by Ellie Aiden
We are nearly to the door when yelling erupts from the other side of the main doors. The doors burst open, and I turn to see a man I don’t know taking a knee before the Elders.
“Forgive me Vater.” His voice shakes with fear. But if it’s for interrupting a Ceremony, which is forbidden, or something else, I can’t be sure. “The Church…It’s under attack Vater.”
Say what? What do you mean under attack? Figuratively or literally? It seems the Vater has similar questions.
“Rise my son and tell me. How so?”
The man rises on shaky legs before explaining. “Gang members, Vater. They’re attacking the west wall. There are at least a hundred of them. They’ve also been spotted near the north wall as well.”
No sooner are the words out of his mouth, then an explosion rocks the ground, and I’m thrown from the Mutter’s grip. I think I lost consciousness, I can’t be sure. But my next realization as I come to, face down, is that I can’t move my right leg. Struggling to turn over, a chunk of concrete felled from the ceiling traps me to the ground. I frantically search my surroundings, seeing a dozen things at once. Smoke billows in through the open room doors, Vater Henry attempts to stand, clearly having been knocked to the ground as well. Elder Thompson is unconscious just feet away, blood trickling from his hairline. Other Elders and their wives are in various stages of consciousness, and the man who warned us, lies near the main doors, crushed under the weight of a large chunk of concrete, blood pooling around him. And Mutter Vera, is nowhere to be found.
I feel movement behind me, as the weight from my leg is relieved. Elder Berry thrusts a hand toward me before asking, “Can you stand, child?”
I don’t know, can I?
My first attempt almost has Elder Berry falling in a heap on top of me, my second attempt goes much better, although I wobble, the Elder helping to steady me once I’m straight.
“Everything you said is true. Some of us believe you.”
I’m shocked by his admission. I assumed everyone would follow Vater Henry blindly, but it seems I may have just found an ally or two. Good, I need allies, because I have managed to find myself smack dab in the middle of a shit storm, and none of the plans called for a gang attack or explosions. How did the gangs even manage to get explosives? Unless they are homemade?
“This is your opportunity. You need to go. Use the chaos to your advantage.” Putting his hand on my lower back, he attempts to steer me toward the back exit, but I have questions.
“Wait, and then what?”
He raises a brow, so I guess I need to spell it out for him. “I leave, and then what? Everything here, just, stays the same?”
“I think we both know you won’t let that happen, child.” Stopping to search the room for any resistance to my departure, and then turning back with a penetrating gaze before his final words. “You are running out of time, but know, you have allies inside. When you’re ready.”
He’s right, I don’t have time to question or stall further. With a glance over his shoulder, and seeing no one pays any attention to us, I push through the door and don’t look back.
CHAPTER 21 — THE PLAN IS SHOT TO SHIT
After leaving Elder Berry, and the chaos of the Ceremony Hall behind, I raced down the long interior hallway. Doors line this stretch on both sides of me, leading to various offices and private residences among other things. When the door that would lead me out into a public hall came into view, I put on a little extra steam, busting into the hallway.
Absolute chaos. That is the only way to describe it. When we agreed I would be able to slip away, shielded by the chaos that would ensue from my confession, this is not what I had in mind. Two bodies lay to my right, crushed by pieces of the ceiling, blood coating their bodies and the floor. Others rush in every direction, no one seeming to know what to do, yelling and crying.
I understand the emotion, it’s all I can do to keep it together. But I have to find Cody. He was outside the Ceremony Hall waiting on me so we could join Ash and Chase on the northeast corner of the Compound, so we could escape. I have to get to Cody.
Turning the first corner I see a few more people bleeding, although they aren’t dead, just injured. As I pass the main back doors to the Compound headed in the direction of where I think Cody should be, hopefully not hurt, I see my father, knelt over a man, with too much blood outside of his body. Sliding to a stop next to him, his eyes widen when we connect.
“Anna, oh thank God.” He places a kiss to my dusty cheek, before moving his lips to my ear. “You have to go, now.” It’s a whisper, but stern, and laced with fear.
I don’t want to leave him or my mother. With everything that just happened, knowing that we have allies within the Elders, could I stay? Could I change things from inside instead? My father is shaking his head. I don’t know how, but he knows what I’m thinking, and he disagrees. He thinks I must go.
“Go Anna, your mother and I love you. But, go!”
Anyone listening would have only though he wished me to get some place safe, but I know better. I know he’s right. Walking away, I don’t look back. I can’t look back.
Arriving at the last corner I’ll need to turn before reaching the doors to the Ceremony Hall where I hope Cody will be, I pause to breathe. Deep breathes Anna. This is almost over. The breathing doesn’t calm me as I had hoped, but it doesn’t matter. There’s no time.
Pulling my back away from the wall, and tripping over a piece of ceiling, I run smack dab into a very busty chest. In fact, having had my hands out in front of me to steady myself from the near fall, I’m now grasping said chest. My eyes staring at the boobs in my hands. Well, this is fun.
“Anna, I love you too, but not like that.” My eyes flash to connect with my best friend, and I have never been more relieved.
But also, why is she here, and why is Chase next to her, eyes frantically searching the hall behind them. They were supposed to already be at the wall, waiting on Cody and I.
“What the hell are you two doing here?” I whisper-hiss. “You should be at the wall. This wasn’t the plan.”
“Yeah well, the plan is shot to shit.” Chase speaks for her, as Ash begins to drag me down the hall. “We heard the attack on the other side of the Compound, so we thought we were safe. Then they blew a hole in the wall a hundred yards down from us. We couldn’t stay there, and since we hadn’t seen you and Cody, we figured you might need our help.”
“I don’t know where Cody is.” I admit through a grimace.
“We’ll find him. We have to.” Ash squeezes my hand once, seeking and giving moral support, and the three of us approach the open doors of the Ceremony Hall.
This seems stupid. I assume all, or at least some of the Elders are in there. If they see me especially, well our entire escape could be over. It would only take a couple of them to subdue us, even with Chase with us.
It’s then that Cody comes racing out of the room. “Jesus Anna! Where the hell were you? I thought you were dead.”
He has a scratch on his cheek, a small stain of blood on the sleeve of his arm, every inch of him is covered in ash and soot, but otherwise, he seems okay. Maybe the plan isn’t shot to shit after all. The gang members actually handed our escape to us on a silver platter. While everyone is busy fighting them, or running for their lives, we can just slip away. Plus, Chase said they blew a hole in the north wall. Easy Peasy.
“There isn’t time. We’ll hash all this out later. We gotta go.” I pull Ash, as I turn back the other way and nod for the boys to follow.
We need to get to the back doors, that’s the closest exit to where we are now, but when they come into view I realize we aren’t getting out this way. A large metal trophy case is pushed in front of the doors, with bookshelves hiding the windows on either side. I hear yelling from just outside, probably gang members trying to get in. The furniture blocking their access is guarded by no less than ten members of our Security department. All armed with knives, clubs, and various other weapon
s.
Cody doesn’t even miss a beat, storming straight past the entrance, and making his way further down the hall. “Come on, the kitchen. The kitchen is at the other end. We’ll try it.”
That’s right, the kitchen has a door that leads outside. In fact, it’s on the north side of the building, so we will have less distance to cover trying to get to the wall. I’m not sure how easy it will be to get past the gang members, but it’s not like we have a choice.
When the four of us burst into the kitchen its empty and unscathed. There’s a little smoke filtering in from outside, or inside, I’m not sure, but otherwise it’s still intact. Crossing the distance between where we entered and the exit door, Cody leads. With his hands on the bar he pushes, and what I see outside will haunt me for the rest of my life.
***
It may be the middle of the night, but that does not stop us from seeing one of the most horrendous scenes any of us have ever seen. People run everywhere. Some being chased, others doing the chasing. Some I know, others I don’t. It’s hard to even describe it, other than to say its pandemonium. Gang members rush throughout the Compound, knives and various other weapons in hand. And… oh my God, that one has a gun. A gun? How did he even get a gun, much less have bullets?
In the most casual move, Cody closes the door before turning back to face us. His face is slightly ashen, but he tries to steel his features. Chase and Ash are both managing to keep it together, while I on the other hand, I am pretty sure I’m about to throw up. Or pass out, it could go either way.
“Well? What are you waiting for? Grab a weapon!” Cody barks the order, sliding open a drawer before dumping out the contents.
Looking around the kitchen I can’t help the smart ass retort. Really, I tried. “Which one should I use, the turkey baster or the zester?” Actually the zester might work.
Rolling his eyes, he slams a butcher knife on the counter next to me. “Maybe a knife would be better. Don’t ya think, Anna?”
So we are both good at smart ass retorts in the face of danger. Cool, cool, cool.
“When I open this door, we run. We don’t stop. We don’t look back. We don’t even think. We just run!” Cody says before adding, “Chase, you don’t let go of my sister, and Anna you don’t let go of me. Got it?” He looks to each of us as we agree, before turning to face the door once more. As he places one had on the bar of the door, I grab his other hand with mine, prepared to hold on for dear life.
I have to admit; I was prepared to see a lot of things on the other side of that door. Luke was not one of them.
***
When the door opened to reveal Luke, I have never been more surprised in my life. If the look on his face was any indication, he felt the same. Neither of us spoke for a full minute, too shocked to utter a word.
The thing that brings us both back to reality; Cody screaming, paring knife raised, charging Luke and the three men guarding his back.
I scream, pleading for him to stop, “Cody no! It’s Luke!”
It’s clear the moment realization hits his features, but it’s too late, as evidenced by the knife lodged in Luke’s shoulder. The men behind him don’t know if they should continue to guard his back, or turn and defend him against this new threat, as they step forward and back several time. Cody’s hand drops from the knife, jaw slack, gasping in a breath. Luke just stares at it, then back at Cody, then back at the knife, and the trickle of blood now oozing out of the wound. I know it will be worse when he removes it, but thank God it was a paring knife and not my butcher knife.
“I…I’m so sorry,” Cody mutters, running his lose hand down his face.
Luke doesn’t respond with words, just a smirk, and then he looks to me.
The only word leaving my lips is, “Luke…”
“Harper we gotta go.” One of the men orders from behind.
I don’t know who Harper is, but he’s right. There will be time for introductions, and hopefully a very steamy reunion once we get the hell out of here.
When Luke responds to the name, I realize I’m a shitty girlfriend. Not that I’m his girlfriend in real life, but whatever. “Yeah. Got it.” And then to us he says, “Follow me.” And, we do.
There is no less chaos going on around us as we make our way further north toward the wall, but with Luke and whoever his friends are, it does go smoother than I expected. That is, until we pass one of the supply sheds, and Elder McGee steps out of the shadows.
“I should have known you were fucking a gang member.” Not sure what makes him think that, unless its Luke’s hand resting on the small of my back. “Ash, Chase, don’t follow her. She will only lead you to destruction. Turn around now, and I won’t mention this to the Vater.” Then nodding to me he adds, “you on the other hand. I’m going to enjoy dealing with you.”
My friends don’t follow his advice, if anything they step closer to me. We are a Team! What don’t you people get about that?
With an indignant “hmph” under his breath, he inclines his head. “Very well, I’ll deal with all of you then.”
It’s then I see three other men step out from behind the shed. All covered in blood and grime. Clearly they have each been heavily engaged in the fight. They don’t waste any time charging our group, each of us digging in and waiting for impact. I guess if one goes down, well, we all go down together.
Luke’s friends separate us from them, so the fighting starts there, while Elder McGee tries desperately to get to me. Apparently, he has to go through Luke first. I hate to be turned on right now. But, it is what it is.
It only takes moments before the other three men of the Compound are on the ground, not moving, but it seems the Elder might be a more prominent adversary. The two trade blows, back and forth, Luke using a hunting knife and the Elder with a sword. Speaking of hunting knifes, totally forgot about the one hidden in my dress. Handing the butcher knife to Cody, since his smaller one is still wedged in Luke’s shoulder, I pull my skirt up to retrieve the gift my parents gave me.
“Um, Anna…stripping doesn’t really seem appropriate right now,” Ash scolds.
When I pull out the knife, she seems relieved. Like I would strip naked in the middle of the battle. Come on.
I need to help Luke, but I’m afraid I could make things worse. I don’t have any fighting experience, especially with knives. What if I accidently stab Luke instead? That would not be a good way to rekindle our relationship. Because we are about to rekindle our relationship, right? I mean, he said as long as I was inside the Church. So the second I step foot outside that wall, we’re getting back together. Yes. Its happening. I spoke it into existence.
Approaching Luke from his back, I see two of his friends sneaking in from the side, but Luke doesn’t end up needing our help, as he slashes a gash across the Elders chest, watching him fall to his knees. He isn’t dead, and it makes my heart happy when Luke doesn’t bother finishing him off. We aren’t murderers. We just want to leave. I just hope we don’t come to regret the decision of leaving him alive.
No one has to speak a word, as we turn as one, and leave him in a pool of his own blood, gurgling for help. He’ll get no help from me.
We race on, our new friends leading the charge, Luke and I just behind them, hands clasped tightly together. Cody is just to my right, and Ash and Chase bring up the rear. I can see the gaping hole in the wall now, men running in and out of it, climbing over crumbled chunks of concrete. The wooded area just to the right is fully ablaze. Whether from the explosion or something else, I’m not sure. But it doesn’t matter, because we’re almost there. When my feet touch the ground on the other side of the wall, relief washes over me from head to toe. We don’t stop running though. We aren’t out of the woods just yet.
Looking back, I realize the men attacking the Compound aren’t Luke’s gang. I don’t see any of them with the Diablo tattoo. He must not be with them. They attacked, and Luke took advantage of the situation. There could be more to it, I’ll have to ask Luke later,
when we aren’t running for our lives.
When we are far enough away, and I can barely smell the smoke, Luke starts to slow. An old derelict house comes into view, and I pray we are stopping. I can’t breathe. I gotta do more cardio.
Two of the men break off, searching the area for any threats, and for the first time Cody and I turn to look back. Only, the two people who should be behind us...my best friend, she isn’t there. They aren’t there.
How could this happen? How did we not know they weren’t with us?
“Where’s Ash, where’s Chase? Oh my god, we have to go back.”
Luke pulls me back, and my attempts to break free are feeble. “We can’t go back Little Minx. We can’t, not right now.” He runs a thumb down my cheek to clear the tears, only for them to be replaced by more.
“Luke, she’s my best friend. I can’t leave her. She’s the whole reason I went back,” I sob.
His attempt to comfort me does nothing to ease the ache in my chest. “I know. I’ll send Tommy back to get a look. Maybe they are this side of the wall. I don’t know, maybe one of them fell, or is just hurt. I’ll send him to check it out. And then, if not, if they got her…”
He pauses, waiting for me to catch my breath, “well, then we’ll get her back. We’ll get both of them back Little Minx. I promise.”
I believe him. I can’t accept anything less than that. Wiping a hand across my face, smearing the tears in with the blood and dirt, I nod.
“We’ll get them both back.”
TO BE CONTINUED…
