by Ellie Aiden
Shortly after midnight, Andy had turned the corner at the north wall, and after passing me and making it about halfway down the length of the wall, he’d stopped. I’d waited and watched as he searched for something just inside the tree line and then traipsed through the underbrush before disappearing. I’d quickly called in back up, not knowing how many gang members were out there with him, and then we’d surrounded them, taking both Chase and Andy into custody.
As much as I enjoyed beating the shit out of both of them before throwing them into adjacent cells, I needed Anna Cress to know I had one of her friends in my possession. I wanted to see her face when she found out, but that just wasn’t possible. So instead I sent five of my men to Bonham, had them attack the first guard they came across, imparting him with a message from me.
Now I highly doubt the gangs will care about a little shit like Chase Hurst, but Anna will care, Ash will care. Knowing their friend is inside this compound could push them to do something rash and stupid, and that will make my job all the easier.
Let ‘em come. Let them try to attack this compound, and I’ll take them down one at a fucking time.
chapter 22 - Anger Management
ANNA
Last night, or I guess early this morning, had been a living nightmare. Chase had been caught meeting with Andy outside the compound, and now Chase was being held by David, living through what I would imagine is…
I can’t even bring myself to think about it.
Ash had totally lost her shit when she found out. She’d been inconsolable, and then when Dakota had said, “there goes our diversion,” she’d dove over me and pummeled him over and over until Luke and Cody had pulled her off. To be honest, I’m pretty sure they waited and let her get in a few extra punches because he completely deserved it. His comment was totally insensitive. I mean, he’s not wrong, but it was definitely too soon.
After that, she’d stormed off and I’d followed her, but as soon as we’d reached her room, she had slammed the door in my face. I get it, I really do. If the tables were turned and it was Luke, I can’t imagine what I would do. Well, that’s not exactly true. I would have stormed out and hauled ass to the compound, found David, and died trying to kill him. I’ve definitely had some serious anger management issues lately. Maybe more like rage issues.
Now it’s already noon, and our eight p.m. date with the church is fast approaching as I sit here and listen to each of the leaders argue over whether we should delay. I can’t imagine us delaying another single day, but I understand their concern. We had a decent plan that if pulled off could mean a minimal number of deaths, and now we have nothing. We could still stick with the original plan, just minus the diversion, but it certainly cuts down on the number of people who would witness Vater Henry alive and well, standing at the front gate. That could certainly hurt us. On the flip side, if we don’t go tonight, that leaves Chase inside the compound, Andy too, and I can’t even think about what’s happening to them, probably as we speak.
I don’t have it in me to deal with the arguing anymore, so standing from my stool at the bar, I make my way upstairs, deciding a nap is the only thing that can help pass the time. Inside my room, I leave my clothes on, but take off my shoes before laying down on the patchwork quilt laying across my bed. I close my eyes and then open them. And then close them. And then…
The door opens revealing Luke, who steps in before making his way to the foot of the bed. The look of worry on his face has me feeling the same as he crosses his arms across his chest and then opens his mouth to speak.
“They voted,” he says, eyes fixed on the quilt.
When he doesn’t fill me in right away, I encourage him to go on. “We’ll deal with whatever it is, Luke. How did they vote?”
“In favor,” he sighs. “They voted in favor of moving forward with the plan tonight.”
Either answer from him would have instilled mixed emotions in me, but now that I know, excitement bubbles up from deep inside of me as I realize this might soon be over.
One way or the other, good or bad, months of horrific things happening to us, and all our best laid plans would finally come to an end tonight. And I couldn’t be happier.
***
ANNA
After Luke had filled me in, things had moved pretty quickly from there. Luke and I had taken turns bathing, changing into jeans and black t-shirts which was pretty much how everyone was dressed. I’d gone to check on Ash, but she wasn’t in her room, already downstairs chomping at the bit to leave and no doubt get her man back. Her whole attitude had changed, and I for one was grateful for it. She’d spent ten minutes explaining in graphic detail all the atrocious things she planned to do to David once she got to him. Let’s just say I might never be the same after hearing some of that.
Now our group slowly makes our way to the compound with Bonham growing smaller and smaller behind us. I hope we make it back there. I hope all of us make it back there. I know that’s a lot to ask for but, God please let every one of us make it back.
Everyone around me wears serious looks, seemingly going through everything one last time. Mateo hasn’t said a word since we left the hotel, while Lord Paul hasn’t shut up. I think it’s a nervous tick or something. Luke and I chose to ride double on Pepper instead of me taking my own horse, and Cody and Ash ride double next to us on a dark bray.
The trip seems to take forever, and at the same time fly by as the wooded area that will lead us to the compound comes into view. Our party is large with just over four hundred men and women, so it takes nearly ten minutes before the last person breaks the tree line. We didn’t have enough horses for everyone, so many rode doubled up, while others rode in wagons.
Now that each of us are hidden inside the tree line, everyone dismounts or climbs from their wagons and gathers around as Mateo prepares to give his big pep talk.
“This has been a long time coming for many of us,” Mateo bellows. “The church has spent more than two decades killing us, stealing from us, and trying to destroy our way of life. We have tried to fight back in the past. Little things, but nothing like this.” With his shoulders squared and his head held high, he scans the crowd of faces before looking to the sky. “When we step out of this tree line there will be no turning back, and when we step through that gate, we will not stop until those that have hurt us are destroyed. Who’s with me?” He ends on a howl as everyone around us pumps their fists in the air, roaring their approval.
As loud as it was it’s possible people in the compound heard us, but that’s okay. Let them hear us, let David hear us. Let him know we are coming for him because we are. We are coming for him.
With that, over four hundred people set off through the trees, headed for the north wall of the compound. From there we’ll make our way along the wall directly to the front gate, and once there, we make as much noise as possible until enough people are watching. Then we make the big reveal. Vater Henry.
The Vater looks solemn just feet away from me, with his head hung low and his shoulders slumped. I can understand why. David took everything from him, and nearly his life. I know he wants to see David be put in his place, I just hope once that happens, the Vater doesn’t go back on his word.
Out of the corner of my eye I see a familiar face, and what the hell? Storming in that direction, leaving Luke confused behind me, I approach a man who should not be here.
“What are you doing here?” I ask my father, grabbing him by the shoulder and stopping him in his tracks.
Looking me in the eye he looks confident, and I can tell he isn’t going to back down on this. “I have no intentions of letting my daughter walk into a fight while I sit like a coward at home.” I start to argue but he cuts me off. “No. This isn’t up for discussion, Anna.”
With a growl, I turn to walk away, but thinking better of it, I whip back around throw my arms around his neck and tell him I love him. You know, just in case. He returns the sentiment, squeezing me tight before letting go.
> Returning to my spot near Luke, with Ash and Cody on my other side, the wall comes into view. This is it, months of terror and planning, finally ends. And I am so for it.
***
ANNA
With my group leading the charge we had made it to the north wall about ten minutes ago, and they most certainly knew we were here, although no one had made a move to attack us. They even had archers in each of the turrets, and still nothing. I wasn’t sure what David’s play was here, but his inaction made me even more nervous.
Our group has already stationed ourselves directly in front of the metal gates leading into the compound, but with four hundred people we had to wait until everyone had time to make it into position. Vater Henry is being kept hidden mid-way back in the crowd wearing a cloak to keep his face covered, at least until it’s time to reveal him.
A crowd is starting to gather just inside the gates which was exactly what we had wanted, except it’s not as big as we had planned. This was the part we needed Andy to handle, but unfortunately he had been caught before then. Regardless, it didn’t matter, we would just have to make do and hope it worked.
Mateo turns to each of us, giving me a smile and a wink before he opens his mouth to address the church. “People of The Way, we don’t want to fight you. We don’t want to hurt you. But we do want you to know what your elders and new Vater have done to us.” He pauses, as I try to count the number of people gathered watching him closely.
There are at least five men in the two turrets I can see, ten men lined up directly this side of the gate, and another twenty on the other side. Behind them regular members of the church are gathering, and so far I’ve only counted fifty.
“Your elders have been stealing from us for years. Attacking our supply runs and killing our people. But they aren’t just killing our people they’re killing yours too.” Before Mateo can utter another word, David makes his move.
Luke dives over me, covering my body with his, and through the small space I can see Cody do the same with Ash. The archers are firing on us, right in front of their own people. They’re firing on a group of people who have done nothing to incite violence. This was meant to be a peaceful protest, and they’ve taken that away from us.
There’s a break in the whistle of flying arrows and Mateo stands from his crouched position and begins again. “David, your new Vater, stabbed Vater Henry in the side, threw him out of…” And with that another round of arrows comes flying.
For someone who prides himself in being beyond competent in the art of war, David isn’t very good at this. Seems to me it would be smarter if the archers took turns firing, with the first firing and then reloading while the second takes their shot. That way there is a constant barrage of arrows coming our way, but instead his method allows for a gap, giving us the time we need to get the message out.
I watch horrified as a man to my left takes an arrow to the chest, and I try to crawl to him, but Luke hauls me back. And then I hear Mateo’s strong words again.
“He threw him out of a moving wagon, and left him to bleed to death. Only he didn’t die. We found him, we cared for him, and we nursed him back to health.” With those words, I hear confused shouts coming from the people of The Way, including some who hold the line this side of the gates.
Leaning my head out from Luke’s body, I try to see what’s happening, but with the clouds in the sky blocking out the moon and Luke trying to keep my body covered with his, I can’t see much.
But I do hear someone yell, “Prove it!”
I hear shuffling from behind me, and then someone walks past just feet away. From the cloak brushing across the dirt, I know it’s the Vater.
“I need to see this Luke,” I whisper-hiss, pushing Luke off and crawling to my knees.
Now, I can see the Vater cloaked with his back to me, and seconds later he removes the hood revealing himself to his people. Yells and shouts spread from inside the compound, and I can just make out a few more people joining the crowd.
The Vater raises his hands in an attempt to quiet his people, but it does no good. Mateo and Lord Paul both try the same, but its quickly becoming mass hysteria. Even the men inside the turrets are yelling, demanding an explanation. No one fires arrows, everyone is shocked into inaction. And that’s when I hear him. David.
“Loose you idiots! Loose!” He calls for the archers to fire their arrows but no one does, at least not at first.
The Vater takes another few steps, exposing himself, and that’s when the first arrow flies. Lord Paul tackles the Vater, knocking him on the ground, and Mateo yells for everyone to attack. This wasn’t the plan, but once again the plan is shot to shit. That seems to happen a lot. Our group rushes forward, but I need to find Luke first. We can’t get separated.
Spinning in a circle, I don’t see him, until suddenly he appears from my right, grabbing me and moving me forward. “We stay together, Little Minx.” I barely make out his words over the chaos, but I do stay with him as I see our first line of men and women clashing with the men lined at the gates.
It’s utter chaos, and I’m not sure where I fit in since we hadn’t planned for this.
The men at the gates are easily taken down, but getting through the gates will be another matter. We had hoped that seeing their Vater alive and well, the people would revolt, letting us in to get to him. That isn’t what’s happening as I see more men lining up just inside the compound.
“What do we do?” I try to yell in Luke’s ear as he flinches from the volume, but he just shakes his head, pushing his and my way to the front.
Archers are firing on everyone again, and I realize we should have prepared better for this, and then suddenly the gates begin to creak open. Looking up, I search David out just inside his line of men and his eyes are wide. This isn’t him. He didn’t order the gates to open. So who opened them then?
As soon as the gates are wide enough for a body, our men and woman are pushing their way in single file. Many of them are shot down immediately, arrows in their chests, arms, shoulders, legs, and even backs. It’s a bloody scene that I had not prepared myself for.
As the gate opens wider, less of our people fall, and more are making it through. They clash with David’s men as the members scream and run away in a panic. Luke and I finally break through the gated entrance, but I’m not sure where we go from here. I’m not sure Luke knows either as he turns in every direction, his steps faltering.
A blur passes me and I recognize my father as he makes it to the line of men, knife in hand. The Vater is yelling, trying to stop the fighting, but it’s no use. We have to take David out if we want that to happen, and now I don’t even see him. Did he run away like a coward again?
“There!” Luke yells, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward the main building where I see who I think is David slipping around the corner behind the building.
We push our way through the crowd, hundreds fighting hundreds, but it’s almost impossible. I’m just not sure we can make it through. A man with a knife slashes at Luke and the two of us fall as he tries to avoid the strike. Luke lunges, grabbing the man’s ankles and pulling him to the ground where he knocks him over the head with the butt of his knife. We don’t want to kill these people, and they only want to kill us because they’ve been lied to. If only we could convince them of that.
A scream I recognize sounds on my right, and I know it’s Ash, but as hard as I try I don’t see her. Luke is drug away from me and I reach for him, but I’m cut off by clashing knives and swords. I climb to my feet searching, but he’s just gone.
No. There. I see him now, but the fighting pulled him at least a couple hundred yards away. No way I can make it. I know Luke though, and while I know we agreed to stick together, I also know he can defend himself.
Pushing my way further away from Luke, I finally reach a break in the fighting as someone grabs me by the back of my shirt and begins forcefully tugging me toward the side of the main building. I kick my foot into his shin like th
e General taught me, but while whoever it is does falter, they don’t lose their grip. A hand wraps around my throat from behind, nearly eliminating my ability to take a breath, and it’s obvious this is a man. Digging my nails into the hand around my throat, he lets out a growl as I thrash and kick, doing everything in my power to break free. But it’s no use.
We reach the side of the building as I continue to fight with everything I have in me, and I hear someone yell my name, but with the fighting going on I’m not sure who it is or how close they are. I’m slammed into the concrete siding as we turn the corner, and now the fighting is completely out of sight.
A few more feet and I see him. Waiting for me.
David.
***
ANNA
After the man had released my throat and thrust me to the ground, I’d turned and seen Brian turn his back on me and walk away. This was all David’s fight. He wanted to be the one to finish me off. He’d ran like the coward he is, allowing his men to fight without him. He’d waited in the shadows for Brian to bring me to him.
And now laying on the ground at his feet, gasping for air, I’m not certain I’ll survive this. Sure the General trained me, and there isn’t anyone better to learn from, but this isn’t me. I’m not some soldier trained to fight and kill. I don’t want to kill anyone. I want to live in peace with my friends and family. I want Luke to ask me to marry him, and then I want to give Ash the double wedding she’s dreamt of. I want us to have lots of babies and grow old together. All of us. All of my new friends too. Mateo, Brea, Camila, Daniel, Easton, Tommy, and yes, even the General. That hard ass has kind of grown on me. And the only thing stopping me from achieving all that is the church. Maybe not the church in general, but certainly the people like David that represent the church.
That thought somehow gives me strength, and while David looms over me, I drag myself slowly to my feet. I can still hear the fighting, but with a quick glance, I see it’s just the two of us. No one to save me, but no one to help him either.
