by N A Broadley
“I know you’ve gone through some rough stuff, Sarah. Sometimes it helps to talk about it.”
He saw a shadow of pain cross her eyes.
“It is done and over. It makes no sense to talk about it. Leave it alone, okay?”
Nodding, he glanced up when he heard Spike come stumbling through the darkness, zipping the fly on his jeans.
“Feel better?”
“Hell yeah. I’m ready to ride,” Spike said then laughed.
Chapter Eight
The meeting took place at the town's library, in the conference room. The brothel in the basement of the building would serve its purpose tonight and Bobby specifically planned it this way. Tonight, they would lay plans to attack the compound; then after the meeting, he would allow his men to visit the basement and have a little fun.
The library was the largest area in town and able to comfortably hold a large gathering. Every single man in Bobby’s gang, all hundred and twenty-five of them, showed up. They sat on brown folding chairs, on the carpeted floor, and on top of the hard oak tabletops. He looked out at the crowd of faces and grinned. His force had grown significantly over the past few months. He’d started with just a handful of friends and had built it to this. Clearing his throat, he motioned for Terrence to call the meeting to order. Bobby stood up and moved to the podium. With a roar of confidence, he greeted the crowd.
“Good evening, Alliance members!”
Nods and greetings met him.
“You’re probably wondering why the last-minute meeting, so I’ll get right to the point,” he said, shuffling papers on the podium in front of him.
His hands shook with excitement. His stomach turned queasily. He hated public speaking. Smaller groups were more to his liking. And this group was far beyond small. Clearing his throat and taking a sip of water from the glass in front of him, he looked out at his men.
“Our timeline for taking the compound has been moved up. I don’t know how many of you have heard, but that woman we brought in? The blue-eyed mute woman? Well, she managed to kill six of our men today.” Grumbles and roars erupted from the crowd, and he held up a hand to silence them.
“I know. I don’t know how the bitch managed it. I am assuming she found help and when we find out who? Well, let’s just say that person or persons will pay dearly; but back to the topic at hand. I know this woman is heading back to the compound. Now, who knows what she’s overhead about the Alliance and our plans, but we must assume she will be warning the compound of the Alliance’s coming this way with our fuel. So, we are pushing up our timetable. We cannot let them interfere with our delivery in any way!”
“Damn straight!” a man shouted from the crowd. Bobby looked to see who shouted and smiled when he saw Ray’s snarling grin. Bobby gave him a nod and then continued.
“So, be ready to leave early tomorrow morning. Max will assign twenty-five men to stay behind and guard our interests here. The rest of you, plan to go to battle!”
Grumblings, hoots, and hollers met his ears, and he raised his arm, pumping his fist in the air. His men were more than ready.
“Two last things before I let you hoodlums loose,” he snickered and leered, “first, we have a thief among us, and so, at nine o’clock, we will be taking care of him at the town common. Bring your families, instruct your neighbors they are to all attend. We will be having a hanging, boys!”
The crowd erupted with cheers.
“Lastly, after our meeting finishes up here, you boys are more than welcome to visit the ladies downstairs — my treat. But remember, no rough stuff!” he said then laughed loudly. Chuckles and off-colored comments met his ears and smiling he nodded at his men.
“Meeting over.”
Bobby let himself out the front door amidst the laughter of his men. There were things to do; otherwise, he would join them in the basement for a little late afternoon fun. It was tempting. He pushed himself toward home. The streets were quiet as he walked the short distance; his mind lost in frenzied thoughts. His boots echoed on the tar. The sun hung low on the horizon, setting the mountains in the distance aglow. The hanging, he hadn’t had one in quite some time. It sounded like severe punishment for the man and woman who tried to escape this town, but he needed to set an example. To make the townspeople watch, so they would know what happens when someone crosses him. The man, Jim… Tim… he couldn’t remember his name. He didn’t give a rat’s ass about him, but he hated to lose the girl. Perhaps he needed a different punishment for her?
Smiling, he thought a public whipping would suffice. He could see it in his mind's eye, stripping her from the waist up, tying her to a post and letting Ray dole out the punishment. The sound of the leather strap striking her skin would serve well to work his men into a frenzy. Yes, that should do it nicely. With a skip to his step, he opened the front door to his house and walked back to his office. He shuffled papers on his desk, emptied the overflowing ashtray into the trash can sitting beside the desk and yelled for Amy.
“Amy! Bring me a beer!” When she didn’t respond, he yelled again.
“Girl! You’d better be moving your ugly little ass, pronto!” Still, he got for no response. Curling his lips into a sneer, he stormed out of the room and searched each room for her. He found her in the last place he looked.
“Arrrrgggggg!” he screamed as he saw her sitting in the corner, head tilted forward, hands splayed wide open on her lap like pale starfish dying in the sun. She had two ragged gashes in each wrist. Blood, bright and fresh, pooled on the legs of her jeans staining them crimson. He felt his mind snap and a blind rage take over. He welcomed it as he walked over and yanked her dead body up by her long hair. He felt a roar rip from his throat, and he slung her across the room.
“You bitch! You bitch!”
She landed in a tumbled heap on the cream plush carpet, face turned up, and eyes wide, vacant, and accusing. His bladder let loose, and he felt hot urine leak down his leg. He tossed every bit of furniture in the room, splintering a wooden chair, turning over the double bed they’d shared, smashing the nightstands as the splintering of wood filled his ears. Panting, furious sobs ripped his chest apart and his fury drove him to his knees.
He lost it and somewhere, deep in the recesses of his mind, he knew he had.
“See Bobby, even your whores would rather die than be with you, “his mother's voice whispered.
He placed his hands over his ears and howled like a wounded animal and rocked himself back and forth, willing her voice to go away.
“No! No! You’re wrong!” he sobbed staring at the floor. It was filthy with dust and dirt, dead bugs, empty beer cans, and cigarette butts.
A hard pounding on his front door shook him to his feet, and shaking, he stumbled out of the demolished room and away from Amy’s accusing eyes. Snot clung to his upper lip, and with a shaking hand, he wiped it away. He opened the door to see Ray standing on the front porch.
“What!” he snapped.
“Boss, I think you need to come to see this,” Ray stuttered, his eyes shifting nervously. Bobby groaned.
“What! What do I need to come to see?”
“Boss, well, ummm, Tim and the girl, ummm…”
“Spit it out, man!” Bobby growled.
“Well, I dunno how they got the knife but, they killed themselves.”
Bobby’s fist swung out before he even thought about it. He felt his knuckles crack against Ray’s jaw. The man stumbled backward.
“You left them unguarded, you idiot!” he screamed. He felt his face flush with rage and his gut clench. Pacing like a caged animal, he stopped and stood over Ray who cowered on the ground.
“Why did you leave them unguarded? Of all the stupid, idiotic things for you to do!”
“I’m sorry boss. I didn’t think! I’m sorry!” he stuttered. He looked up into Bobby’s wild eyes. He’d screwed up.
“Well, we are having a hanging tonight, so you’d better find me someone to hang!” Bobby snarled then he turned and stor
med back into the house, slamming the door behind him.
“It's falling apart, Bobby. It’s all burning down,” his father crooned softly and then cawed with laughter.
Bobby drove his fist into the wall and stumbled over to his desk. He pulled a baggie of cocaine from the top drawer and snorted up a line. A burning and buzzing sensation filled his mind as the drug worked its magic.
Chapter Nine
Ray stumbled down the street, muttering to himself. He wrung his hands nervously. He moved to the sidewalk and kicked a chunk of broken cement from his path. The town was falling apart, and Bobby had lost his mind. His train had finally run off the rails. It worried him. There were too many people counting on him for him to go and jump off the deep end now. The Alliance wouldn’t be happy about his behavior. And where in the hell did Bobby think he’d be able to find a body for hanging tonight? A woman would be easy enough to get; he’d grab one of the whores from the brothel but a man? What man deserved to die for nothing? There were no traitors among Bobby’s gang. They were all loyal to him. He’d have to grab one of the town’s people. Perhaps the storekeeper over on Ridge Street? Shaking his head, he grimaced.
What a nasty piece of work this turned out to be. He would gladly participate in the hanging of a criminal and a traitor, but to hang an innocent man? It turned his stomach, and he swallowed hard, tasting the saltiness of his blood. He brought his hand up and wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth and winced. Pouting, he muttered under his breath. Bobby shouldn’t have sucker-punched him. That was just wrong.
With a determined tightening to his lips, he made his way to the library. He’d at least cover one problem first. He’d grab the first woman he saw for tonight's little show. But what he didn’t know, was that his second solution waited there for him too.
Entering the library, he made his way down through the gloom of the steep stairs to the basement. A musty, putrid smell assaulted his nostrils, and he gagged. These were deplorable conditions, even for an animal. Cells, made from rebar, lined each side of the room. Each cell housed five to seven women. The men were still there, still enjoying the playtime Bobby gave them. Whimpers, cries, and husky laughter echoed through the dank room. Ignoring it, he walked over to the first cell and grabbed a redhead by her hair, dragging her out. She struggled against him, and he backhanded her.
“Don’t!” he threatened, his eyes narrowing.
“Hey, Ray? What’cha doing, man?” Jared yelled from one of the cells. He was happily wrapped up in some woman’s arms.
“Mind your own!” Ray barked. His eyes scanned the room. He spied a puddle of blood on the floor outside of the third cell in the row and walked toward it. A blonde of about twenty-five, lay sprawled naked across a dirty mattress on the floor, her mouth wide open in a silent scream and her eyes staring vacantly at the ceiling. A leather belt looped around her neck and blood trickled from her mouth. Her head lay at a funny angle. Johnny sat on the floor beside her with his head cradled in his hands, his fingers splayed through his greasy hair.
“What did you do?” Ray roared. He took in the grisly scene in front of him.
Johnny raised his eyes to Ray’s and shrugged.
“I didn’t mean to man. I didn’t mean to kill her,” he moaned. “She just wouldn’t stop screaming.”
Ray smiled bitterly. He’d just found his hanging victim.
∞
Bobby moved slowly, cleaning up the mess in the bedroom. Depression clouded his mind, leaving him feeling sluggish, and his shoulders slumped in defeat. What in the hell was going on? Why was his game so off these past few days? He had so much going for him; his business was thriving, his manpower tripled and grew significantly. The gangs of the Alliance were finally coming together, and the whole of the North East sat there for the taking. So why did everything feel so wrong? A puddle of blood on the floor sparkled garishly as a ray of sunshine from the window cast a glow on it.
A growl formed in the back of his throat. It wasn’t! He was just tired. He just needed a moment’s peace to regroup. Once they took over the compound, then he’d be able to rest and bask in the glow of victory.
“But boy, you will fail. You are a loser, always have been,” his mother's voice whispered.
“You’re dead, nothing you say matters anymore,” he snapped.
The bonfire lit up the darkness. A crowd, loud and boisterous, gathered in the town park. People crowded the grassy areas, sitting on a mixture of lawn chairs and blankets. The night held a celebratory feel to it and the many voices combined, making a dull roar, while the beer flowed freely. Stars glittered in the black sky, and a breeze cooled sweaty skin as people milled about. Henry stood beside Bobby in the center of the gazebo. Cathy stood front row in the audience; her eyes shining with pride, and her hands clasped in prayer against her chest. She wore a pretty pink sweater and had her hair braided into a coil on the top of her head.
“People! We are gathered here tonight,” Henry said, his voice booming and bringing silence to the audience. The boys had cleared the park of picnic tables and in the center of the horseshoe pit stood a pole with a woman bound to it, naked from the waist up, her bare back exposed. Left of the horseshoe pit stood a tall maple tree, its limbs thick, and its branches just greening up with spring buds.
“Because we have a thief in our midst! This man,” he yelled pointing to Johnny, who lay hogtied on the floor in front of him, “dared take from all of us. A thief who wanted to have for himself, denying all others! This is a sin of the greatest proportion in these times when everyone must work together for the common good of all! He has been found guilty, along with his whore, and they shall suffer the punishments earned tonight,” he continued. A roar rose from the crowd as his voice boomed righteousness.
“A man who shall gather for only himself is immoral! A sinner of gluttony and greed! God sent this great plague to wipe out the heathens, the sinners, the whores, and the wicked. But HE needs our help in raising a righteous community. HE needs our devotion to do HIS work no matter how distasteful it might be. HE asks of us only obedience. We are blessed, my brothers and sisters, blessed that our God spared us the plague that took so many in the early days. His judgment upon us is one of love and compassion. And we cannot fail in our duties to carry out his punishments for those who sin against HIM.”
Bobby stood behind Henry and smiled. It was going beautifully. The man pumped up the crowd to an almost frenzied fever. He gazed out over the faces and saw the growing bloodlust. Yes, this was going perfectly.
“For the whore, she shall receive thirty lashes for that is what the Lord commands of me. For the gentleman, he will receive death by hanging.”
The crowd exploded with cheers and fist pumps. Henry smiled widely, and behind him, Bobby grinned and laughed while rubbing his hands together in excitement.
Part Two – The Reckoning
Chapter Ten
Beth awoke from the thick haze of sleep, to the sounds of hurried footsteps and hushed voices. It took her eyes a moment to focus, and she slowly inched her legs off the bed. Her hip protested by sending a jolt of nauseating pain up through her back. Something was going on. Something was wrong. She could tell by the hushed voices outside of her closed door and the rattle of medical equipment as it clanked onto a table with an ear jarring clang Sucking in a deep breath, she grabbed for her crutches and struggled onto her feet. Her hospital gown blew open in the back with the movement, and she fought with the ties to cover herself as a chill moved over her skin.
Careful not to put any weight on the injured hip, she hobbled on her crutches to the door and swung it open with a grunt. The bare tiles of the floor were cold on her feet. Jill, seeing her, rushed over to her side and Beth could tell, by the expression on the nurse’s face, that it pissed her off that she got up and came out of her room.
“No, you need to go back to your bed right now.”
Beth grimaced, ignoring her order. “What’s happening?”
Jill rol
led her eyes and threw up her hands in frustration.
“They’re back. Brian and Spike are back, and they have Sarah. She’s injured though. Let me help you back to your bed. I’ll let you know how she is the moment I examine her,” she said. “I promise, Beth. As soon as I know anything, I will come and tell you.”
Beth spied a chair in the corner of the exam room and shook her head. Stubbornly, she pointed to the chair. “No, help me to that chair. I’ll stay outta the way, I promise.”
Jill knew this was an argument she wouldn’t win; she guided Beth to the chair with a frustrated sigh.
“Doc is on his way. I’ll be right back. Don’t you dare move, you hear me? I swear you’re one stubborn woman.”
Beth nodded. Anxiety pulsed through her, and she absently chewed on her fingernail. They were back with Sarah. Tears stung her eyes, and she brushed them away.
The room smelled of bleach. Weak, early morning light filtered through the window and Beth could see the rising sun in the distance. Where were they? Why did it take them so long to carry Sarah in? Impatiently, she drummed her fingers on the arm of the chair, fighting the temptation to get up and hobble her way outside. Before she could give in to that temptation, Brian came rushing into the room with an unconscious Sarah in his arms, Jessie padded in right behind him, her nails clicking on the tiled floor. Seeing Beth, she went over and sat beside her. Beth curled her fingers in the dog's hair then stroked her head. Brian glanced at her quickly, nodded, then laid Sarah on the examination table. Beth could see the blood staining the front of Sarah’s shirt and her breath caught in the back of her throat.