“We can talk to Edward and explain what happened. We can’t give him what we don’t have. What would be the point in coming after us if we don’t know anything?”
“You expect him to believe you? Take you at your word? ‘Oh, Edward by the way, someone stole all my shit. Sorry but I can’t help’? You must be the fucking biggest moron with a Ph.D. on the planet. He’s going to find you, torture the shit out of you and sell you to whoever wants to use what’s left of you when he’s done. Did you hear they now have a specialist that neither of us really wants to meet?”
Armand was moving closer to his sister and leering at Laura. This was not going to be good. His hands were getting friendly with Gaea, who did not move, say a word or resist what Armand had begun. He moved in behind Gaea and put his arms around her, moving his hands slowly across her breasts and down to her waist. Gaea then craned her head back to him and started kissing him in the middle of their conversation.
It did not exactly appear to be mutual attraction and consensual activity. They were in the deep forest, no one was anywhere nearby and Armand was a big fellow with strange ideas. One was that he could have sex with any woman he wanted who strolled into his camp. Several had, and he had played with the women, all hikers, for weeks before tiring of them. If they had boyfriends along, then they were dealt with first. Armand was not picky and had no societal or legal rules to restrain him.
Nobody was leaving his camp alive; a dirt nap was only a matter of time.
As a child, the only kid to show him any love and affection was his half sis Gaea. Her third step-dad, her Mom’s latest husband, had raised this mindless and cruel monster who delighted in the senseless killing of anything alive. When Gaea was thirteen, she had her first encounter with her step-dad when her Mom was out of town on business. Her half brother was around her age, and puberty had hit his brain like a freight train. When dad finished up, he gave Gaea to his son for more recreation while he watched and filmed. Her step father said if Gaea ever mentioned this incident to her mother or anyone, including the police, the he and his son would kill her and her mother, and the authorities would never find out.
Gaea stayed for another few months of occasional abuse, then ran away from home as the episodes increased in frequency. She was sure her mother knew, but her step-father was wealthy and didn’t mind sharing his new wife with his son or his friends. Gaea’s life had suddenly gone insane and she left as soon as she stole enough money to exit. Mom was no help and, therefore, she was on her own.
This was in the States. One day, her step dad collected his son, explained he could no longer care for him, flew to Canada and dropped him off in the wilds east of Vancouver. He had done his best to teach Armand how to survive in the wild, so geared up and armed, he left his son in the deep wild. The boy was eighteen.
Gaea fled to her brother Bernard in New York, who took her in and cared for her and made sure she was safe. When approached by anyone, police or family, Bernard swore he had no idea where she was, and was not interested in her anyway. He had a new life and had changed his name so no family association was ever to be made. His real father was no prize, and after their divorce, his mother was careless with who she brought home for dinner and desert. Bernard did not want to leave his sister behind but he had no choice; if they were caught, it could mean bad things for him. Besides, Mom’s new boyfriend was wealthy and seemed to like Gaea. He thought she would be just fine.
She wasn’t.
Now due to the prospect for torture and a death sentence, she fled to what Bernard said was her best chance at survival. Bernard said that staying with him was too dangerous for both; there was only one way that was safer. Gaea found herself in Armand’s custody after weeks of searching for Bernard’s “cabin”. Armand wasted no time re-introducing himself to his half-sis, and Gaea could do nothing to stop him. But when the time came, and she was ready to be on her own, she would take care of this monster and repay him for all his attentions. She had roofies, poison and cuffs. His death would be slow and he would suffer as she had.
But for now, thought Gaea, Laura would be useful. Gaea would get a couple of nights off, assuming she didn’t do anything too stupid to provoke the monster.
Armand said, “Is this your friend. The rich friend who you said was real nice and very friendly?”
“Yes, Armand. Why don’t you go chop some wood for tonight and let me talk to her? I’m sure she’ll want to stay in Number 2 with us tonight. You’d like that wouldn’t you?”
Number 2 was the container Armand used as his bedroom. It had blankets and forty-five feet of mattresses, pillows and trinkets he thought girls liked that he had relieved from various hikers who had come through. Armand was not only not right in the head, he enjoyed a rich fantasy life that was not treatable by anything other than a bullet.
Armand left to prepare.
“Now, you dumb fuck, did you come here in a 4 x 4? A rental?”
“Of course. How else would I get here?”
“Well as a rental, it has a GPS tracker, so this hideout is likely blown; we need to leave right now. Unless of course you’d like to bunk up with my brother. I can assure you I was just about to kill him; I only just arrived myself a week ago and thought this was Bernard’s place, a remote cabin. Stay here while I send my brother off to fetch water after he returns with wood for the fire. You’d want to be fresh for him tonight, wouldn’t you?”
“Not thinking that’s what I’d want.”
“Well get ready. When I’m back, we head to the 4 x4. Is it near?”
“On the service road. Half a mile away, tops.”
Gaea was back a few minutes later after she picked up her back pack and go bag from inside one of the storage containers, then the two set off on a rough trail in the direction of the 4 x 4. As they made their way though the brush, Gaea thought she spotted a figure just to the side of the trail, perhaps ten yards back crouching down, lying in wait. Gaea reached into her go bag and grabbed an object; Laura heard a snap as they proceeded down the trail.
It was Armand who suddenly appeared in the trail ahead, now only about fifteen yards away.
“Going somewhere sis? Not thinking of leaving me all alone here, are you? You promised me some fun tonight with you and your friend; now it looks as though you’re taking off and trying to screw me over. You know I don’t like that. You know what the punishment is for bad girls who do naughty things.”
“Brother, we were only going for a walk to pick up some frilly things for tonight. You’re all wrong about this. We just want to look pretty for you, that’s all.”
“You lying. sis. You have your pack and go bag; you said we needed to have them in case we had to leave really quick. I think you and your friend are trying to leave without me and without playtime like you promised.”
“Brother. Don’t be ridiculous. You know how much I enjoy you. Now let us pass and we’ll be right back. Don’t you trust your little sis?”
Armand was slow, but not stupid.
“Nope. We’re going back, and you’re going to play with me right now. When I’m done, we can all go together to get your things.”
“OK! That sounds great. Now give mommy a great big kiss and we’ll fuck this little morsel together. I’ve had her plenty before and she’s very tasty.”
Gaea advanced toward her brother, while Laura’s face changed from relief to horror. Apparently, both brother and sister were equally insane, and she was going to die alone out here after being abused to death by these psychos.
As Gaea approached her brother, he was now grinning. He had it in his mind to teach both women a lesson they would never forget after tying them both up and taking turns with each. Instead, Gaea raised up a pistol and fired thee shots at the lumbering maniac.
Click, click, click.
Armand chuckled, “What? You thought I’d let you keep that little pop gun loaded,” her brother said. “I remember you being a cagey one, so I left you the gun and clip, but removed the bullets. Ju
st shell casings in case you looked. Now you’re in for it, little girl.”
Gaea turned in panic, to run, to get away.
Then two shots rang out. Armand was blown back as one bullet hit him in the throat and the other square in the forehead. He dropped to the ground, instantly.
Laura looked at a shocked Gaea. “My Dad was Second Amendment all the way. Picked up this little beauty from a sketchy fella on the way here from the airport. Not many handguns on this side of the border. I knew I couldn’t trust you. Wasn’t expecting Igor here. Thought it was Bernard.”
Gaea said, “Me too. Said it was his cabin and he’d join later. I don’t understand why he said that, but we can find out. Let’s go.”
“Not so fast. Keys please. Now.”
“What are you talking about?”
“The RV in Chilliwack. I’m going to need it as I travel. You can hang out here, you little whore. C’mon. Give ‘em up, or I shoot you now.”
“They’re back in camp. We need to go back for them.”
“We were leaving; you have your pack and your go bag, but you left the keys to the RV back in camp? Just how stupid do you think I am?”
“Not stupid. Just thought we’d take off. Get away from here. I don’t need the RV. Either do you.”
Laura shot Gaea with three slugs in rapid succession, not trying to kill her.
“If you want to live, I need those keys. And some information.”
Gaea was bleeding slowly; Laura had been careful not to hit any major arteries. Gaea was now several yards away from her bags and on the ground immobilized.
“In the front of the back pack. An envelope marked ‘Shady Rest RV Park’. Keys are there.”
“Good. Now write me a permission slip to take the RV, then we can get you some help. Make it nice and convincing. Then I take you to a hospital.”
Laura pulled a pad of paper from her own bag and gave Gaea a pen; Gaea wrote, then signed it.
“Now another note saying you’ll be out on the road with your RV for the next month and not to be concerned. Hurry up; you’re bleeding.”
When Laura had both notes, she looked down at Gaea.
“You can live if you tell me what you know about what happened to my shit. Talk fast, you’re bleeding and probably have internal injuries. The only other person besides me who knew everything I knew, who was connected to your brother as the money man, was you. I think you know more than you’re saying and maybe already sold me out to Edward and Anna. Now start talking, or you die here.”
“Why would I be out here if I had done that?”
“You either didn’t deliver, were hiding from me, or hiding from someone else. Not sure. But I think you had something to do with fucking me over. Either you can help or I don’t need you. But I will visit your big brother in any event. You know, the other one. He might have decided a one-way split was better than a three-way split. Or he knows nothing and you fucked him over too. Personally, I’m not sure he knows anything, but someone does. The list of people who could pull this off is small, and I need Edward and his psycho wife and daughter dead no matter what. I think they have my stuff and you got screwed by someone after screwing me somehow. If that’s the case, and I’m almost certain it is, then your brother will be as pissed off as I am. Probably why he sent you here. Now talk.”
“I don’t know where anything is, but if you get me to a hospital, I can help. I don’t know what happened, but I might know someone who does. Bernard too. I told Bernard everything but he’s just a middle man. There’s someone else who could have betrayed you besides me.”
“Who?”
“Not until I’m out of the hospital. Then I’ll tell you everything.”
“Not good enough. If Bernard knows anything, he’ll talk. I’m sure a money man like him is soft. He’ll spill his guts when I have my nine-millimeter pointed at his head. Still don’t know?”
“I can help.” Gaea was losing consciousness. She was bleeding out but didn’t know it. Laura slapped her a couple of times hard. Don’t you fucking die on me. I can still save your life.”
Gaea’s eyes closed; she was still breathing, though shallow. Laura knew it was over.
“Can’t say it wasn’t fun, you fucking whore. But you can’t be trusted. Goodbye.” Laura put two more slugs into Gaea to make sure she was dead, took her drivers license and continued down the trail. She climbed into the 4 x 4 and was quickly back on the Trans-Canada, heading west. She had hoped to catch Bernard and Gaea together and settle some matters, but almost made a fatal error. She was back at the airport in a couple of hours, dropped off the 4 x 4, then took a cab heading east again to Chilliwack. She would pick up the RV, lay low, drive slowly, and make her way to Calgary, then from there to New York City. She wanted to visit Bernard and see what he knew about the theft of her stuff. She knew where he worked and where he lived. He had been the money man for Gaea and Laura, and had promised that he had the buyers lined up. What did he know about this Franco Di Pietro guy? Had anyone contacted him? She would be in New York in a couple of days and get some answers.
Until then, she would enjoy the scenery.
Chapter 45
Adam was back in his Lab early, working on a problem that had stymied him for weeks. Usually when that was the case, he was a grumpy asshole during work hours who hated company and any semblance of noise, disturbance or distraction. After hours, when he returned to the residence, he was fine and “nice, laid back” Adam. Adam was always a handful, according to all who loved him; former girlfriends never lasted long though many expected they could tame this beast.
They could not.
He loved only Kalindra, Misti and his work before he met Noki. Later came Eene. But, he had fallen in love with Kalindra first, deeply so, but until only recently, there was little hope of a long-term relationship other than the one they already had and, the other, the one they had always planned. Their plan was simple: always be together and work on solving their dilemma; Adam considered Kalindra’s situation to be his too. He intended to marry her one day; one day she would finally say yes. That day was not on the horizon, so eventually Kalindra said he needed to move past their world into the real one. She was going nowhere, and he needed “more”; their relationship was irreparable and he owed himself and his world the right to a family with all the trimmings.
Adam disagreed; she was his one true love and that was that. They would remain together and that was final. Kalindra said if he did not find female company and date, she would leave him. She would not be the cause of his unhappiness and subsequent toxic resentment that was sure to follow; they had to be practical.
“I don’t care if I have to find them for you, which wouldn’t be hard, but you’re going to get past this. I do, however, retain final approval on all serious dating choices. No gold-diggers, women with huge fake tits or trophy types. Normal, smart, cute and down to earth. Like me.”
“We’re going to get married,” Adam said with finality, “no arguments.” He asked often and she declined just as often. Eventually he began dating and hated it. Then he met Noki and everything changed. For Kalindra this was the event she said she had long waited for and told both Noki and Adam how happy she was for them both.
At night she cried. She loved Adam, went to Church every Sunday and asked God ‘why her’? She had lived with Adam almost since the day they met, often sleeping in the same bed, but without the usual nocturnal activities. When ‘guests’ were over, Kalindra would station herself on the fourth floor; she could make out the sounds of coitus on the fifth floor but eventually, with some sadness and difficulty, had to accept the occasional houseguest.
Kalindra wanted Adam to be happy; just not too happy. She still wanted him too, and held out a glimmer of hope that someday they would make it work.
Eventually she moved out; she could no longer deal with what she herself could never experience with him. What Adam wanted, she wanted; to be together and have a family. It didn’t seem like much to ask. And the
story in the morning to houseguests after an evening of sex, that they were just roommates, was either not believable or not acceptable after a while. So, the girlfriends left. Generally, Adam was relieved because Kalindra could then move back in, Adam would say he tried, and Kalindra would not force the issue for a while. But if Kalindra found a prospect, Adam felt obliged to do as he was told; he would not risk losing the love of his life.
Then, Noki arrived.
***
Noki was different and, due to many factors, wanted Kalindra back in Adam’s life. She liked Kalindra, who knew that Noki had tried to kill Adam, and understood that Kalindra loved him more than Noki would ever think herself capable. Noki had no experience with love but plenty with sex, while, for Kalindra, it was just the opposite. Noki believed, and told them both that, on balance, they had a family; something Adam desperately wanted and Noki never had. Kalindra could complete what each desired most. Some day things would change, and when they did, they would still be a family and happy. Until then, what was wrong with the experiment? When Misti had her revelation, and the Immortals arrived, things got more interesting on many levels but Noki still accepted that Kalindra was still the one. Adam never suggested otherwise and no issues ever arose about exclusivity or jealousy. That would have been the kiss of death for whoever felt that way and expressed it. Wanting exclusivity in the relationship was fine; they all wanted that, even Adam. But if this was going to be a group family to address everyone’s needs, they would either find a way to work through the emotions, or part ways.
Every member of the existing family started out thinking a non-traditional, group family was possible; some more than others. Misti herself, in the beginning, loved the idea but was uncertain it could work in the real world. She suggested a one-year probation; they had long since blown by that time frame. Wanting to try, and succeeding, however, were two different things. Even Adam was convinced a family like this could work but still had reservations about practicality himself. He often vacillated between hoping it could work and being confident it would.
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