Rebecca sat up quickly and gripped the side of the bed as the room began to spin. Dropping her head, she pinched the bridge of her nose and tried to slow her breathing. The spinning started to abate, but she took a moment longer to allow it to pass fully.
The bed was unfamiliar, and the living quarters were cramped and bare save for the bed and a toilet. Rebecca tried to remember how she had landed here and groaned as it all came rushing back.
Rebecca jumped as a tapping sound filled the room. It was only then that she noticed that she was in a brick enclosure with a glass front. She peered out through the glass, still a little dizzy, and saw Selina there, rapping her nails on the clear surface.
“How are you feeling, dear?”
“Don’t call me dear,” Rebecca scoffed. “You are dead to me.”
Shoulders drooping, Selina removed her hand from the glass and picked at a ragged nail on her thumb. “Please don’t say that. You loved us up until a few hours ago.”
“I did, but that was when I thought I knew who you were. You and Dad have been lying to me my entire life.”
Selina smiled. “Still calling him Dad. That’s a good sign.”
“Force of habit. Don’t get all excited.”
“Becky, almost everything that we told you was the truth. Think of us as adoptive parents that didn’t want to burden you with what we plucked you from.”
“Do you love Craig?”
“What?”
“It’s a simple question. Do you love him?”
Selina sighed and lifted herself out of the chair, looking down the long hallway of the prison. “In a way. It was all business at first, but as time passed, it began to feel as though we were a family. We all have needs, so sharing a bed and keeping up the pretense became easier over time.”
The silence stretched on for a moment as Rebecca absorbed the answer. “It did feel real,” she finally admitted.
“Your dad and I love you. That is something you need to believe.”
“Hmm. Where is he now?”
“Craig? He’s, uh, he’s with Drake, taking Terry to a different location.”
Rebecca stood and placed her hands against the glass. “Where? Where are they taking him? When can I see him? I need to know that he is alright.”
“Thorn wouldn’t tell me, but I’m sure he is being well looked after. Your dad may look as though he doesn’t care much for your boyfriend, but he does. He won’t let any harm come to Terry.”
“What about me? Who’s protecting me now?”
A bright light appeared at the end of the hallway before Selina could answer. Rebecca peered down the hallway to try and get a bead on what was happening. The light disappeared as the security door closed, and Thorn wheeled down the long corridor. The man knew how to make a grand entrance, stopping at several different cells to look in on his exhibits and offer encouraging words.
Finally, he arrived outside the glass enclosure, moving his powerchair beside Selina and reaching out to shake her hand. “Is our girl behaving?” he asked.
“She just woke up, Mister Thorn. She is worried about Terry.”
“Tut tut, my dear. Terry will be fine as long as you play ball and help me retrieve my missing pets.”
Rebecca fought to control her anger, not wanting to do anything that would put Terry in jeopardy. “I don’t understand why you need me. Your people caught these things before, so surely they can do it again.”
“That’s a valid point, dear, but you must remember that when we caught them initially, we were taking them one at a time. This group scenario presents an issue. If this were a killing scenario, we could certainly take them out, but as I have already mentioned, I want them all back where they belong.”
Pacing in the cell, Rebecca suddenly felt as though the walls were pressing in on her. All she wanted was to go back to her house with Terry, where the biggest problem was deciding which color to paint the spare bedroom. She had no idea how to call upon her powers, and even if she did, she worried that it wouldn’t be enough to deliver what Thorn wanted. She turned to face her captor and said, “What guarantees do I have that you will allow me and Terry to walk away from this if I do what you want?”
“There are no guarantees in life, Miss Grainger, but I can tell you that I am a man of my word. I’m having Lionel take your boyfriend to a facility away from here, just in case Raven decides to return and come after me.”
“Please, Rebecca,” Selina said. “I’ve known this man for years. He has been nothing but good to our family.”
Sitting on the stone floor, Rebecca sighed and looked down the long corridor at all the cells lined on both sides. Several pathways led away from the main thoroughfare, making her wonder how big this place was and how many creatures were in here with her. She considered asking but then decided that she didn’t want to know. Being aware of the number might make her start thinking about how many other creatures were still running free. That type of thinking made the world feel a good deal less safe and not one into which she wanted to bring a child.
Rebecca stood and swiped at the butt of her jeans to remove any residue from the dusty floor. Her hand came away wet, and she panicked when she saw blood on her hand. “Oh, my God. My baby.”
“There is no baby,” Thorn said coldly. “Trust me; we tested to make sure. I’ll have Selina bring you a change of clothes and some feminine products, and then we can begin.”
“Begin what?”
“Pulling your powers out by hook or by crook.”
***
The SUV rumbled slowly along the highway, keeping pace with the traffic, which was slower than usual due to the dense fog still blanketing the city. Drake sat behind the wheel, the beginnings of a headache tapping at his temples as he peered through the murky mist.
“I’ve never seen anything like this in all the time that I’ve lived here,” Craig said.
“I thought fog was common here,” Drake said, annoyed that his passenger was talking while he was trying to concentrate on the road.
“It is, but it usually blows out as quickly as it comes in. It never hangs around like this.”
“I don’t know what to tell you, pal. Mother Nature is weird.”
They lapsed back into silence, which was a blessing to Drake. If he had to fill out a dating profile, he would describe himself as the strong silent type. That sounded better than the truth, which is that he would happily snap the neck of anyone who yapped at him for no good reason.
Ever since leaving the military, he had found it hard to find a group of friends like the ones he had in his squad. They all had his back no matter what. Civilians didn’t understand the level of trust and respect required to make it as a soldier. Drake didn’t have the words or patience to try explaining it, so he went the lone wolf route instead of constantly dealing with idiots. He groaned inwardly as Craig started talking again.
“I gotta tell you, man, I was as surprised as anyone when my daughter did what she did. Sure, she had a fiery temper, like any redhead, but she was usually gentle as a mouse. What is Raven like?”
“Are you asking if Rebecca has the same traits as her mother?”
“I guess.”
Drake shrugged. “I don’t know anything about her other than what I saw in the file. I wasn’t in the picture when they nabbed her, but from what I can tell, she wasn’t all bad.”
“She was bad enough when she fucked up Rankin down in the hold.”
“He probably had it coming,” Drake mumbled.
Craig reached back between the seats and shook Terry, lying down in the back seat, eyes open and staring at nothing in particular. “Are you okay back there, kid? Do you need us to stop and get you a drink or a bite to eat?”
“We’re not stopping—Thorn’s orders. There will be plenty to eat and drink at the safe house. Just chill and enjoy the ride. It won’t be much longer.”
“I feel bad for him. I gave him a bit of a tough time when he started dating my daughter, but that’s what fathers do, am I right?” Craig said.
Taking his attention off the road for a moment, Drake narrowed his eyes and said, “Craig, I swear to God, if you don’t shut up, I am going to smack you in the fucking mouth. The girl is not your kid, and I don’t know shit about being a dad. Drop it.”
Crossing his arms and puffing out his cheeks, Craig turned his attention to the world outside the passenger window, which was now beginning to come into focus as they went beyond the city limits.
The remainder of the ride went by in silence as they turned off the highway and onto a set of rural roads free from traffic. Drake navigated the potholes easily, keeping the ride smooth until they turned onto a dirt road that had a rundown-looking house at the end.
“Is that place even habitable?” Craig asked before remembering that he was supposed to be quiet. “Sorry.”
Drake pulled in front of the house and put the car in park. “I’m sorry I snapped. My head was pounding from trying to concentrate in that damn fog.”
“Forget about it.”
“And, yes, the house may not look like much from the outside, but it’s cozy enough inside. Why don’t you take the kid in and get him situated? I’ll bring in the supplies.”
Craig stepped out of the vehicle and stretched before opening the back door and giving Terry a shake. “Let’s go, kid. I’ll make us something to eat while you freshen up inside. What do you say?”
The young man slid out of the vehicle and stumbled as his feet hit the ground. Craig grabbed him around the waist and got him steady. They walked around the back of the car and went past Drake, who was leaning inside the cargo area, moving stuff around.
As soon as they hit the steps of the front porch, Drake stood and pulled the gun out of his waistband. He took a couple of steps forward, braced his feet, and shot both men in the back of the head.
Pulling out his smartphone, Drake punched in Thorn’s private number and waited for him to pick up, which he did on the third ring. “It’s done. What do you want me to do now?”
“Hide the bodies and get back here as quickly as possible. Selina needs to go too. They all know too much.”
“On it, sir. Sit tight; I won’t be long.”
No comment just. 😭