Have a Little Faith

by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  Faith was working alongside Candice. She still wasn’t going to talk to her. They said small things to one another and Faith watched her, seeing a difference in her eyes, her body language and even noticed the fancy diamond bracelet she wore with little red ruby C’s along it. Pretty fancy and unique.

  “I wish you would talk to me instead of being like this. I apologized several times. Why can’t you be a good friend and understand that I like Lance? We’re dating. He’s a great guy to me.”

  “Really? I didn’t see that. He was a bit handsy in public,” she said, thinking about how Lance slid his fingers between Candice’s legs, touching her intimately with Benny right there, who looked down like some creep and smirked, then licked his lips at Faith. The reminder disgusted her.

  “So you don’t approve of him or something? You think you’re so special? I don’t see any man giving you anything like this?” she said and shoved out her arm and wrist, showing off the bracelet.

  “It’s nice. Is it real?”

  Her jaw dropped. “What do you think? Just because he rides a motorcycle doesn’t mean he’s a loser.”

  “What does he do to make money for something like that then?” she asked.

  “Different jobs. Business investments, he told me. Has stocks and things, and is partners with Benny and Turk.”

  “What kind of business?”

  “I don’t know and I don’t ask. I sit there when we hang out and he doesn’t talk business. They’re always looking for investors. In fact, they may have a new business deal happening in another week or two. He could be heading to Vegas.”

  Faith’s gut clenched. “You aren’t going with him, are you?”

  “Maybe,” she said and shrugged her shoulders. Faith had to go deliver an order so she walked away, and she felt concerned for Candice. She couldn’t really say much. Their friendship was basically over and if Candice wanted to run off with some guy she only recently met who bought her some fancy bracelet, then so be it.

  * * * *

  “Why don’t you stay with us?” Louis asked Faith over the phone. She was working still and it was two o’clock in the morning.

  “Because I won’t get any rest. I have to work tomorrow and then I’ll have off. We’ll have Sunday through Thursday afternoon,” she said and then yawned and said she hoped the rest of the crowd left soon.

  “Shit, okay, I can hear how tired you are. Just text us when you get home to let us know that you’re okay.”

  “It may be late. The bar is still kind of busy.”

  “We don’t care, we just want to know everything is okay.”

  “All right, I love you and I’ll text when I’m leaving and then when I get home.”

  “Good. Love you, too.” He ended the call and looked at the others.

  “You were too fucking lenient. Should have said she didn’t have a choice and needed to be here with us,” Worin said to him.

  “Yeah, like that would go over well,” Hunt said and exhaled as he leaned back against the couch cushion.

  “We need to seriously discuss our game plan here. We’re making things official with the Sheriff tomorrow, then we need to talk to Faith about Warriorville and moving there together?” Voight said to them.

  “We discussed it, and we’re all on board. We’ll talk to her tomorrow. Plus Zedock and his team want to still provide housing for any needy soldiers, and they could be directed to Warriors Way for retreats, and therapy. This is coming together pretty nicely and Charlie has been awesome with her recommendations for therapists, too. I can see that town, that ranch turning into something amazing,” Louis said to them.

  “I want to talk to Faith more about her parents. We didn’t even know her dad was a Marine and died in combat. No wonder she really seems to get the mindset of soldiers like us,” Worin said.

  “She’s amazing, and we need to have her living here with us. That’s what we’ll work on when we’re with her the next several days. Convincing her to move in with us, and then plan our move to Warriorville,” Hunt said and they all agreed.

  * * * *

  It was late when Faith arrived at her house. The outside light was on but the one inside wasn’t. She had already texted the guys and said she got home, but now as she went to unlock the door, she wondered if the light bulb went out in the living room, or what? She walked inside, locked the front door and put down her backpack. She held her cell phone in her hand as she checked the light. She wiggled it, felt how loose it was and wondered how the hell that happened. She twisted it and it came right on. Her gut clenched and she felt uneasy. Like something was wrong. Her phone buzzed as she headed toward her bedroom to grab her gun. She would call the guys and as silly as she felt she needed to hear their voices. She glanced at her phone as she entered her bedroom and texted Louis about the light in the lamp and feeling concerned and that she was grabbing her gun.

  Just as she texted that she felt the blow to her shoulder. She screamed out as she fell to the rug. The lights went back off, and a large, heavy man lay over her. She tried fighting, and she was screaming at him. “Let me go! Let go of me!” her voice cracking.

  The shot to her jaw came at her fast.

  “Not her face,” the guy yelled in a strange voice. They were both breathing heavily.

  “What do you want? I don’t have any money or anything,” she said but then the guy held her down and stared at her with a black mask and dark brown eyes.

  “We want something other than money.” He tore her top open. The other guy cursed and she shoved her palm upward against his jaw. They were going to rape her. Oh my God! She heard her phone ringing and ringing.

  “My boyfriend is coming over. I texted him that the light was broken. He’s going to kill you!” she screamed.

  “Fuck,” the other guy said and started undoing his pants. The guy on her was grabbing at her breast, hurting her, and then ripping her shorts. Hands were everywhere and they were saying how hot she was and how they were going to make her theirs. That her innocence would belong to her. The one guy breathed against her neck and bit her skin.

  “No! They’re coming. They’re coming,” she screamed.

  “We need to go. Next time,” the guy said and the guy yanked her to the rug and kicked her in the side. She screamed out in pain. They kicked her again and again and touched her private parts before they left the room and she lay there crying and in pain.

  Faith could hardly breathe, as she remained hunched over, just crying hysterically. Then she heard someone yelling her name and then the lights came on. Louis, Voight, Worin, and Hunt started yelling.

  “Oh God, Faith. Faith, what the hell happened? Who did this?” Louis asked and he and Voight were on the rug next to her. They went to touch her and move her and she screamed for them not to. She couldn’t stop crying and when Voight touched her side she cried out.

  “Call an ambulance. Call the Sheriff now!” Voight yelled.

  Louis caressed her cheek. “Who did this? What did they want?” he asked and she cried as she moaned and rocked in the fetal position.

  “To rape me. Two men in masks were waiting here to rape me.”

  “What?” Worin yelled. She couldn’t listen to them or even process what she was feeling or that this actually happened to her. If she hadn’t been on the phone and texted that she was concerned about the lamp then those men would have raped her, maybe killed her. She sobbed more and they tried consoling her.

  * * * *

  “They’re out there, Kane. These two spineless fucks are out there and we want their heads,” Hunt yelled at him.

  “You need to calm down. We got everyone on this. It appears they came in on ATVs and escaped through the woods. I got men following the trail on those but more than likely they hit the road and then a trailer somewhere to load up. We’re doing what we can. You guys focus on going to the hospital and following the ambulance,” Kane said. He was seething with anger. Everyone was—the deputies, their friends who all showed up on the scene.
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  “We’re canvassing the area, the closest two houses, as well,” Deputy Montana O’Rourke said and then the Sheriff’s radio went off.

  “Sheriff, we got something at the neighbors’. Looks like another robbery,” Deputy Prime Jameson told him.

  “What did you find?”

  “Looks like a bunch of cameras and audiovisual gear was taken. The only thing left are some wires. Plus it’s been ransacked.”

  “Don’t touch anything. Alex Weathersen and Jeb Perkins are almost here. They’ll help the state police. The men who did that robbery could have been the ones to break into Faith’s home and assault her,” he said and now Hunt was even angrier. He watched, just as all the other men did, as the paramedics brought out Faith, who was sobbing and shaking.

  “We’ll all meet you guys at the hospital. Titus and some deputies will be there, as well. We’ll check any surveillance cameras, too. We’ll find them, Hunt,” Kane said to him but Hunt was feeling so much right now, and the need to hunt and kill was bringing him closer to the edge of losing it.

  * * * *

  “I’m telling you guys, this is the same MO as these robberies in Merton, Castles, and Freeport. It’s like they are making their way across the states and hitting these small towns but the homes of people with merchandise worth something. Things they can sell and that can’t be traced,” Alex Weathersen explained to everyone who was gathered around the waiting room at the hospital. Kane, Titus, a bunch of deputies, state police, their friends and they were all working together to try and find the men responsible for hurting Faith and also for the robberies.

  “They definitely frequent town and either have people listening or looking for people they can rob. The surveillance footage wasn’t that great off of Keith’s house. A light was shot out or broken, making it difficult to see anything more than four people, and what appeared to be a large van or truck,” Jeb Perkins added.

  “So there were four men?” Worin asked in a hard deep tone.

  Jeb nodded. “Looks that way. From the surveillance tapes, after they got the stuff into the vehicle, the other two men walked toward the direction of Faith’s place, or at least it seemed that way. As we confirm the time, it places your 911 call to the Sheriff’s department fifteen minutes later,” Alex told him.

  “There were four men. Two intentionally went to Faith’s place. They knew she lived there. They might have been at Harper’s before or even talked to her, hell, hit on her,” he said and ran his fingers through his hair.

  “She texted you. It saved her from getting raped or killed. She’s here and she’s safe and we will find these men, Hunt, we will,” Kane said to him.

  “Louis?” The nurse came out and Louis, Hunt, Worin, and Voight as well as Toby and Randal, who had just arrived, walked closer.

  “The doctor would like to discuss your girlfriend’s injuries with you. He also had to give her a light sedative to calm her down. She may be a bit groggy, but she’s asking for you.”

  Hunt and they followed the nurse down the hallway to a room that Faith was in. When they entered another nurse was covering her up with an additional blanket. Faith was shaking, her cheek and jaw all bruised up and her eyes red and swollen from crying. No other injuries could be seen because they were covered by the gown, and then blankets on the bed.

  The nurse smiled. “Here they are, Faith, just like I said. You let me know if you are still cold,” she said and then looked at them and gave soft smiles. “She’s having a bit of a side effect from the sedative. It makes her feel cold, and a bit of trembling. It will pass. The doctor will be right in,” she said and walked out.

  “Jesus,” Worin whispered as Hunt walked closer to the bed on one side, then Louis and Voight on the other. Worin came next to Hunt and Toby and Randal were at the edge of the bed.

  “Hey, baby, we’re right here,” Louis said and caressed her hair.

  She nodded but her whole body shook. “It’s from the sedative,” she said, voice shaky and her teeth were chattering.

  “It’s okay. If it helps to calm you down so you aren’t so scared, it’s a good thing,” Voight said.

  Tears rolled from her eyes. “So scared,” she said and Hunt lowered down and kissed her forehead as Worin turned away and shook his head. He was gripping the side rails of the bed.

  The doctor walked in and greeted them all. Hunt introduced her brother and cousin.

  “Well, this very strong young woman has a bit of recovering to do. She has four broken ribs, a bruised spleen and around her kidneys, as well. We found boot marks on her side, and she confirmed the men kicked her.”

  Voight cursed as the doctor went over her injuries and talked about the other bruising. He then looked at them and Louis caressed her hand then gave it a squeeze. “From my understanding it could have been a lot worse. She’s going to need a bit of time to recover, and I suggested some counseling as well as we discussed greater details of the attack.” He stepped back. “I’ll leave you all to spend some time with her. We’re going to keep her here for a couple of days to make sure there’s no internal bleeding from the strikes to her side. She’s pretty petite, so I don’t want any complications and want to be thorough,” he told them.

  “Thank you, doc. We appreciate that,” Louis said and then Toby and Randal shook his hand before he left the room. The guys let her brother kiss her cheek and hug her and then they said they would give them time alone with Faith.

  She closed her eyes as each of them bent down to kiss her cheek, to tell her they loved her. “Did they get them?” she asked, and shook as her teeth chattered still.

  “No,” Worin said, arms crossed and appearing angry.

  Tears filled her eyes.

  “Hey, they will find them. They believe it’s the same men who have been robbing homes around the area,” Louis told her.

  “We don’t know why they left that guy Keith’s house who lives next door to you after they robbed him. What the state police and the sheriffs believe is that they knew where you lived and purposely went there. So maybe they saw you at Harper’s or some place while they were casing out Keith’s place to rob him. We don’t know for sure. It’s all just theory,” Voight told her.

  “Keith’s place? He wasn’t home. Not this weekend,” she said.

  “Yeah, which is why they think he was robbed then. They also took out a light that would have shown their faces clearly on camera,” Hunt told her.

  “They wore masks,” she said and her nose got all red. She started to cry again.

  “No, sweetie, don’t think about it. You’re safe now. We aren’t leaving you,” Worin told her and he went closer. Voight moved out of the way and Worin lowered down to kiss her lips and then her neck. She tightened up and leaned into him.

  There was a knock at the door, and then Kane and Titus walked in. “Hey, we came in to check on Faith before we head out,” Kane said and he and Titus looked at her and smiled softly.

  “You got a lead?” Hunt asked.

  “No, unfortunately we don’t. The ATVs were heard, not seen going through the outskirts of the woods toward the entrance to Cherry Hill. From there, no one saw any lights or anything.”

  “Shit,” Louis said.

  “They robbed Keith?” Faith asked, her voice shaking still.

  “It’s from the sedative,” Louis told them and Worin caressed her hair.

  “We would like to come back tomorrow morning and talk to you, Faith. To see if there was something familiar about the men. Maybe a smell, tattoos, eyes or something. Also maybe any guys you remember coming into Harper’s and maybe talking about houses or even Keith specifically and his photography company,” Kane said to her.

  “It was dark. They immediately turned the lights off and threw me down onto the bed,” she said.

  “Does she have to do this right now?” Voight asked.

  “It’s okay. Isn’t it better in case I remember something that could help?” she asked.

  “It could be, but the last thing we
want to do is make you more upset,” Titus told her.

  “I want to try and help,” she told them.

  “Okay, I know this is difficult and you might want to block certain things out, but what I want you to focus on isn’t the attack itself, but more of the things you smelled, what you heard and saw, their voices, their eyes, anything and everything,” Kane said to her.

  “I’ll try.”

  “We’re right here,” Louis told her. She took a few unsteady breaths.

  “All right, close your eyes, and think about what you heard and saw first,” Kane said to her.

  Hunt held on to the side of the bedrail and listened as Faith explained about how dark it was, about the light outside of her house that was on, but everywhere else was dark, even inside of her house. “I usually leave a light on. I felt my gut clench.”

  “Okay, now before you went inside, when you were driving up the road and passed by Keith’s, did you notice any lights on by his place?”

  “No, and it was weird because I was very tired and I thought I saw a vehicle by the back of the house, but the side lights on the driveway weren’t on, and nothing was on inside of the house. I didn’t think twice though. I’m sorry, Kane, I was so tired.”

  “No, no, don’t be sorry, that’s actually good information. You probably saw the tail end of the truck that was parked on the grass behind the house at the edge of the driveway. The light was broken when we investigated. So go on, now you’re in your house,” he said to her and as she explained in detail what happened, how she texted Louis, Hunt clenched his teeth and felt his anger boiling inside. If she hadn’t texted and then said she was grabbing her gun, they would have never left to head to her place. She talked about the two men touching her, the color of the one guy’s eyes. Dark brown, a deep voice she felt like he was disguising his real one. Then she said it was dark, they had immediately broken the lights and told her they didn’t want to rob her, that they wanted something else. She cried when she spoke about them touching her, grabbing at her breast and then the guy biting her neck. She reached up with a shaky hand and touched it. “I hurt and I can smell his scent. His cologne now. It…oh God, I smelled it before.”