Alex had little idea how much time passed. She had worked on stretching her legs, but found it was near impossible in the position she was stuck in. She tried to track time by counting in her head, but she had lost count of the number of minutes. The van had stopped once, letting men off to relieve themselves. She was yanked from her spot and taken behind a tree. The hood didn't leave her head, but she was told it was her only chance to empty her bladder. Humiliated, but unable to change her bodily functions, she crouched against the tree and did her business.
When she was outside of the van, she could tell that the sun was much lower in the sky. Even with the hood on, she was able to tell when it was brighter, and she knew the sun didn't directly shine on her. She thought of Marcus and the panic he was probably going through. She wondered if he had made it back to the compound yet, or if he was still looking for her? She didn't want to imagine her siblings’ reaction to her kidnapping. Max would blame Marcus and Rafe would be a peacekeeper. Alex hoped Max didn't try to kick Marcus up one side and down the other for allowing Alex to be taken. She wouldn't believe it wasn't his fault.
After she was shoved back into the van, they drove a short distance before stopping again. The vehicle passed over rougher terrain, telling Alex they were leaving the road. The men talked about making camp and referred to a cabin they had used before. Alex wasn't sure what direction they went, so she couldn't even guess where the cabin was located. The van came to a sudden halt, and the men began to exit. There was momentary arguing as it was decided who would guard Alex in the van. Using the vehicle as a prison cell was their idea of a good set up. Alex was just glad she would be alone and not inside the cabin at the mercy of her kidnappers.
Alex shifted on the hard van floor. They had removed her handcuffs and hood after they decided she couldn't determine where they were. Once they left her alone, she searched the boxes in the van. She remembered one of them had blankets in them. Using one as a pillow, Alex tried to get comfortable. The blanket was rough against her cheek, but she knew it was better than the cold metal of the van floor. Her first instinct was to escape. However, when she tried to investigate what was happening outside of the van, she quickly realized they had set up camp directly around the vehicle, while one man stood watch.
Her body was exhausted. Though, her mind couldn't seem to shut off as horrible ideas and images continued to flip behind her eyelids. She laid there, breathing deep, hoping to calm herself enough to get some sleep. Alex knew if she didn't rest, she would be no match for the Noble Lord. From the talk she had heard between the men, they would arrive at his compound the next morning. Alex needed to be rested, alert, and prepared to handle whatever was thrown at her when they arrived wherever they were headed. And she needed to be on the lookout for an escape. With ideas of escaping or kicking Lewis's ass one more time in her head, exhaustion finally took control and Alex fell into a dreamless sleep.
Alex didn't sleep deeply, so as soon as a van door was opened her eyes popped open. One of the men she couldn't name began to crab walk to her position, but when she sat up suddenly, he fell backwards. Fear crossed his features and Alex just stared at him, waiting for him to decide on his next move.
"It's morning," the man stuttered out.
"Ok."
"Uh, I'm supposed to take you to pee," the man said. He then pulled a gun awkwardly from his waistband, as if he hadn't handled it often.
Alex climbed out of the truck ahead of the man, who now pointed the gun at her back. She didn't make any sudden moves; afraid his finger would tighten on the trigger accidentally. He gave instructions on where to walk and then told her to stop behind a large tree. He stood watching her while Alex just stared back.
"Privacy?" Alex finally asked.
"Can't have you running off," the man replied.
"You get off on watching women pee?" Alex said.
"What? No! I...I...I'm doing my job," the man finally explained.
"Well if I make you so nervous, maybe you should just let me go," Alex suggested in her nicest voice. She even pasted a smile on her face, though she could feel it would fail at putting the man at ease.
"Lewis is taking you to the Noble Lord. You will get us supplies. I can't let you go," the man replied.
Alex tilted her head as she studied him. His voice was almost apologetic. She had to guess it was just about the drugs for this one. He didn't enjoy hurting people. The weak needed someone to protect them, and this man would fall right in line with anyone that would show him the way. Alex turned her back on him and unbuttoned her pants. She used the tree to partially hide as she relieved herself. In the quiet, she wondered if she could use the man's weakness to her benefit.
"What's your name?" Alex asked, standing up and fastening her pants before turning around.
"Thomas," the man replied with no hesitation.
"Thomas. I'm Alex. What're you doing with a gang like this?"
"Gang? We're no gang. We're just trying to survive," Thomas argued.
"You kidnap people. You take supplies. You claim to protect the Noble Lord's area. If that's not a gang, I'm not sure what is," Alex said. She pretended to stretch, hoping to keep Thomas in the trees a little longer.
"We...we...do what we're told," Thomas said, his voice small.
"And the Noble Lord is the one giving the orders?"
Thomas didn't speak, just nodded his head vigorously. He then looked over both of his shoulders, as if to make sure no one was listening.
"And he has the drugs you need?" Alex said. She was done pulling punches. She needed to figure out if Thomas was the weak link she was looking for.
Thomas just stared at her; his eyes wide at her statement. Alex wanted to sigh, wondering how none of them thought she could tell there were some real signs of withdrawal in the group. She guessed none of them knew what they looked like anymore. Surviving from day to day with the supplies they wanted to have was all that mattered to them. As Alex stared at Thomas, she saw his face change. A sneer came to his lips and Alex realized she may have said the wrong thing.
"You have a problem with drugs, bitch? That's none of your business. Now shut your mouth and get back to the van," Thomas said, his voice taking on a stronger tone. His hand seemed to tighten on the gun, and he raised his aim at Alex again. She held up her hands in a surrender motions, palms out to not threaten the trigger-happy man.
"I didn't say I had any issues, Thomas. Calm down with the gun a bit, why don't you?" Alex said.
"You need to shut your mouth. All you're good for is being one of the Noble Lord's whores. That's what Lewis says. So, you need to shut your dirty mouth and get to the van."
Alex decided she couldn't push Thomas any further. She replayed their conversation in her mind as she trudged back to the vehicle. As soon as she’d mentioned the drugs, Thomas turned nasty on her. He seemed to immediately assume she was judging him. Internally she may have been, but her question was an innocent digging into who he was. She wanted to determine if he was hooked on whatever poison the Noble Lord was peddling. The more information she had, the easier to get inside the man's head.
Back at the van, most of their camp was cleared, and the men were loading what supplies they had taken out back into the vehicle. When Alex arrived, she was roughly handcuffed and shoved in as if she was just another supply. There wasn't much chatter in the group now. Alex felt tension fill the van, and she guessed it was because they would arrive to see the Noble Lord soon. These men seemed to obey and serve him not only out of necessity, but out of fear.
The atmosphere was somber as the van came into a small town. It would be something described as a one-horse town in the days when there were people living in it. Now it was a skeleton of itself. Alex could only see a small view through the windshield. She saw burned cars and what used to be homes. Bodies littered the road; some were unrecognizable as the tires of vehicles ran them over time and time again. The van bumped over them and Alex felt sick. A part of her wondered if those were infecte
d that had been killed, or people who may have stood in the way of the Noble Lord.
The van wound its way into what Alex assumed was the downtown of the little nowhere town. The van pulled into a makeshift parking spot that had been sprayed onto the street. Alex was yanked from the van as the men exited. Looming in front of them was a large, older white building. The sign from before the apocalypse labeled it a civic center. Old posters advertising for plays known on Broadway and local concerts hung in tatters along one outside wall. Now, a large sign hung from the large windows that seemed to be on a second floor. The sign was made from sheets sewn together. It flapped silently in the breeze. The words smeared across it could only be dried blood. A shiver passed through Alex as she read, "The land of the Noble Lord. Welcome to the Dead Brothel."
Chapter Ten
"What do you mean, you lost her?" Max's voice was loud and shrill. Marcus had enough guilt to grimace as Max yelled at him.
"Max, the children," Margaret said quietly.
When Marcus arrived at the compound, in the truck he and Alex had hidden, he immediately requested a family meeting. Those meetings were usually called by Alex and reserved for reviewing duties and plans. Today was a different situation. Rafe and Max had met Marcus at the gate. Both were armed, as he drove up in an unknown vehicle. Once they saw his face, both relaxed, but Marcus didn't want to explain anything while Max had a weapon nearby. Requesting the family meeting was the only way he could guarantee the fiery woman didn't kill him.
"The children are going to know something is going on when their mother doesn't come home," Max hissed through gritted teeth.
"I'm going to go get her," Marcus interrupted.
"Go get her? So, you know where she is? Who has her?" Rafe said, shooting questions in rapid-fire.
"I met this family. I spoke with them yesterday. They know who took Alex. The uncle and son of the woman that took me in are going to help us get her back. They also have a family member that is missing," Marcus explained.
Claudia Vega had insisted he stay the night as dusk started to break during their conversations. Albert and Mateo gave all the details they knew about the men that took the women from town. They described a ruthless leader who used women in his brothel to his whim. Marcus was afraid to give the Duncan siblings those details, afraid Max would fly completely off the handle. Going in half-cocked wasn't going to rescue Alex. After putting together everything the Vega men had shared, Marcus knew they would need a plan. And as many fighting adults as they could take.
"These people that took Alex, what do they want?" Margaret asked.
"They work for a man, he calls himself Noble Lord," Marcus started.
He explained how Alex and he got separated. When he mentioned how he took off to draw the attention of the horde, Max's eyes narrowed as she began to shake her head. Marcus knew without her saying it that he had put Alex in danger with that move. He couldn't have known at the time that the men were kidnappers. As Marcus finished his description of the Noble Lord and how he believed he owned all the supplies in town, everyone sat silent.
"That doesn't explain why they would take Alex," Rafe finally said.
Marcus cleared his throat. His mind raced thinking of ways to avoid the inevitable truth. But whether they found out now from him, or later from the Vegas, or when they found Alex, they would know she was being sold for her body.
"There's a place that the Noble Lord runs. The kidnapped women are taken there. And used. It's a brothel," Marcus said in a rush.
The silence was thick, shattered only by Max jumping up so fast her chair flipped backward to the ground. She rounded the table at Marcus, who stood up and tried to back away. He was cornered and Max's eyes were ablaze with fury. Max's blow was expected, but it still stung like hell. Marcus knew he would have a red palm print where her hand made contact with his face. She was gearing up to hit him again, with a closed fist this time, when Griffin came up behind her and picked her up off her feet in a bear hug.
"That's enough of that," Griffin said to her.
He carried her back to her seat and physically sat her in it. She made one attempt to move again but Griffin had his hand on her leg, pinning her to her spot. When she looked at him, the fierceness in his face deflated her need for vengeance just slightly. Instead, Max turned to the table and slammed her palm down with a sharp crack.
"You let our sister be taken by men that will sell her body?"
It was Rafe's cold voice that asked the question. Marcus tore his eyes from Max, where he had been preparing to avoid another attack. Rafe's face was red and dark. Charlie sat next to him, one hand gripping Rafe's hand so tightly both of their knuckles were white. Her other hand covered her mouth, and she had gone completely pale. The absolute opposite of her chosen love. Rafe's fury was a surprise, as Marcus had never seen him angry before. The man was always even and calm, nothing ruffled his feathers. Now, there was a damaging storm right under the surface, waiting to explode.
Marcus heard a growl and his dropped his eyes to the white and silver dog sitting at Rafe's feet. Storm clearly knew his master was angry and in turn that meant the dog wanted to bite something. Marcus had seen the dog take a number of instructions from Rafe when in the middle of a fight. And those instructions weren't always vocal. The dog seemed to always know what needed to happen. And at that moment he was sure Marcus was the enemy.
Marcus swallowed audibly and looked back up at Rafe. The normally calm man stared at him for a moment. Marcus worried that Rafe was going to snap and sic his dog on him. Instead, Charlie clicked her tongue at Storm and the dog moved to sit next to her. He rested his muzzle on her leg and she buried her free hand into his thick coat. Though it seemed the dog was controlled, his mismatched eyes never left Marcus.
"I didn't know who they were," Marcus said quietly. He sat down dejectedly at the table again.
"Of course, you didn't," Margaret said, defending Marcus as only the den mother of the group could. Hell, Marcus blamed himself just as the Duncans did. He didn't deserve Margaret's help.
"Do you have a real plan, Marcus?" The older woman asked.
"Part of one. But it will take as many of us that can be spared. According to the Vegas, there are numerous men that work for the Noble Lord and frequent this...this place..." Marcus finished lamely.
"Everyone will go except Margaret and Issac who will stay for the kids. We'll leave Easton for additional protection," Rafe said immediately.
"Wait, no!" Easton started to exclaim. Though he was only sixteen years old, he held many responsibilities of an adult. He always had a seat at family meetings.
"Boy, I will not argue with you on this. Alex would never forgive me for allowing you anywhere near this. Plus, Margaret may need help," Rafe said. His tone left no room for argument or compromise.
The boy flopped back in his chair, as only a teenager could. Marcus could sympathize with him. Alex was a surrogate mother to Easton. They had grown very close over the last few months, bonding over loss and her lessons to him in survival. Having her in danger would make Easton crazy with fear and worry. Marcus felt the same deep in his gut.
"I'd rather take Easton and leave Marcus here," Max practically shouted. That got Marcus's attention.
"What? That's ridiculous, Max. I'm as good a shot as most of you. And I want to get Alex back just as badly," he said.
"Really? Or do you not care because all she is to you is the woman that wouldn't give you the time of day? I've seen the way you look at her," Max countered.
Marcus could feel his face flame. It was the truth. He did originally have a strong attraction to Alex. And maybe those feelings were still there in some ways, but she was very clear that she was still mourning her dead husband. Marcus had never crossed that line once it was drawn. After that, they became good friends. They shared a bond over the children, which Marcus enjoyed being with. They made him laugh, reminding him that life was more than zombies and surviving. It was about living too. Alex's children, Ma
x's daughter, Aiden, the teens, were all the proof that the human race would survive beyond them. He and Alex saw eye to eye on that.
"Max," Margaret started, her tone warning.
"What? It's true isn't it?" Max argued.
"It is true," Marcus replied. He took a deep breath, calming the butterflies in his stomach. "Yes, you are right. I've always been attracted to Alex."
A snort sounded and Marcus turned to look at Easton. He rolled his eyes. The boy had always known how Marcus felt and initially hated him for it.
"Ok, so everyone knew," Marcus said.
"I didn't," Cliff said with a quiet voice.
"Thanks, Cliff. That attraction doesn't matter. I have never made any advances on Alex. She is still mourning Blake. I know that. We are friends, good friends. And I care about her as much as anyone," he finished.
"Of course, you do. Max is just speaking out of anger and that's not going to solve any problems right now. We are all upset that Alex has been taken. And we need to work together to get her back safely. The smart thing to do is take every able-bodied adult that isn't protecting this compound and the kids," Margaret said.
"So, this family you met is going to join us?" Rafe asked.
"Yes. I told them we would pick them up in town. They’ll give us the directions we need to get to the brothel where we’re assuming Alex is."
After a long silence and small talk, everyone agreed they would prepare and be ready to leave at first light. Rafe stormed outside with Charlie close on his heels. Max sat, stoic at the table as if she wasn't sure which direction to go first. After a whispered conversation with Griffin, the two of them stood and went toward their bedroom. After a few minutes, Marcus was left alone at the table. He felt like the entire world was sitting on his shoulders. His stomach churned, and he realized he was going to throw up. Jumping up he ran for the door, making it just to the corner of the house before his stomach emptied itself. The burn of the bile in his throat felt like a punishment he deserved. He could feel tears prick his eyes when he thought about what could be happening to Alex.
Sundown Series (Book 4): Torment Page 12