by W. A. R.
“What?” Shelly asked, never turning to look at him. Instead she remained stiff backed, her eyes still riveted to the window, to something beyond the window.
He bit his lip and twisted his fingers together in his lap. “I’m sorry.” He told her for the hundredth time since it happened. He was completely unsure of how to fix it, and he knew that even if he could, it wouldn’t be the same; it wouldn’t be what she needed.
She easily leaned against him and he sighed. “I don’t blame you, Miles. I know you tried. That is just how Brian is; he and Amber both. That was what drew me to them to begin with.” She stated simply and he nodded, shifting his hands behind his back. It was a surprise, her speaking so many words at once. He took it all in, not wanting to make her once again quiet. The heavy chains cut into his flesh and he winced. She didn’t notice, tears clouding her eyes and falling from her lashes. “I just…I refuse to believe he’s dead.”
He swallowed. He understood where she was coming from…he really did. Still, the pain was there and he worried that it would never go away; he knew that it wouldn’t. “I’m sorry…” he glanced over at Lacy and Chloe. “about all of this. I didn’t know…”
“Of course, you didn’t know lover-boy.” Lacy sighed then, glancing down at a saddened Chloe. “None of us knew. It’s alright. We tried. This…this is just how it is. If this is how we die, then so be it.” She said softly and Miles nodded at her statement. They would be alright. All hope wasn’t lost yet.
“We won’t die here.” He stated calmly, trying to reassure not only these women he was imprisoned with but himself as well.
“If you say so.” Lacy mumbled under her breath, clearly not believing a word that Miles said. Again, he couldn’t blame her.
They sat there in the silence once again, lost in their own morbid thoughts. It was deafening, this silence, and it spoke volumes where words couldn’t match the emotion it offered. Miles had grown accustomed to the quiet between them. Every day, for hours they were all lost in their own remnant of despair, each definition of giving up different for each person. Shelly felt a failure and gave up by not sticking by Brian’s side, by not listening to Amber in the first place about not leaving the house. Lacy believed giving up was her being unable to stop these men from taking her sister. Chloe, young and naïve as she was, believed giving up was the very same as Lacy, but even more so that she wasn’t able to help Miles and Shelly find their family. Miles, however, felt the brunt of it all. He had failed them all, yes, and he had failed Brian and Shelly, Lacy and Chloe. However, he had failed Kyle and he had died. He had failed Cassie and Elliot, and above all, Amber. He had finally been where he wanted and he had failed her in the worst of ways. Had he given up? He didn’t think so, but he couldn’t be sure. Miles hated that most of all. He had failed everyone. There was no doubt about that and though it tore him to shreds, he refused to discuss it. Instead, he kept it to himself, remaining to be in his own personal hell until they finally took his life away from him.
The sudden and distant sound of trucks filled his ears then and he started, straightening his back and squaring his shoulders. Shelly slowly lifted her head at the sound as well and they began looking out of the window to see if they could make out any vehicles coming in. A nervous trepidation settled over them all. They were unsure of whether it was the other from before, the enemy; then again, it very well could have been any one; even more prisoners. Maybe they were on their way to getting tortured, or maybe it was the notorious Adrian and some more of his men. There was no telling, really, and that was what bothered Miles the most.
Still, it was the most excitement they had witnessed since they had been taken that second time and transported to the warehouse. They were curious and searching for some way out…something, anything. The sounds of the trucks’ engines grew closer and closer until they stopped, and yet they had been unable to find them within view of the only window they were offered, the window with the clear view of Shallow Falls Bridge. Miles sighed, as did Shelly and once again they relaxed into their seats. Lacy and Chloe seemed indifferent as they heard doors shut. One, two…then three and four…five, six…they continued. What in the hell was going on? Now this, this caught his attention more than anything else had. That was a lot of doors, which meant a lot of people. Nervous apprehension settled deeper into his gut. Slowly, Miles stood, turning and looking towards the door to their prison. Something wasn’t right. They hadn’t heard anything, no trucks, no other people, aside from their captors, since they had arrived. It was bothersome.
“What do you think that is?” Shelly asked, slowly rising to stand beside him. He stepped to position himself before her. “I never heard anyone leave.”
Miles shrugged, uncertain. “I’m not sure.” He replied and suddenly they could make out the sounds of shuffling feet; so many feet. There were muffled cries and suddenly the door slung open. Strange men ushered people inside, their mouths gagged, but it didn’t stop them from crying out and protesting. Miles felt a surge of relief and undeniable confusion roll over him as they ushered these new people in. The emotion was almost too much; so much so that he nearly fell to his knees.
“Cassie!” he exclaimed rushing to her crying form as she fell to her knees. His bonds were a hindrance then as he was unable to move fast enough to reach her. And yet still, in the time it took to reach Cassie, he took in the sight of the others. His heart constricted at the sight of them, at the very presence of them and for a brief second he thought he was dreaming, or on the other end of the spectrum, having a nightmare. He was torn between feeling relieved and grateful at having them in his presence, at having been able to see them again while also feeling defeated and torn at having them come to him as prisoners on their way to the same hell he was headed towards. They were with him again, but at what cost? As soon as Cassie’s forehead touched his chest where his fast beating heart raced beneath the skin, however, he knew it was very real and the feelings liberation and agony that they were there with him violently tore him apart inside.
“Elliot! Bobby-Jean!” Shelly exclaimed, falling to her knees beside him, the two of them lowering their heads to the three people before them. Shelly’s lip quivered and tears fell from her eyes; eyes that were closed tightly shut against the onslaught of pain that was enveloping her.
“Miles! Aunt Shelly!” Cassie shouted, her words, their names, laced with so much relief and vulnerability that it was torture. She sounded relieved and excited, frightened and unsure.
Tears filled their eyes as they cried. Buddy, Jacob, Rick, and George were brought in last and they were all easily forced to sit either on a cot or on the floor. They were cooperative with the enemy, Miles realized, and they complied easily to what was requested of them. Though Rick and Buddy did so jerkily with obvious animosity, George was not. Instead, he was very sad, and it appeared as if an invisible weight rested on him. He couldn’t even bring himself to look at any of the others, not that the others noticed. Miles thought this very odd of his friend, and it was obvious that he harbored something significant. It must have been something he had carried with him for a short while, as the guilt in his eyes was still fresh and could be mistaken for a heavy and undeniable sadness. Maybe he felt guilty as well, Miles considered, as they had all been captured as well.
Still, these strangers, their captors didn’t talk to any of them. Instead, they simply stepped forward to bind these new people in chains. They all remained silent, Lacy and Chloe watching in surprise and awe, Miles and Shelly feeling broken and whole all at once. They were alive, they were all fine…but what were they doing there? And…he gulped as he looked around…where were Amber and Katie? He nuzzled against a crying and hysterical Cassie as she lowered her head against his chest. His heart dropped into the pit of his stomach and his heart raced as he searched every face for hers, for Amber’s. Where was she? Miles watched intently as these strange men clasped chains on his people, ready to launch forward at any indication of rough or foul play. Their captors
were gentle as they secured the chains around their hands that were pulled behind their backs. Though he wanted nothing more than to lash out and stop them from confining their family in with them, he couldn’t. None of them were in any shape to do so. Within minutes they were done and they left the room, closing and locking the door behind them.
Once they were finally alone Miles and Shelly began rapid fire questioning. “What happened?”
“Why are you here?”
“Are you all alright?”
“Where’s Katie?”
“Where’s Amber?”
They were met with silence and Miles couldn’t tell if they were angry, hurt, or saddened. Either way, he didn’t like it one bit. It brought forth an uneasy settling in the pit of his stomach.
“Where’s Uncle Brian?” Cassie asked, effectively breaking the silence that both he and Shelly had received and Miles shuddered. He knew that Cassie was both saddened, curious, as well as avoiding their questions. That alone made Miles’s mind wonder. What had happened that was so horrible that Cassie couldn’t answer any of those questions? He stared at the young woman, taking in the deep desperation in her eyes and he hated that he was unable to fix it or take it away. If anything, he thought as he glanced at all the sad and expectance eyes around him, he knew he would be giving them more heartache than they already had. Shelly whimpered then and began crying against Bobby-Jean, who in turn shook her head in denial. The memories flashed through him once again like lightening, striking him and burning him to his very core. Miles sighed, his voice quaking with unkempt emotion as he spoke.
“We tried to run away, we got out…he went back to give us time…I…”
Cassie’s bottom lip quivered as she cut him off. “Is he…?” she began, unable to say the words.
Miles sighed heavily, watching as Shelly’s shoulders shook with the agony. “We don’t know.” Was his honest answer, and the gasps and whimpers heard from around the room were enough to set him on edge. He dove just a little deeper into that guilt-laden darkness and despair within him.
“If you got out, then why are you here?” George asked, his expression neutral, as compared to the rest of the others. Miles looked at his friend and felt so relieved. George. Good, reliable George. There was no mistaking the heart-wrenching pain on all of their faces at the brief explanation of Brian’s absence, and George knew well-enough not to dwell on that loss; at least not right then. It was all too much to bear.
“We…we were…trapped.” Lacy spoke then, receiving looks from everyone in the room. Both women stared at the family before them and Miles could see the hurt on their faces. “We were ambushed and brought here.” She supplied once again and Miles glanced at Shelly who couldn’t quit sobbing against her lover’s mother, a woman who was like a mother to her as well considering that even as a child she never really had one.
“That’s Lacy and Chloe. They were captured too.” Miles finally supplied, earning knowing look from everyone around him. It seemed inappropriate, but introductions needed to be done, especially if he wanted his family to trust whatever knowledge they had to be given before these two strangers. He glanced at Chloe and Lacy. “Guys, this is our family.”
“I can see that. We heard all about you all.” Chloe replied lightly, not bothering to hide the small smile on her face. Though sad, it was still optimistic. Miles wished that he could feel that, could see what it was that she saw. The inevitable was there, staring at him right in the face, however and he was desperate for an answer. “You both got them back. That is amazing.”
Miles turned back to his family and bit his lip. It really was amazing though horrendous considering the circumstances. “Not all of them though…where are Amber and Katie?” he demanded and he watched a ripple effect flow over his people as they shifted uneasily where they either stood or sat.
“Katie left…voluntarily…she didn’t like how we were handling things around there.” Derek replied stiffly, and Miles knew immediately that there was more to the story that what he was saying. Still, right then wasn’t the time for it. He would find out eventually, he knew it. He nuzzled his cheek against Cassie’s hair once again, taking comfort in her presence. It didn’t stop his heart from aching though, and his mind raced with one question.
“And Amber?” he demanded once again and he could feel the tension fill the room. Something wasn’t right. He could sense their uneasiness and their skepticism. Something was slowly tearing him in half at not seeing her there and for a brief moment he thought she had died. And damn at the pain that the thought brought with it. It was completely unbearable, an unsurmountable mountain they had to climb. He gulped, clenching his jaw. “Where is she?” he ground out, feeling the desperation and anger overcome him.
Bobby-Jean spoke softly, her voice shaking. “Miles…please understand…”
“Where?” he nearly growled. He was desperate for an answer. “You are all keeping something from me.” He gulped and closed his eyes. The pain was unbearable at not having her there with them, with him, where he could comfort her. Still, he knew she wasn’t dead. She couldn’t be. He would know…he would feel it…wouldn’t he? Wouldn’t he feel it if his other half were gone? Wouldn’t it destroy him? “Tell me.”
Everyone turned to Buddy then, who appeared torn and angered. Of course, he would be the only one that would be able to tell Miles what happened. What he said, however, was not what he expected.
“She is the reason we are all here.”
No, that couldn’t be right. Buddy was wrong. He was out of his mind. He had to be. His heart began pounding against his chest. “What do you mean by that?” he asked, his mouth having gone dry.
Buddy tilted his head to the side and narrowed his eyes, shifting on his knees. “I mean she made a deal with these people. She lied to us, and let them take us. She stood back and watched while they did it and then she disappeared.”
Miles shook his head and Bobby-Jean started, jerking from Shelly and whipping her head to face Buddy, her face red and her eyes fresh with tears. “I told you already to stop saying that! She had to have had a reason for this!” So it was true. Miles suddenly felt sick. It was true that Amber had done what Buddy said she had done. But if she had made a deal with the enemy, that brought forth another question. Was she still alive or had she sacrificed herself for the rest of her family?
“And I’m not denying that!” he shouted back at the woman, catching her by surprise. His eyes flicked over Miles and Shelly. “Especially now…but fact is, we are hostages and she is out there doing God knows what to fill her end of the bargain!” Oh, thank God…she was still alive. Yes, he agreed with Bobby-Jean, there was a reason for her doing this…there had to be. She had to have had a plan…something. It couldn’t just be a coincidence that they ended up in the same place. It just couldn’t be.
“How long ago did this happen?” Miles asked, his mind racing with all the possibilities, and George shifted his eyes to the window as if he were waiting on something before answering. “Are any of you hurt?”
“Six days.” He replied. Miles sucked in a sharp breath. Ryder had told him his family would be here on this day…had he worked with Amber? “And no…considering the circumstances, they have been treating us with respect and have been very…kind.” No one disagreed with George’s words, though Buddy tossed the man an accusing glare before returning his focus to Miles. So, Buddy suspected George knew something as well.
“Same here on both counts.” Chloe offered and Lacy gave her a hardened look. Chloe shrugged lightly, seemingly undaunted by her sister’s silent chastisement. “We tried to escape six days ago when they took us too and they have been nice. Feeding us, helping us regain our strength…”
“What are you saying, exactly?” Rick asked heatedly. “That this was all just some big elaborate plan? That what happened to them and what happened to us was set up? That these people are actually allies?”
“It has to be! Look at where they brought us! Straight to Miles
and Shelly!”
“No…how can we know for sure?!” Rick shouted, emphasizing his point by rattling the chains on his hands. “Amber wouldn’t do this to us!”
Buddy scoffed. “Help us? Hell yes she would.” Buddy tightened his hands into fists. “You’re just scared to admit that she offered her life or God knows what, for yours and you don’t deserve it.”
Rick narrowed his eyes at the man, hurt clear in his eyes. “They can’t be allies.” Miles opened his mouth then to express how Ryder had helped them, what he had told them whenever Cassie interrupted them all.
“Stop shouting!” Cassie then exclaimed. Everyone quieted and Miles looked down at her as she lifted her head from his chest. “Just stop! My uncle and my mother are both gone and we found Miles and Shelly. Can we please just have a minute of peace for thanks and grief?” Everyone stared hard at her as she yelled at them, uncertainty hanging in their eyes but they finally relented…all except Chloe.
“Um…Miles? Shelly? You might want to come here and see this.” She mumbled weakly, curiously, and easily Miles rose to his feet, the chains that held his hands rustling as he made his way to the window. He heard everyone else begin moving, rising to their unbound feet. There, a long ways off and on top of the bridge facing them from the opposite side of the bridge, was a bright red speck of…someone. He squinted his eyes, watching as they struggled with something. It was so far off that he could barely make out what it was, but whenever he realized who, his heart plummeted into his stomach. He felt Shelly move beside him.
