by Carly Fall
“Oh, God,” Nico whispered, sinking to his knees.
“We need every detail of what happened,” Noah said.
“I know.”
As if enough drama hadn’t landed on their doorstep, Abby suddenly collapsed to the ground.
"What the hell is wrong with her?" Noah asked.
Beverly went over to her and felt for a pulse. "We need to get her inside. Noah, come help me."
Noah stood next to Titus, staring at Abby, his face growing paler by the second.
Hudson glanced at him, then stepped over to Beverly, scooping his daughter up off the desert floor.
“Come on, Noah. You're needed inside," Hudson called over his shoulder.
Noah began to sway as he watched Hudson take Abby up the stairs, then hit the ground himself in a puff of dust.
“Oh, for God’s sake,” Hudson yelled. “Titus, get that wuss inside.”
He sighed and bent over, grabbing Noah by his back and collar. The guy weighed a little bit short of a ton to Titus, and he glanced at Blake.
"Can I get some help here?"
"My friend, you saved my kid. I'd give you my left nut if you asked."
Titus shook his head. "I'm good there. Just some help carrying this monster inside."
Blake nodded. "You grab his feet, I'll get his head."
Chapter 34
After Titus left, the Colonist had simply walked up to them and sat down, looking like any other father at the park with his baseball cap and ASU t-shirt and jeans. He’d known Alaina by name, and had introduced himself to Macy.
At first, Macy had thought him to be a friend of Alaina’s from her ‘human’ life, but Alaina had immediately paled. It had only been when Macy pulled her hand away from the handshake he’d offered that she’d noticed the ash. It had taken everything in her not to scream and run from the scene, but Daniel brandishing a gun had helped her stay in place.
Alaina had glanced over at the kids on the playground, and Macy had immediately understood. She and Alaina may very well meet their deaths, but they wouldn’t do anything to put the children in danger. Bile had risen in her throat as she’d thought of this monster laying his hands on their innocent souls. She’d hoped they stayed entertained at the playground and didn't come over to meet their new companion. He apparently didn't know about them, because she felt certain that if he had, he'd have gone after them instead.
“Alaina, it’s so nice to see you again,” he had said, a reptilian smile on his completely average-looking face.
“I wish I could say the same, Daniel.”
Alaina had told her bits and pieces about her time with the Colonist, and she’d cringed. Daniel knew Alaina was half-Colonist and had wanted her to be his protégée. He’d tried to bring out the dark side in her by making her watch videos of people being murdered. Alaina said it had been close, but she’d been able to hold it off. This had infuriated Daniel to no end.
“It’s so nice to see people I know in the park,” he’d grinned. “But let’s take our conversation elsewhere, shall we?”
Alaina had stood, keeping her gaze on the children playing obliviously on the play structure. Macy had shuddered and hoped neither child would notice them being led away. Daniel could never know about them.
They’d walked over to Daniel’s car. “Get up front, Alaina. I don’t trust you behind me. You, get in back, and both of you hand me your phones.”
They’d done what he told them, and they slowly moved through the crowded parking lot. Daniel had taken out a gun and casually pointed it at Alaina, who’d stared ahead, unfazed.
“I love walking through the city during the day, especially where big events are happening,” Daniel had said.
Macy had turned to look out the window and had seen Titus running toward the playground. He’d grabbed both children and looked around the park, panic on his face.
“I wonder which people will be dead by tomorrow, and which ones will be killed by natural causes, or if my followers and I will be the killers. It’s all such a wonderful guessing game.”
Titus had run back to the SUV and thrown the kids inside. As Daniel drove by, she’d glared at Titus, willing him to look their way. She’d seen the recognition in his eyes, and she had quickly looked away from him, not wanting to draw Daniel’s attention to him.
“And then when I saw you, Alaina, just sitting there enjoying the day, I knew I had to catch up with my old friend.”
“I’m not your friend, Daniel.”
“Well, then, I had to reacquaint myself with my protégée who disappointed me like no other. But, I knew you had it in you, Alaina. You killed George, remember? You murdered him in cold blood, just like I knew you were capable of doing.”
Alaina remained quiet and stared out the side window. Macy had tried to figure out where they were going, but hadn’t spent much time exploring the city. She quickly became lost.
The city turned to suburbs, and then to desert, and a tear trickled down her cheek as she prepared to meet her death.
Daniel pulled under a bridge that seemed to be out in the middle of nowhere; however, Macy saw houses across the dirt wash about a half-mile away.
He parked, then exited the vehicle. Another car waited for them.
“Get out,” he ordered as he trained the gun on them.
Her knees trembled as she wondered if she would be meeting her maker in the next few minutes, and if he’d leave her body for the coyotes.
“Get in the other car.”
She followed Alaina there, who walked with confidence, each step sturdy and sure-footed. How did she do that when it seemed Macy might collapse at any moment?
Alaina opened the door and paused. Macy peeked around her shoulder, and she gasped in horror.
The tan seats had been stained dark brown, and the car reeked of the coppery smell of blood. The other vehicle had been pristine, but this one … this one brought even more terror into her heart.
Alaina slipped in the front seat, and Macy got in back with a shudder and swallowed a gag.
Daniel drove, his gun trained on Alaina.
As Macy stared at the barrel, how she wished she knew what to do. She didn’t even know how a gun worked, let alone how to disarm someone. If she grabbed it, she worried she’d kill Alaina with her uneducated attempt.
They drove another twenty minutes and then pulled into a desolate dirt lot. A lone house stood at the end of the driveway, and no matter which way she looked, she didn’t see another structure.
It reminded her of the silo. They were truly out in the middle of nowhere, and her fear increased, if that was even possible.
“Get out.”
She did as her captor told her.
The outside of the structure seemed old and outdated with its yellowing paint, and the land around it hadn’t been landscaped. Sagebrush, native cacti, and dirt surrounded it.
“Move inside.”
As she tried to keep her terror from collapsing her knees, she almost wondered if the blood-stained interior of the car would be better than what lay beyond those walls.
He handed Alaina the keys and told her to open the door. As it swung open, Macy’s eyes adjusted at the same time the smell assaulted her.
Death.
Yes, the house had looked normal on the outside, but the inside was nothing but a concrete room. Brown stains had been splattered all over, and Macy realized it was blood. Thick, metal bars covered all the windows, and as she glanced back, she noticed there wasn’t a doorknob on this side of the door, but a steel plate.
“Welcome to my playroom,” Daniel said from behind her.
She glanced over at Alaina, who showed no emotion, but looked around as if she were bored beyond words.
“Now, keep moving to what I like to call the ‘sitting room.’ That’s where I take my prey and let them think about their lives before I give them a chance to fight for it.”
She followed Alaina through another door and into another concrete room. The smell of deat
h didn’t seem as strong in here, but blood stains riddled the floor.
“I’ll be back with you ladies shortly.”
The door closed, and again, there wasn’t a knob on their side, but a steel plate. Alaina moved to the door and tried to dig her fingernails between the panel and the frame, with no luck.
Macy wanted to scream; she wanted to pass out. She couldn’t deal with this. As a Healer, it sickened her to her very core, and she sank to her knees in a corner and buried her face in her hands, her head spinning.
The sobs wouldn’t stop, nor would the trembling throughout her body. She felt as though she would lose her mind at any moment.
Chapter 35
Titus didn’t feel like he could hold it together much longer, but he sat in the War Room with the other Warriors as Blake led the meeting on what exactly they would be doing to get Alaina and Macy back.
His heart pounded so hard in his chest, he was certain the damn thing would give out at any given moment. His brain seemed discombobulated as they discussed the disappearance, like he couldn’t quite focus and his thinking process couldn’t quite track the conversation.
Sweet Macy sat in the hands of a Colonist. Good versus Evil. In this case, he didn’t think ‘good’ could win, as Macy was physically weak. The only way to truly beat the Colonist would be to kill him, and Macy couldn’t do it. Her nature didn’t allow for it.
So, therefore, she’d die.
He suffocated a dry heave with a cough, hoping the meeting would be over soon.
“I’ve put a track on both Alaina and Macy’s phones,” Kade announced. “So far, there’s been no signal.”
“He could have confiscated the phones, or he’s got them somewhere a signal isn’t available,” Roman commented.
“Agreed,” Blake said. “We need to watch those signals like shit on stink. If there is so much as half a ping, we need to move on it.”
“Has anyone checked on Nico?” Cohen asked.
“Axel is with him as we speak. Whatever happens, we need to make sure we get those females back in one piece.”
“And make sure Daniel ends up in a lot of different pieces,” Hudson muttered.
“What should we be doing right now, Blake?” Chance asked.
He sighed. “Right now, we wait. Titus got his license plate, and we’re running that. Hopefully, it will lead to an address.”
“I also took the license plate and worked in an APB into the Phoenix police department’s system. They announced it about a half hour ago,” Kade interjected.
Blake nodded. “Excellent. Good work, Kade. Hopefully, it will help, but I have a feeling things aren’t going to be that easy. Everyone be ready to go at a moment’s notice. If we get a hit, we need to be ready to rumble right away. Have your weapons cleaned. And … and pray.”
Titus shut his eyes for a moment, sending up a prayer for Macy. He couldn’t allow himself to think about what could be happening to her, or he’d never function again. He opened his eyes, letting his rage focus him.
“I’d like to go out and look for offspring to see if we can get a location on Daniel through them,” he said, willing to gut anyone or anything that came between him and finding Macy.
“It’s a solid idea,” Roman agreed. “I can go with him.”
Titus cringed. The last person he wanted to be with was Macy’s former lover. Roman seemed like a good guy, but right now, his relationship with Macy hit a little too close to home.
However, he couldn’t think of any way to get out of it.
“That’s fine, Roman,” Blake said. “Just make sure you stay away from knife-wielding women.”
The room broke out into deep guffaws of laughter, despite the seriousness of the situation.
Titus looked around, at his breaking point.
Noah had been dragged unconscious down to the infirmary, apparently fainting because Abby had. Beverly hadn’t been certain why Abby had gone down, but said perhaps her blood sugar had been low or the stress of the situation had been too much.
So that left Blake in charge.
Titus’ thought processes only traveled down a one-way street: find Macy. He didn’t want Roman’s help, and he found nothing funny about the fact that the male couldn’t keep his dick in his pants.
He stood, his chair toppling backward.
As he made his way to his quarters, something rose up within him, something primal and raw; something that made him feel as if he may explode from the inside out.
When he finally slammed his door, the scream that emanated from his very soul sounded like a wounded animal fighting for its life.
Dropping to his knees, he then lay down on the carpet, turning his head to the side. As he breathed heavily, he stared at the wall underneath the dresser.
Macy would not die at the hands of a Colonist.
He would bring Macy home, as well as Alaina.
He was not responsible for what had happened today at the park, and he’d done the right thing: he’d saved the children.
A few moments later, he stood, feeling resolute. Pulling off his white t-shirt and throwing it to the floor, he strode over to the dresser, yanked on a black one from the drawer, and slipped it on.
He moved to his closet and slipped on his jacket, then opened his new gun safe and armed himself with as many weapons as he could safely hold—knives, guns, and brass knuckles. Wrapping his hair in a quick bun, he felt ready to do some damage to anyone who dared to fuck with him.
He’d come to a conclusion, one that he didn’t understand, but he didn’t question it. It sat heavily in his soul, letting him know that it belonged there, that it had become a part of him. He allowed it to build and morph without doubts, until it solidified in his mind and body.
Macy was his female, and she would be coming home, or he’d die trying.
Chapter 36
Macy sat immobilized by fear on the concrete floor, her arms wrapped around her knees, tears streaming down her face. She kept thinking she’d wake up at any moment and this would all be a terrible nightmare.
Yet, it never happened.
“Macy, you have to stop crying.” Alaina knelt in front of her. “I need you to be strong.”
“I’m trying, Alaina.”
“Try harder.”
Never had Alaina spoken to her so harshly, and it snapped her out of her stupor.
They’d been in here for almost an hour, and Macy couldn’t see a way out. There weren’t any windows, and only one door. A yellow bulb hung above them, casting shadows in the corners and reminding her of the one horror film she’d watched during her time on Earth. The name escaped her, but she’d rather take on the chainsaw wielding man in that than the Colonist who had locked them in here.
Alaina paced the room, her arms folded over her chest as she studied every nook and cranny.
There wasn’t a lot to see, but she continued her exploration.
Suddenly, the door opened.
Macy gasped, and Alaina turned, her face impassive. Daniel strode in, the gun at his side, and stopped inches from Alaina.
“Alaina, please join me in the other room.”
“No.”
His hand cracked against Alaina’s cheek, and Macy fought back a scream. She could feel the sting on her face as if it had happened to her.
However, it didn’t faze Alaina. Her head snapped, but then she met his gaze again.
Daniel raised his gun and pointed it at Macy. She shut her eyes, unable to catch her breath as she choked on her sobs.
“Get in the other room, or I put a few bullets in your little mousy friend cowering in the corner over there.”
“What are you going to do with me?”
Daniel chuckled, and Macy opened her eyes and looked over at them.
“You’re going to fight for your life, just like I said. That’s what everyone who I bring here does. Of course, no one ever wins, except me. But I love the fight, watching the life drain out of a person. It’s exhilarating.”
A
laina’s lips twitched into a little bit of a smile. Macy had never seen her this way—her calm, determined features paralleled Daniel’s, and for the first time, she saw how they were cut from the same cloth. Alaina’s evil streak had come to the surface, only scaring Macy more.
“Let’s do it, Daniel.”
She led the way out of the room, and Daniel turned to Macy before shutting the door. He raised the gun and fired.
She screamed and buried her head in her arms, the echo of the gunshot barely drowning out his laughter and her cries of terror.
Chapter 37
Titus walked the streets of Phoenix, studying every face he saw. Since it was Friday night, the sidewalks bustled despite the danger. They patrolled a busy part of the town where the streetlights glowed from above, and the businesses open at that time of night hurried to take care of their patrons, their lights brightening up the sidewalks.
The police had put out in a news bulletin that people should take their safety in their own hands when they came downtown, especially at night. However, based on the crowds, the warning didn’t carry much weight.
Perhaps all the humans had the idea that it would never happen to them, that it would always be the next guy. He wanted to scream at the top of his lungs that the danger was real, that any one of them could end up dead, but he took a deep breath instead and kept his trap shut.
“Maybe we should call it a night. This seems futile and not such a good idea anymore,” Roman said.
Titus closed his eyes briefly, trying to calm the storm inside of him. Not only did Roman irritate the hell out of him and he worried about Macy, but his contacts to mute the glow of his eyes burned, making him more agitated. “If you want to head back, go ahead. I’ll catch up later.”
“This is stupid. We should be saving our energy.”
“I said, I’m going to keep patrolling. I can’t go back to the silo. Not yet.”
Roman grabbed his arm. “Wait a minute. Are you feeling guilty or something about what happened today? “
Titus stared at him, then looked down at his arm. The only thing he could think of besides Macy and Alaina being in the hands of a Colonist was that this fucker used to be Macy’s lover.
