Captives (50 page)

“I didn’t mean for anyone to die,” Omar blurted out. “I just wanted to do something my father would be proud of. Show I was good enough.” He rubbed the scar between his eyes. “But I’m not. And the task director lied to me.” Omar heaved in a deep breath. “I don’t know if I can ever make up for what I did, but—”

“You can’t,” Jordan said.

Omar looked at his hands and threaded his fingers together. “You’re right.” He glanced up, then back at his hands, then up again. “I know you’re right.”

“What do you want?” Eliza’s voice was low.

“To say I’m sorry.”

“Sorry doesn’t undo anything, Omar,” Eliza said. “It doesn’t bring Mark back.”

“Why did you do it, really?” Jordan asked. “Your father wouldn’t have been proud to see you in an enforcer’s uniform.” Levi didn’t understand Omar’s logic either.

“So he could prove his dad was wrong about him,” Shaylinn said. “That he had worth. Elder Justin was so mean to him. He was mean to me too.”

“My father was honest,” Levi said. “He never meant to hurt anyone.”

“But he did.” Shaylinn folded her arms. “And he never apologized. I don’t mean to speak ill of your father, it’s just … we’ve all hurt people without meaning to. Isn’t that right, Omar?”

Omar nodded at Shaylinn. “I never wanted any of these horrible things to happen.”

“Fine,” Eliza said. “Then why didn’t you move to the Safe Lands and leave us be?”

Omar’s forehead wrinkled. “Do any of you remember when Papa Eli told my father to take me hunting with him and Elsu? And how my father reacted?”

Levi hung his head in memory of that awkward moment. Father
had
been cruel.

“The next day I took a rig to Crested Butte,” Omar said, “hoping to scavenge something that would prove to my father that I wasn’t a useless mouth to feed. Instead, I ran into some enforcers. They asked if I wanted to see the city and took me to meet the task director general. The city was amazing, and I wondered what it might be like to live there. The task director said I could, that he’d send some men to Glenrock to see if you all wanted to give the city a try as well.”

Omar had walked right into the lions’ den. If only Levi had reached out to him sooner.

“I told them to come while Father was in Denver City,” Omar said. “I figured that when he returned and found me gone, he’d be relieved to finally be free of me.”

“
Omar
…” Aunt Chipeta said.

His words were a fist to Levi’s gut. Omar must have thought their father hated him.

“It’s true, and you all know it,” Omar said, matter of fact. “No one was supposed to get hurt. I didn’t really understand what they wanted. I was stupid, like always.” He heaved a deep sigh. “Anyway, I just wanted to explain to you and to say I’m sorry. Because I am. And now I’ll leave, and none of you will ever have to see me again.” He walked toward the exit.

What? He’s just going to leave?
Levi started across the room to stop him.

But Jordan was already blocking the exit.

“One of the things that drove Elder Justin nuts about you was how
you always run,” Jordan said. “So prove your father wrong now, Omar. Saying sorry isn’t good enough. You need to stay and work, to help put things right.”

“I got Levi and Jemma out of the RC,” Omar said.

“That’s a start. But this ain’t over ‘til we’re home. All of us. And this place ain’t home.”

Omar rubbed the scar on the bridge of his nose. “What else do you want me to do?”

“Sit down, and let Elder Levi talk.” Jordan pushed Omar into a chair and went to sit beside Naomi.

A swell of pride filled Levi at Jordan’s words. He looked around the room and said, “I’m not the elder unless that’s what everyone wants.”

“But you’re next in line,” Naomi said.

“That may be, but Aunt Chipeta is the eldest.” Levi nodded to where his aunt sat beside Jemma. “Then Mary, then Eliza, then Jordan,
then
me.”

“Age doesn’t matter,” Aunt Chipeta said. “You’re Elder Elias’s heir. You’re meant to be patriarch.”

Levi agreed, but he didn’t want to do this alone. “Papa Eli had an elder council to help him. I’d like one too.”

So they formed an elder council: Mary, Aunt Chipeta, Eliza, Jordan, Levi, and Mason once he escaped as well. The five present council members crowded around one table to have their first official meeting. Jemma, Shaylinn, and Naomi went into the kitchen to make lunch. Omar sat alone on the sofa.

The council’s first decree was that no one would leave the Safe Lands until every possible member of Glenrock had been rescued. They also discussed whether they should send a message to Jennifer and Mia and if they could be trusted, and ways they might try to free the children. Levi said that their efforts largely depended on Mason and Bender now.

Jemma approached the table and circled to stand behind Levi. She put her hands on his shoulders and squeezed. “The food is ready.”

Levi turned to look up at her. He caught sight of the gold chain
disappearing into the neckline of her dress and jumped up. “Elder Jordan!” He took Jemma by the hand and pulled her to Jordan’s side of the table. “Will you marry us?”

Jemma gasped. Naomi hurried toward them from the kitchen.

“Oh, yes! Please do, Jordan,” Aunt Chipeta said. “They should’ve been married days ago.”

Jordan pushed up from his chair. “Really? Can I do that?”

Levi’s heart raced. This was finally going to happen. His wedding to this beautiful woman. He removed the necklace from Jemma’s neck and handed it to Jordan. “Only an elder can. And we are elders now.”

“I’ll do my best then.” Jordan raised his voice. “Gather round, witnesses. We need your eyes. This man and woman wish—”

With a shout of protest, Aunt Chipeta, Mary, and Eliza all stood at once.

“Not right this moment, Jordan,” Aunt Chipeta said.

“While this is far from the ideal circumstance, a bride deserves some time to prepare, both physically and spiritually,” Eliza said.

The women whisked Jemma away to one of the bedrooms, leaving Levi speechless.

“But what about lunch?” Jordan called after them.

“Eat it,” Naomi yelled. “We’ll get some later.”

And the boys were left alone.

Jordan walked toward the kitchen. “Guess I’ll help myself then.”

Omar’s laugh pulled Levi’s gaze to where his brother sat on the couch.

Levi went and sat beside him. “What’s so funny?”

“Did you really think the women were going to let Jordan say, ‘I declare you married’ and be done with it?”

Levi fell back against the stale couch cushions. “That would have been nice.”

They sat together. Omar had been watching a show called
Easy Bake
, in which a woman was teaching how to make something called boule bread, which reminded Levi of Kosowe, a woman he didn’t want to be thinking about just before his wedding.

Maybe this was the time to do something hard. To try and dismantle this unspoken wall between him and his youngest brother. “Omar,” Levi took a deep breath. “Do you remember a couple years ago? When we stayed the night in Jack’s Peak?”

Omar raised one eyebrow and smirked. “I remember.”

Levi wished he hadn’t. He forced himself to speak. “I’m hoping you’ll … I don’t think Jemma needs to, you know, know. I thought of telling her but … I was wrong even to—”

“You weren’t engaged to Jemma then,” Omar said. “And you didn’t really do anything to be ashamed of.”

Levi sat up straight. “I didn’t?”

“You don’t remember?”

“Only waking up in Kosowe’s teepee.” And seeing Omar’s face.

“You kissed her. A lot. But that was it. All five of us slept in there. Beshup and Tsana got up at a decent hour, but you and Kosowe were dead to the world. I got bored and woke you up so we could go home.”

Levi had jumped to the worst possible conclusion. And Kosowe had let him. All this time the guilt had been for nothing. He looked at his brother in a new light. “Thank you, Omar.”

Omar shrugged and looked back to the TV. “Glad to help clear your conscience.”

Levi took a deep breath. Suddenly, he was trembling. “Omar … would you … That is, will you stand up with me? For the wedding?”

Omar turned his bloodshot eyes back to Levi and broke into a smile. “Sure.”

The women bustled about all afternoon, making food and decorating the underground home with all manner of oddities. When Levi discreetly asked Aunt Chipeta about the fuss, she looked at him more seriously than he was prepared for. “I want to make sure Jemma has a wedding she deserves.” She nodded toward Eliza and Naomi, who were making a bouquet out of pink and white tissues. “I think even
the trivial things have a greater meaning right now. Plus, doing this for Jemma is a welcome distraction.”

“I guess I didn’t look at it that way. I just wanted to marry Jemma this minute.”

Aunt Chipeta laughed. “As soon as Shaylinn and Mary finish putting together Jemma’s dress, we should be ready. But while you’re waiting, I suggest you take a shower. You look like you’ve been wearing the same thing for three days. I saw a shirt and a pair of pants in one of the bedrooms—don’t come back until you’ve changed.”

Levi did as he was told, though he discovered both the dark green long-sleeved button-up shirt and the dark blue pleated pants were way too big. When he returned to the main room and Mary saw him fisting the waistband, she threaded a black silk scarf through the belt loops.

Jordan and Omar laughed, so Mary put them to work moving the tables and setting up the chairs, which made an aisle that faced the shower curtain backdrop Aunt Chipeta had put up.

And then it was time.

Jemma stepped into the doorway, a princess in white. The other ladies stood and started to sing.

Jemma walked toward Levi. She wore a sleeveless white dress with a short flowing skirt that showed off her legs. Her hair was long and loose, clipped back above one ear by a single tissue flower. A layer of sheer white fabric poofed over her hair, barely covering her face. The world’s shortest veil.

Levi took hold of her hand, thinking he’d never let go.

“Witnesses,” Jordan said. “This man and woman wish to become one. Let us hear their pledge and hold them to it.” He looked at Levi. “Levi of Elias, you bring a request to the elders of Glenrock?”

“I want to marry Jemma of Zachary,” Levi said.

Jordan turned to Jemma. “Jemma of Zachary, your favor has been petitioned. What’s your response?”

“I accept the offer.”

Jordan leaned close to his sister. “Even though he snores?”

She smiled and tugged on Levi’s hand. “Yes.”

Jordan straightened and looked at the other faces in the room. “Does anyone have reason to speak against this union?” When no one spoke, he asked, “What elder will speak for this couple’s commitment to one another?”

Aunt Chipeta stood up. “I will.”

“People of Glenrock, you have witnessed an offer of marriage, an acceptance, and an endorsement by a village elder.” Jordan’s face blanked, as if he’d forgotten what came next.

Levi held up the rings.

“Right.” Jordan took the rings from Levi and held them on his palm. “Exchange these rings as a token of your promise to one another.”

Levi and Jemma took a ring and slid it onto each other’s fingers.

“All right then,” Jordan said. “She’s yours! Take her in your arms and—”

“Don’t forget the Father!” Naomi said.

“Of course!” Jordan clapped his hands. “My wife is wiser than me. Will you both serve our Father, the God in heaven, better together than you could on your own?”

“We will,” Levi and Jemma said together.

“Then I declare you married! Be fruitful and multiply, and stay true to the ways of our elders. Kiss her, Levi, and keep her ‘til God takes you home.”

The little remnant from Glenrock cheered.

Levi wrapped his arms around Jemma’s waist and looked down into her eyes. “You know, since the invention of the kiss, there have only been
six
kisses that were rated the most passionate, the most pure.
This one
will leave them all behind.”

And it did.

T
he Safe Lands Guild had summoned Mason to appear before them in regard to the escape of the harem women. He’d heard rumors they’d summoned Omar as well, after Jemma and Levi disappeared from the RC, but so far no one had been able to locate him. He hoped his brother was somewhere safe.

An hour and a half before the scheduled meeting, Mason dressed in the new outfit he’d bought, thinking it better not to appear before the Guild in scrubs. He came into his kitchen and glanced at the clock in the glass of the oven door. Time to go.

As he walked toward the door, he noticed the framed picture that hung over his couch was crooked. He crossed the room—stalling, he knew—and pushed up one corner of the picture until it was even.

Something fell off the top of the frame and landed with a soft
thwup
on the back of the couch. Mason picked up a small black rectangle and stared at the tiny words
MiniComm
that were engraved just over an on-off switch. The device was turned on.