?”

  Aggravated by Cara’s evasiveness, Betsi shrugged. “Not really, but I suppose I’ll find out soon enough.”

  After introductions to the rest of her family and most of the camp, everyone enjoyed dinner outdoors style. The meal seemed smaller than usual for some reason to Cara. Perhaps it was the presence of her friend, or perhaps the embarrassment of their Spartan living conditions. Whatever the cause, Cara dreaded her private reunion with Betsi.

  Cara rubbed her hands, staring at the floor beneath her feet. “It was the fever. Same thing that took my Jacob, eight years prior. It comes and goes up here, stealing souls here and there.” Cara paused, trying to recall Jacob’s handsome young face. “Sometimes with help, we manage to have one or two survive. Usually though, it’s fatal.”

  Betsi paced the small room, wiping away tears with the butt of her palm. “Did he suffer?”

  Cara looked up at her. “He wasn’t feeling well when he arrived. It progressed rather quickly. By the end, he was incoherent most of the time.” Rising, she reached for her friend. “I’m sorry,
Betsi. I know this is a terrible shock.”

  Betsi shrugged, tried to smile, and then teared up again. “You don’t understand, Cara. Willem Tarlisch is going to be coming looking for him. And he has a one-track mind, and he’ll be focused on revenge.”

  “Betsi,” Cara asked, “how can you be so sure? Maybe when he hears that your dad isn’t here, he’ll just leave.”

  “Oh Cara, you don’t know him like I do,” Betsi replied. “I know so well, like before.” Cara’s eyes opened with surprise. “He’s my cousin, Cara, you know that. We’ve cared about each other since we were small. That’s why I stayed in contact with him, even after the banishment.”

  “Betsi, you don’t mean…”

  Shaking her head, Betsi continued. “I needed to know what he was up to. We met several times. Well, several times each year. Even during the banishment, we continued to meet.”

  Cara’s shoulders slumped. “Oh Betsi.”

  Coming at her friend quickly, Betsi grabbed her shoulders and stared into her eyes, pleading. “Jeremy doesn’t know these things. It’s just our secret – Willem’s and mine. And now yours, too. But that doesn’t change the matter. Willem is coming, and he’s going to be so upset.”

  “He doesn’t have to know, Betsi. And what makes you think he knows where Talbot is?”

  Betsi sighed, her face scrunching tight. “He’s found my journal by now. I forgot it when Jeremy and I left. There’s clues in there.” Betsi continued pacing, only stopping occasionally to stare at the last of the sun’s light for the day. “Father told me he had friends up here. Camp Eight or Camp Nine. I couldn’t remember which one, so I made a little diagram so Jeremy wouldn’t know. Now I see why he was headed here.”

  Cara nodded. “Steven.”

  Dryly, Betsi replied. “Yes, Steven, your husband. I remember him, you know.”

  Cara’s mouth twitched. “Mayor of Provo, of course.”

  Betsi’s head shook slowly as she eyed Cara for the truth, a truth she already must know.

  “Don’t judge me,” Cara whispered.

  “Does anyone else know, here in the camp?”

  “Of course not,” Cara shot back. “That’s our business, not theirs. And what difference would it make? None, that’s how much – none.”

  Betsi inched closer. “Let’s not judge each other then.”

  “Judgment? Is that what you’re worried about, Betsi? That I’ll judge you and your cousin?” Cara’s red hair moved softly from side to side. “Judgment ended 12 years ago for most people. Everyone’s just trying to survive now. No one has time for that anymore.”

  Betsi patted her lips, gauging Cara’s mood. “Can I ask why at least?”

  Releasing a large breath, Cara plopped on an open chair. “Ten years ago, my husband died. Two days after, Steven arrived and buried him. Then he brought Joshua, Jacob and I here. Two years later, Jacob died. After that, I was pretty much dead inside. Everything was finally dark in the world for me. Every, last, thing. Who knows how it happened. We fell in love and created another human being. And I love her so much, she means everything to me.” Looking up at Betsi, she wiped a tear from her cheek. “I have no idea why, Betsi. It just happened, it just worked out that way.”

  Kneeling next to her friend, Betsi tried to get Cara to look her way. “Does it embarrass you? Is that why no one knows?”

  Staring through Betsi like she wasn’t there, Cara’s eyes lost all focus. “No.”

  “Well, I’m not embarrassed for myself either. But I’m worried.”

  Cara leaned back in her chair, unmoved by whatever bothered Betsi. “Who cares what Willem Tarlisch thinks. Talbot Bond is gone; he’s not here anymore. Where or why just isn’t important.”

  Betsi ran her fingers through her short hair and pulled at the back end. “Willem will go insane when he finds out. Absolutely insane. He’ll burn this place to the ground, maybe even all of the camps. Maybe even the whole damned mountain.” Betsi took the chair beside Cara and reached for her hand.

  “And then he’ll start killing people,” Betsi continued. “Just like he did in Salt Lake. But I’m afraid he’s going to kill a whole lot more than six this time. So many more.”

  Quietly, both women stared at the dark side of the room, each lost in her own separate hell.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  “I simply tugged on her shirt a little, that’s all.” Willem leaned back in his chair under Suzanne’s continual glare. Grinning, he leaned forward. “Something more, my darling?”

  She looked away, but only for a second, and was back at him instantly. “If you need a toy to play with, use me please. Not the others. Especially not her. She’s still shaking from the ordeal.”

  Willem waved her away. “I don’t want to play with you. I like Willow and Rachel. They react so…” He paused as if to consider the best word. “…perfectly to my touch.”

  Suzanne’s body trembled. “Willem, do you think either of those girls have any sexual experience? Have ever been touched, much less kissed?”

  Leaning back in his chair, he spread his arms wide. “Who better than me to break them in then? Perhaps you’d be happier if they spent a night in the barracks with some of the men?” Laughing, he rose.

  “Did you touch her? Sexually? She won’t answer us,” Suzanne demanded.

  Willem’s expression darkened. “Have you seen her, at night when she changes?” Suzanne refused to answer. “I’m sure she doesn’t really have a body or breasts for that matter. She’s a child. I’m not a pedophile.”

  Suzanne smirked. “You could have fooled me.”

  “Suzanne, I have no interest in those girls – yet. They’re far too young. They are only here to serve a purpose.” Staring at her chest, he paused. “You, on the other hand…”

  Her arms rose rapidly to cover her bosoms. “I will, but only if you agree that it’s me, not them. Not now.”

  Willem took her arm in his hand and squeezed lightly. “Let’s be clear on something.” His grip tightening as he leaned closer. “I make the rules here. If I want to bed both of them at the same time, I will. Anytime I like.” His fingers contracted, vise-like, around her bony appendage.

  “You’re hurting me,” she quaked in a frightened tone.

  “I can hurt all of you any time I like. In ways you can’t begin to imagine. Don’t make me.” He tossed her away.

  Rubbing the circulation back into her arm, she stared at him through teary eyes. “Why are you so evil? Why are you so godless?”

  The corners of Willem’s mouth rose an inch. “Did you know, darling, that my mother died of lack of water in the desert?” A quick shake of her head gave him his answer. “Well, she did. So I watched my father shot to death by Talbot Bond and my poor mother perish in front of my eyes.” Giving her a sideways glance, he laughed. “I’d say that’s enough to screw anyone up, wouldn’t you?”

  Approaching his side, her sympathetic eyes met his. “I’m sorry you had to go through all that. Truly I am. And if my family caused this in any way, then I’m even more in your debt.” She reached for his hand, but he pulled away. “Please, use me though, not the others.”

  “Suzanne,” he replied, playing with the front of her shirt, eyeing her chest. “That’s a lovely offer.” He suddenly pulled away like he had spotted a spider. “But in the next two days’ time, my real love will be here. And I’m saving myself for her.”

  He sat quickly and looked back up at her confusion. “What about us?” she asked. “Me and the others?”

  “Oh, that. Well, after she gives me a son, you’ll give me a son. After that, Willow will give me a son, followed by Rachel. I’d like to have quite a tribe of boys. If we get girls, I’ll just move onto the next and come back to that wife soon after she’s ready again. You’ll all be barefoot and pregnant for a number of years.”

  She sighed as her heart fell to her feet. “You are the devil, aren’t you?” she said, walking away and without looking back at his face.

  Willem, a
lready back at work, chuckled. “Perhaps,” he replied, mostly to himself. “Perhaps.”

  The sun had long set and the last orange glow of evening disappeared in the western sky before dinner hit the table. Willem glanced around the room at the many somber faces this evening. Included in this meal were his new children – Sophia, Stephen Jr., and Shawna. Smiling sweetly at each of them, he turned his focus to his brides. “So, tonight’s meal is very special,” he announced in an upbeat tone. “This is our last meal together before I bring you my last wife. And then, our family will be complete.”

  Willow played with her greens beans, moving them from one side of the plate to the other. “Then why do you need us?” she asked with a lack of spirit noticeable to all.

  “You are my family, too. We’re one big happy family.” Staring at the handmaidens, he gave a slight nod for their input.

  “Willow, dear,” Mrs. Peach started. “I believe in time that you’ll discover that Mr. Tarlisch is a fair man. I believe he will provide for you and the others everything you will need. Especially in a world that’s awful, and has been so bad for some 12 years now.” Her tone was less enthusiastic than Willem would have preferred, but he shot the older woman a brief pained smile showing his approval.

  “This whole episode has gone pretty much according to schedule,” Howard added. “Tonight or tomorrow sometime, the riders should show up with good news.”

  Willem stopped mid-bite to stare sideways at his friend. “I would have preferred to find Betsi five days ago myself, Howard. But I suppose the rest has been all right.” Taking a chomp of whatever meat the chef had found, he turned his attention back to his plate. “We took care of Erickson and his cronies in short order, exacted our just due from the three families on my list, and are just about to close in on Talbot Bond. All in all, a very good week. With few ancillary casualties.”