by Redding, Mae
“Where is she?”
His voice boomed as the dim lights of the room flipped on and Morrison charged in. His eyes, wild with rage, settled on me. Morrison’s jaw tight, his harsh eyes glinted viciously and narrowed, condemning me as he walked across the room.
“You lied to me!”
“No… I didn’t!”
He grabbed my arm and I struggled with him. Glinting stars burst through my vision as I received a harsh slap. The force of the blow threw me across the bed. Pain shot through my head and I fought against the dizziness as Morrison turned me to face him.
“How did he know we were coming?”
“How am I supposed to know?” I cried!
“Who is their informant?” He yelled! He pinned me to the bed with one hand gripped around my neck.
“I don’t know!”
“Tell me!” He pulled out a pistol and cocked it then pointed it to my forehead.
“I don’t know! I swear I don’t know!” I cried! I squeezed my eyes shut tightly as tears rolled down my cheeks into my hair.
“Morrison! Stop!” I heard Damian from behind as he rushed over. Morrison jumped off me. They stood face to face. Both breathed hard, furious with rage. With one hand, he grabbed Damian, his shirt balled in the tight grip of Morrison’s hand as he pressed him against the wall. “You dare to tell me what to do!” He said, then turned his pistol on him. Damian stood unfazed, staring down the barrel of the gun as Morrison drew back the hammer and with a loud click engaged the bullet. I gasped. My heart beat wildly.
“No! Don’t, please!” I begged.
Seconds ticked slowly, like minutes, hours, as the room sat quiet, Damian’s glare, still unaffected by the gun in his face. I didn’t know why at that moment, I cared if he shot him but I pleaded with him not to.
“They were waiting for us! She knows more than she’s telling!” Morrison fumed.
“I’ll get it from her. If she knows who the informant is, I’ll get it from her one way or another.”
He lowered the pistol slowly, released him and stalked towards the door. “I want to know who it is… I expect you to find out.”
I rolled to my side, battered and shaken as I sobbed quietly when he left the room. Damian walked over to the bed and stood over me. He looked at me coldly. His hand touched my arm and I slapped it away. He grabbed me and pinned my arms to the bed as he crouched closer.
“You had no business going into Morrison’s office!”
“What was all of that Damian? Why does he have pictures of my family? My mom!”
“You were picked from the beginning.”
“When was the beginning, Damian? The beginning of what?”
“Years ago.”
“Get off me!” I cried as I struggled to get free.
“No!”
“Morrison planned all of this?” I started to ask, shocked! “The virus?”
He didn’t answer but he didn’t have to. His silence said everything.
“Why?” I cried. I couldn’t believe it. The allegations were staggering. “My mom died, Damian! So many people died! What is phase II?”
“You don't need to know why! It's not your place to ask questions!”
“How could you!” I struggled with him. He squeezed my wrists tight and held me against the bed as his large frame towered over me. My wrists hurt from the self-inflicted pain of my attempts to get away. “How could you be involved in something like that?”
“It needed to be done!”
“No it didn’t! What else did you do?”
“I let Kane live, Jade, so he would keep you alive. To take care of you, until I could… I didn’t have to.”
“Do you call this taking care of me? I want my life back!”
“Stop fighting me! This is your life now!”
“What if I don’t want this life?” I cried. I relented and slowly gave up the struggle, suddenly reminded of Trey. I was mad! I didn’t want to go along with it anymore! I broke down in tears, desperate to be home, for the nightmare to end.
“You’re lucky you aren’t dead right now… Thanks to me… Morrison was coming back for you… You owe me,” he said, the sound of his voice, low, desperate, with an indefatigable, manic craving that sent chills through me.
“Thank you,” I whispered, my words bitter on my tongue. His eyes narrowed as they looked into mine with a carnal expression that sent chills over my body. If there was a shred of humanity left inside him, he didn’t show me. I wished for darkness so I couldn't see the disturbing look on his face.
I turned my head under his stare as he moved closer. Rage radiated from the bitterness he harbored.
His defeat, Kane's triumph.
He turned my head to face him with a determined look, to suffice his need to conquer, to control and suppress someone weaker as he focused his determination on me. I couldn’t respond, my stomach churned with queasiness. I felt sick, nauseous and it was all I could do, not to vomit.
“Someone will pay… you… or Trey,” he asked as if he gave me a choice.
A knot formed in my throat as I knew what would happen next. I swallowed hard and took a deep breath as he forced himself on me.
Suddenly I thought of Gage. Tears streamed back into my hair as I tried to force him out of my mind. But with as much as I tried to forget him, I begged for him to stay with me. To linger in my mind as if he were alive. I longed to be in his arms though I knew I would never feel his touch again.
***
I couldn't get the shower hot enough. I sat huddled as I clutched my knees in hopes that the water that rushed over me would somehow help me feel better. My tears had long stopped and I felt empty as I exhausted the hot water and it turned cold. When it turned as ice, I pulled myself off the shower floor and crawled out. I shivered uncontrollably as goose bumps ravaged my skin. My muscles ached as I slowly wrapped myself in a robe and opened the door.
My room remained empty.
I felt a perverse sense of relief at Damian's new determination to focus on Kane instead of me for a while. What happened to Kane was out of my control.
Damian had left my room without a word after a long agonizing night, aggravated by Morrison as his voice echoed in the halls, raging about their botched raid. He wouldn’t let it go. No one got peace, or sleep, punishment for failing him. Their voices echoed in a muffled sea of angry words as Damian confronted him.
The front door slammed. Men shouted from the courtyard, Damian’s carried above the rest with orders. Truck motors started and a large group of militia with a new burst of rage followed him through the gates.
Then I heard nothing.
For a long time the silence ate at me until I couldn’t stand it any longer. I wandered the halls in a numbing fog after my room became too unbearable. My emotions felt warped, slowed and I felt sick inside.
I became used to the eerie halls and hardly noticed the constant darkness as I found comfort, hidden in their shadows. As I turned the corner, long ribbons of light spilled out into the gloom of the hallway from open doors and I smiled as they welcomed me.
Hushed tones filtered out of a room as I neared the end of the corridor. I peered into it and saw the thin gaunt woman as she stood at the head of the room. She looked at me puzzled.
Three rows of desks lined the room, about ten deep. Each desk filled with a child. With the exception of their different ages ranging from about four to twelve they looked jarringly the same. I thought they were all boys first. Their hair was buzzed short almost bald, with a thin dark shadow of short stubbly hair. I looked closer and noticed some of them were girls, as I stood stunned in the doorway. My heart twisted painfully at the thought of their beautiful hair of different shades, shaved, gone.
A few of their stubbly heads rose as I stood in the doorway. Curiosity replaced the dull grey haziness of their eyes. Some of the kids contained a spark of new hope, but hesitant, possibly due to dashed hopes in the past.
My heart sank, heavy with desperation in my che
st to help the kids that didn’t want to be confined any more than I did. I tried to hide the troubled look on my face as the woman stared at me. A questioning glare filled her hollow eyes.
“Either come in or go out Jade. You are interrupting.”
“Can I come in?” I asked softly.
“You can take a seat in the back. Kids, read your books while I talk to Jade.”
She talked to them as if they knew me. Their big eyes wide with curiosity followed me as I walked to the back of the room. She called some kids by name and ordered them to sit on the carpet with their books in a small nook. They all looked frail in their matching grey clothing. The frustration I felt, difficult to mask at the sight of their sad little faces. They stared at the ground as they walked without a word.
“You can help with these kids with their math and reading, they’re younger and behind the others… but first of all, there are rules. There is to be no touching them, no hugging, no talking or asking questions that doesn’t have anything to do with their lessons.”
“Why?”
“It’s part of their training and not your job to show them affection. If you want to help, I just told you how you can.”
“Okay.”
I sat amongst them and glanced around the little circle. Three kids in all. I looked back at the woman who paid no attention to me so I whispered.
“Hi, I’m Jade, what are your names?”
One by one, they each whispered their names to me, their voices timid and reserved. Each of them looked malnourished and it saddened me to see the two girls’ shaved heads, same as the boy.
“Maya,” she said, with a timid whisper. The younger of the two girls, her hair light downy fuzz and I resisted the urge to brush my fingers over its softness. She had a turned up nose, full pouty lips and eyes a soft, airy blue.
“I’m Lainie,” the other girl said as she smiled, warming her dark brown eyes, the stubble on her head, almost black. “This is Corby, but he doesn’t talk.”
I glanced at him with his withdrawn, almost absent stare. He looked like the boy in the picture and the boy I shared my sandwich with. I leaned forward towards Corby and the girls did the same. Their curiosities got the better of them in spite of the woman's warning. I had to find out.
“Corby, did I share my sandwich with you the other night?”
His brown puppy-dog eyes brightened and a faint smile grew at the corners of his cheeks. His forehead wrinkled when his eyebrows peaked with interest. He blinked his curly lashes as his thinned crumpled body sat slightly taller with a nodded yes.
“I knew it,” I grinned. “How old are you?”
He brought his splayed fingers up to show me five as he scooted closer to tighten our circle. My heart pounded as my throat tightened.
“Corby… is April your sister?”
Corby’s already widened eyes grew then he blinked rapidly a few times to dry the moisture from them. Barely aware of the girls, I waited for his response.
“Corby, where is April? Do you know? Can you tell me?”
Suddenly, Corby jumped off the floor and ran out the second doorway of the classroom. I jumped shocked and looked at the other children, shocked expressions in their eyes as well. I sprang to my feet, knowing the woman would be somewhere behind me as I chased after Corby. I ran quickly to catch up, hoping to distance myself from the woman. Corby turned into another room. A much smaller room than the last one and I found him standing in a corner.
His hands clung to the side of the crib. I didn’t register what I saw at first but as I stood in the middle of them, I noticed more beds, little beds, cribs with babies. I realized some were crying. With no one around, their needs neglected.
I walked over to where Corby stood. I knelt slowly onto my knees to be at his height, looked to see a little baby, asleep, and wrapped tightly. I touched the light, downy soft fuzz on the baby’s head.
“It’s a boy,” Corby said. I saw his eyes light up, even in the grey and blue hues of the dimly lit room. I looked at him in surprise.
“Corby, you spoke,” I whispered, proud of him as I smiled. “Where’s April, Corby?”
His smile dashed quickly as his shoulders scrunched around his little neck. Then he looked past me and shriveled, suddenly afraid.
I glanced over my shoulder, shocked to see Rubin. His ashy brown hair, slightly tousled and unkempt. Dressed in full uniform, militia black, black boots and an assault rifle strapped to his back. He hadn’t left yet. He stared with sinister, dark eyes. My eyes followed as he walked in and stood at the head of the crib then leaned casually against the wall. The sight of him with the rifle, surrounding all the babies brought chills up my spine.
“Why is April's baby here?”
My heart raced, as I knew it wasn't my place to ask questions. His eyes skimmed over me, the silence in the room thick with tension as I waited for him to answer.
“That's my son.”
“Where's April-”
“Where have you been?” The harsh voice startled me and I whirled around towards the door to see Damian, dressed the same way. His defined jaw line firm with anger that seeped from his icy grey eyes as he shot a glare at Rubin. Apparently unconcerned he responded with the same coolness, and then they both turned to me.
“I… I’ve been helping with the kids.”
“I don’t believe you,” he said, as his eyes narrowed on me as he propped his rifle against the corner and stepped towards me. I cowered lower under his glare as Rubin watched the exchange.
“Where else would I be?”
His eyes shifted as jealously seeped from their darkness as he averted my question. “I’ve looked everywhere for you.”
“I didn’t know you were here still.”
“I came back for… something-”
“Oh, there you are Corby!” The thin gaunt woman replied as she ran into the room interrupting Damian’s rant. I looked past him to see her stopped at the doorway as she scolded me with her eyes. “He’s always running off, Jade. You will have to keep better hands on him next time if you want to help with the reading. Come on Corby, let’s go back to class.”
She moved past him as Rubin casually walked out of the room, then she grabbed Corby swiftly by the arm and pulled him towards the door. Under her grasp, Corby twisted to look back at me. My eyes met his oppressed gaze and then out of the sadness, I saw him give me a quick fleeting smile.
CHAPTER 28
“Jade… come here.”
Fear encompassed me at the sound of Morrison’s voice as my heart suddenly quickened with a start. My feet moved slowly through the partially opened door. The air grew thick. Suffocation strangled my lungs as I stood in Morrison’s office and waited for what would come next.
“Sit down.”
“Okay.”
My legs, heavy as cement moved me closer to the dreaded chair in front of his desk and a heavy sigh escaped me as I lowered myself onto it.
“The information you’ve given us about Richard Kennington has helped.”
“It has?” I said a little puzzled. “You found my dad?”
“No, we haven’t found Kennington yet,” Morrison glared at me as he took a puff off his cigarette. The smell of tobacco smoke snaked through the air. “You can refer to him as Kennington. We’ve managed to intercept two of Kane’s trips, we’re close. We’ve found a store house and confiscated a large amount of weapons Kane brought across the border.”
My heart sank into the pit of my stomach. Mexico hadn't entered my mind as a place Kane went for weapons. Suddenly, I felt sick as I thought of Hector, Raύl, and their families and wondered if they had anything to do with helping Kane, with other than the farm.
“Bring him in Jackson.”
Morrison directed a cold, calloused stare to someone behind me. Weighted footsteps echoed against the hardwood floor as they stepped into the room. Then a second set shuffled with every step, iron shackles clanked together against the hard wood floor. I couldn’t turn away as my eye
s drifted down to my side at the black boots. Rusted grey chains wrapped around dirt-stained jeans, puckered at the ankles. My eyes traveled up to a western style, chambray button down shirt stained dark with dried blood.
My breath stilled in my chest as my heart sank. My eyes met Hector and instantly filled with tears. His face, bruised and beaten with an eyelid nearly swollen shut. I barely saw the deep coffee color of his eyes. His once black hair now choked out by an invading dusty silvery grey, more so than what I remembered. My mouth dropped open and I gasped, as he stood restrained in front of me.
“No!” I screamed at Morrison. Unable to control my rapid breaths, my chest caved with each one as panic set in and I grew desperate.
“He and a group of five other men were caught just north of the border making an exchange. I can’t have this kind of trafficking going on, but I would have to say, I’m very happy with my new additions to my own arsenal thanks to them.”
“What are you going to do with him?” My words caused my heart to freeze in my chest. I dreaded his answer. My breaths increased. Dizziness encircled me. The room swayed as my mind became distraught with fear.
“He’s going down to the courtyard soon enough, but I wanted him to be here while I thanked you for such valuable information. We wouldn’t have him in custody if it weren’t for you.”
I swallowed hard to force back the urge to vomit. I looked blindly at the floor as I gasped. I couldn’t bring myself to look at Hector or Morrison. The results from what I’d done, disastrous for Kane and now Hector. Unable to restrain them any longer, tears flooded over and spilled onto my hands that gripped at the bottom of my shirt.
“Take him out to the court yard. I think Jade has been well rewarded for her information.”
Jackson jerked him towards the doorway. As he did, Hector suddenly fell to his knees in front of me and grabbed my hands with his, cuffed at the wrist. My body heaved as I sobbed without restraint. Jackson bashed him at the side of the head. “Stop! Don’t hit him,” I cried as I glared at Jackson. His evil smirk surfaced as he grabbed at his arm just as Morrison raised a hand to allow him to talk to me.
