Beginnings

by Sandra R Neeley

  Then she heard a key in the door, and the door was flung open. Males were shouting, announcing themselves as the Alliance, demanding that all surrender or die. But she couldn’t move, couldn’t bring herself to even speak. Her body was held immobile face down on the table, and her head extended over the edge of the table with her mouth forced open with a metal ring. And the most private parts of her raised in the air and spread for any who entered to see. But she didn’t care. All she thought about was the male who threw open the door demanding surrender.

  “Aww, fuck!” she heard him say. “Keep the room secured! Stay alert!” he barked. Then suddenly he was standing beside her. “It’s okay. Don’t be afraid. We’re going to get you the hell out of here,” he said. He laid his weapon on the table beside her, and she could hear him moving, fabric rustling.

  The female couldn’t move her head, she didn’t know what he was doing, but she did know he’d just said he was going to get her out of here. She wanted to cry with relief, but she refused to give in to the tears that threatened. She’d not allowed anyone to see her cry yet, and she wouldn’t start now. Her body jerked again when she felt something thrown over her.

  Then the male moved to the front of the table where her eyes faced the floor. He knelt down so she could see him.

  The female noticed he was only wearing pants, nude from the waist up.

  “It’s okay. Just try to relax. No one is ever going to hurt you again.”

  Then the tears started when she realized he’d placed his shirt over her body to spare her from being seen by anyone else. And he was really here to rescue her.

  He placed his hand on hers and slightly squeezed her fingers. “Hold on just a few minutes while we get the keys in here, okay?” he said. Then he lifted his head enough to see over the table she was on. “Hurry the fuck up with the damn keys!” he demanded.

  “Searching the other cells, Sarge,” another male replied.

  “I need them here, now! Right fucking now!” Sergeant Acker demanded.

  She heard boots running in response to Sarge’s demand, then she could hear keys jangling and felt several keys against her skin as Sarge tried several until he found the right one.

  “There we go. Found it. Just going to be a few minutes and you’ll be free,” he said softly.

  “The fuck did they do to her?” another male asked.

  “Get the fuck out of here!” Acker ordered, making the female wince and begin to tremble.

  Finally, all the shackles were opened, and Sarge helped her right herself and sit on the side of the table.

  The female was still struggling around the metal ring forcing her mouth to stay open. He reached toward her mouth. The female jerked away from him, but still wouldn’t look up to meet his eyes. “It’s okay, it’s alright. I’m not going to hurt you. I’m just going to get this out of your mouth. Okay? It’s too big for you to just spit it out, it’s wedged behind your teeth. Just give me one second and I’ll get it out.”

  The female tried to hold still for him to help her, but she was trembling so badly he had a hard time of it.

  “Can you lie down and put your head back?” he asked. Trying to get his fingers in her mouth with her trembling wasn’t working.

  She didn’t want to do it, but she wanted the damn ring out of her mouth. She began to lie down shakily, her muscles still cramping and burning from being in the same position for so long.

  Acker reached toward her and helped her ease down onto the table. “Okay, just hold still for a second,” he said after he got her to lie down. He traced the ring with his fingertip trying to turn it, or force it to its side so he could get the damn thing out of her mouth. Then suddenly, he felt a latch, similar to one found on an earring. “I think I’ve got it,” he said, using the nail of his thumb to flip the catch on the ring. The ring folded in on itself, making two pieces, and allowing him to remove it from her mouth.

  “Alright, love. It’s alright,” Acker said. “It’s going to be fine now.”

  The female didn’t look up at him as he helped her sit up. Instead, she tried her best to pull the sides of the shirt he’d covered her with together so she could button them with trembling fingers.

  “Do you know your name?” Acker asked.

  The female nodded.

  “Can you tell me your name?” he asked, smiling at her.

  The female raised her eyes to Acker’s. Her lips were cracked and she had a split in the top one. There was a bruise on the side of her face. When he’d helped her lie back so he could try to remove the ring from her mouth, he’d seen scars that were surely from the shackle around her neck. There was a fresh cut on her throat, and the skin near it was angry and red as though it was infected. There’d been scars that looked like bites, and claw marks on her back. This female was so severely abused he was surprised she’d managed to hold it together so far.

  “Hi,” he said softly, offering her a small smile and mentally putting away the horror of finding her as he did. “I’m Sergeant Acker. I’m here to save you. There is no one that I will ever allow to harm you again. Not ever. Do you understand?” he asked.

  The female nodded then let her gaze drop to the floor as she pulled his shirt around her again.

  “Will you tell me your name so I know what to call you?” he asked.

  “Nina,” she whispered.

  “What, honey? I didn’t hear you,” Sarge said, trying to lean a little closer.

  The female shrugged one delicate shoulder and shook her head.

  “It’s alright, you don’t have to tell me right now. I’m going to lift you in my arms, and we’re getting the fuck out of here. Okay?”

  “’Kay,” Nina whispered.

  Chapter 19

  Lethal sat with his back to the glass wall separating the office they’d found. The office was enclosed with glass walls and separated by the same glass walls from the larger space inside the metal building About fifteen feet further down was a second office, also enclosed with glass walls. In the office they were currently sitting in, there was a desk, several filing cabinets, and a couple of chairs for visitors to the office, a computer and a printer. Then on the back wall — the only solid wall, centered against that wall, was a small sofa meant to seat only two or possibly three people.

  The second office was a twin of the first, but it didn’t seem to be totally set up yet. In fact, it didn’t have the computer and printer set up the first one did.

  The rest of the building was simply a wide open space with lots of chairs, some benches, a huge white board mounted on the wall all the chairs and benches faced, and a restroom at the back of the building. The sign in front of the building said it was the Administration Center, but as far as Lethal and his squad could tell, there were no admin personnel assigned to it, and they were certainly the only ones in it now other than the kitchen crew who were busy preparing food in the kitchen on the far side of the building.

  Lethal sat in one of the visitor’s chairs watching Five as he hacked into the computer they’d found.

  “You getting anywhere?” Three asked.

  “Yeah, almost there. Running a program to search for passwords,” Five answered.

  “You think this will tell us where she is?” Three asked.

  “It’ll give us a starting point. We can radiate out from there. She’s alive somewhere, and I’m going to find her,” Lethal growled.

  “And what if she’s dead, One? What are you going to do then?” Four asked.

  “Find anyone alive who can tell me who killed her. Then I’m going to make them pay, for the rest of their lives, every single day,” Lethal answered. “Drives me fucking crazy to think of her still in their hands… the things they’ve done to her, are still doing to her. No fucking way I’ll ever stop searching.”

  “Lethal,” Two said.

  “What?” Four asked.

  “Lethal. New name. You called him One,” Two said.

  “We all need new names,” Lethal added. “Need some
thing to differentiate. Pick ‘em,” he ordered, his eyes still watching the computer screen that had begun to show signs of coming to life under Five’s manipulations.

  “You should be Asshole,” Four said to Three.

  “Fuck you. You are an asshole,” Three responded.

  “Stop it!” Lethal said, glancing at both of them. “You can kill any fucking body needs killing, but can’t choose a damn name. Fine, I’ll do it.” He thought about it for only a second before deciding that their names should describe their personalities or traits just as his did. “Three is Scorn. Four is Steel. Five is,” he paused looking at Five. Five wasn’t as cold as the rest of them, he wasn’t heartless, his soul was still invested in all he did, yet he still stood beside them with courage and bravery that was unfaltering. “Five is Valor. Two, you’re…”

  “Two. I’m just two,” Two interrupted.

  “We’re all taking names,” Three, who was now Scorn said.

  Two shook his head. “I’m Two. I’m too big, too loud, too scary, too quiet, too kind… always too something. Two is just fine for me. Two sounds like too, no reason to change it.”

  Lethal looked at Two. He knew the big man wouldn’t be with them long. This male had had enough. And Lethal had always had his suspicions that Two’s memories weren’t quite as distant as everyone else’s. It was only a matter of time before Two decided his assassin days were behind him.

  “Two it is,” Lethal agreed.

  “I’m in,” Valor said, sitting up straighter and watching the computer screen as he got ready to type.

  Lethal turned and looked at the computer, sitting on the search engine waiting for input. “Murder of white supremacists, in the woods, in the last three to four years,” he said.

  Valor typed it in. Only half a page of results popped up.

  “Click on the first one. Keep clicking until we find one that sounds right,” Lethal said.

  “You got it,” Valor answered, clicking the first one and reading the account of the murders out loud.

  “Nope. There were only three killed there,” Steel said.

  They went through several more postings of white supremacist killings until finally one sounded like it could be the one.

  “Seven in that one, right?” Lethal said.

  “Yep. Bodies found around a campfire in the woods,” Valor answered.

  “I think that’s it. Where was it?” Lethal asked.

  “Michigan,” Valor answered.

  “Michigan it is then. Can you pull up a map of the general area?” Lethal asked.

  “Incoming,” Scorn whispered, letting them all know they were about to get company. Not one of them moved. They allowed the impression that they weren’t aware they’d been found out yet.

  The door behind them opened. “Can I help you gentlemen with something?”

  Two, Scorn, and Steel turned to face the door.

  Lethal and Valor didn’t even look up. They knew the others could take care of it.

  “We’re using the computer,” Scorn said matter of factly.

  “Obviously,” Roscoe answered.

  Then the front door of the building opened and General Ferriday entered. He walked toward the office Lethal and his men were in, with Roscoe standing in the doorway. “Gentlemen. How are we today?”

  “Depends on how your man responds to us in his office,” Steel said.

  “Why are you in my office?” Roscoe asked.

  “Only computer we could find on base,” Scorn answered.

  “It’s not a base,” Two said.

  “Close enough,” Scorn answered.

  “Internet access. I didn’t even consider that it might be desired,” General Ferriday said thoughtfully. “We’ll look into adding access as soon as we can. Get some computers in here and set up for anyone who wishes to use them. The only stipulation is that we cannot let the true nature of why we’re here be found out. There are others out there who need our help. If we tip our hand, they could be killed, or hidden away more securely than they are now.”

  No one responded. Roscoe looked at the General before looking back at the men pretending they weren’t even there.

  “Can you print it?” Lethal asked Valor, still ignoring General Ferriday and Roscoe.

  Valor looked up from the computer and glanced around the office. “There,” he said.

  Lethal got to his feet and went over to the printer, pushing buttons until lights came on and it powered up.

  Valor clicked a few things with the computer mouse and the printer came to life spitting out a page.

  Lethal took the page off the printer and inspected it. “This is it.” He walked back over to Valor and watched as the man exited the program, deleted their search history, and turned off the computer. Only then did Lethal turn and face General Ferriday and Roscoe.

  “How is it you can remember to hack a computer but you don’t know who you are?” Roscoe asked.

  Valor shrugged. “We are all trained in different areas of expertise in addition to hand to hand combat. Mine happens to be computers.”

  “Interesting,” Roscoe said.

  “Hello, Maddox,” General Ferriday said, determined to force Maddox to interact with him. “Oh, excuse me… One.”

  “Still wrong. We’ve taken names,” Scorn answered, snickering.

  “Really? And what are your names?” General Ferriday asked.

  “I’m Scorn, Steel,” Scorn said, thumbing toward the male who was Four and previous to that Phelps. Then he pointed toward Two. “He wants to stay Two, and then we got Valor,” Scorn said while indicating Five, “and Lethal,” he finished while pointing at Maddox.

  “Lethal,” General Ferriday repeated. “I’d say it’s very fitting. But, your given name fits you much better.”

  “And that would be?” Lethal said, knowing full well the name the General referred to.

  “Maddox. Lieutenant Maddox Larsen,” the General answered.

  “I don’t know any Maddox,” Lethal said, while staring down General Ferriday.

  “Also named another one over there in the cafeteria. We elected him leader. His name is Law,” Scorn added.

  “Leader?” General Ferriday asked.

  “He thought we needed to organize shit,” Steel offered.

  “Suppose we should meet with him, and everyone else, then,” General Ferriday answered. “And, we should begin recording these names,” General Ferriday answered.

  “Of course,” Roscoe said, moving to get behind his desk. “Mind if I have my desk back?” he asked with a definite tone.

  “Be my guest,” Lethal snarked.

  “Is there something I can help you with? Other than computer access?” General Ferriday asked.

  “I need a helicopter and weapons,” Lethal said.

  General Ferriday was surprised. His eyebrows raised and his expression was telling of that surprise. “Why? You just arrived here.”

  “And we’re going back out. You said there were others that needed us. You said we weren’t prisoners. We’re going back out,” Lethal stated matter-of-factly. “You want to help us, help us, if not we’ll do it on our own.”

  “May I ask what is so important that you can’t take a little time to decompress?” General Ferriday asked.

  “Can’t sit here and make like it’s a happy home. Maybe some can. I can’t,” Lethal answered.

  “There are reasons for staying beneath the radar, son,” General Ferriday explained.

  “I’m aware. I’m an assassin, not an idiot. I no more want to be detected than you want me to be detected. But I’m not staying here and playing it safe. It’s unacceptable. And I am not your son.”

  “Are you saying that all of these men, every one who’s been brought to Alliance, should be in line waiting to join you?” General Ferriday asked.

  “No. I’m only speaking for myself,” Lethal answered.

  “Are you sure about that? Seems you have your men involved, too,” Roscoe said, from his seat behind his des
k.

  “We’re a squad. We go in together. But if any of them are ready to step away, I have no problem with that,” Lethal answered. Then his impatience seemed to get the best of him. “Had enough of your questions. I have things that need addressing. Help me or don’t, but get the hell out of my way,” he snapped.

  “If you can wait a few days, we’ll call a meeting, get everything straightened out. Meet with this Law you say has taken the lead, find out what rules he’s planning to put in place and then we’ll determine what kind of help you need,” Roscoe said.

  “I’m not waiting days,” Lethal said, walking toward the door so he could leave the office. His squad fell in behind him.

  Just as he passed through the door and moved beyond General Ferriday, he paused. “It’s a good thing you’re doing here, General. Don’t think me ungrateful. It’s just not even close to being finished yet. And I’ve got plans of my own to see through ‘til it is finished.”

  General Ferriday nodded slowly. “Then perhaps you could be in charge of some of our external teams. Those of you who wish to continue involvement with searches and resources for the rest of the men out there in your situation.”

  “I’d rather be boots on the ground,” Lethal answered.

  General Ferriday nodded. “I understand. You’ll answer to Roscoe then, who is in charge of logistics and strategy.”

  “Not hardly. I’m not going to have my missions curtailed by red tape,” Lethal answered, before he walked toward the exit of the building with his squad right behind him.

  “That red tape got your ass rescued,” Roscoe called out.

  “No disrespect. Just had a master for far too long. I know what I need to do, I don’t need orders,” he stopped to say as he reached the door.

  “Lethal, give me a day or two. I’ll get you what you need for your next mission. All we ask is that you keep us apprised of your locations and your plans. We have to be able to run interference if needed, and we don’t want two teams crossing accidentally,” General Ferriday said.