Military Men

by Shelley Munro

  Fuck. Not good. He was one man and lacked weapons, apart from his brain. Jake shoveled mashed potatoes into his mouth, swallowing automatically while he tried to shape a way out for the residents of Children of Nature. They were innocent and didn’t deserve the hell that’d just descended on them.

  * * * * *

  Jake hadn’t visited last night. Sorrel pushed herself out of bed, worried because he hadn’t arrived as he’d promised. She hurried through her shower, dressed in a new black miniskirt and a black-and-white top.

  “Have you seen Jake?” she asked Janaya as she entered the kitchen. The scent of coffee filled the air, and she helped herself to a cup. “Do you want me to pour one for you?”

  “Please,” Janaya said. “There’s been a development.”

  The tight note in Janaya’s voice made Sorrel’s stomach buck in alarm. “What sort of development?”

  “Ten gang members turned up there last night.”

  “A gang? At the compound? Why? Children of Nature—stars, we, I mean they, don’t have anything to do with gangs.”

  “Luke and Jake think Brother Rick has gang connections. They’re there because of him.”

  “Are the brothers and sisters in danger? Can Luke do something to help them?”

  Janaya shook her head. “The tests came back on the pills yesterday. They’re party pills, but they’re free of the banned substances. Luke can’t do anything unless the law is broken.”

  “But Jake is still at the compound?”

  Janaya nodded. “Do you want scrambled eggs?”

  “I…no, thank you. I don’t think I could eat right now. I can’t believe Brother Rick would do this. It’s inviting the devil to dine. Do you know if Jake has had a chance to search the office yet?”

  “He told Luke the office has been occupied. They’re using it most of the day, and he hasn’t had access yet.”

  “I should march up there and demand my property back.”

  Janaya caught her arm as she paced past. “No. Please tell me you won’t go anywhere near the compound. It’s dangerous.” She frowned. “Luke told me not to tell you, but Jake heard Brother Rick offer to get the gang visitors alcohol and women. That’s a recipe for disaster, and I’d hate you to get caught in the middle.”

  “But the young girls at the compound…” Sorrel gripped the edge of the counter. “He wouldn’t. Please tell me…” She stared at Janaya. Every scrap of knowledge she possessed regarding Rick told her he’d dare anything, if it meant saving his own skin. “He would. Stars, Luke has to help.”

  “Luke can’t do anything yet. Jake’s there, and he’s the best weapon the cops have to keep control over the situation. Luke’s working on identifying the gang members. If they have records, he’ll have a reason to enter the compound.”

  Sorrel nodded, the coffee she’d sipped swirling uneasily in her belly. She swallowed, setting down her mug.

  “What are you doing today?” Janaya asked.

  “Alice has discovered another building for lease that’s right in the center of the town. She thinks it might be better because of the pedestrian traffic and it’s available right now. I’m going to view it with her this morning.” She glanced at the new watch she wore on her left wrist.

  “Where are you meeting Alice? I can drop you off when I take Luke his breakfast.”

  “Thanks, we’re meeting at Fancy Free. I’ll go and grab my stuff.”

  After Janaya dropped her off, Sorrel couldn’t stop thinking about the compound. Her new cell phone buzzed and Sorrel answered.

  “It’s Alice. I’m running late. Mr. Montgomery is attending a breakfast meeting at the cafe. Grab the key from him and go and look at the building. I’ll be at Fancy Free this afternoon. Let me know what you think of it and if we should take a lease on this one or wait until the end of the month to take over the one nearer to Fancy Free.”

  Despite her distraction, Sorrel felt a surge of pride because Alice trusted her to undertake the task. “Okay. I’ll see you this afternoon.” Sorrel hung up and set off for the cafe.

  She collected the key from Mr. Montgomery, and after grabbing a takeout coffee, she wandered across the street to the vacant building. She walked around the back and unlocked the door. Her boots echoed on the wooden floor as she entered the empty building.

  The front of the shop, which overlooked the main street, was beautiful with two large windows perfect for displays. A gorgeous stained glass window above the door reflected a rainbow of colors over the plain white walls. She retraced her steps, pausing to sip her coffee.

  This was perfect, and they could move right in without worrying about redecorating. Out the back, there was plenty of storage room for stock. She set her coffee on a counter and pulled a notebook out of her handbag to scribble notes. She’d seen enough, could imagine the stock displays. With the airy spaciousness, this was much better for their purposes. She tucked the notebook away and picked up her coffee.

  An out-of-place creak brought a frown. Was that a footstep? She stilled, gazing in the direction of the sound.

  “Alice?”

  When no one replied, she chalked it up to imagination. Humming under her breath, she headed for the rear door.

  Rough hands grabbed her from behind. Her coffee went flying, landing with a liquid splat against the wall.

  “What—”

  A cloth was pressed over her nose before she could protest further, the acrid fumes making her eyes water. She gasped in a breath, her mind growing hazy, and that was the last thing she remembered.

  * * * * *

  “Got her.” Felix dragged Sorrel’s sagging body to the truck and thrust her into the rear. He checked she was still unconscious and slammed the door shut before joining Rick in the front.

  “Good job.” Rick grinned, dizzy with relief. They’d done it. Now that she was under their control, he’d get her to sign over the money. He could replay his debt to the Rebel Brothers and then the sky was the limit.

  He nosed his truck from behind the vacant shop and headed for the compound.

  * * * * *

  “Have you seen Sorrel?” Alice asked.

  “Not since this morning,” her office assistant replied. “She always pops her head around the corner and says good morning. Such a nice girl.”

  “She is. We’re lucky she’s willing to join us. I’ve checked the labs and the factory floor. No one has seen her since this morning.”

  Alice checked her electronic diary and picked up the phone. “Mr. Montgomery, did Sorrel pick up the key from you this morning? She did. Did she return the key? Okay. Thanks.” She hung up the phone. “She didn’t return the key.”

  “Have you checked the vacant shop? Maybe she’s fallen and hurt herself.”

  “I’ll go and check now.”

  Five minutes later, Alice parked behind the shop. From the driver’s seat, she could see the rear door was ajar. She picked up her phone and rang the police station.

  “Stay in your car,” Richard said, after she explained her fears. “Lock the doors and wait until I get there.”

  Richard arrived promptly. The police car pulled up beside her, and Alice exited her vehicle.

  “Wait—”

  “I’m not waiting here,” Alice broke in. “I want to know what’s going on. I don’t know Sorrel well, but it isn’t like her to disappear. She spends the afternoons in the lab.”

  “Keep behind me,” Richard said. “Don’t touch anything.”

  He pushed the door open. A black handbag lay on the floor. Farther inside a cardboard coffee cup sat upside down, its former contents splattered over the wall. The black plastic lid had rolled across the floor and settled across the room.

  “Sorrel? Sorrel!”

  The two of them searched the shop. Sorrel wasn’t there.

  * * * * *

  After a night of alcohol and debauchery, the gang members were still asleep. Jake kept an eye on the situation without getting too close to attract attention. Brother Rick and Bro
ther Felix had left the compound earlier.

  Jake worked in the garden near the office, frustrated because Brother John and Brother Tyrone were still laboring over ledgers in there. He had no idea what the hell they were doing. They scarcely left the place and on the rare occasions they did, the door was locked. He hadn’t been game to break in because their absences were half an hour at most. Not enough time for him to enter and do a search without getting caught.

  The sound of a vehicle dragged his attention to the gates. They swung open and Brother Rick drove the truck onto the compound.

  Instead of parking in the normal place, Brother Rick drove to his quarters. Both he and Brother Felix exited. They opened the rear door and pulled out something.

  Jake squinted then stiffened.

  That wasn’t an object. That was a person.

  He sauntered through the garden to the far boundary, catching a glimpse of blonde hair. It was enough to make the back of his neck prickle.

  Brother Rick and Brother Felix entered Brother Rick’s quarters, closing the door after them.

  Jake frowned, checked over his shoulder and found one of the elderly brothers watching him. Cursing under his breath, Jake limped back to the row he was responsible for weeding. His hands worked automatically while he kept an eye on Brother Rick’s quarters.

  “Watch out,” the elderly brother warned, an edge to his brittle tone. “You’re pulling out seedlings. I thought you knew what you were doing.”

  “Sorry.” Damn, he was going to blow this and lose the perfect vantage point to spy on Brother Rick.

  “Use more care.”

  “I will.”

  The man grumbled under his breath as he ambled along the row of radishes.

  Jake went back to his weeding, taking more care. He finished, noting neither of the brothers had emerged from the quarters.

  At least he knew Sorrel was safe. It couldn’t be her, so who the hell was in there with them. Kidnapping? It seemed unlikely, yet he couldn’t rid himself of his disquiet.

  The lunch bell rang, calling everyone to dine. The brother supervising him set down his tools and lumbered off. “You coming?” he asked over his shoulder.

  “I’ll finish this row. There’ll be a queue anyway.”

  The elderly man nodded and continued his rush toward the dining hall. Jake moved a row closer to Brother Rick’s quarters and scanned the compound. He approached cautiously, freezing when the door to Brother Rick’s quarter flew open.

  “I shouldn’t have given her so much of the drug,” Brother Felix said. “What if she doesn’t come around?”

  “Then we’ll be guilty of murder as well as kidnapping,” Brother Rick snapped. “I’m sure she’ll regain consciousness soon. Go and have some lunch. We need to keep an eye on our visitors. Bring me back something to eat.”

  Brother Felix’s unhappiness didn’t clear from his expression. After swiping a hand over his bald head, he gave a curt nod and stomped away. Brother Rick re-entered his quarters, shutting the door after him.

  Jake considered his options and decided to take the opportunity to call Luke before attempting to peek through the windows. He had Brother Rick’s confession of kidnapping already. Surely that was enough for Luke to investigate.

  He retreated to a private area where he could see anyone coming before they saw him. After a final scan of the vicinity, he pulled his phone from his pocket and hit speed dial. “Luke, it’s Jake. Something’s up here. I overheard Brother Rick discussing a kidnapping. I saw them haul someone from their truck.”

  “Hell. Sorrel’s missing. She went to look at a vacant building on the main street. Dad and Alice found her handbag on the floor and the remains of her coffee splattered over the wall and floor.”

  Fury tore through him. “Bastard.”

  “Jake.” Luke’s voice was urgent in his ear. “Don’t do anything rash. We need to make the charges stick. Are the Rebel Brothers still there?”

  “Yeah.” God, this was history repeating itself. What if he was too late to help Sorrel? He’d failed Greg.

  “Seen anything that might give us reason to arrest them too?” Luke jerked him from his sudden fear.

  Focus, dummy. “Caught a whiff of drugs last night. They took their choice of the women and hauled them off to bed for the evening. The women seemed willing enough.”

  “All right. Sit tight until we get there.”

  “How long?” Jake wasn’t fuckin’ leaving Sorrel alone with Rick. No telling what the sick fuck would do to her.

  “An hour to arrange for extra cops from Papakura. I don’t want to botch this.”

  “Too long.”

  “Jake.”

  Jake dealt with Luke by ending the call. His first instinct was to turn the thing off so Luke couldn’t contact him, but he knew he’d need the cops. He shoved the phone into his pocket, taking extra seconds to make sure it wouldn’t bounce out if he needed to move fast. After a quick scan of the compound, he ran across the open ground and slipped into the shadows cast by Brother Rick’s quarters. At a window, he paused to listen. Not a sound came from within.

  He rose on tiptoe to peek through the window. Brother Rick was still inside, pacing the open spaces, in ceaseless movement. Jake’s gaze went to the bed. Sorrel lay there, silent and still. The warrior in him snarled, ready for action, and at his side, Greg shimmered in to sight, his ghostly figure tense and battle ready.

  * * * * *

  Sorrel lay still, keeping her eyes closed. Anger pulsed through her, enticing her to jump to her feet and thump Brother Rick over the head. She reined in the impulse, needing a plan first.

  The footsteps came close again. “Why aren’t you waking up?”

  She could feel his fixed stare, his strange agitation. It was like a writhing beast filling the room with its tentacles, stroking along her arms and bare legs and leaving a slithery trail of goose bumps. Her mind was full of questions, and one reasonable answer presented itself.

  Brother Rick loathed her. He’d taken pleasure in expelling her from the compound, yet maybe the rest of Children of Nature members had censored him for his actions. It was the only thing that made sense.

  “Wake up, damn it.” He grasped her shoulder and shook violently.

  Enough! Sorrel bolted upright, flailing with her right arm and aiming for his face.

  He let out a roar when she walloped his nose. “Sister Bitter.”

  Sorrel rolled away and bounded off the bed, her eyes trained on him. She calculated the distance to the door and knew she wouldn’t make it. He was too close, and her head was swimming from whatever drug they’d used to subdue her.

  “Dammit, Bitter, you’ve made my nose bleed.”

  Her brows squeezed together. “My name is Sorrel.”

  “What are you wearing? It’s indecent.”

  “Not your problem.” She reached for the wall to hold her steady. “Why have you brought me here?”

  “Come and sit down. Help me stop my nose from bleeding.”

  She snorted. “What did your last slave die of? Oh, wait. You shunned them.”

  “Watch your mouth.” His face hardened. “You have something that belongs to me.” He went to a drawer and pulled out a pristine white handkerchief. The moment he pressed it to his nose, the fabric turned blood-red.

  As Brother Rick paced away from her, his words registered. Her brow knit. What the heck did he mean?

  She watched him pace back and forth, back and forth, his head held at an awkward angle to stem the nosebleed. She edged to the closed door. No matter what nonsense he was spouting, she intended to leave. Her first steps were wobbly.

  Brother Rick swiveled toward her, freezing her on the spot. “You’re going to sign the money over to me.”

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “You’re the signatory on the trust.”

  She stared at him. “What trust?”

  “Don’t play dumb.” Brother Rick tossed the bloody handkerchief aside and
advanced on her.

  Sorrel’s first instinct was to back up. She forced herself to stand her ground. “Give me details.”

  He cocked his head to the side. “You’ve changed.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Not for the better.”

  “I need details. You might jog my memory.” Humor struck her at his pronouncement. Brother Rick was a bully and belittled anyone who attempted to stand up to him. He hadn’t seen anything yet.

  “Brother Samuel and your mother concocted a plan to keep the bulk of Children of Nature’s money in a trust for lean times. I didn’t know about the account until last week when a bank statement arrived. For some reason there was no paperwork in the office.”

  Sorrel eyed the door. “What’s that got to do with me?”

  “You’re the signatory on the account.”

  Sorrel laughed. She couldn’t help herself. She had no idea how—no wait. She’d witnessed Brother Samuel signing several papers. Was it possible? She frowned, trying to remember. Her mother had rushed into the workshop while she was trying to make a batch of soap, demanding she come immediately. Alarmed, she’d taken her pot off the heat and run after her mother. There had been nothing wrong with Brother Samuel. He’d been sitting at his desk, his normal smile wreathing his mouth.

  “Ah, I’m glad you’re here. I need you to witness my signature,” he’d said in his booming voice.

  “Couldn’t Mother have done it?” she’d demanded in exasperation.

  “I need her to sign as well.”

  Yes, she remembered sighing papers now, recalled asking, “Do I need to read anything? I’m in the middle of making a batch of soap.”

  “No, my dear. All you need to do is watch me sign the papers and sign too. It will take a few minutes at most.”

  So she’d signed and rushed back to the workshop to save her soap, putting the entire incident to the back of her mind because it hadn’t seemed important.

  Despite Children of Nature’s self-sufficiency, the outside world intruded with paperwork—things to do with home schooling and census returns, special licenses. She recalled Brother Samuel’s words of never-ending paperwork.

  “It’s not funny,” Brother Rick snarled. A dried bit of blood clung to one of his flared nostrils. “I need the money.”