His eyes shifted left and then right before settling on the ground just in front of Kate. “He just wanted me to keep an eye on you.”
“I don’t need any eyes on me,” Kate said.
“Sorry, it’s my job.”
Kate started to back away. “And if you take one more step, I swear to God I’ll put a bullet between your eyeballs.”
“I don’t think you will,” Philip said, but he didn’t move.
Kate laughed. Her face fully settled into a sneer. “Try me.”
She turned and ran around the corner, quickly dashing between the buildings. When she popped out onto the road next to the church, she looked around to make sure Philip hadn’t miraculously caught up before she ran across the street and into the hotel.
Kate’s heart pounded as she raced up the stairs to Ethan’s room. She looked over her shoulder as she reached the top of the staircase and turned down the hall.
Ethan’s door was open, so she slipped inside and without a sound, closed the door behind her. She locked the door and walked over to the window peering between the curtains at the road below.
The sun was moving down in the sky, and it wouldn’t be long before the town grew dark. She scanned the people milling about looking for Ethan, but what she saw instead was Philip step out onto the street. He looked in every direction before he turned down the road heading toward the east gate.
Kate felt an ounce of relief that she’d lost him, but she didn’t know what Simon would do to him for having failed. She wasn’t exactly sure she cared since Philip had smacked her in the face. Maybe he’d throw Philip in one of those rooms to repent for his sins.
There was a muffled noise in the hall and not long after she could hear more movement. She went to the door to see if she could see anything out the peephole, but the sounds had ceased as quickly as they had started. Perhaps it had been someone going into one of the other rooms, but she couldn’t stop her thoughts from drifting to Laura.
Was she a terrible person for not running over to tell Laura that she’d found Joel inside one of Simon’s buildings? It was hard to know the right thing to do considering the kids. Kate didn’t think for a second that Simon would consider them off limits. If he needed to use them to his advantage, he would, which greatly limited Kate’s options.
She needed more time, but she didn’t have time. If she didn’t find Ethan and convince him that they needed to leave before morning, she’d be living in the building next to Simon’s. And once she was there, would Kate ever get an opportunity to leave? Perhaps Simon would keep her on the eradication team, but she didn’t even want to spend one day inside that building. A building that Simon would most likely have the keys to. She’d never be safe there.
Kate had to leave even if for some reason Ethan backed out. But he wouldn’t… would he?
Her feet moved fast as she paced the floor. She was sure she was wearing down the carpet. Kate decided that if Ethan didn’t come back, she was going to go on her own. Surely she could find the hole in the fence with a little effort, and she’d get away from this place.
Ethan would understand, not that he’d ever find out. He would have wanted her to leave before having to be stuck living next to Simon and working for him as his whatever she was.
Maya had been his second, but she’d vanished. Maybe Kate didn’t even want to know what had happened to Maya.
If Kate hadn’t found Joel inside the building, she would have considered asking Laura to join her, but now that she knew he was inside, it made everything a bit more complicated. It would have been better for Laura and her kids to get the hell away from The Way, but if they left, maybe they’d never see Joel again.
Kate stopped when she heard the noises down the hallway again. This time they were different. Whoever was out there, was moving quickly.
She peeked out of the peephole and watched as the noises grew louder. Her stomach tightened when Ethan stepped into view.
Kate quickly opened the door and allowed him inside.
“Jesus, I was out there looking for you,” Ethan said rubbing his hands together. His cheeks and fingers were slightly reddened. “It’s cold out there.”
“We have to leave,” Kate said swallowing hard once the words were out of her mouth. Ethan stared at her waiting for more. “My new home will be ready tomorrow… the building next to Simon’s. There are prisoners scattered throughout this town, which I had to bring food to, and last but not least, Philip hit me.”
“Hit you? What do you mean he hit you?” Ethan’s eyebrows squeezed together. “And who’s Philip?”
“Philip is one of Simon’s guards. He brought me around town today showing me all the wonderful homes where Simon has people locked up.” Kate crossed her arms.
Ethan's eyebrows didn’t relax. “The hitting thing?”
“Oh yeah, he hit me on the side of the face. I guess because I talked to one of the prisoners.”
“I’ll kill him,” Ethan murmured.
“You won’t because we’re leaving. Tonight.” Kate started pacing. “You need to go tell Tommy and Wayne. I’m not staying another day. If I have to leave on my own, I will. You guys can catch up to me—”
“You’re not leaving alone.” Ethan sat down on the edge of the bed and ran his palms up and down his thighs. “Who did you talk to?”
“Joel,” Kate said. “Simon has him locked up. I’m not sure if I should tell Laura or not.”
Ethan shook his head. “That could just cause problems for us.”
“She wants her husband, and the kids need their dad.” Kate let out a heavy breath. “I have to. If she knows he’s in here, it’ll change everything for her.”
“It could end really bad for her, Joel, or those kids.” Ethan pressed his lips together.
“It could end really bad for them even if I don’t tell them.”
Ethan shook his head. “I don’t know what the right answer is.”
“I don’t either, but if I leave here, I’ll always wish I would have told her… so I guess that’s what I’m going to do.”
“Okay,” Ethan said. “When?”
“Now,” Kate walked over to the door. “If I don’t, I’ll lose the courage.”
Ethan nodded and followed her to the door. He watched as she made her way down the long hallway to Kate’s old room.
Kate knocked softly and waited. And waited. She glanced down at Ethan and shrugged before knocking again.
Still, there was no answer.
Kate reached out and wrapped her fingers around the cool doorknob. When the door opened her mouth dropped open, and she looked over at Ethan.
Laura and the kids were gone.
27
Ethan had left to talk to Tommy and Wayne about the updated plan. Kate couldn’t stop worrying the whole time he was gone that something had happened to him. That something had gone terribly wrong.
Every minute felt as though it was an hour ticking by. The darker it got outside the window, the more Kate felt like she’d be stuck inside The Way forever.
She looked out of the window even though she knew Ethan was somewhere inside the hotel. Kate wished she would have paid more attention to where Tommy and Wayne had been staying. Maybe they didn’t stay together… Kate didn’t even know.
She could have gone to them to make sure everything was okay instead of having to stay inside the room as she’d promised Ethan she would.
He said that no matter what Kate needed to wait inside the room. Ethan had promised he would come back. Kate had no choice but to trust him. Something she didn’t even realize she was capable of doing, yet here she was managing to stay inside the room.
Kate listened at the door periodically, but there were no footsteps. There were no sounds at all. The building was quiet. The entire town was silent, except for Kate.
She wondered if the people in the room below could hear her walking back and forth. Kate wondered if her incessant pacing was keeping others awake. She sat down on the edge of the b
ed suddenly afraid someone might charge up the stairs, pound on the door, and tell her to stop making so much racket.
With how desperately she wanted to leave, she needed to stay under the radar. Kate held her body as still as she could, and focused on taking calm, controlled breaths. Ethan would be back any minute. It was just taking time to update the guys on the new plan.
“Come on,” she whispered as the anxiety crept through her body causing her knee to bob up and down.
There were still plenty of hours left in the night, but Kate couldn’t shake away the fear that something would stop them from leaving. She wanted to get out of the fence as soon as possible. She didn’t know how much longer she could wait.
Kate stood and started walking toward the window when the church bells rang. Her body jolted with each loud, aggressive sound.
Kate’s heart jumped into her throat. Her fingers trembled.
Something was wrong.
Something had happened.
She couldn’t stay in the room. Kate had to go down to the road and join the rest of the town. Maybe something had happened to Ethan, Tommy, and Wayne.
If Kate went down there, she couldn’t hide in the back, she’d have to stand at Simon’s side. Then she wouldn’t be able to leave, at least not until Simon dismissed her, and what if he didn’t let her leave? What if he somehow knew?
Maybe she should forget it all and make a run for it. Maybe this was her chance, but could she really just leave Ethan behind? With everyone out on the road, she’d never get away. Someone would see her.
The bells kept ringing. In between each loud clang, Kate could hear Simon shouting. She couldn’t decipher what he was saying, but she could tell he was significantly angry.
Kate looked at the door and then pulled out her blade. She stared at the dull metal, and for a second, she considered running it down her wrists. Kate could do that later, first, she had to go down to the crowd… for all she knew, Ethan needed her.
28
Kate moved through the crowd looking at everyone she walked by hoping to spot Ethan. Each face that looked back at her belonged to someone else.
She hadn’t made it far before Philip stepped up beside her and wrapped his meaty fingers around her arm. “Simon’s been waiting for you. Come up to the front.”
“Where do you think I was headed?” Kate sneered and then winced as she swallowed down the sour taste at the back of her throat.
When Kate broke through the crowd Simon barely acknowledged her. Kate couldn’t tell what was going on until Simon, and his guard stepped to the side.
Kneeling on the ground with brown sacks pulled over their heads were three people. Kate fought the urge to gasp, but an unnoticed squeak managed to seep out.
Kate blinked several times trying to stop herself from passing out. She turned and looked at the faces in the crowd. It felt like every eye was on her. And their eyes were filled with hate.
She turned back to the people kneeling on the ground assuming it had to be Ethan, Tommy, and Wayne but when one of them started crying, she realized their sizes. Two of them were children.
The world started to spin when Kate realized who was kneeling there. She’d gone to the room, and they hadn’t been there. This was why. What was Simon planning? Kate had to do something.
“Good evening everyone,” Simon said holding up his palms. He was shirtless, barefoot, and his eyes were filled with more evil than she’d ever seen before. “I’m sorry to have to disturb you at this hour, but I caught three of our newest members attempting to escape.”
Kate bit her cheek hard in an attempt to stay focused. They were new to the town. Simon would teach them a lesson, and that would be it, at least that’s what she hoped, but she couldn’t help but feel this was different. That this was bad.
She scanned the crowd again looking for Ethan, but still, there was no sign of him. Maybe they’d left without her. They’d gone to the room, and when she wasn’t there, they assumed Kate had left.
Kate almost smiled at the thought of them getting the hell out of The Way. She wished she would have been with them, but she’d be happy for them having gotten out of the shit hole town.
“Does anyone know what we do with someone that tries to escape?” Simon asked.
Kate looked at the crowd. She thought she’d see angry faces, cheering Simon on, but they all looked… afraid.
“Anyone?” Simon shouted.
“They’re children!” a woman at the back of the crowd bellowed.
Simon looked through the crowd trying to find the owner of the voice. His face hardened. The woman was lucky he hadn’t found her.
“Even children need to learn The Way. They need to be taught right from wrong, something that shouldn’t be hard seems to have gotten harder for a lot of folk in this town over the last few days,” Simon spat.
Kate looked down and noticed the gun in Simon’s hand. She couldn’t let him do it. She wouldn’t.
Kate took a step forward but hesitated when movement in the crowd caught her eye. She turned and spotted Ethan at the back. Tommy and Wayne were with him, and they all looked as horrified as Kate felt.
Ethan held up his finger, and Kate held still. Her desire to run to them was so strong she wasn’t sure if she could ignore it.
Simon’s voice cut back through her thoughts. “They need to be punished,” he said, gesturing toward a pair of his guards.
The guards opened the church doors, and a third guy led out a man whose head wasn’t covered, but his hands were bound. Kate recognized him the second his face was illuminated by the lanterns spread out around the area.
Joel instantly recognized the three people kneeling on the ground. His knees gave out, but the guards held him up.
“Don’t hurt them,” Joel begged Simon.
Simon laughed and turned his back to Joel. He held up his hands to the stunned crowd and bowed his head. “Let us pray.”
Several people in the crowd looked at the person standing next to them. Everyone bowed their heads, even Ethan, Tommy, and Wayne.
Ethan’s eyes shifted upward and met Kate’s. The softness in his eyes somehow helped settled Kate’s nerves.
She didn’t know if they’d be able to get out as they planned, but the difference between what was happening to Laura and her family and what would happen with Kate and Ethan was that Kate and Ethan were armed. They wouldn’t give up without a fight, but before Kate could worry about their outcome, she had to wait until Simon was finished dealing with Laura and her family.
The crowd mumbled along with Simon’s Our Father, but Kate could hear the shakiness to their voices. Their fear penetrated the air and only worked to fuel Simon.
“Amen,” Simon said loudly, and the crowd echoed him. He pressed his palms together, his fingers pointed toward the sky. “These poor children are innocent in all of this. Remove the bags, tape, and untie them.”
Laura’s shoulders shook as she sobbed. The second the children were free they grabbed held onto their mother as if she was their life preserver in a sea of evil.
“Remove her bag as well,” Simon uttered, and one of the guards pulled off her bag.
Her wet eyes bulged out as they darted around looking for Joel. When they found him, tears streamed down her cheeks. Her cheeks moved as she tried to speak, but the tape held her mouth closed.
“Laura,” Joel’s eyes were filled with so much sadness, that Kate felt her heart break. “Laura, I love you.”
Sniffs and aching murmurs filled the crowd. Simon faced the crowd, and the silence that followed chilled Kate’s bones.
“What’s this about?” Simon bellowed.
No one dared to respond.
“We cannot tolerate this kind of behavior. It is our duty to teach The Way. His way… our way. It is the only way the sinners will be eradicated, and the world will one day become the beautiful place God had intended it to be.” Simon raised his hands to the sky. “We must abolish all evil.”
Simon turned and
faced the sobbing family. He placed his hands on top of the children’s head.
“He will forgive you for your parent's sins.” Simon knelt down next to Laura and looked into her eyes. “But you need to learn.”
Simon placed a kiss on her forehead as his arm moved back. When he pulled away from Laura, he pulled the trigger.
Pop!
Pop!
Laura let out a cry that shook the earth as Joel dropped to the ground. The children screamed as blood poured out of Joel’s head and flooded onto the ground around him. Joel’s empty eyes stared at the crowd.
Kate covered her mouth to stop whatever was threatening to come out of her. She looked down at her shaking hand which was holding her gun. Everyone was staring at Simon as he stood there holding a hand toward the sky.
There was a movement in the crowd as Kate moved one foot in front of the other. She didn’t even realize what she was doing until she saw her gun pressed against the back of Simon’s head.
Kate swallowed, her arm was surprisingly steady. Simon’s guards didn’t move. The crowd didn’t move. It was as though everyone had been frozen in time, except for her and Simon.
Simon turned and looked into Kate’s eyes. He smiled and laughed at her. The gun rested against his forehead.
“You don’t have it in you,” Simon said. He took a step forward into her gun and looked into her eyes. “You’re weak. You’ve always been weak. And you will always be weak. Without me, you’re nothing. You are all nothing!”
Kate knew that the second she pulled the trigger, she’d go down. One of Simon’s guards would surely take her out, but she didn’t have time. If she was leaving the world, she was going to take him with her.
Kate drew in a breath and pulled the trigger. Surprise filled Simon’s eyes, but it only lasted a second before the life drained out of him and he dropped like a rock to the ground.
Time started to move again, and Kate turned to the guard closest to her. He shook his head and raised his hands.
“Don’t shoot!” the guard pleaded.
As her eyes moved around the crowd, every single one of his supporters was doing the same thing. Except for one of them. Philip roared as he charged toward her.
Falling Darkness Series - A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller - Books 1-3 Page 17
