by Tracy Sharp
It had been a hunch, but as far as hunches went, I was pretty damned talented.
I turned and looked at Gabriel’s face. The self-satisfied smile was gone, replaced by a vicious scowl. “You think you’re smart?”
He grabbed me by the arm, digging his steely fingers into my flesh, and dragged me into the kitchen, throwing me into the middle of the room. He pointed to the monitor hanging in the corner of the kitchen.
I looked up at the screen and the breath went out of me.
On it Jack and Declan were pacing in what looked like a concrete room.
“We’ve been seeing those two driving around the property. Two of our members saw them hiding in the woods and quietly came to inform me. We had no idea they were connected to you.”
My mouth had gone cotton dry. I looked back at Gabriel.
“But when Number Nine found your bug, we figured it out pretty quickly. Of course, by then we already had them in the bunker.”
I looked back at the screen, my heart sinking.
“You see, your two nosy friends are in an underground bunker on the property. You can’t be surprised that I’d have one. The end of the world is coming, and we have to be prepared. But for right now, the bunker serves nicely as a prison for them.”
I wondered how anyone got Jack to follow them into that thing willingly. He’d prefer to be shot.
But then it came to me. It was for me. It wasn’t the gun pointed at his head. It was the gun he had known would be pointed at mine.
“Good friends you have there, Leah. I have a few questions for all of you. But I think we’ll keep you separated. I’m sending One and a special member of mine down into the bunker to ask some questions.” He’d stressed the word ‘special’.
White hot fear clawed at my stomach.
He walked over to me, grabbed me by the hair and yanked me up. I bit my lip so that I wouldn’t scream.
“I have another place for you, a special place. You’ll be able to see them, and they will be able to see you. But they can’t help you. Nobody can. Won’t that be cozy?”
This wasn’t going at all well, and it was going to get worse.
So much worse.
* * *
They shoved me into the back of a truck equipped with a dog guard. I heard a key turn in the lock, and took note that there was no door handle on the inside. . I wasn’t getting out of there.
I sat up, looking out at the dusky, fading daylight. My heart drilled against my ribcage and my breath came out in short little gasps. I tried to slow my breathing. Hyperventilating wouldn’t help the situation.
We drove for a good twenty minutes. The van finally stopped in front of a cabin. I heard the truck doors slam as I tried to take in our surroundings through the window glass, and then the key in the lock of the back door.
Number One motioned me out with the gun. He wasn’t letting go of that thing. Too bad. Without it I might have a chance at wounding him and the special member, who was a big, hulking, deranged looking man, who made strange sucking sounds through his lips every few minutes. At first I’d thought he was being lewd, blowing me obscene kisses, but when I saw the blank look in his eyes as they stared straight ahead at the road, I realized he was just bug shit crazy. Not a good scene.
I couldn’t make a move. If I got myself shot now, then Jack and Declan would be in an underground bunker for nothing. I had no options.
The helplessness I felt made me want to scream like a banshee, but I swallowed it back and bit my tongue hard enough to draw a little blood.
I climbed out of the van, feeling the damp cold seep into my skin. Hard little bits of icy snow were spitting from the sky now, biting into my face and hands. The air seemed to be getting colder by the second. I had no jacket now, and no shoes. I only had the socks that Number Nine had dug out of the box for me. I hadn’t eaten since breakfast, and I hadn’t had anything to drink, either. I was in no shape to fight or to try to escape.
But for the moment, anyway, I wasn’t drugged. Though that could change in a hurry. They didn’t have to try to hide the drugs in food or drinks anymore. They could just jab me with a needle if they wanted to.
Mr. Special unlocked the cabin door and shoved me through it, and I caught a whiff of something rotten as I stumbled away from him. Christ knew when the last time this dude had bathed , or what the last thing he’d eaten might’ve been. I tried to shove these thoughts away.
“Hello Leah.”
I scanned the room but saw no one.
A gleeful laugh erupted within the room, sounding slightly tinny. “Here, Leah. On the monitor.”
Gabriel was standing within the frame of the monitor screen, arms crossed. The wide smile was back on his face. “Nice of you to join us,” He was enjoying the hell out of this.
I forced myself to appear calm. I stared at him, crossing my own arms over my chest.
“I see you’ve met my special member, Mr. Bones. I only bring him around for special occasions. I won’t tell you why we call him Mr. Bones, but you may find out before the night is through.”
I didn’t look at Mr. Bones, and swallowed down hysterical laughter. I was beyond scared, and the urge to laugh my ass off was overwhelming.
“Now let me make myself clear. Number One and Mr. Bones are going to ask you a few questions. If you don’t answer truthfully, I will know it. See that monitor to your left over there?”
I looked to the left of the room and spotted the other monitor. Jack and Declan were still scanning the bunker for a way out. I knew Jack wouldn’t give up. They were also looking for objects that could be used as weapons.
“They will be able to see you shortly. If you don’t answer truthfully, you’ll be beaten. If you continue being insubordinate, other nasty things will happen to you. Number One and Mr. Bones have been very loyal and faithful members of our family. If it comes down to it, I will allow them to do whatever they’d like to you.”
I kept my face as expressionless as I could, but I felt my teeth grinding together.
“And Leah, Mr. Bones has some rather…exotic tastes. Trust me. You do not want to find out what they are.” His face was serious on the blue glow of the screen.
I heard the odd sucking sound come from Mr. Bones but didn’t look at him. I resisted the urge to shut my eyes and cover my ears with my hands, and scream until I had no voice left.
When the sucking sound stopped, I glanced at his lieutenants. Both were grinning, but Mr. Bones wore the most obscene smirk on his face that I had ever seen.
“Okay, let’s get started, shall we?” Gabriel said. “Mr. Quick, Mr. Manning. Are you both with us?”
I looked at the monitor to the left. Jack looked straight at me. I wanted to apologize for my stupid move, but I didn’t have to. He saw it on my face, I was sure.
“Mr. Quick. Who sent you? What organization are you with?” Gabriel asked Jack. “Mr. Manning, you can choose to answer this question if you like, as well.”
“We’re not part of a group.” Jack continued to watch me.
“Yes. That’s what I thought you’d say. I’ve decided to shake this up a bit.” Gabriel tipped his head back and laughed. “This is going to be fun. For every untruth you tell me, Mr. Quick and Mr. Manning, Leah will be punished. The same goes for you, Leah. If I think your friends are lying to me. Is that understood?”
Jack’s jaw tightened. I could see it from where I stood, even on a monitor. “I’m not part of a group, Gabriel. I’m a mercenary. I work for myself.”
Gabriel watched Jack from his own monitor. He caressed his chin. “I don’t believe you. Number One, if you’d be so kind.”
Gabriel’s number one lieutenant came at me in one swift motion, backhanding me so hard that I flew backward, falling to the hard wood floor.
“I’ll kill you!” Jack screamed at the camera. I looked up at the monitor to see him standing directly under it, his face tilted right up at it. His eyes were wild, his face stony with rage. “I’ll kill you.”
&
nbsp; “Mr. Quick, you’re not exactly in a position to make threats,” Gabriel said, truly enjoying the entertainment.
Jack glared at the camera, his eyes deadly serious. “Oh, don’t you worry, you loony tune. I’ll get out of here somehow, and when I do, I’ll rip your head off.”
Gabriel’s laugh sounded pleased. “I’d like to see you try.”
“You’ll see it. Soon.” Jack turned his back and paced toward the back of the room. Declan stood back, his arms at his side, watching the camera. His chin was slightly tilted downward. He was assessing the situation. Each response somebody told him how much trouble we were all in, and whether or not there was a snowball’s chance in hell of any of us getting out alive.
“Number’s Three and Four, tie Mr. Quick and Mr. Manning down, please. They shouldn’t give you any problem, knowing that their dear friend is in the hands of my lieutenants.”
I watched as Jack and Declan allowed themselves to be tied to steel chairs. Jack was a very big boy. But handcuffs were used. He wouldn’t be getting out of those restraints without help.
“Leah. Your turn, same question. What organization are you affiliated with? Who sent you to spy on me? And please. Don’t try to say you weren’t spying. I believe we’re well past any charade that you weren’t. Your bugs are proof of that. And yes, we did find the others.”
“I’m not part of an organization, and I wasn’t hired by one. I was hired by the husband of a missing pregnant woman. Alexia Clemmons.”
Gabriel frowned. “Why would you think I had anything to do with her disappearance?”
“It’s come through the grapevine what you’re involved in, Gabriel. It’s just a matter of time now before they close your little business down.” I was using my smart mouth because begging and pleading sure as hell wasn’t going to work with a no conscience narcissist, and besides that, I didn’t have it in me. But I feared for Jack and Declan, and the only thing I could do was tell at least a portion of the truth.
“Who is the grapevine, Leah?” Gabriel asked.
I was afraid he’d ask me that. I said nothing.
“Leah, who is the grapevine?”
Gabriel turned to a monitor with small images of Jack and Declan on them. A monitor within a monitor. It was all too strange.
“Number twelve,” he said.
“No,” I said.
I watched as one of the goons walked over to Jack and booted him in the jaw. His head snapped back, blood flying around him.
“Jack,” I whispered. In that moment I made a promise to myself. I would get out of this. I’d find a way, and this asshole would pay.
After a long moment Jack lifted his head. He blew number twelve a little kiss through a bubble of blood, and looked at the monitor, winking at me.
I couldn’t help but laugh. He was one tough son-of-a-bitch.
“Leah,” Gabriel said. “Answer the question.”
“There is no grapevine. It was a hunch.”
“Really. Number Thirteen. I think Mr. Manning is feeling a little left out over there. Give him a little love, would you?”
Another of Gabriel’s men walked over to Declan, something in his left hand. I squinted to see what it was. Duct tape. I heard the ripping sound as he tore a piece off the roll. Dread filled my chest as I watched him roughly slap a piece over Declan’s mouth. He then used his thumb and index finger to plug Declan’s nose.
At first Declan did nothing. He had to be holding his breath, having anticipated what the man would do. But then he slowly started moving his head back and forth.
“Stop,” I said. “Stop!”
Declan was bucking in his chair now, his movements frantic. His feet pummeled the floor.
“Stop! Stop it!” I was screaming now.
“You can stop for now, Number Thirteen.” Gabriel’s voice was cool, and I could hear the smile in his voice. Briefly I wondered who had messed him up so badly. When the exact moment was that his sanity snapped. At what point had his conscience been severed as a child.
I watched as Declan took a large breath through his nose, then several more, hanging his head so that his chin rested on his chest.
This had to end, and I had to end it. This was torture, and Gabriel, was loving it. He was probably sporting quite an erection.
“Look, this is a losing game. No matter what I say, you won’t believe it, and even if you do, you’re having far too much fun to end it. So why don’t you just beat the hell out of me and be done with it.” I rolled to my knees, then got to my feet. I faced the lieutenants, making little ‘bring it on’ motions with both my hands, curling the fingers toward myself back and forth. “Come on, you pathetic losers.”
“Leah,” I heard Jack say in a warning tone.
I looked Number One up and down, and then turned my disgusted gaze to Mr. Bones. “Tell me, do either of you have an original thought in your head? Or does it all come from Gabriel.”
“Leah, stop.” Jack raised his voice.
I didn’t look at him.
“What’s it like to be mindless puppets to a guy who has no use for you except as trained monkeys?” I stepped forward, my face tilted upward, challenging them both, looking from one to the other.
Number One glared down at me, fists balled. Mr. Bones wore a strange little grin. I wasn’t sure what his deal was. Clearly he’d taken the fun train out of town long ago.
“Christ, Leah. Stop.” Jack’s voice carried a plea.
“No,” I said. Being obedient wasn’t helping. Why should I stop? If I was going to get slapped around, I might as well really earn the beating.
Then a thought occurred to me. The only way to end this was to end it. I wasn’t playing Gabriel’s game anymore. I turned from the monkeys and walked over to the monitor, feeling a smile lift the corners of my mouth as Gabriel looked down at me, doubt on his face. I jumped as high as I could, aiming for the monitor, and spat at Gabriel’s face.
I heard the booming footsteps and laughed before I felt the knock to the back of my head. I saw stars bursting behind my eyes before I went down.
* * *
I awoke with my head pounding. My face was pressed against the cold floor. I lifted my head, wincing. A wave of nausea washed over me. A concussion. Lovely. Just in case I wasn’t having enough fun as it was. I looked up at the monitor. It was still on, but Gabriel wasn’t on it. Apparently he was busy with other fun and games at the moment. I turned toward the other monitor, the one Jack and Declan had been on. They were no longer in the bunker room. Both chairs were empty. Either they’d had escaped or they had been moved somewhere else.
I shoved thoughts of why they would’ve been moved from my head. Slowly pushing myself up, I scanned the room. Nobody was in there with me. Carefully I stood, gagging, and stopped for a moment, bent over, hands on my thighs. When the nausea subsided I moved slowly through the cabin until I was sure that there really was nobody in there with me. The cabin had one bedroom and a bathroom. That was it. I wasn’t about to get back down on the floor and look under the bed. But I was fairly certain I was alone.
So what? They’d locked me in the cabin until they decided to come back and finish me off?
I moved to the door and turned the knob, pulling the door open. A cold blast hit me. Snow was coming down heavily now and the wind whipped it directly into my face. But the door wasn’t locked. I frowned. What the hell? Was I free to go?
Sure I was. Gabriel knew I wouldn’t last long out there. And if I stayed, his two lieutenants, two at the very least, would be back for some fun.
Or maybe just Mr. Bones.
I’d take my chances outside in the elements.
I looked down at my socked feet. I hadn’t had shoes when we’d set out on this little adventure. They’d dragged me to the truck sans shoes. Perfect, I thought of the torn up feet of the women in the cult.
I wrapped my arms around myself, and started outside. I stopped for a few seconds as the world turned grey before my eyes. I swooned. Took several long, d
eep breaths until my vision cleared and I felt better.
If I ran down the road, they’d spot me eventually. I could run just inside the woods, paralleling the main road, and find my way back. Running would make me feel a little warmer, I hoped. I ran toward the woods, slowing every few feet as the world went fuzzy again.
Run a few feet, stop. Run a few feet, stop.
I swayed. Fell to my knees.
Nausea overtook me and I threw up in the snow even though there hadn’t been much in my belly to expel.
I took a few long breaths. Gathered some snow in my fingers and put it in my mouth, trying to get the taste out of my mouth.
A gunshot exploded. Whooping. Then another gunshot.
They’d been hiding, waiting outside the whole time. It was a hunting game.
I pushed myself up and I ran. Twigs, rocks and the freezing ground ripping into the socks I wore. Socks, which were too big and sliding off my feet anyway.
Barking. My heart froze. I turned to see an enormous mixed breed barreling across the road toward me.
If that dog got to me, it would be the end of either him or me, because it wouldn’t stop until it was killed, or I was.
I scanned the trees around me. There was one about twenty feet away with lower branches I could climb, if I could get to it in time.
Not turning around a second time, I ran toward the tree, hearing the dog’s breath come fast and ragged between barks. Somehow I made it to the tree and jumped at the branches, using my cut toes in the grooves of the bark to push myself up. The dog grabbed my ankle and bit down, razor sharp teeth tearing into me. Sharp, clear agony sang up my leg. I screamed and used the other foot to stomp down hard on its nose. It didn’t let go, but it loosened its grip on me long enough that I could tear my ankle out of its mouth. The pain felt raw and I thought I might throw up again, but I kept moving up into the tree.
I didn’t think, I just moved. I’d puke on the go if I had to. I pulled and pushed until I was high enough up into the tree that the dog couldn’t reach me. I was lucky. The branches were strong and thick, and I’d come up on one which had limbs that forked out. I moved over to it and hung my torso over it, hanging on tightly.
