Faithless in Death

by Robb, J. D.

  “Over to you.”

  “I can’t decide if I’m proud or revolted they use one of my systems.”

  “Pretty sure they’re using your stuff at their HQ.”

  “Then I’ll choose revolted.”

  It didn’t take him long. When he nodded, Eve switched on her recorder. “Dallas and Roarke entering premises, duly authorized warrant.”

  Because you never assumed, she drew her weapon. She shoved the door, swept.

  “This is the police. We are authorized to enter. Lights on full.”

  They flashed on to the same pristine foyer she’d seen before. She’d expected that—had already smelled the chemicals and solutions used to clean.

  “There was a vase of flowers there. Gone now, probably fell over and broke. Small table missing from there. Lamp missing, a couple of pictures in frames. That’s the shared wall.”

  She crossed to it, frowned. “I think that’s fresh paint, and something else.”

  Curious, Roarke stepped up, sniffed as she did. “I don’t smell anything but the paint.”

  “No, more this way.”

  He shifted, sniffed. “Ah, that’s drywall compound, fast-drying compound. Someone patched this wall, very quickly, very efficiently.”

  “Yeah, she’d hit—her head would hit—right about here. Wham, wham, wham.” Eve mimed banging someone against the wall. “Head wound, lot of blood. And from the pieces that are missing, probably a lot across the floor as he punched, shoved, smacked her from one end of this room to the other. Ending here. Here’s where she dropped. Either dead, or he finished her. Maybe strangled her. She’d have been out anyway.

  “Head wound, like Ariel Byrd. Maybe, maybe. I sure as hell can squeeze him there once I have him.”

  With Roarke she toured the house, found every room—even the kids’ rooms, immaculate.

  “Creepy,” she decided, and tried another door. “Locked. No, my turn.” She nudged him aside when he started to step in. “Give me the picks.”

  He did, then watched her defeat the lock. “Now my heart swells with pride.”

  “Not as slick as you, but not bad.” When she opened the door, called for lights, she grinned fiercely and rubbed her hands together.

  “The asshole’s home office. Look at all these e’s. Social media guy, so yeah, lots of e’s. Feeney’s gang is going to have some fun.”

  “I could start having fun myself if you like.”

  She glanced at her wrist unit. “I’ve got to deal with the sweepers when they get here, and meet Peabody at Jane Po’s at eight.”

  “You can authorize me to poke a bit.”

  “I can have uniforms get this stuff to EDD.”

  He gave her a sorrowful look. “Always spoiling my fun.”

  “You’ve got solar systems to buy. There’s your fun.”

  “I’ve canceled the lot for today. I took care of that when I went out with Gracie. I’m invested, Eve. More than I already was. Now I’ve seen firsthand how what we built at Dochas can work. I’ve seen it before, but not like this. Not from the call for help. And here, I see what can happen when there’s no way to help.”

  “Okay.” She nodded, glanced back at the office. “All yours. And since you’re sticking for now, maybe you can do some transporting. If I can talk Gina across the street into leaving, you could take her and her kids to Dochas. I’m not going to have time unless I reschedule meeting Peabody.”

  “How about this? I’ll have your vehicle brought here, use the one outside. If you convince Gina, I’ll take her first, then come back to play with this.”

  “That works. I’m going to walk over there and see what I can do with her now. Before the block wakes up. I’ll keep an eye out for the sweepers.”

  When Eve walked outside, she noted a few lights had come on in some of the townhomes. Including the one across the street. And she caught movement in one of the upper windows—there, then gone.

  She stepped to the door, pressed the buzzer. It took three tries before the door opened.

  The woman, early twenties, had dark hair still tousled from sleep. She wore long cotton sleep pants, a plain white tee. She had a kid, somewhere around Bella’s age, to Eve’s best guess, on her hip, and another, a girl of about three, clinging to her leg.

  “Ms. Dawber?”

  “Yes.” Though her voice stayed soft and pleasant, Eve saw raw fear in her eyes. “Is there a problem?”

  “Yeah, there is.” Eve held up her badge. “NYPSD. Did you see or hear anything from the Piper home last night?”

  “No.”

  Lying, Eve thought. Fear lying.

  “Is anyone else in the house, Ms. Dawber?”

  “No. Just me and the kids. My husband is at work. I’m sorry I can’t help you, Officer. I need to start breakfast for my children.”

  “Lieutenant. Lieutenant Dallas.”

  Something flickered over the woman’s face at the name.

  “I’m sorry. May I see your identification again?”

  This time Gina studied it.

  “Zoe Metcalf heard and saw something last night and contacted me.”

  What came into Gina’s eyes now burned at the fear. And that was hope. “I don’t understand.”

  “She took your advice on tucking a little money away whenever she could and used it to buy a clone ’link. She called nine-one-one and worked her way to me. She and her son are safe, Gina. I can take you and your kids to her, to safety.”

  “Take the baby.” Gina literally thrust him into Eve’s arms. “Lollie and I can’t leave the house, but take Westley. Please take him away from here.”

  Eve struggled with the baby as he flailed and cried and reached for his mother. “Why can’t you leave the house?”

  “House arrest.” Gina hiked up her left pants leg to reveal an ankle tracker. “He put one on Lollie, too, just to make sure I toed the line. He’ll have one on the baby before much longer.”

  “We’ll get it off.”

  “No, no, it’s programmed to shock if I tamper with it, if I leave the house without permission or an authorized companion. I could take it, I could, but Lollie’s just three. Please. Come on, baby, don’t cry now.”

  Eve yanked out her ’link. “Roarke, I need you across the street now. We’ll get it off, deactivate the shocker. You need to trust me.”

  “You don’t understand what these people are like, what they can do.”

  “Yes, I do. Take him back.” Eve pushed the very unhappy baby back at Gina. “See the man coming over? Nobody, absolutely nobody, has a better hand with electronics.”

  She swung around to Roarke. “Tracker on the woman and the girl, with shockers.”

  “On the child?” Roarke masked the quick outrage, then crouched down to examine the one on Gina’s ankle. “Ah, I see. Well now, nothing to this at all. It’s not only old tech, but basic as it comes.”

  “But he said—” Gina broke off, shut her eyes. “He told me it was state-of-the-art. New tech, and unbreakable. He’s a liar, but I believed it. Do mine first, please, just in case. When I tried to get mine off before, it knocked me out.”

  “It won’t now. I’ve already disengaged the shocker. Just another moment here, and …” He unlocked it, started to hand it to Eve.

  “Let me get an evidence bag.”

  Knowing Roarke, she jogged back to the sedan. He made sure she had a field kit in every vehicle. She got two, jogged back.

  He talked in that musical voice, soothing as a kiss on the brow, to the child as he disengaged her tracker.

  “I don’t like it,” the kid told him, with her bottom lip poked out.

  “Who would like such a thing? And there you are, darling. You won’t have to wear it ever again.”

  “Ms. Dawber—”

  “Don’t call me that.” The look Gina shot Eve scorched. The fearful woman had vanished.

  “Gina. Get what you absolutely need, and we’ll get you and your children to safety.”

  “We don’t need a
damn thing but each other. We need to go now, right now. Some of the rats will start waking up. We don’t need anything from here, don’t want anything from here. Please.”

  “Change of plan,” Eve said to Roarke. “Do me a solid, get the sweepers started, and contact Feeney, get him and McNab here. Gina, does the man who put that tracker on you have an office in the house, electronics?”

  “Yeah, locked room. I tried to get in. I paid.”

  “We want those confiscated, too. I’ll get them to safety.”

  “Done. Let me help you.”

  He picked up the little girl, who seemed fine with it.

  As they got the kids in the back, Gina looked up the block. “That’s the head rat.”

  Eve watched a woman, early forties, flying brown hair, run out of a house.

  “Can she contact Natural Order?”

  “No, even the rats don’t get communication privileges.”

  With a fierce smile, Gina shot up a middle finger.

  “God, that felt good. Let’s go please. Let’s go.” She jumped in with her kids.

  “I’ll tag you as soon as I get her there,” Eve began.

  “I’ve got this here, just go.”

  As Eve got behind the wheel, he strolled a few feet in the running woman’s direction.

  She turned on her heel and ran back into her house.

  Yeah, he had it.

  “Okay, Gina, you’re safe now. And I’ve got some questions.”

  “Just let me—It’s okay, Westley, we’re going to see Gabe.” She cuddled both kids, closed her eyes. “We’re going away from here to see Gabe and Zoe. I didn’t think she really had it in her. Thank God for her. Thank God.”

  Since Eve hadn’t yet done a run on Gina, she went directly to the source.

  “How long have you been married to …”

  “Steven. His name’s Steven, and is it married if you were drugged and forced to say I-fricking-do?”

  “No.” Tougher every second, Eve noted, and fury had replaced any fear. “How long, and how did they get to you?”

  “We’re in a car, driving away with a cop. I didn’t recognize you, but I recognized the name because Zoe told me about you. She’d seen you on-screen. Steven doesn’t believe women and children should be contaminated by watching screen. Four years ago. I was seventeen, in some trouble. Street kid, foster kid. I was working my way up to straightening my ass out, living in a halfway house, and this recruiter interviewed me for a job.”

  “Hold on, you were in the system? You had a caseworker?”

  “Yeah, Jane Po.”

  “Hold that thought.” Son of a bitch, Eve thought, and tagged Peabody. “Meet me at Dochas, asap.”

  “Feeney just tagged McNab and said Roarke—”

  “Developments. Get to Dochas. I’m on my way there now.”

  She broke off, contacted Officer Carmichael. “Officer, contact Officer Shelby. I want the two of you to sit on the woman at this address.” She relayed it quickly. “Jane Po. Just sit on the address, and when and if she leaves, tail her. I’m sending you her photo and data now.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Since he wore a T-shirt instead of his uniform, she realized she’d gotten him out of bed. “As soon as you can, Carmichael.

  “One more,” she told Gina, and sent a text to Whitney, Mira, and Jenkinson.

  Rapid developments on Natural Order matter, including cooperating wits. Will brief at Central in ninety minutes. Request FBI inclusion in same, Commander. Request your presence, Dr. Mira. Require all available officers and detectives in my division be present. Jenkinson, coordinate same.

  When Eve finished, Gina simply stared. “This is really happening.”

  “Count on it. We’re nearly there. I’m going to have a lot more questions.”

  “Lieutenant Dallas, I’ve never considered cops friends of mine, but if you can get my kids somewhere those very-bad-word-to-say-in-front-of-children can’t touch them, I’ll kiss you on the mouth.”

  Eve flicked a half smile in the rearview mirror. “Answering the questions will handle it fine.”

  18

  At Dochas, the children were lured away with toys and breakfast, and promises to see Gabe and Zoe as soon as they woke up.

  To ensure privacy as the house began to stir, Eve sat with Gina in an office where Gina gulped coffee.

  “I haven’t had coffee in four years. Four years. God, I missed it. Nothing caffeinated, nothing carbonated—house rules from the asshole. I don’t have to say his name anymore. He is now and forever The Asshole.”

  “Jane Po. Did she set you up with the recruiter?”

  “Yeah. She talked about my progress, and this opportunity to work, entry level and all that, but I’d get training and the potential for advancement. I was really grateful she’d arranged this interview.”

  “Where did you meet the recruiter?”

  “At Stone Tree, the halfway house. She talked about training for marketing and public relations for this global organization. It all sounded so frosty. I was going to turn eighteen and figured I had to make a choice between getting my ass in gear or living on the streets. I thought I was getting my ass in gear.”

  “What happened?”

  “She said I’d passed the initial interview, and with Po’s recommendation, she could take me to the next phase. She said it turned out there had been an opening, and if I wanted to fill it, she’d take me to her supervisor for the next phase. I jumped on it.”

  She broke off at the soft knock on the door. Natalie poked in.

  “Sorry to interrupt, but I thought you’d both like a little breakfast. The kids are eating like horses,” she assured Gina. “Lollie is a firecracker, Gina.”

  “They couldn’t smother that personality, and they tried. I don’t know how to thank you.”

  “Eat some breakfast. As soon as your partner arrives, Lieutenant, we’ll send her in.”

  “Thanks. Appreciate the food and coffee.

  “What happened next?” Eve asked when Gina dived into the scrambled eggs.

  “She had transpo. I got right in. You know, I was a street kid, but I never sensed anything off. I thought I was so damn good at that. She had coffee in the car—dosed. It had to be dosed because the next thing I knew I was waking up in this room. No windows, one door, and this other woman sitting on a stool. She said she was Mother Catherine, and I was now a member of Natural Order. She would teach me to be faithful. I was groggy, scared, pissed, and when I tried to get out …

  “She had a shock stick and knew how to use it. I didn’t see anybody but her for I don’t know how long. A couple of days, a week.”

  After a long breath, she picked up her coffee again.

  “I had to eat when and what I was told, or shock stick. She’d run this bullshit propaganda about the order on-screen for hours. They restrained me and took me into a medical-type place. I got a physical, if you can call it that. Oh, I had a couple of tats—they took care of that. It hurts having tats removed.”

  Though the sudden influx of caffeine probably added to Gina’s rapid recitation, Eve topped off her cup.

  “Thanks. Anyway, a lot of it blurs. A lot of drugs pumped into me, a lot of shock-stick therapy.”

  Gina paused and closed her eyes for a moment. “I’ve never tasted anything better than these eggs in my life.”

  “Freedom tastes pretty great.”

  When her eyes welled, Gina used the back of her wrist to dry them. “Yeah, it does. You get it. So … one day Mother Bitch brought in a white dress, told me to put it on. It was my wedding day. I got a punch in, one good solid punch before she shocked me, and they drugged me.”

  “Do you need a break?” Eve asked her.

  “No. No, it’s good to get it all out. So, now I’m in a chapel—pretty, like a vid, with me in this long white dress and a veil. Stained-glass windows, flowers, a lot of people. And The Asshole’s standing at the end of this aisle. They walk me down it, one on each side of me. The head
guy—I find out later that’s Wilkey—he’s, like, the preacher, and he marries us. They make me marry this guy twice my age I’ve never seen before, and swear to obey him, to conceive children with him, to serve him and subjugate myself to him.”

  She stopped, held up a finger while she closed her eyes, took careful breaths. “Then they take me to another room—nicer, windows, no Mother Bitch. I’m half out of it, but I still try to fight back when these two women undress me, and he comes in. They hold me down for him, Lieutenant.”

  Tears leaked out again. “Maybe that was the worst thing of all. These women, they held me down while he raped me. I didn’t fight much, but—”

  “Rape is rape.”

  “He raped me every day, every night. He called it our honeymoon. He actually called it that. He brought me flowers, and candy, and sometimes wine. I could go outside for air, to walk, as long as he was with me. I knew better, I did, but he started to feel like he was okay to me. They came in, took blood, and did a test. A pregnancy test. Positive.”

  She breathed out. “Can you turn the recorder off a minute?”

  “Sure.”

  “I didn’t want to be pregnant. I didn’t want a baby. If I’d had a choice, I wouldn’t have gone through with the pregnancy. I was barely eighteen. He’d raped me. I was a prisoner.”

  “That’s nothing to be ashamed of, Gina. They took all your choices away.”

  She breathed out again. “Okay. You can turn it back on. Everything changed when I got pregnant. Better food, smiling faces—like I’d learned a really complicated trick, you know? And The Asshole only wanted sex once a week. I got to go outside more. I had to take all these classes, not with Mother Bitch, but Mother Sweet Smile—ah, Mother Deborah. Child-rearing—the Natural Order way—cooking, cleaning, gardening. Lots more propaganda bullshit—you learned to say what they wanted you to say.”

  “That’s how you survive.”

  “Yeah.” Gina swiped away the tears, managed to smile a little. “You get it. Then The Asshole told me we were moving into a house of our own, and as long as I did what I was told—exactly—and kept a clean house and all that, I could live outside the compound. We moved to Zombie Town with our own version of Mother Catherine in Mother Rat.”