There’s something unsettling about finding comfort in a delusion. I walked down the short hallway to where Jess was leaning on the wall. She didn’t change her posture, but her expression was the same one she used when there was something she was hiding. I looked her over with suspicion. Just looking at the door next to her gave me a headache and made me anxious. It was another simple door in the century old mill, no different than any other in the place, yet I couldn’t shake the feeling.
I reached for the door handle, and Jess glanced up at me. Whatever it was, I was supposed to open the door.
“What is it?” Alison asked from somewhere behind me. I watched Jess’ eyes for any indication that I shouldn’t. Jess broke her gaze with me to steal a glance at the door. She clearly wanted me to open the door.
“Keep an eye out.” I addressed the girls without breaking eye contact with Jess. Not waiting for a response, I turned the knob and pushed the old oak door inwards.
“I don’t think we have time for…” Alison’s words trailed off in the hallway behind me. If this was where Jess wanted us, then there would be time, even if we were surrounded.
“Trust,” I heard Jess whisper to me.
The door opened to an office lit by a pair of standing lamps in the back corners of the room. The walls were decorated with a wide variety of anti-government posters and banners. In the center of the room, a lanky woman dressed in black was handcuffed to a heavy metal desk. She slowly lifted her head off the desk and tossed her long dark hair aside. Judging by the bruises and red welts on her face, she had definitely received more attention than Alison.
“You.” Her eyes focused on me with pure rage. “You should be dead.” I stepped closer.
“Why?” I asked.
“Because it’s what you deserve.”
“You shot me?” I took another step closer.
“I missed,” she corrected.
“No, you killed one of my friends.” I leaned on the desk. She didn’t back down at all. I had no doubt that if she was free, she would still attempt to kill me.
“Good.” Her voice was filled with disdain. “That’s one less.”
I straightened up and saw movement off to my left. I didn’t want to take my eyes off of her, but the motion was distracting. I opened my mouth to respond to her when Jess walked into view.
“Ask.” Jess circled around behind her. I stared at the both of them. All of the possible things I could ask our would-be assassin and all I could think of was just a singular thought.
“Why?” I asked quietly.
“You know her, Connor.” The thought made me pause.
“Heather?”
Her eyes widened ever so slightly at the recognition. I was right. She was the same person we had been tracking. The sniper and my first coherent connection to the cult that destroyed my life three years ago. I had too many questions.
“Why?” I shook my head to clear out some of the cobwebs. “Why did you try to kill us?”
“Why do you think?” She glared.
“You took everything I ever cared about.” I moved closer to lean on the desk again.
“Not everything.” Heather leaned closer with more venom in her eyes. “Not yet.” There wasn’t a single doubt in my mind that she meant it.
“What is wrong with you?” I slammed my hands on the desk.
“You will suffer for what you’ve done.”
“What I’ve done?” I stared at her. “How many people lost their lives because of you?”
“Only because of you and your filth.” She gnashed her teeth.
“You killed my family, my friends!”
“Your family?” She demanded. “You took the only thing I had, and I will kill you for that.” Her eyes were swelling with tears.
“Brian?” I asked. Alison was right?
“You do not get to say his name.” She was trembling with rage. “Murderer.”
“Murderer?” I clenched my fists. “Brian and your lot murdered over two dozen people and I’m a murderer?”
“Whatever it takes.”
“Joseph is locked away forever, Brian is dead, Marcus is dead, Sarah is dead, Jessica is…” I looked at Jess. “…Lost. How many have to die? How many do we have to lose. And for what?”
“Focus.” Jess crossed her arms. I broke eye contact with Heather to steal a glance up at her. She was right. I was letting my emotions get the better of me. I closed my eyes for a second to gather my thoughts.
“Just tell me why you did it,” I demanded, swallowing my anger. Heather slouched in her chair.
“Because no one else would.”
“What for?”
“I’m done.” She waved me off.
“What was it for?” I demanded.
“Get bent.”
“Tell me.”
“Either kill me or leave me to the rednecks. Either way. Leave. Me. Alone.” Heather turned away from me to face the wall. Jess circled around behind her with a little smile. I was on the right track. Alison came in through the door behind me.
“We…” Alison froze in mid-sentence.
“You!” Heather raised her voice.
“Monster.” Alison clenched the pipe tight in her hand, and stalked forward after Heather. “You will never hurt anyone again.”
“Hold it.” I forced Alison away from the desk.
“Connor, we need to get going. Now.”
“Connor?” Heather asked with a touch of surprise. “You’re Blackwell.”
“Why am I not surprised you don’t even know who you’re trying to kill.” She knew me by the alias that I often used. I released Alison once I was satisfied she wasn’t going to beat Heather to death.
“You killed Brian, that’s all I need to know.”
“No.” I turned toward the door. “That would be your precious family.”
“The group?” Heather looked genuinely confused.
“Come on,” Alison tugged at me. “Let the nuts have her. It’s what she deserves.” I started to follow her, but I stopped. One question nagged at me more than any other.
“Just one question.” I turned back to her. “Why me? Why did you target me? My friends, my brother, my family. Why?” I saw something spark in her eyes.
“Connor, we don’t have time…” Alison tried to get me to move.
“Connor…you’re dead.”
“Not yet.” I wasn’t going to get an answer from her. Alison was right, it was a waste of time. I started for the door. I could take some solace in the fact that the militia were probably going to kill her.
“It’s never been about you.” Heather’s words stopped me.
“What?” I looked back at her.
“I said, it’s never been about you, Connor Maitland.” I walked back over to the desk.
“Then what is it about?” I studied her face.
“Sacrifice.”
“Sacrifice?”
“Connor…” Alison and Veronica came into the office in a hurry. Together they frantically shut the door. “We’ve got problems.” The girls looked scared.
“Who’s…?” Veronica stared at Heather.
“She’s the psychopathic cultist that’s been trying to kill us,” Alison said, bitterly.
“I’m not one of them,” Heather whispered.
“What is it?” I ignored her comment.
“There’s…” Veronica started.
“There’s a whole troop clomping their way up the stairs.” Alison cut her off. We needed to find an exit. If we couldn’t get out through the hall there had to be another option. I glanced around the office again. Walls, walls and a curiously placed cork-board.
I moved to the cork-board to examine it. It was hanging by a pair of screws underneath each of the top corners. I tipped the bottom of the board out away from the wall to look behind it. My suspicions were confirmed. There was a window hidden behind the board.
“Here.” I called the girls over to help me pull the board down. After a bit of fussing we managed to pull the thing free. The window had been blacked out with tar-paper but it was still only secured with a single latch. It took a bit more effort than expected to move the rusted latch. Together with Alison we forced the window up and open enough so that I could stick my head out. There was a narrow walkway that ran past the window and offices.
“What’s the word?” Alison asked from behind me.
“Exit stage right.” I pulled back through the window. Alison was only a step away, with a relieved expression.
“Good,” Alison breathed. “I’m not sure just how much more Sunshine can take.” She nodded over her shoulder. Veronica sat on the floor in the far corner staring vacantly at the wall. I spared Alison a worried look. When Veronica said she was fine, I hadn’t thought twice about questioning her. I walked over to her and knelt down.
“They’re coming and they’re going… they’re going to kill us just like…” Veronica mumbled something too low to hear. “They killed him…they just…” I took her hands in mine. “They killed you…they just…”
“Veronica,” I spoke a little too loud. Her eyes snapped up to meet me. “It’s okay. I’m here.”
“I saw them…” Tears welled in her eyes.
“I’m right here.” I caressed her cheek. She had been through a lot in the past couple weeks, but something pushed her too far tonight. There was more trauma in her eyes than a simple abduction. The thought physically struck me. I looked up at Alison and saw the same realization on her face. I wrapped my arms around Veronica and held her tight. Jason was dead.
“Connor,” Alison took a step closer. “I don’t mean to be a broken record but we really need to move, like now.” I swallowed a breath.
“We need to get going, honey.” I watched her eyes. She was staring straight through me. I brushed her hair aside.
“Connor,” Alison prodded. I fought with myself. She was in shock, and there was not easy way to deal with it at the moment. I slipped my hands under her arms and forced her to stand. Alison moved to her side and together we helped Veronica over to the window. Alison spared me a concerned look before she stepped through the window. I forced Veronica to look at me.
“You left…” Veronica started again.
“No.” I cupped her face with both hands. “I promise you, I’m not going anywhere, it will be alright.” She just stared at me. Alison leaned through the window. I pushed Veronica into her waiting arms and out through the window.
“Connor.” Heather’s call stopped me before I could step through the window. I looked back at her. “Take me with you.”
“Why would I do that?”
“Because if you want the truth, then you need me,” she answered smugly. I glared at her and turned back to the window. “You know I’m right.” I hesitated.
“You swear to kill me and now you want to help?”
“You’re not who I thought you were.” She shifted, clinking the metal handcuff against the desk.
“You destroyed my life,” I lowered my voice.
“You think you’re special?” Heather spoke with bitterness. “Don’t you think the group has destroyed other lives?”
“And what? You suddenly renounce them now?”
“I was never with them.”
“Excuse me if I don’t believe you,” I spoke over my shoulder.
“You don’t have to believe me.” Her words made me turn to face her. “I’ll show you all the proof you need, if you just take me with you.”
“And I should just trust you?” I asked. Was I really entertaining her request? Some part of me had to be intrigued, otherwise I would’ve already been out the window.
“Not at all.” She leaned forward with pleading eyes. “Take me with you, and I’ll answer everything I can.” I rolled my eyes. She was my best lead and she knew I was going to agree with her. I groaned in frustration and moved over to the desk. I jammed the end of the wrench through the handcuff attached to the desk.
“I’d better not regret this.” I levered the wrench against the bar. The handcuff bent with a few tries and popped open with enough applied force. She stretched her arm. “Move it.” I pushed her toward the window. Heather crawled out the window as I picked up a spray bottle from the nearby shelf. I had no idea what the liquid was, but it didn’t really matter. I aimed it at the farthest lamp and pulled the trigger. The bulb popped as soon as the liquid hit it. I put one leg out the window, aimed the sprayer at the remaining light and pulled the trigger.