The Collection

by Shannon Stoker

  “We searched it,” Sarah said. “There was nothing in there.”

  “I want to get a better look,” Mia said. “Can you take me there?”

  “It’s a far walk from here,” Sarah said. “It’s near the infirmary.”

  “Please,” Mia said.

  “You’ll miss your afternoon orientation,” Sarah said.

  “I don’t care,” Mia said. “This is important.”

  Sarah glanced around.

  “I’m not supposed to leave this place unmanned,” she said.

  Mia didn’t stop pleading.

  “Fine,” Sarah said. “But we need to move fast.”

  Sarah jumped up from her chair and Mia followed her back outside. Sarah started through the jungle and Mia was close behind.

  “I don’t know what you think you’ll find,” Sarah said.

  Mia didn’t know either, but it was worth a shot.

  They arrived in the carport and Mia saw her getaway vehicle. She jogged over.

  “Nobody’s guarding the cars?” Mia asked.

  “No,” Sarah said.

  She pointed to a house next to the lot.

  “That’s the infirmary,” she said. “If anyone needs anything they can radio from there.”

  Mia climbed in the jeep. She opened the interior compartments and lifted up the floor mats. There really wasn’t anything in here.

  “Was this cleaned?” Mia asked.

  “No,” Sarah said. “Once we have some time someone will reprogram the fingerprint sensor. It’s not a priority.”

  Mia was frustrated. She jumped out of the car and started walking around. It was just like the one she learned to drive on. When Riley had first shown her the vehicle Mia thought it was a shell of a car. Someone had ripped off all the exterior panels even. That was a bit odd actually; what use would those have? Mia ran her hand along the paneling. Her hand went over a division.

  “Do you have a tool?” Mia asked. “Something I could use to wedge this open?”

  Sarah walked over to another car. She came back with a thin bar. Mia stuck the tool inside the division and wedged the paneling off. It didn’t take much effort. Two large cellophane bricks fell out.

  “What is that?” Sarah asked.

  Mia bent down and picked one up. She turned it over and over, examining the contents.

  “I think it’s whatever the militia is after,” Mia said.

  She felt some relief. There would be no attack. Andrew was safe from having any more harm done to him and Mia could focus on her other looming decision. Sarah started jogging toward the infirmary.

  “Where are you going?” Mia asked.

  “To call Zack,” she said.

  “Tell him to hurry,” Mia said.

  Sarah waved and disappeared into the trees. Mia started to crack open the rest of the panels. She needed to move the bricks into an operational car. This would end today.

  Chapter 65

  When will multiple wives be permitted? The question every male wants an answer to.

  —American Gazette

  After an hour of examining his hand, Dr. Drum was starting to bandage it up.

  “It’s good you came straight to me,” Katie said.

  “When Mia told me,” Andrew said, “I lost it. I saw red.”

  “Your hand will be fine,” Katie said. “You didn’t break anything. I’m more concerned about how you’re channeling your rage.”

  “I felt like I had no control,” Andrew said.

  “Think about how much progress we’ve made in a few days,” Katie said. “These things take time. There is a chance all your memories will return.”

  “When I came out of it, I was scared it was Mia I had punched, not the wall.”

  “But you didn’t,” Katie said. “Focus on that.”

  “Hello?” someone called from downstairs.

  “I’ll be right back,” Katie said. “Stay here and we’ll finish our conversation.”

  Andrew sat in the chair. He heard Katie walk down the stairs. She left his door open a crack and he recognized Sarah’s voice. He wondered what she was doing here. He walked over to the door frame.

  “I need your radio,” Sarah said.

  “There’s a receiver on my desk,” Katie said.

  “You don’t have the portable one?” Sarah asked.

  “The whole infirmary is wired; I need to hear it everywhere in case there is an emergency,” Katie said. “My portable is upstairs. I can get it.”

  “No, this is fine,” Sarah said.

  Andrew heard footsteps. Then a box in his room let out Sarah’s voice. He turned his head and walked over toward it.

  “Zack?” Sarah asked.

  “I’m here,” he said. “Are you with Mia, Andrew, or Carter? They’ve missed their afternoon session.”

  “I’m with Mia,” Sarah said. “She found it, what the militia wants.”

  Andrew felt like the air in the room was standing still. The militia wanted something? Were they here?

  “We’re down at the carport,” she said. “We need to transport it to the entrance.”

  “It’s too dangerous,” Zack said. “Wait for me. I’ll be right there.”

  The source of Andrew’s problems was right here. He hadn’t even realized it. They needed to pay, deserved to feel the same suffering he did. Andrew turned and ran down the stairs and out the front door. He went over toward the carport and spotted Mia. He ran over toward her.

  “You knew?” Andrew asked.

  Mia stopped what she was doing.

  “You knew that the people who did this to me were here and kept it from me?” Andrew asked.

  “I wanted to protect you,” Mia said.

  “By lying to me?” Andrew asked.

  “I didn’t lie,” Mia said.

  Andrew walked over to the car she was loading up and sat in the driver’s seat. He looked around for keys.

  “What are you doing?” Mia asked.

  “I’m going to see them,” Andrew said.

  “You can’t drive,” Mia said. “Not this car.”

  He ignored her and continued looking for a way to bring the machine to life.

  “We have to wait for Zack,” Mia said.

  Think, he told himself. He’d been in these things several times now. How were they started? Then he noticed the center panel. He started to push the buttons.

  “Andrew,” she said, “this is all ending today. You won’t have to worry about the militia anymore. We can go back to the way we were.”

  None of the buttons had worked thus far. Then he tried pressing his hand against the small screen. He heard the car come to life.

  Mia opened the passenger door and climbed inside.

  “Stop,” she said.

  She grabbed his good hand and pulled it up to herself. He turned his head and looked at her.

  “I know you’re angry,” Mia said. “But you’re not thinking clearly either. What will you do if you see them? You’re unarmed. If we give them this stuff they will leave us alone. For good. We can move forward.”

  Mia glanced away. Andrew turned to see Zack, Sarah, and Katie standing watch. Andrew stood up and moved into the backseat, next to the cellophane bricks. He didn’t make eye contact with Mia. Zack approached the car.

  “I’m coming with,” Andrew said.

  “No,” Zack said. “I’m going alone. It’s too dangerous.”

  Andrew turned and looked at Zack. The man examined Andrew’s face. Andrew didn’t waver. He stared at Zack with intensity. The man would have to kill Andrew to get him out of the car.

  “Fine,” he said. “Sarah, I need you to cover me.”

  Zack climbed in the front seat.

  “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Katie said.

  “I don’t have time for this,” Zack said. “This morning there were four of them, now there are fifteen. We need this to end now.”

  Sarah walked over to their car and climbed in next to Andrew. He was smashed between h
er and whatever Mia had loaded into the car. He watched as Zack pushed a button and the car started backing up.

  “All three of you stay in the car,” Zack said.

  He drove down the road. Andrew was filled with rage. He wanted nothing more than to kill these men. He’d take out the entire army if he had his way. Because Mia had kept this information from him, Andrew had missed an opportunity to get some relief. To have a sense of justice for the atrocities done to him. He didn’t understand why she would deny him that satisfaction. The car started to slow down. Andrew saw figures come out of the jungle and stand in a line blocking the road. They had their weapons drawn.

  Zack stopped the car about twenty-five feet away.

  “Stay in the car,” Zack said. “Mia, if anything happens to me drive them out of here.”

  Zack opened the door and stepped out. He raised his hands in the air. Mia slid over to the driver’s seat and Zack walked around toward the back. He stopped to pick up one of the packages in the backseat.

  “I have what you want,” Zack said.

  He kept his arms up and started walking toward them.

  “Who is in charge?” Zack asked.

  Then the unforgettable face walked out from the side of the road. It was the sergeant. Memories of the noise came flooding back. His evil laugh at Andrew’s initial discomfort.

  “I am sure you’re a reasonable man,” Zack said. “Let me give these back to you and leave us in peace.”

  “Or I could kill the four of you and take back what is mine.”

  “Look at the trees,” Zack said. “They are filled with my best men. You’re smart enough not to cross onto our land. Why is that?”

  The sergeant laughed. He signaled for his men to lower their weapons.

  “Are there really people in the trees?” Mia asked.

  “Yes,” Sarah said. “Zack wouldn’t have moved so fast without adequate protection.”

  Andrew didn’t care about Affinity’s defenses. He couldn’t keep his eyes off the sergeant. The rest of the world seemed to fade away. Andrew kept having flashes go off in his head. Bouts of intense pain that vanished as soon as they started. He needed to get closer and he needed a weapon.

  Andrew opened the side door and started to gather the packages from the car. He didn’t listen to Mia or Sarah’s protests. Once his arms were filled he walked over behind Zack, never taking his eyes off the sergeant.

  “Take these and leave,” Zack said.

  Andrew walked closer, until he was right next to Zack. The sergeant finally looked at him and broke into a smile.

  “Private Simpson,” he said. “You really were quite remarkable. It’s a shame we lost you.”

  “Andrew, put the man’s packages down and let’s get out of here,” Zack said.

  “They are so informal here,” the sergeant said. “We would have turned you into a man. They’ll keep you a little boy.”

  Andrew walked forward and threw the packages down. The sergeant kept his smile and signaled for his men to gather up the bricks. Andrew was still seeing red, but then he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around to see Mia. She looked up at him with open eyes and a soft smile. Andrew realized he had won already. He wasn’t stuck with the militia and Mia was alive. The work they had done on him was already fading away. His anger started to subside. Her hand slid down his arm and stopped when it met his. She started to walk back and Andrew followed her.

  “I guess you were a weak one after all,” the sergeant said.

  The rage bubbled back up. Andrew dropped Mia’s hand and spun back around. He saw Zack’s gun hanging from his holster, and in a fluid motion Andrew reached out and grabbed it up. He cocked the weapon and pointed it at the sergeant. The man was laughing. Andrew didn’t care who else was there. In his mind all he saw was one of the men responsible for his current state.

  “Pull the trigger,” the sergeant said. “Then you and all your friends will die.”

  “You’re wrong,” Andrew said. “You are the weak one. You have no principles or purpose to your life. There is nobody who cares about you. You live your life for yourself. You’re everything that is wrong with this world.”

  The sergeant didn’t stop smiling, but reality was coming back into view. Andrew thought about Mia, Katie, and Affinity. They wanted to help him. They wanted to help the world. He lowered his weapon.

  “I feel sorry for you,” Andrew said.

  “We’ll meet again someday, Private Simpson,” the sergeant said. “You can count on that.”

  “As far as I’m concerned you’re not worth my time,” Andrew said.

  He handed the weapon over to Zack and turned around. He grabbed Mia’s hand again and walked back toward the car. Sarah moved into the passenger seat and Mia and Andrew slid into the back.

  Zack waited till the men backed away from their standoff before coming back to the car. He got behind the wheel and watched as the militia disappeared.

  “Is it over?” Mia asked.

  “It’s over,” Andrew answered.

  Andrew had faced the manifestation of all the hatred he held inside of himself and beat it down with the realization that he had people who cared about him. He closed his eyes and felt the wind blow over him. Everything he had been through had taught him one valuable lesson: he was loved, and that was something he’d never thought possible.

  Chapter 66

  IT’S OFFICIAL: GRANT MARSDEN TO WED; YOUNG LADIES ALL OVER AMERICA IN MOURNING

  —American Gazette

  “Really, sir, this isn’t necessary,” Grant said.

  “I insist,” Ian said. “It was no trouble at all.”

  No trouble for Ian, but Grant didn’t want to drive into the capital in the first place. Once he arrived and discovered the purpose of his visit was to have dinner with his bride Grant had almost reached out and strangled Ian. The man Grant once saw as a respected authority figure was becoming nothing more than a nuisance.

  “Two weeks until the wedding,” Ian said. “I want you in the public eye nonstop until then. Tomorrow you’ll tape another interview with Greg Finnegan. The two of you have a great rapport.”

  Another person Grant detested. How was he supposed to get any work done? Still, he gritted his teeth and smiled. Ian opened the door to a small room with a table. There was a candle lit and two place settings. Grant wasn’t hungry.

  “I hope I’m not interrupting,” a female said.

  Grant turned around to see his future wife. She was dressed in an orange ball gown that didn’t do much for her figure or complexion. He almost had to lift his hand to block the glow of her dress. Grant looked down at his red polo and plaid shorts. He wasn’t even dressed for the occasion.

  “You look lovely, Tamara,” Ian said.

  He went and gave his daughter a kiss on the cheek. Grant wasn’t sure which one he had picked. Part of him was hoping for a twin, but Tamara was stunning. Her dark hair was pulled up, showing off her thin shoulders. She smiled and Grant pulled out her chair.

  “I’ll let you two get to know each other,” Ian said. “There’s wine in the bottle and someone will be by with your food in a few minutes.”

  After Tamara sat down Grant took his seat. He didn’t like his lack of control over the situation. This was pointless; he had already picked her, so he sat wasting time.

  “Wine?” she asked.

  Grant nodded and she poured him a glass first, then herself. He’d had wine at his first meeting with Mia. She’d been so outspoken and rude. That was one of the reasons he had picked her. She would be fun to break. Tamara, on the other hand, was more than ready for the role of subservient wife. She didn’t even make eye contact with Grant.

  “So, Tamara,” Grant said, “why don’t you tell me about yourself.”

  “I’m a very skilled singer,” she said. “And I am more than prepared for any duties you request of me.”

  “Anything?” Grant asked.

  “Of course,” she said. “Once you’re my husband.”<
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  He felt a vibration go off in his pocket. He pulled out his cell phone and saw a blocked number. He watched his high-tech phone scramble the digits until the actual number showed up. An international line. His curiosity was piqued. Grant stood up from the table and walked to the corner of the room.

  “Hello,” Grant said.

  “Hi, boss,” Rex said.

  Grant turned around and saw Tamara sitting still, staring down at her plate. She would be nothing but a dutiful wife who would offer little entertainment for Grant. He walked farther out of earshot.

  “And to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?” Grant asked.

  “I needed to get some alone time,” Rex said. “I lost my phone and had to acquire another.”

  “What are the newest developments?” Grant asked.

  He didn’t want Rex aware of his knowledge.

  “I was attacked by the same group who held your wife,” Rex said. “I’ve taken refuge in the same sanctuary as her.”

  “And she’s aware of your presence?”

  “She is under the impression I’ve sworn off my allegiance to you,” Rex said. “What better way to watch her?”

  “How ingenious of you,” Grant said.

  “What’s the next step?” Rex asked.

  “Monitor her closely,” Grant said. “My strategy is already in play.”

  “What is your strategy?” Rex asked.

  “Something you’re not privy to,” Grant said. “Tell me, what is the nature of your sanctuary?”

  Grant knew exactly where Rex was. He was with a rebel group; it was obvious.

  “A village in the mountains,” Rex said. “A harmless group of expatriates.”

  “How does that make you feel?” Grant asked.

  “Disgusted,” Rex said.

  Something rang false with Grant. The man on the phone did not make this group sound harmless. Grant didn’t know what his former employee was up to but decided it was best he keep up appearances until his questions were answered.

  “Tell me,” Grant said, “did the opportunity present itself to terminate any of the travelers?”

  “Negative,” Rex said.

  He was lying.

  “So none of the men were at risk of being injured either?”

  “We all made it out unscathed,” Rex said.