Beginnings

by Sandra R Neeley

  “How’d you know they were drugged?”

  “The big one told us. He warned us that they’d been drugged, it wasn’t their fault and as long as we didn’t fight them, we wouldn’t be hurt.”

  “And did they hurt you?” Acker asked, experiencing mixed feelings about the males they’d freed.

  The woman regarded him while she thought of her answer. Finally she shook her head. “Two of them didn’t touch us at all. The other three did, but didn’t hurt us. At least not like our owner and his men did.”

  Acker ground his teeth. This was fucking insane. Whatever the hell was going on, he was now fully committed to seeing it through to the end. Every man, every woman, every fucking body that had been victimized by whatever was happening here would be walking the street free before he ever went back to his own life again.

  “Did you kill them?” the woman asked again.

  “We didn’t kill them. They’ve been freed, and they’re already on their way to freedom, just like you will be soon.”

  “I want to go home,” the other woman sitting on the floor sobbing cried out.

  “You will. We’re going to take you back to a place you can rest, get some medical attention, and decide what you want to do next.”

  Findley came running back into the room with two sheets and Montagna’s dead body over his shoulder. “Here ya go,” he said, shrugging the body off his shoulder and shoving him toward Acker. Acker walked the few steps closer to the woman sitting on the floor, still crying.

  “My name is Acker. This is Findley. We’re with the Alliance. We’re going to get you to safety, okay?” Acker said to her.

  She nodded, and though her tears were still steadily falling, her sobs were dying off.

  He adjusted Montagna’s body weight and used the dead man’s thumb to scan the lock on the woman’s cell. It released and Acker reached out and pulled the door opened.

  “Findley,” he said as he walked over to the other woman’s cell.

  Findley stepped into the open door way. “Can I help you, ma’am?” he said to the woman sitting on the floor.

  She looked up and saw that he held a sheet out and was waiting for permission to cover her with it. She tried to stand but she was unsteady on her feet.

  Findley reached out to try to steady her but she flinched at his quick motion in her direction. “I’m not going to hurt you. I swear. I just want to help you walk out of here. If you can’t walk, I’ll carry you if that’s okay with you.”

  The woman looked at him for a moment and seemed to be thinking about it. “Okay,” she finally agreed.

  “Hey, give me a sheet,” Acker said from beside him.

  Findley shook out the sheets and handed one to Acker without even glancing in his direction. Then he lifted the one he still held while looking at the female standing before him. “I’m just going to drape this around you…”

  She watched him warily while he reached slowly behind her to wrap her in the sheet.

  Once she was covered, she grasped the edges of the sheet, holding it tightly around herself as she shuffled her feet and moved in his direction.

  “I’m going to carry you, okay?” Findley asked.

  She nodded.

  Findley lifted her in his arms and started for the door with the woman in his arms. “What’s your name?” he asked her.

  “Barbara,” the woman answered shakily.

  “Everything’s okay now, Barbara. We’re going to get you out of here,” he promised.

  Acker took the sheet that Findley handed him and moved back beside the woman he’d freed from the other cell. She was standing just outside her cell, staring down at Montagna.

  “Here ya go. Got you a sheet to cover with,” he said.

  The woman slowly moved her eyes from Montagna’s body to Acker. “Did he suffer?” she asked.

  Acker nodded slowly. “He did. We gave him to the males we freed.”

  The woman smiled and took a deep breath. “Good,” was all she said as she reached out for the sheet Acker held.

  Acker handed her the sheet and watched her, making sure to look at her face only as she wrapped it around her body. “What’s your name?” he asked, halfway expecting her to give him a number like the males had.

  The woman wrapped the sheet around herself, then looked up at Acker. “I’m Carrie. And I’m past ready to get the hell out of this damn place.”

  “Let’s go, then. Here, let me help you,” he said.

  “I want to leave under my own power,” Carrie answered. “If I have trouble, I’ll let you know,” she answered.

  Acker smiled. “I’m right here if you need.”

  Acker followed her out of the hidden room they’d been kept in, and into the library where about half his team waited for him.

  “The others went out with Findley. We’re all done here, I think,” Benson said.

  “Any other people here we should know about?” he asked Carrie.

  “Five males kept prisoner. Two of us. As far as I know, that’s all,” Carrie answered.

  “We released all five of the men, so that’s it. Let’s get gone,” Acker said to Benson.

  Carrie turned to look at Acker who’d been following slowly behind her as she made her way through the room. “They aren’t men anymore. They’re males.”

  Acker looked at her with a confused expression on his face. “Explain it to me.”

  Carrie shook her head. “You’ll see.” Then she resumed her slow trek to the door and out into the foyer so she could get the hell out of this godforsaken place.

  Chapter 16

  General Ferriday drove his side-by-side slowly down the white gravel driveway through the small grouping of buildings he’d had erected on his property. The white gravel drive was a large oval with the community built around it. The grassy center of the oval was approximately 1800 feet long by 900 feet wide, and in that oval the General had placed benches and small pavilions for relaxation. As you approached the community on the white gravel drive, to the left was one single family modular home. It consisted of three bedrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and two bathrooms. This small house was intended for use by General Ferriday, or Roscoe, if they decided to spend the night on site rather than make the short drive back to General Ferriday’s residence, which sat closer to the property line of his land in view of the front gate announcing it was private property. Or for use by any other visiting contributors if the time ever came to grant any others access. Next there were four full sized barracks — large enough to accommodate as many as 30 men if necessary. Some of these were currently in use by the men who’d volunteered to help free those missing.

  Next on the left was another modular building that had been turned into a recreational center. There was a gym with equipment and weights in it for any who wanted to take advantage of it. But it also had pool tables, ping-pong tables, several televisions — some with video game hookups and some without. There were overstuffed recliners and sofas in it as well. Then at the end of the oval on the left sat a two story aluminum building that was set up as a medial clinic. To the right of the medical clinic and beginning to move up the right side of the oval were two more barracks.

  Next on the right and still moving closer to the entrance of the community was a medium sized modular building that had been erected as a supply house. Anything the men needed from simple clothing, to over the counter medicines, to food, could be purchased there. Then three more barracks, and after that, on the right, sat a large metal building that had been set up originally as a combination cafeteria and meeting hall. It had since had two offices built into it and was now called the admin building. The interior consisted of a big kitchen, a very large meeting room, two bathrooms, and two offices. The offices were separated from the rest of the building by glass walls so that when in one of the offices, there was a clear view of the rest of the building. The admin building was the closest building to the helicopter landing pads that sat alongside the drive that led into the communit
y. There were eight helicopters that had been registered to Alliance, and an assigned pilot for each.

  There was plenty of room between the buildings for more if need be, and of course the community could expand beyond the original plans if necessary to grow to the left and right of the original buildings.

  Once word got out that the community they were building was for military veterans to rehab until they got on their feet, the men the General had hired to construct the place had quickly volunteered to work there after construction was finished. The closest town was about forty-five minutes away and unemployment was high there. A couple of them even recommended their wives to help out in the supply house and the cafeteria once they were needed, but General Ferriday had to be careful when hiring from the outside. He needed everything about the inner workings of this community to be top secret until they were ready for the truth to come out, so for now, he’d just told them he’d let them know if he decided to hire anyone.

  General Ferriday knew he skirted the truth when he registered his non-profit corporation by listing it as a community for veterans in need, but he figured it was close enough to the truth that it wouldn't get questioned. His payroll so far consisted of nothing but former military personnel, and the construction workers of course, so anyone even glancing at the books wouldn’t find anything they didn’t expect to.

  In the meantime, he’d contacted some old friends and put out feelers for anyone who may want to donate to the Alliance Non-Profit, just to be sure they had money coming in as well as going out.

  General Ferriday had everything here to serve the men that he’d hired to find those that were missing. He’d even appointed security from those that had come at his call for help, to move about the compound. Not as though they were policing, but as employees to assist with anything that may come up. They were each more than capable of diffusing a situation between the men they were bringing in, if necessary. He was under no illusions that they’d all be one big happy family. You couldn’t have multiple men all coming from volatile situations and expect no problems… hence the security moving through the compound discreetly at all times.

  But, they’d all have to get along well enough to move through the processing here and if they so chose, go on about their lives. There was no way out but through. He didn’t want to tell the men they were absolutely free and have them released straight out into the public until he knew what they’d all been exposed to. That was the part that kept him up at night. He had no idea if he’d addressed everything the men they were rescuing might need, and he wouldn’t know until they were able to speak to them.

  He steered his side-by-side around the curve at the end of the oval and lifted a hand to return the wave two of the medics who were manning the clinic offered him. “We’ve gotten word that four of the seven teams are headed back,” General Ferriday said as he got out of his side-by-side and walked toward them.

  “We’ll be ready, sir,” one of the medics, Parkins, answered. “Those that stayed behind as the security team are patrolling. We’ve got a couple of them in each building as well. And we’re just sitting here waiting for somebody to need us.”

  “I’ve gotten feedback from the teams we sent out. The men were for the most part kept chained in cells. Each one of them was wearing an electrified collar that had to be deactivated before they could be set free. The collars would have killed them if not handled properly.”

  “Sonofabitch,” the other medic commented, shaking his head.

  “And we’ve got an unexpected situation to prepare for,” the General added.

  “I think that’s unexpected enough! These men are going to be so fucked up,” Parkins said. Then he realized what he’d said. “Sorry, sir. I meant no disrespect, just shocked.”

  General Ferriday smiled sadly. “None taken. But it gets worse. While we listened and watched the raids last night, we realized we need to prepare a separate room or rooms for women to be treated in,” the General finished.

  Parkins stood up. “Excuse me, sir. Did you say women?” he asked.

  “I did. There are women involved. Our teams found women there. Apparently, they’ve been kidnapped and given to the males we’re rescuing. I’m expecting a shit show as we try to treat them. Not because we’re treating them, but because we just don’t know how to handle this. Battle, we’ve got covered. Torture, we’ve got covered. PTSD, we’ve got that covered, too, at least as well as anyone can. But women who’ve been kidnapped and assaulted, I have no clue how to proceed and I’m sure they’re not going to want to speak to a male military psychiatrist or psychologist about the trauma they’ve suffered,” the General admitted. “They’re not going to want to be treated by male doctors.”

  “Do we have any female doctors or medics we can call on?” Parkins asked.

  “Roscoe’s on it. He began calling the moment we found the first two women. Hopefully he’ll find at least one female medic, maybe more, that are willing to come here and work with us. A psychologist, preferably female and experienced in sexual trauma, would be a much needed addition as well.”

  “I’ll call my wife, sir. She was an army nurse. Just finished her tour. Was planning to get on with a hospital somewhere, but, I’m sure she’ll come here. She’s not a psychiatrist, but she’s got experience as a nurse and a physician’s assistant. She let me come without explanation when I told her we had brothers in trouble, but I wouldn’t be leaving the country. I’m sure she’d come, sir,” Parkins said eagerly.

  “She’d be very appreciated. We’ll send a helicopter for her,” the General said, already planning. “And if she does want to come, thank her for me. Make sure she understands that she’ll be paid, but her silence is required.”

  “We don’t have no kids, sir. We live in an apartment. Not hard for us to relocate. I’m sure she’ll agree and we’ll be here for the long haul.”

  “Thank you, Parkins. I’ll advise a helicopter to be on standby,” the General said.

  “We’ll do what we can in the meantime, sir. We’ll get a separate area ready for when the women arrive,” the other medic promised, getting to his feet and walking into the clinic they sat in front of.

  “We’ll be ready, sir. No worries,” Parkins promised.

  General Ferriday thanked them, then got back on his side-by-side and followed the curve of the drive as he made his way out to the private heliport he’d had installed to wait for the helicopters to begin arriving. He could just barely hear the beat of the blades in the distance as the first helicopter finally headed their way. General Ferriday pulled up next to the six other side-by-sides waiting to take the males getting off the helicopters to the medical facility.

  Each team had a medic with them, and any critical injuries would have been treated either on site, or in the air on the way to the Alliance Ranch as his property was now named. There were other men waiting, and they were armed, but discreetly, and only because they didn’t know what to expect. They didn’t want any fatalities, of the rescued men coming in or of those trying to help them. As they spoke to the first few sets of men who arrived, then they’d know better how to prepare for their arrival.

  “I hear the first one,” one of the men waiting to shuttle the new arrivals to the clinic said to the General as he looked up in the sky.

  “Me, too. Hope all goes as planned,” General Ferriday said.

  “If what you suspect is true, they’re going to have culture shock, may take a while to acclimate, but they’re going to realize they’re free, they’re not going to be beaten or hurt, or forced into any situation they don’t want. That in itself is enough to keep them from trying to attack anybody.”

  The General just nodded slowly, hoping the man was right.

  “So you’re not taken off guard, we’ve been advised they’re bringing in women with the males. Do not do anything to further frighten these women. Take extra care to be concerned, patient, and very soft spoken with them. Do not reach toward them or make them self-aware. Treat them like your
sister if she’d been caught up in this.”

  “Yes, sir. Got it.”

  They stood together and watched as the first helicopter arrived and landed on one of the pads two hundred feet ahead of them. As the helicopter touched down and began to wind down its engines and propellers, the doors on each side were slid open and he recognized the men he’d hired to go after those that couldn’t save themselves. They turned and assisted several males, that accepted their help to get out of the helicopter. The others simply jumped down by themselves. Lastly, one of his hired men stood at the door and waited while one single woman made her way hesitantly to the side of the helicopter, then allowed the man standing there to help her to the ground.

  Two of the men who’d been rescued with her waited and watched while his hired man hurried the woman out from under the propellers to where the others were already waiting.

  As they got closer to where the side-by-sides waited, the General stepped forward to speak to them.

  “Gentlemen… welcome home. I’m retired General Martin Ferriday. If you need anything at all, please let me know and I’ll see to it at once.”

  “Why are we here?” one of the recently rescued asked.

  “Because I learned of your existence. I recognized some of the photos I’d seen as men I’d served with. When I check their records they were marked as dead or missing.” General Ferriday realized these men didn’t want politically correct answers. They wanted the truth. “And honestly son, I have no idea what you’ve been through. I only know it’s fucked up. If you wanted to be there, by all means, be my guest and return. But if I’m right, you were not much more than forced labor, then I put this place together to give you time to get yourselves straight. To help you find your way again. If you want to leave the only requirement is that you go through medical examinations and a psychological exam — can’t let you walk away until we know you won’t blow up a city. But, if you don’t have anywhere else to be at the moment, please stay and take advantage of it. I’ve built this community for any who care to stay here permanently, or temporarily. Won’t cost you a thing either way.”