The Registry

by Shannon Stoker

  Andrew didn’t wait for a response. He walked as quickly as possible to his room, the only private sanctuary he’d ever known. It wasn’t too late. Maybe Rod was wrong. He could get his life back on track; he just needed to find the nearest reporting station.

  Chapter 65

  Life events can cause stress on the marriage. It is the wife’s duty to ease any burden on her husband. He bears the stress so that she can live a relaxing life.

  —The Registry Guide for Girls

  He’ll settle down.” Carter kissed Mia’s shoulder blade.

  She ignored him and followed Andrew. She caught up with him right outside his room.

  “I didn’t know you felt this way. Remember, I tried to—”

  “Stop talking. Please just stop.”

  “That’s not fair.”

  “Well, that’s an important lesson to learn. Lots of things aren’t fair.”

  “Don’t you think I’ve learned that by now? Andrew, you need to let me in. You keep yourself so private it drives me crazy. I am here to help you, I want to help you. I am so sorry for the way things played out tonight, but it doesn’t change anything between us. Please just tell me what you wanted to say.”

  The lights flipped on. Carter must have run for the switch. Andrew looked up at her. She felt his heart breaking and hers doing the same. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and comfort him, but before she had the chance he headed toward the stairs and disappeared.

  Mia’s chest felt heavy. It always amazed her how Andrew could say such emotional things with such a flat voice. She wished he would yell. It would be easier to scream back at him. Carter leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. If she couldn’t be mad at Andrew, at least she could be mad at someone.

  “This is all your fault!” She walked toward him. “If you didn’t have to push, act so available, this would have never happened.”

  “Calm down.” Carter stepped forward and rubbed her arms. “I love you.”

  Mia found that hard to believe. Boys were just professing their feelings everywhere tonight. She was already dealing with Andrew. She couldn’t add Carter to that list.

  “I doubt that.” Mia held her hand to her forehead. This was becoming too much.

  “I love you, Mia Morrissey, and so does that guy who just walked up the stairs. You have a choice to make.”

  “He’s gone. Probably on his way to a service station. We’ll never see him again.” Mia felt like she was losing her breath; she needed to focus on one issue at a time. “And I barely know you; you don’t know me.”

  “I know enough. And he’ll be back, but I want you to remember this moment.” Carter placed his hands on her shoulders. “I didn’t run away; I stayed right here.”

  Mia stared into Carter’s eyes. They were warm, not as intense as Andrew’s glare. She began to lose her anger, but the image of Andrew’s face as he stood in the doorway was all she could see. The hurt was so obvious, and it was her fault. The sound of the front door made Mia snap out of her trance.

  “Nobody loves anyone down here. Don’t forget it,” Mia said. She wasn’t prepared for this conversation. “We have to go after him.”

  She started toward the stairs but Carter reached out and grabbed her hand, swinging her back around to face him.

  “Andrew is a smart guy, and the nearest station is miles; just let him blow off some steam. The situation needs to sink in for him.”

  “You don’t understand; he’s my family.” Mia moved away from Carter and ran to the stairs.

  “Wait, you’re too flustered. It might be dangerous for you up there alone in this condition. Let me.” Carter was already on the steps, reaching the top door. “Wait down here.”

  Mia wanted to argue, but she took the opportunity to calm down. She walked back downstairs and sat on one of the bar stools. Of course now Carter thought it wasn’t safe for her upstairs. She would be happy to never see this basement again. Resting her head in her hand, she thought about the night’s events.

  Andrew cared about her, but she’d been too busy with Carter to notice. Carter saying he loved her made Mia shake her head in disbelief. He was carefree and happy, but Mia realized these traits didn’t make him incapable of love. It had just never occurred to her that he was serious about their situation.

  The sound of footsteps upstairs made Mia queasy. She heard two distinct sets and was glad Carter had brought Andrew back, but she wasn’t ready to face him. It did make her feel better that he hadn’t made it to a service center. She wasn’t ready to make any choices. Instead she would tell both boys she needed a cooling-off period.

  More noise was coming from upstairs. It sounded like the two were fighting. Muffled voices were being raised; she was happy she couldn’t make out what they were saying. She didn’t expect them to change into best friends right now but had never thought violence would ensue. Smoothing down her cotton dress, she went to break up the fight. Before she made it to the stairs, the door was flung open and Carter’s body came rolling down. He slumped like a rag doll on the bottom step.

  Chapter 66

  There is never any fighting in a marriage. It is the wife’s responsibility to ensure this. As long as she is compliant and helpful, there will be no reason for any discord.

  —The Registry Guide for Girls

  There wasn’t any time to think or focus. Mia went right toward Carter. She couldn’t believe Andrew would be so violent. She knew he had some issues, but there was no reason to hurt Carter, not this badly. She bent down next to him and placed her head on his chest. There was too much death; she couldn’t handle any more. Relief and tears poured out as she heard his strong heartbeat. Carter was alive. He looked up and she realized he wasn’t even unconscious.

  “Hide,” he said while he tried to catch his breath.

  He was already hoisting himself up on his elbows. Mia hugged him.

  She would wring Andrew’s neck. She could hear him coming to the basement door and prepared to give him a speech this time. She started to stand, but Carter gripped her arm.

  “Hide!” He pushed her so hard he almost threw her.

  “I’m not scared of him, he’ll never hurt me. You don’t need to worry.” Mia appreciated Carter’s concern but it was unnecessary.

  Carter was about to speak again but it was pointless; Mia knew now what he was getting at. Two men started to descend the stairs, each in the standard-issue black RAG suit.

  “We have confirmation on the girl,” one stated into a microphone that was attached to his lapel. “Affirmative.”

  Mia backed up into the basement. There was no way out. She would have to grab a weapon and try to make it past the agents. Before she moved her feet a loud blast sounded. One of the agents had put a bullet hole in the ceiling. Both of them had their guns drawn. One pointed toward Mia, the other firmly at Carter. They were on the bottom steps, about to enter the basement.

  “Relax, calm down. We have you now. You’re safe.” The agent focusing on her spoke in a soothing voice. “Kill the boy,” he instructed his partner.

  “No!” Mia lunged forward, only to see both of the RAG agents flung against the wall, landing right next to Carter on either side of him. Andrew fell along with them, landing on top of Carter. He jumped up, secured a loose gun, and held it to the back of an agent’s head. He reached for the other agent’s firearm and handed it to Carter, signaling for him to do the same. Carter slowly stood, his hands shaking.

  The familiar look of fury crossed Andrew’s face, like he was in another world, unsure of his actions. Mia gasped. She didn’t want to see any more death, no matter how necessary it was. Andrew heard her noise and came out of his trance. He turned the gun around and slammed the handle into the man’s head, rendering him unconscious but leaving him alive. Instead of waiting for Carter to do the same, Andrew reached over and knocked out the second agent.

  “We have to get out of here. He called backup.” Carter started up the stairs.

  Andrew reached ou
t his hand to Mia, guiding her over the two RAG agents, following fast behind Carter.

  The group reached the first floor. White light from the outside flooded the dark room. Carter ran to the front door. Mia dropped Andrew’s hand and went to the kitchen. She kicked up the loose floorboard with precision and grabbed all the contents of the secret spot. She wasn’t sure what was there but knew it could help.

  Carter and Andrew both had their newly acquired guns out. Andrew was prepared to shoot whoever was responsible for the white lights, while Carter looked uneasy about holding the weapon. Mia thought she could do more damage with it. When the brightness faded a familiar whistle could be heard from the outside. It was no RAG agent. It was Rod.

  The teens ran out and almost knocked him down. They screamed at him, heading toward his pickup truck. Mia was surprised it didn’t take him long to figure out what was going on. She jumped in the bed with Andrew while Carter got into the cab. Rod peeled out of the driveway and Mia got knocked next to Andrew as he turned. She didn’t move away from him. Instead she sat in silence, taking a moment to grasp the recent events.

  “I’m sorry,” Andrew said over the wind flying past the truck. His eyes were a glimmer of hope; she didn’t need to focus on anything else.

  Their plans were ruined. Mia didn’t know what was coming next, but she didn’t want to die with any regrets. She placed her hand on Andrew’s cheek and leaned over him. She paused a brief moment. His mouth looked warm and welcoming; their lips met and sparks flew through Mia’s body. She felt his hand on the back of her neck, pulling her closer, kissing her harder and deeper. She returned his passion and wrapped her leg around his, intertwining their bodies. It felt like pure happiness. She pulled back and smiled at him.

  He didn’t waste any time acknowledging her gesture. He immediately pulled her back in. She let her free hand press against his chest as she fell deeper into him, her whole body on fire.

  Chapter 67

  Nothing is ever given to you. You need to learn how to take what is yours and protect it. Take your freedom through service and protect your liberty through war.

  —The Boy’s Guide to Service

  Grant’s temper flared as he brought the helicopter down. The RAG agents’ car was parked right in front of the house, plain for anyone to see, and the front door was open, moving from the force of the propeller. He did not understand why people had such a hard time listening to him. He’d had a feeling about Gila Bend. He never should have split his team up. If they were all here he wouldn’t have had to rely on novices. He barked at Agent Ross to wait outside and drew his gun, a favorite six-shooter pistol with hollow-point bullets. Grant knew the pain it could inflict was excruciating.

  He strolled through the open door. He was sure there was nothing he needed protecting from, so he let the gun hang at his side. Light came from a doorway toward the back of the house. He made his way over and peeked inside. Two RAG agents were at the bottom of the steps, one unconscious or dead, the other holding his head in pain. Grant danced his way toward them.

  “Did you see where they went?” he asked with fake concern for the agent.

  “They knocked us out, three of them. Two boys and a girl.” The agent winced in pain.

  “Well, you didn’t answer my question, and you didn’t follow my instructions.”

  “We thought we could—” the agent tried to say. Grant wasn’t interested. He pulled his gun and gave two quick taps, shooting the unconscious agent in the head and chest.

  “Again, did you see where they went?”

  The agent’s eyes widened as he shook his head no and started to stand up.

  “Such a waste of bullets, using this gun to kill.” Grant shot the struggling agent in the leg. He screamed and clutched it in pain. Grant was certain he’d shattered the shinbone. “But I’m on a deadline.”

  With that Grant fired into the man’s skull, killing him. Grant sighed, thinking that the men had brought this on themselves. This was what Grant had wanted to avoid. He had no desire for another chase. The game was over. If the agents had followed instructions they would still be alive and Grant could have focused his anger on his wife and her helpers.

  He straightened his cardigan and turned to walk up the stairs. Doing the math in his head, he figured she couldn’t be more than five minutes ahead of him, easy to catch with the chopper. The noise of the propellers soothed him; it was the best luxury.

  “Hey, boss!” Agent Ross said from the helicopter. It pleased Grant that he understood his role. “There are tire skid marks heading south!”

  Grant continued strolling toward his machine. He climbed into the front seat and put his headset back on.

  “Well then, we have a girl to catch.” He smiled at the thought of shooting her in the knee with one of his bullets.

  Chapter 68

  Marriage is, and always will be, a relationship severed only by death.

  —The Registry Guide for Girls

  I’m happy you came back,” Mia shouted over the wind. The truck was moving so fast she wasn’t certain he’d heard. Her head was nestled on his chest; she angled her face to look up at his.

  He was smiling softly. Mia wanted to tell him she couldn’t imagine life without him, regardless of their relationship to each other. She wasn’t sure what was going on, but as long as they were together everything would be okay. But instead she just waited for him to kiss her again. Right as he moved his mouth, a giant spotlight hit them.

  The wind was making so much noise Mia hadn’t even noticed the helicopter trailing them. The light was blinding; Mia tried to shield her eyes with her arm, but it didn’t help her vision. She couldn’t even make out Andrew. The truck picked up speed. She guessed Rod was going close to a hundred miles per hour.

  Just as quickly as the light had come upon them, it was gone. Mia blinked, trying to adjust her eyes to the dark again, and then realized why the light was gone. They both sat up, assessing the situation. The helicopter was flying low, right next to the car. She noticed the outline of the chopper moving closer to their vehicle. She grabbed Andrew and pulled him down, each of them on their back as the helicopter slammed into the side of the truck. The propellers circled right above their eyes. It was trying to knock them off the road. Rod continued to increase his speed but the chopper matched it and readied for another ram. The back of the truck was starting to fishtail.

  Mia knew Rod couldn’t control the vehicle much longer and tried to brace herself for the crash. She pinned her body to the bed of the truck, hoping to stay inside. The final push came and the truck went spinning through the air. Mia wasn’t sure what was up or down as they spun. Her eyes shut and the rolling continued. The truck hit the ground with each rotation. She continued to brace herself, making her arms and legs as taut as possible. The roll slowed and Mia relaxed her limbs. She looked up. Andrew was gone. The truck stopped right-side up and Mia had managed to stay in the bed. An eerie silence covered the area as dust and sand filled the air.

  She jumped out. Her whole body hurt, but she didn’t think anything was broken. Making her way toward the cab, she saw Carter slumped over the dashboard. Rod was nowhere around.

  She tried to pull open the door but couldn’t; the accident had pinned it shut. But it had also knocked out the window. She reached in and shook Carter, trying to rouse him. All of a sudden an intense pain filled her ears. The accident had left her momentarily deaf, probably from the echo created in the bed as she was rolling. Now her hearing was returning, painfully. She pushed her hands against her ears. When she pulled them back, blood stained her palms. Maybe she was worse than she thought. She turned her attention back toward her friend, who was still unconscious. She pressed her hand over his heart and noticed the beats. He was alive.

  Before she could do more someone grabbed her from behind. Holding her hair tight in a fist, the person moved his mouth close to her ear. Her captor spoke, but Mia wasn’t sure what was being said. She was pushed forward through the dust cloud. As
they moved her pain subsided and her hearing returned.

  “You should have been more careful. After all, I don’t want you to kill yourself. Where’s the fun in that?”

  She recognized the evil tone. It was Grant. They were following another RAG agent with his gun drawn, searching for Andrew or Rod.

  “Don’t worry, the cleanup crew will be on their way; we’ll get them if they’re not dead already,” Grant said to his comrade before turning his attention to Mia. “Oh, I missed you, dear.”

  There was no sense of good or decency in him. Mia decided to struggle. She tried to make a run for it, but his grip on her hair tightened. He removed the gun he was digging into her back and waved it in front of her face. Mia wasn’t scared. She wished he would shoot her and end this whole debacle. They were making their way to the helicopter. The headlights shone through the debris.

  Mia continued to attempt to escape Grant’s grasp, but he held on tight.

  “If you don’t stop I will knock you unconscious and carry you; neither of us wants that, now, do we?”

  She looked back at him and stopped pulling. For the first time she noticed his clothes. Between her cotton dress and his casual look they seemed more like guests at a garden party than people involved in a life-or-death struggle. Except for the blood, dirt, and ash that decorated them, of course.

  Mia kept her face straight ahead. She tried to scan the ground for Andrew or Rod, but the dust burned her eyes. She felt hopeless. There would be no rescue. Then she remembered her training with Carter. It was her turn to save herself. She began to struggle again.

  “Fine. If that’s the way you want it.” Grant raised his gun like a club but Mia threw her body backward, ramming her elbow into his gut. The gun still came down but missed her head. Pain exploded in her shoulder. She moved forward, out of Grant’s grasp. She started to run but was met with an unexpected force. She went face-first into the ground, her chin smacking the desert floor. Grant gripped her shoulder and hoisted her up. Her vision went fuzzy as his finger pressed into the exact spot where his weapon had made contact.