The Registry

by Shannon Stoker

  The three men stepped out of the vehicle in their standard black uniforms. Grant had decided to go for orange plaid shorts and a yellow polo today.

  “Gentlemen. I trust you had a relaxing evening,” Grant said as he met them.

  Jeffries and the other young agent grumbled something, but Leonard smiled as he shook Grant’s hand. He was the only one who understood what Grant was capable of, and with that knowledge came a level of respect.

  “My wife has been missing for over seventy-two hours. I am not pleased that she is not home in my loving arms,” Grant said, using his hands to mime strangulation.

  “Why do you care about her? It sounds like you want to kill her anyway,” Jeffries asked. Grant was growing tired of the man’s attitude.

  “She’s my wife. I have the legal right to punish her for disobeying me. Why don’t you care? She could become a blotch on your record, Mr. Recovery of Abducted Girls agent,” Grant replied.

  He understood Jeffries’s lack of enthusiasm. It was rare for a girl to run these days. Grant doubted if Jeffries had ever had a case that wasn’t open-and-shut. Grant’s bride had fared better than anticipated.

  “I learned some news; we do have an abductor,” Grant said.

  “That’s fantastic! We can go full-scale public with this now, get their pictures all across the country. Who took her?” Leonard was so eager.

  “Don’t get too excited. I don’t want to release his name or image yet. Besides, I don’t have a picture, just a description.”

  “That’s the best way to find her. We can get a sketch artist to draw him. She’ll make front-page news everywhere,” Jeffries said.

  “Yes, and then they will disappear. Right now he doesn’t think he is in any danger. If he continues to go out in public, we may be able to spot him. We release his image, he goes into hiding.” Grant knew they didn’t agree with his plan. “He is my best chance at finding her, and I don’t want to spook him.”

  The other agents looked confused.

  “Do I have to explain everything?” Grant placed his hands on his hips. “He is young, preservice, and about three weeks away from his enlistment date. I’m going to put a hit on his name in the system. If we don’t have her in three weeks, he enlists, and boom, I’ve got them.”

  “Or we could just release his picture and someone will find him,” Agent Jeffries said.

  “I have to agree with the boys on this one, Mr. Marsden. You could have your wife home for dinner tonight if we go public with this,” Leonard said.

  “Gentlemen, gentlemen, do you have no appreciation for the hunt? For the excitement? I haven’t felt this alive in years! I will catch her, with the help of my team. If for whatever reason I can’t catch her, I have a safety net. The boy reports for duty and I pick her up then,” Grant explained.

  “It’s a waste of government resources,” Jeffries said.

  “Watch your tone, young man. You fail to realize that I am one of the people who gives the government most of its resources,” Grant said.

  Leonard looked back at his agents and nodded. A chopping sound in the sky grew closer, circling the men. A strong wind kicked up, swirling dust and debris around them, as a helicopter landed in the backyard.

  “This is why I wanted to meet at this spot one last time. There’s enough room for landing,” Grant said over the roar of the propellers. “Don’t worry. It’s from my own private collection,” he added, winking at Jeffries.

  The engine died and the noise began to subside. The whole farm was up now, staring in awe at Grant’s favorite toy.

  “Agent Jeffries, would you like to accompany me? We have something to check out.” Grant walked toward the chopper. “Leonard, you and your boy go by car and meet us at the truck stop a few hours south. I sent the location to your phone. We should be finished by the time you get there.”

  Grant jogged to the helicopter. A reluctant Jeffries followed him and climbed in. Just because he wanted a challenge didn’t mean he had to fight fair. The helicopter was the top of the line and they would be there in well under an hour. Grant insisted on flying. He left the original pilot on the ground. He hoped Agent Jeffries would enjoy the flight.

  Please, try to lift us off.” Grant spoke through the headset to Jeffries.

  “I don’t know how to fly.” Jeffries smirked at the suggestion.

  Grant batted his eyelashes and signaled to the dashboard. There were minimal buttons and gears, and a simple joystick in the middle of the front seats served as the steering device.

  “This is one of my prototypes, a light, fast, easy-to-fly chopper.” Grant stared at Jeffries. “It’s designed for ease of use. A monkey could figure it out. Give it a try.”

  The agent’s interest was piqued. He grabbed the joystick and pulled back. The helicopter lifted up into the air. Grant watched as Jeffries’s face brightened.

  “This is pretty cool.” He moved the stick toward the right, turning the helicopter in a circle. “I wouldn’t know how to land it, though.”

  “That is the tricky part. Don’t worry. I’ll take us down. Anyone sitting in the front can fly it.”

  “How many people can fit in here?” Jeffries didn’t bother looking to the back. He kept his eye on the sky.

  “There’s room for four, but this is a prototype. I wouldn’t put in more than three. The more weight, the slower it goes.”

  “We’ll be there soon then?” Jeffries was relaxed, growing comfortable with flying.

  “I’ll be there soon. We’ve probably already flown thirty miles or so,” said Grant.

  “This is the way to travel.” Jeffries smiled broadly.

  “We’re not vacationing. We’re working. Did you forget, Jeffries?”

  “No, I didn’t forget.” The agent’s face went blank.

  “In order to save my young wife from her abductors, I’m going to need a team. In order to get that team to do what I say, I’m going to need respect,” Grant said.

  “I respect you. You built this.” Jeffries became serious.

  “Your arm signals otherwise. It’s in a cast because you failed to respect me. You questioned my ideas. That didn’t show admiration.”

  “Well, I’m sorry if I offended you. I was only trying to do my job, too.” Jeffries’s voice filled with annoyance.

  “It’s okay, Agent Jeffries,” Grant said. “You’re a lost cause to me now. But I can still use you to influence the others. So, in fact, you’re not totally worthless.”

  With a quick thrust Grant grabbed hold of the joystick. He swung the stick to the far right, causing the chopper to turn on its side and plummet downward. The unsuspecting Agent Jeffries tumbled out of the doorless machine. Grant moved the stick into its upright position and pulled back. The helicopter rose.

  “You should always buckle up, Agent.” Grant saw the man’s hands hanging on to the side. It hadn’t been a clean dump. “Or you should just keep your mouth shut. Then you really wouldn’t be in this mess. Your death will let the others know their places, though.”

  Jeffries’s screams made it unlikely that he heard any of what Grant was saying. The agent was disrespectful till his final moments. Grant reached into the back and grabbed the first long object he could get his hand on. A rifle. Laughing, he jabbed the gun at Jeffries’s fingers. He wished he could focus on watching Jeffries fall, but the sky needed his attention, too. He did enjoy his helicopter rides.

  Chapter 26

  Motherhood is the next phase of life for a wife. In the event that a son is born, it is up to the husband to decide how to raise him. A good wife will always encourage turning the babe over for government protection. The son will grow to become a strong soldier and the wife will demonstrate the love she has for her country.

  —The Registry Guide for Girls

  Despite her uncomfortable surroundings, Mia slept well. When Whitney shook her awake in the morning, she had difficulty remembering where she was. Dry, and in the light of day, Mia also became self-conscious about her lack of
bottoms; she had rolled around in her sleep and was completely exposed. She noticed Whitney’s disapproving look. She wasn’t sure if it was for Mia’s lack of clothing, or sleeping in so late. Either way she didn’t want to deal with it.

  Whipping her clothes down from the branches, she turned her back and dressed as fast as possible. In her attempts to avoid facing Whitney, Mia had exposed herself to Andrew, who was walking back toward the two young women. He looked away but Mia noticed the slight smile on his face. Surprisingly she felt no remorse or embarrassment; it was almost liberating. She giggled a little at the idea.

  “Quick meeting,” Andrew said. Mia glanced at Whitney. She was listening; it looked like all the angst she had been carrying yesterday had disappeared overnight.

  “We better listen up, or else you might kill us,” Whitney said with a bite to her voice.

  Mia was wrong. Whitney still had animosity. Mia wanted to defend Andrew, but he didn’t look fazed by Whitney’s harsh words. She knew Whitney was just out of her comfort zone and didn’t mean any of what she was saying. After all, Andrew had saved her life.

  “We are going to go find work. There is a delicate way to do this to make sure it’s a legitimate job. You two need to stay out in the parking lot. Don’t talk to anyone and don’t look at anyone. Try to stay hidden. If someone approaches you, walk away. You two are mute. Got it?”

  Both nodded in agreement. Mia noticed that Andrew looked uneasy, as if he were having a difficult time thinking of the right words to say.

  “I understand you two have lived sheltered lives. You may see some things you need to ignore, okay? It is important that you keep your cool and don’t expose us to anyone. Even if someone seems harmless, there’s a very good chance they’re not.”

  Andrew didn’t wait for a response; he turned and started walking. Mia and Whitney shared concerned glances before they followed him. Mia no longer cared about how far two miles was or what was wrong with Whitney. All she could do was imagine what horrors awaited them at the tavern.

  No cornstalks hid the little group from cars, but none passed by. It didn’t take long for the small building to come into view. The flat landscape made almost everything around visible. As they drew closer the building became clearer. Mia had a hard time understanding what the big deal was. It looked like any old structure. It was small and painted in a chipped blue. The low roof was tilting to the right and it sure looked like the building was falling down. Mia wondered if Andrew would be able to stand up straight inside. When the three were about fifty feet away, right on the edge of the parking lot, Andrew stopped the girls.

  “I’m going the rest of the way by myself. Sit here and wait for me. Try not to let anyone see or notice you. Most importantly, remember not to talk to anyone.” He tapped the top of his head, signaling for Mia to put on her baseball cap. “I don’t know how long I’ll be. It could be five minutes or it could be five hours.”

  With those final words, Andrew continued walking toward the bar. Mia could not figure out why he was so cautious. Just as she was about to comment on this to Whitney, she saw an arm reach up from the lot and grab Andrew’s leg. She lunged to help him, but Whitney held her back.

  It was a skinny, dilapidated creature. Andrew shook it off and another one jumped up and tried to grab him. It didn’t take long to shake that one off too and Andrew finally entered the bar.

  One of the creatures tried to stand but didn’t have the strength. It gave up and slumped back against the building. The other continued to lie in the gravel. Mia’s eyes darted around the parking lot and she noticed several more, lying in the gravel covered in dust. She also became aware of bloodstains on the ground.

  She had a sickening feeling that these creatures weren’t even human. They were emaciated walking corpses. She tried to wrap her mind around what they were, maybe some breed of animal she’d never seen before. Her mind raced over the cows, horses, pigs, and chickens her father raised. She convinced herself that’s what they were, some sickly animals. She wondered if they were the source of the bloodstains.

  Mia turned toward Whitney, who was having a similar realization. The two held hands and crouched down, then backed away from the lot. Mia wanted to run but was too scared to draw attention to herself. They crawled in the grass, away from the building. Mia had never missed corn so much in her life. She was concerned about getting too far away from the meeting place, but out of fear she didn’t stop moving. Once there was sufficient space between them and the bar, she stopped. Whitney wanted to continue lengthening their distance.

  “What were those things?” Mia asked, hoping to halt her friend.

  “I don’t want to know.” Whitney turned and sat in the grass with Mia.

  “I hope they don’t get Andrew on his way out. He didn’t seem afraid, though.”

  “Well, I hope they do get him,” Whitney said.

  “What is your problem? He is helping us. He saved you. You liked him just fine the other day.”

  “He is a killer! He killed a man, and I could get over that because it was to protect us, but he is affecting you in some way I don’t understand and I don’t like,” Whitney said. “You picked up a dead body like it was nothing. You got blood all over yourself and didn’t care! That is his influence. This is all a terrible idea. We shouldn’t be with him. He is turning you into a man. I like being a girl, and I want to stay one.”

  “Why did you come then? If you were happy with the way things were?”

  “For the millionth time, I just want a husband, and I was never going to find one at home. But now I’m starting to think I should have just accepted my fate as government property. I’m good at cleaning. At least I would have lived with self-respect.” Whitney softened her voice. “Maybe I should head back; we can’t be that far from home.”

  “You can’t. I can’t do this without you, I need you. If you aren’t here, then I’ll end up just like him.” Mia pointed to one of the figures outside the bar.

  “What’s the real reason?” Whitney asked, her eyes wide. “I know something happened, just tell me.”

  Mia knew it was time to explain herself. She closed her eyes and gulped in the air.

  “Do you remember my sister Corinna?” Mia wasn’t sure she would. Her older sisters had spent most of their time away at finishing school. When they were home Whitney was shut out of their lives.

  “Yes, she isn’t much older than us.”

  “She . . . she came back after her wedding, just a few months ago.”

  “Did her husband try to return her?” Whitney couldn’t hide the shock in her voice.

  “No, she tried to get away from him. She looked . . .” Mia tried to think of the right word. “Horrible.”

  Whitney’s eyes widened. Mia felt the tears coming.

  “He did terrible things to her, things I didn’t know a person could do to another person. My parents didn’t do anything to help her, they just sent her back, and then a week later we got word she had died. Supposedly she got sick, but I know he killed her.”

  Whitney pressed her lips together; Mia could see her brain making justifications.

  “Well, maybe she did something wrong. It’s her responsibility to please him—”

  “That’s not all,” Mia said, interrupting. “She told me to find something, an article. I think it was from another country, but I . . . I . . . I’m not sure.”

  “Do you have it?” Whitney asked.

  “No, I was too scared to hold on to it; if we were caught we wouldn’t even have been able to lie our way out of it with something like that on us. I destroyed it, but I remember everything it said.”

  Whitney looked intrigued. Mia continued.

  “It was just a short page, like the rest was missing. It talked about how American brides are just slaves, how we are programmed to ignore that fact—there was even a line about how America is the most hated country in the world.”

  “But we’re the best country, everyone knows that.”

&nbs
p; “How does everyone know that? Because some book tells us so, because the government forces it on us? Why are we the best? It sounded like marriage in other places is nothing like it is here. It is even up to the girl to say yes, and it doesn’t happen till they’re older.”

  “Maybe it’s a gag article, something Corinna and her friends made up.”

  “No, it was professional. She lost her life to show it to me; her last words were ‘It’s all true.’ ” Mia looked at the ground. She let out a sob and buried her head in her hands. She felt Whitney’s hand on her back.

  “Did you think that was going to happen to you, with your husband?”

  “I . . . I didn’t know, it could happen to either of us. I never thought punishment could be physical. You’re more like a sister to me than any of my real sisters, and I couldn’t risk leaving you to that fate. I need to know that you are safe, too. I’m so sorry.”

  “You don’t have anything to apologize for,” Whitney responded. “I don’t want you to end up like that either. You’re the closest person in my life, and I do care about you. More than anyone.”

  “You are going to get to Mexico and find a nice, sweet husband who deserves you and treats you well and have smart children you get to raise, but until then we need Andrew. Without him that trucker could’ve turned you into Corinna. You don’t know what he could’ve done to you. Andrew saved you, and it would be a whole lot easier if you could be warm to him again,” Mia pleaded.

  Tears streamed down Whitney’s cheeks as she nodded. Mia wasn’t sure if the tears were due to her guilt over trying to leave or her despair at realizing it wasn’t an option. She gave her friend a quick hug.

  “Try to remember, Andrew doesn’t have a charmed life either, and wishing him captured by one of those monsters isn’t fair.” Both girls glanced back toward the structure.

  “We’d better try to get a little closer. He might not be able to find us if we stay this far back,” Whitney said as she wiped the tears away and started to crawl.