by G. K. Parks
“Don’t you ever get tired?” he asked.
“Not recently.” I shrugged. “This is the norm when I work undercover. It’s high stress amidst a lot of tedious downtime.”
“Is that why you’ve been doing killer workouts every night?”
Snorting, I stifled my laughter. “You’re one to talk. I caught you doing burpees this morning. I’ve just been doing a few floor exercises and strength training. Face it, I’m totally slacking off, and I really miss running. Of course, that’s completely out of the question since my ankle is supposedly busted.” I batted my eyelashes. “Do you think we could justify purchasing a treadmill as a necessary expenditure for our assignment? Hell, if we come up with even a slightly feasible excuse, I’ll file the paperwork with my agency instead.”
“Even if we did, Tim would notice and become suspicious.”
“This sucks.” I rotated my shoulders, feeling my muscles starting to cramp. “I hate this waiting.”
“You hate this waiting? Talk to me again in nine months.”
Pressing my lips together, I didn’t want to think about being stuck in this hellhole for nine months. How many bodies would turn up between then and now? How many kilos of narcotics would be smuggled in or out, and how many would die from overdoses related to drugs because of that? And selfishly, I wanted to go home. I wanted to see Martin, even though I still had no idea how to fix things.
“I’m sorry,” I murmured.
Decker turned to me. “Tell that to the victims.” He sighed and rubbed his face. “Now I’m sorry. I shouldn’t put that on you. I just hate that we came so close to having something to stop him, and it turned out that it wasn’t drugs. Not that I wanted you to be roofied, but if he was going to slip you something, why couldn’t it have been some easily identifiable shit?” He brushed his hair back. “I’ve been collecting samples from the gardens. Every single thing I find growing, I take a clipping. I left them at the dead drop this afternoon.”
“Is that why Matt called?”
“I hope so.” He shook it off. “There’s no reason to speculate or get our hopes up.” He propped the tablet up so it was easily in view and turned to me. “Let’s talk about something else.”
“Like what?”
“What would be your perfect date? I’m only asking so we can come up with a corresponding cover story for this weekend. It’d probably be easier to gush, if it were actually something that you’d enjoy.”
I wasn’t in the mood to talk about frivolous things. “I don’t know.”
“Come on, Alex. Didn’t your last boyfriend ever take you anywhere nice? What’d you guys do? Where’d you go? Was any of it particularly memorable?”
Seeing the past unfold, the galas, the charity functions, his insistence on getting me to dance, the restaurants, the bars, the exclusive clubs, and the private tours of art exhibits and museums followed by catered meals on rooftops, my chest felt tight, and I fought to calm my broken heart. “Don’t expect me to believe you’ve never been on a date. You were probably the high school quarterback. Just come up with something simple, tell the lie, and I’ll swear to it,” I shot back.
Decker held up his palms. “I didn’t realize dating was a touchy subject. I wasn’t asking about the man, just a date. Any date.”
“My dating life has always been troublesome. That’s something normal people do, and I’m not particularly normal. At the very least, my personal relationships aren’t necessarily healthy.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked, clearly intrigued.
“It means you get to decide on the details for any romantic event by which we allegedly partook.”
Decker laughed. “Fine, but you realize that I’m going to get you to open up to me about your life one of these days, right?”
“Not if I can help it. It’s called a private life for a reason.” Scooping the tablet up, I got off the couch. “Get some sleep. I’ll be in the bedroom, waiting for you to take over sentry duty.”
Closing the door, I sunk to the floor and listened to the shifting of the couch cushions while Decker got settled. Once everything was quiet, I turned the volume up on the tablet and hit the alert button. Knowing the device would chime should any of the cameras become active, I picked up the novel that I’d been reading, but my mind was elsewhere. Returning it to the stack of books that Decker had collected since he began the assignment, I leafed through a few magazines, but all I seemed capable of was looking at the pictures. Eventually, I found a deck of cards and played solitaire until Jace knocked on the bedroom door.
“Anything?” he asked, nodding at the tablet.
“Nope.” My eyes found the nearest clock, and I realized it was three a.m. “Are you sure you don’t want to get a few more hours. I’m okay to stay up.”
“If you fall asleep right now, you’ll get almost five before Tim’s morning message. Get some rest.” He scooped the tablet off the end of the bed and left the room, closing the door behind him.
I dropped the cards to the floor and crawled under the covers. It didn’t take long to fall asleep. And what felt like moments later, I jumped up in bed. Gasping for breath, I wasn’t certain what woke me or why I was so afraid. Remnants of a reoccurring nightmare entered my mind, and I sighed, dropping back to the pillow. I was okay. Everything was okay. Relax, Parker. Just breathe.
A few seconds later, Decker knocked on the door, cautiously opening it. “You okay?”
“Yep.” I threw an arm over my face, blocking out the bright light that streamed in from the doorway. The bedroom itself had no windows. The main area had two small ones, one on either side, and from the looks of it, morning had come. “I just need a minute.”
He lingered for several seconds, finally mumbling okay. Once the door latched, I removed my arm and opened my eyes, staring at the ceiling. This was hell. The monotony would have been bearable if we were actually making progress, but it didn’t feel like it. It felt like we were playing house while Tim did whatever he pleased right under our noses. Today, I was determined to find some answers. This couldn’t go on. I was already cracking under the pressure, and my sanity wouldn’t last nine more months. I had no idea how Decker wasn’t Loony Tunes by now.
Our typical morning routine followed, a quick bite, then off to see our favorite cult leader for the morning worship session. Tranquility lessons and sharing personal stories weren’t exactly what I would consider a religious experience, but that’s how Wilde packaged it in order to apply for his tax exemptions. While Berta droned on about her past experiences in the corporate world, I zoned out, wondering why Tim would start a church in the first place. From what we knew about him, he was a dealer with a predilection for sexual assault. At least that was my hunch based on the dropped charges and whatever he hoped to accomplish by poisoning me and taking me to his bedroom. So why a church? Why not a crackhouse or a whorehouse?
Decker put an arm around my shoulders, and I glanced up at him, following his gaze to the corner of the room where Anika was huddled all alone. Something was wrong. She looked small and frightened. Sarah and the others were at the front of the room. Perhaps they’d had a fight or disagreement, but since Tim preached peace and techniques to avoid conflict, that didn’t make much sense. I didn’t know what happened during morning meals, but whatever spooked Anika was far worse than some tiff over macramé lanyards or who got the last bacon strip.
Unfortunately, I was trapped until class was dismissed. The tedium became even more unbearable, and I struggled to keep myself facing forward while monitoring Anika with my peripheral vision. She looked like a deer caught in headlights. I knew that look. She wanted to run. What the hell could have possibly happened that transformed her attitude overnight? The possibilities that popped into my head weren’t pleasant, and I reminded myself that we’d watched the surveillance footage all night. However, a single unpleasant thought came to mind. What about the blind spots?
“I’m going to talk to Tim,” Decker whispered as soo
n as we were dismissed.
Nodding, I hurried away before anyone tried to speak to me. Painting a smile on my face, I fell into step with Anika and wished her a good morning. She mumbled a greeting back, but the passive indifference wasn’t normal for her.
“Is everything okay?” I asked, dropping my voice so no one else would hear us. I knew that the dorms were under surveillance, but I wasn’t sure where all the cameras were hidden inside the facility.
“Of course. Why wouldn’t it be?” She didn’t meet my eyes and continued on her trek back toward her room.
“Hey,” I grabbed her shoulder, watching her wince at the contact, “do you want to get out of here for a bit. Maybe we could grab a cup of coffee or tea. Really splurge and get a cookie or pastry to go with it.” I glanced around, making sure no one was nearby. However to play it off as casual, I let out an uneasy laugh. “Jace doesn’t keep any caffeine or processed snacks at the trailer, and I know Tim feels the same way about those things. What do you say we be rebels for an afternoon?”
She narrowed her eyes, assessing me as if the offer might be intended to trick her. “You want to leave the facility?”
“We aren’t prisoners. Granted, I don’t have a job or much incentive to go out into the world, but Tim’s made it clear that we can go and come as we please. We’ll be back soon. Plus, we’re supposed to be working on those stained glass coasters today, and my art skills suck. Perhaps some chocolate chip cookies will be just the inspiration I need.”
A slight smile played across her lips, not quite making it to her eyes. “Let me grab my purse. I’ll meet you near the front door.”
“I’ll be there.”
On my way to the front of the building, I crossed paths with Tim and Jace. The two were lost in conversation but abruptly stopped as soon as they spotted me. Tim smiled, politely excusing himself a second later when one of the women beckoned to him. Decker moved closer, holding out his arms and waiting for a hug. Slipping into his embrace, I updated him on my plans for the morning.
“Do you think Tim did something to her?” Decker whispered in my ear. “We maintained eyes all night.”
Shaking my head, I entwined my arms around him and turned my face toward his neck. “How did Tim seem? Any different?”
Decker released me. “I don’t know.” He blinked a few times. “I have a surprise for you this evening. I’m getting off work early, and I want to take you somewhere special. I’ll meet you at the trailer at five. Don’t be late.”
“I’ll let you know if I will be.”
He gave me a quick peck on the cheek, shouted a goodbye to Tim, and went out the door. I watched him leave, waving like a lovestruck idiot. When I turned around, Anika was a few feet away. She clutched her purse like it was a lifeline, but at least she didn’t change her mind about our outing.
“Do you mind walking back to the trailer so I can grab my purse and keys?” I asked.
“No problem.”
Luckily, we slipped out without anyone noticing. She fell into step beside me as we made our way across the dusty path. It was too early in the morning for this, but I wanted to know what happened, even if that meant taking advantage of her vulnerable state.
“I had this horrible nightmare last night,” I volunteered, hoping to break the ice. “I have them a lot. That’s probably the reason for the caffeine and sugar craving.” I watched her out of the corner of my eye. “If you don’t mind me saying, you look like you could use a bit of a pick-me-up too. Did you sleep okay?”
She didn’t answer the question. Her focus remained on kicking a pebble along the path as we went toward the trailer. Finally, she said, “What was your nightmare about?”
“People getting hurt. Bad men trying to kill me.” It wasn’t exactly a lie, and it would work well with my cover’s background and the goons that Wilde had sent to kneecap me. “It’s stupid, but I can’t exactly shake the feeling of being afraid or alone.” Unlocking the trailer door, I held it open for her. “Do you want to come inside? It might take me a few minutes to find my keys.” She nodded. “Make yourself at home.”
“Jace won’t mind?”
I gave her an odd look. “Of course not. I can do whatever I want. He said this was my home too, so I can have guests. Hell, I could probably draw all over the walls or paint everything pink if I really wanted to.”
She giggled. “Maybe you should.”
“Maybe I will.” I laughed along with her. As she walked through the trailer, looking at the furniture and the roominess compared to the dorms, she started to relax. Deciding that I should make a pretext of searching for car keys, I asked, “Do you have your own car?”
She shook her head. “I sold it years ago when I needed some quick cash. I managed without, and once I came here, there wasn’t a need for one anymore.” She peered out the window, and I suspected she was regretting that decision right about now. Before I could ask how long she’d been here, she crossed the room and grabbed my wrist. “How did this happen?” she demanded. “You said you didn’t work in one of the dungeons, so what caused these scars?”
“Why do you want to know?”
She looked me right in the eye, determining if she could trust me. “Who are you?”
“Anika, seriously, it’s me. What the hell’s up with you today? I’m Alex. A-lex, Alice Lexington. Seriously?” I gave her a bewildered look, but my heart was racing. How the hell could she be on to me? “And to think we haven’t even had the caffeine or sugar yet. What’s got you so crazy, girl?”
“I’m not crazy.” She rolled her eyes and dropped into one of the kitchen chairs. “Rich women like you don’t have bondage scars.” I opened my mouth to come up with some feasible lie, but she cut me off. “And don’t tell me your boyfriend liked the kinky stuff. He would have had the foresight to get the leather cuffs that wouldn’t leave permanent marks.”
“I’m not rich. My father was wealthy, not me. As soon as I was smart enough and old enough, I distanced myself from him and his wealth. Maybe you’d call it slumming it, but I hung out with a rougher crowd, surviving as best I could off barista tips and minimum wage. Shit happens. Shit still happens. I’ve been open and honest about who I am, but the dark spots in my past don’t need to come to light. I’m not that person. I don’t hang with those crowds. And I’m here, so I don’t end up back there.”
She set her jaw, mulling over the things I said. “In that case, I don’t think you should be here.” She wet her lips. “I’m not sure any of us should be here.”
Twenty-three
“That’s all Anika said?” Decker asked, and I nodded. “Shit.”
“She told me to meet her tomorrow. She wants to show me something she found, but she wouldn’t even hint as to what it might be.” I rubbed my eyes. “I wanted to push so hard, but she was already skeptical. Maybe I could have done something more to convince her to confide in me. I don’t know. She made me swear not to tell anyone about this, but I don’t even know what this is.”
Decker scratched his head. “She could be a plant. Wilde could be on to you. Perhaps he asked her to find out what she could. You said she’s been observing you since you joined the cult.”
Looking down at my wrists, I didn’t know what to think. “Honestly, these are a couple years old. I don’t even notice them anymore, and she points to them like they’re neon signs.”
His gaze went to the faded scars. “Until you pointed them out, I didn’t even see them. It just looks like you were using a hair elastic as a bracelet. Was she right that they’re bondage scars?”
“In a manner of speaking.” I stared out the windshield. “When I was private sector, my cover was compromised by a rat and I was tied up and tortured.” His eyes shot to me, and I was glad that I wasn’t driving so I could look out the window to avoid eye contact. “Don’t worry,” I added cynically, “I didn’t break. I would have died before giving up anyone else. In fact, for a few moments, I wanted to die, and just think, then we wouldn’t be here hav
ing this delightful conversation right now.”
“Fucking hell,” Decker exhaled quietly. “The only way she would notice those damn scars is if she’s seen them before. What if it wasn’t an S&M club? What if she’s seen things at the facility? We need to separate her from the group and bring her in.”
“How? You just said she could be a plant.”
“We could grab her when she leaves.”
“Except she never does. She doesn’t have a car or any method of transportation out, unless someone offers her a ride. We didn’t even make it to coffee this morning. I got her as far as the trailer, and then she ran back to her room after giving me that cryptic message.” I shook my head, fighting away the frustration. “If she’s so afraid of someone or something on the property, she should have been begging to leave.”
“Doesn’t that fit with the abuse mentality? She doesn’t want to risk angering Wilde for fear that he’ll retaliate. It’s very possible that he’s the one that caused her friend’s scars.”
I sighed. “That doesn’t explain why she was spooked at this morning’s tranquility session. Something just happened, or she just found out about it. Either way, now is probably the worst time for us to be away from the co-op. If something’s going down, we need to be close.”
He didn’t say anything, but I knew he agreed with my assessment. Unfortunately, this was only a hunch. Anika’s fears might turn out to be nothing at all, or her story could be a trap. However, my gut said her terror was real, and I learned long ago to trust my instincts. Convincing myself that a few hours away wouldn’t hurt since everyone at the co-op was getting the property ready for the weekend helped quell my nerves. With any luck, the rest of the team had hard evidence that we could use to further our agenda and take this bastard down. At the very least, it was worth checking out.
