She might be acting like the submissive now, but Tabitha was no victim. Maybe she had been originally, but no more. The conversation she’d had with Honor and her cruelty had revealed that she was totally on board with what her father was doing. Hell, what
she
was doing.
Several hours passed before he heard from Honor again. Waiting in silence was almost as bad as hearing Honor’s pain. Then, finally, he’d heard the sweetest sound of all—Honor’s voice reassuring him that she was okay.
Then the man had arrived. He’d introduced himself as Alden Pike, and from the sounds of it, he was more than enamored of Honor. Being on the sick bastard’s good side might not necessarily be a good thing.
Either way, Seth could do nothing until Honor confirmed their suspicions. Going in without knowing exactly where the girls were would be pointless. It could also get Honor or one of the girls hurt. He’d wait and watch. He trusted Honor.
Staying busy while Honor was in the midst of danger was the only way to keep his sanity. He dropped his backpack onto the ground and went to work rechecking weapons and organizing explosives. The methodical routine soothed him. Once he finished, he’d do a search of the area. By the time Noah and his team arrived, he would have all the knowledge he’d need to infiltrate the compound.
With the sounds of Honor’s innocent questions and Alden Pike’s creepy answers in his ear, Seth continued his task. And then, as the tour of what Pike called her “new home” began, Seth listened with growing alarm.
As Alden led the woman out of the training building and into the bright new world to which she would soon belong, he took a long breath of cold air and felt revitalized and as youthful as a teenager. Long past the days of romanticisms, he couldn’t help but feel that a certain kind of magic had brought them together. He couldn’t think of a woman better suited for him than this girl.
She was taller than average, so he didn’t tower over her as much as he did with some of the other women. Her strawberry-blond hair was thick and shiny, and hung past her shoulders like smooth silk. She wore no makeup and wasn’t flashy the way so many girls her age tried to be. When he’d carried her inside last night, he’d gotten a glimpse of her creamy skin under her shirt. Not only was her face covered in delightful freckles, but apparently her entire body had them as well. He couldn’t wait to discover each and every one.
Her demeanor was perfect, too—timid and shy, with just the right amount of respectful curiosity.
“There’s snow everywhere. Did it snow while I was sleeping?”
Disappointed that her first reaction to the beauty before her was related to the weather, he said, “Yes, we had several inches of snow come through overnight.”
Maybe the girl was a little slower than he’d first thought. Why wasn’t she exclaiming over her new home? “What do you think about Tranquillity?”
She gave a small jerk, and then the brilliance of her smile made him forget his earlier irritation. “It’s beautiful … almost like a fairy tale. And it’s so large, too.” Green eyes blinked up at him with a sweet innocence. “How many people live here?”
With pride, Alden looked around. They stood on the main road, in view of most of the public buildings. The houses he’d allowed the older married members to have were on another, smaller street.
“We have over one hundred residents now.”
“Where did they come from?”
He frowned down at her. “What do you mean?”
Her slender shoulders lifted in a shrug. “I just wondered if they were all related to you in some way.”
“Not by blood. Only by loyalty and a shared belief system.”
“What belief is that?”
Taking her hand, he led her down the main street. “You’ll soon learn about our beliefs. You’ll be able to quote each one from memory. But for now, let me show you around.”
Dammit, she had almost blown everything with her initial reaction, but the snow had stunned her. Had Seth had difficulty following them? Was he okay? And what about the rest of the LCR team? Had the weather slowed them down? Were they outside, just waiting for her word to come in, or were they hundreds of miles away?
She shook herself from her momentary panic. All of that had to be put aside. Playing the wide-eyed, clueless innocent would take all of her concentration. She had to trust Seth and her team. They would get here … she had to believe that.
Fortunately, Honor didn’t have to feign interest in her surroundings. She was fascinated to learn that this community had been here for so long, hidden away from the authorities and able to get away with everything.
“How long has Tranquillity existed?”
She knew she was going to have to intersperse her probing questions with wide-eyed, awed remarks that would feed Pike’s massive ego.
“Almost fifteen years.”
She gasped, again not having to fake her response. Had he been kidnapping women since then? And was it only women he had abducted? “All of you have been here for fifteen years?”
His hearty laugh, filled with condescension, grated on her nerves. “No, no. We’ve grown over the years. I started our community in another state, with just a few people.” He stood in front of a large, one-story brick-and-aluminum building that resembled a warehouse. “This is our community sleeping area. Our unattached men and newly married couples live here.”
“If I stay here, is this where I’ll live?”
With a grin that told her there was no “if” to her staying here, he shook his head. “You’ll be given a very special place to live.”
She didn’t have to ask any more about that. The lascivious looks he’d been shooting her told their own story. Did he use the other girls the same way? Keep each as his until he replaced her with another?
No, that didn’t track with what Tabitha had revealed last night. She’d said her father had taken a particular interest in her. Gee, didn’t she feel lucky?
“Where do the unattached females live?”
Another smug smile lifted his thin lips. “That’s the beauty of Tranquillity. There are no unattached females. That’s why our women are so happy and satisfied.”
A chill zipped up her spine. It was as she and Seth had discussed yesterday. He abducted women and brought them here as brides for the male members of the community.
“So Tabitha is married, too?”
The smile disappeared. “Tabitha is attached.” He pointed to another building, this one almost quaint-looking, like a small church. “This is our schoolhouse. Training begins very early for our little ones.”
Holy hell
. Honor swallowed the bile that shot up her throat. Of course they’d want to impregnate the women. Not only would this bastard want to increase his numbers, but getting their captives pregnant would provide extra incentive for the women to stay here. Few women would try to escape if it meant leaving their children behind.
Working harder this time, Honor exclaimed her delight. “Oh, I love children. How many are here?”
He beamed down at her, and bile surged up her throat again. That look was one of pure delight, and the gleam in his eyes told her that he clearly intended that she have his children.
Over your dead body, asshole
. And she meant that quite literally.
“Right now, we have nine children under the age of ten and five teenagers. However, that will soon change.”
“Really?”
“Seven of our women are pregnant.”
Great. Children and pregnant women. Storming the compound had been her initial thought. Now that wasn’t going to be possible. A dozen or more LCR operatives coming in with guns a-blazing would endanger the innocents. Their first priority was rescue, which meant stealth would have to be used.
Even though she knew Seth was hearing all of this, she nevertheless had to reinforce that message. “Protecting the children and the pregnant women is of utmost importance,” she noted.
Pike gave her an odd look. “What makes you say that?”
“Because they are the future of Tranquillity. Are they not?”
Surprising the hell out of her, he picked her up and whirled her around. “I knew the moment I saw you that you were the one.”
Wishing with all her might to be able to kick him deep in the balls for even daring to touch her, she gave him another shy smile. “Really?”
With her feet back on firm ground, Pike continued that sickly adoring look. “You’ll be held in esteem over all the other women.”
Honor favored him with what she hoped was an appropriately grateful look and glanced around again. Spotting what seemed to be a large structure up above the community, she pointed to it. “What’s that?”
“That’s where I live. Where you’ll live, too.”
“Really?” she breathed. “It looks so grand.”
“We’ll have dinner there tonight and I’ll show you around. After your training is complete, you’ll come live there with me.”
“Training?”
“Yes, all new members must be trained in the proper laws and procedures.”
“How long will that take?”
“It depends.” Eyes that had been gleaming with approval and desire suddenly turned cold. “Those who resist learning don’t fare well here in Tranquillity. You must remember this.”
She nodded hesitantly and said, “Thank you, Brother Alden.”
As if he’d never issued that chilling warning, he took her hand and said, “Come. There’s more to see on the next street.”
Knowing she looked like the most curious of sightseers, Honor twisted her head left and right, taking in all the different buildings that made up the community of Tranquillity. All the questions she asked were eagerly answered by Pike, who seemed so incredibly thrilled with her questions, she began to see the sick mind that existed underneath that evil. She didn’t bother to ask herself which had come first. Either way, the man’s atrocious community had to be destroyed.
She stopped in the middle of the intersection. On one side stood a row of small, charming houses. On the other side, isolated from the rest of the community, was another large building that also resembled a warehouse. “Oh, what’s that building over there?”
“A place where our unattached males can enjoy companionship until their mates arrive.”
So apparently Tranquillity had its very own red-light district. Had these women been abducted, too? Of course they had. How many women would willingly lock themselves away inside a community that apparently believed women were here to serve men in whatever capacity the men wanted?
Covering her disgust with a veil of stupidity, she pointed to the houses on the other side of the intersection. “Who lives in those houses?”
“Our older, married members move into the homes just before their women are ready to bear children.” He smiled down at her. “Our women are supremely happy.
Talk to any of them and they’ll all tell you the same thing. That’s why we call it Tranquillity. It’s the way the world was meant to be.”
Though she knew that Pike was telling her these things to convince her of the community’s goodness, she saw behind his words. The man might be able to sell others this bill of goods, but he had his own private agenda. His bullshit about “the way the world was meant to be” was nothing more than a ruse. The bastard had set himself up a little kingdom with his own community of slaves, along with a harem and a nice little breeding farm, too.
She gestured at a man standing on a high platform on one wall, holding a high-powered rifle. “What’s he doing?”
“He’s there for our protection. Tranquillity is a special place and must be guarded and protected at all costs.”
As if in awe of the beauty that surrounded her, Honor turned in a circle and glanced around the perimeter. Though they were a distance away, she could just make out the other armed guards, one at each corner. When rescue did arrive, these men would have to be neutralized, and it would have to be done quietly. Just because the few people she’d seen on the streets had looked harmless, that didn’t mean there weren’t more men on the lookout. That also increased her concern for the women and children. Would Pike’s men turn their guns on them? Yet another reason stealth would have to be used. This crazy freak believed he owned this community and its inhabitants. What would keep him from killing them if he felt threatened?
Pike grabbed her arm and pulled her close. “Come. We’ll have a bite to eat at our dining hall. You’ll get to see several of our members there. And tonight, you’ll be treated to an extraordinary gift.”
Her heart thudded with dread. “A gift?”
“Yes, dining alone with me is an honor few are granted.”
The dread increased. Dinner alone with him she could handle. Anything else and the man was in for a seriously painful surprise.
twenty-seven
Honor opened her eyes and allowed her fogged brain to catch up. She hadn’t thought she’d be able to sleep, but she had managed a few dreamless hours. Yesterday’s ordeals had apparently exhausted her reserves.
Sitting up on the small cot, she put a pillow behind her head and gazed around at the blank walls of her cell. Since she was quite sure there was a camera hidden somewhere, she’d taken care not to seem too curious about how to escape. Pretending to be content to be locked up was ludicrous, but it was what Pike seemed to expect, so she would continue until she was ready to make her move.
The room was a small square space, made completely of cinder blocks. An explosive could crumble it in seconds. The stainless-steel door, however, would be difficult to penetrate. The thing looked more like a refrigerator door than anything else. There was no escaping this place until she was let out of it. Though she hated waiting for that, after last night’s conversation with the man, she figured something would be happening soon.
After she had been closed in for the night and all the overhead lights turned off, she had spent over an hour with her head under her pillow, whispering to Seth. Though she’d known he’d heard every word Pike had spouted, she’d described in detail everything she had seen. When Seth and LCR came in, they would know as much as she did.
Yesterday had been enlightening, giving her and Seth an opportunity to see what they faced. During lunch at the dining hall, she’d noticed that there were only men at the tables. The occasional woman did pass by, but apparently only to see to a man’s needs. At first, a few curious looks had been thrown her way, but once the men saw Pike’s hand on her elbow, his possession clear, they quickly glanced away and never looked again. Not one person spoke to them.
After lunch, they’d walked down the main road again. Pike had pointed out a small general store, a library he’d described as having only “the right kinds of books,” whatever the hell that meant, and a building he said housed their “healer.” When she’d inquired if the man was a licensed doctor, he’d frowned, saying, “That’s nothing to concern yourself with.”
She’d seen several women on their walk, all of them dressed modestly in long corduroy dresses and with pleasant expressions on their faces. None of them seemed desperate or anxious to escape. In fact, they looked too damn happy. Their appearance had given her pause. Were some of them here because they wanted to be?
When Pike had received a call on his cellphone he’d said he had to take, Honor had gotten an answer to her question. An answer that had left her chilled to the bone.
Looking a bit put out at the unexpected interruption in their tour, Pike had glanced around and spotted two women sitting on a park bench at a small play area. Three young children were in front of them, having fun in the snow. He’d guided Honor to the women and said, “Sisters Sharon and Linda, would you two be so kind as to visit with our newest member while I take this call?”
The women, both in their early twenties, had shot to their feet, their expressions of reverence sickening. Having Pike talk to them was apparently seen as a rare privilege. After he’d walked away, she’d soon learned why they’d acted enamored. For at least half an hour, Honor had listened while the women extolled Alden Pike’s virtues and how much they loved living in Tranquillity. When she’d asked where they were from, both had answered with wide-eyed sincerity and identical words: “We lived nowhere before Tranquillity.”
By the time Pike had returned for her, she’d concluded that brainwashing was the only explanation. She’d seen no evil, no subterfuge in their answers. The women truly believed all the crap they’d told her because that’s what they’d been conditioned to believe.
On the surface, if she’d known nothing else about this community, she could almost have convinced herself she was visiting some kind of extreme religious cult. Only problem was, she
had
seen beneath that surface. “Extreme” was a good word for this place, but whatever their belief system, God had no part in it.
Last night at dinner, Pike had treated her with an odd, pseudorespect. He’d never touched her inappropriately or said anything overtly sexual … for which she was extremely grateful. The man’s attitude had been more that of a superior being condescending to spend time with an underling. Though repugnant, his narcissism had been reassuring. An ego that huge would never suspect an infiltration of his kingdom. She looked forward to showing the arrogant asshole how very fallible he was.
By worldly standards, his home was upper-middle-class modest. Compared to the small houses of his followers, it was palatial. He made no attempt to hide the immense pride he felt in what he had accomplished. And though it was nauseating, she had to admit to being impressed with what he’d managed to get away with for so long. He had his very own kingdom, with people falling all over themselves to please him. Convincing one person to do something against their will could be difficult; doing that with dozens of people and being able to maintain that power and control was phenomenal. Scary as hell, too.
A middle-aged blank-faced woman who never made a sound had served a surprisingly nutritious dinner of grilled trout, brown rice, and steamed vegetables. During their meal, Pike had asked her no questions, making it obvious that her past didn’t matter. No doubt because he intended for her to forget that past. Instead, he had continued his diatribe about the benefits of living in Tranquillity … a sales job she had pretended to buy.
After showing her around his backyard, which included a swimming pool and a Jacuzzi, along with a breathtaking view, Pike had escorted her back down the hill to her small cell. Before locking her inside, he’d given her another one of those smiles that creeped her out, along with a warning: “Training begins tomorrow. Remember all you’ve seen, especially tonight. The more cooperative you are with your training, the faster you’ll be able to enjoy all the luxuries I’m willing to give you.”
What the hell that training would include, she didn’t know. She’d yet to see any of the girls they were looking for. A couple of times, she thought she’d glimpsed a familiar-looking face, but Honor wondered if that was wishful thinking on her part.
She hadn’t been tied down last night, so apparently she had convinced him that she wasn’t a flight risk. That one blessing of not being restrained was severely diminished by what she’d found in the corner after she’d been locked in for the night: a plastic bucket. This was apparently for toilet purposes, since toilet paper had been placed beside the bucket. As much as she’d hated to use it, she’d had no choice. The act was demeaning, which was exactly what, she knew, it was meant to be. What else did he have in store?
A sound outside alerted her that someone was coming. Was her “training” about to commence? Tense with equal parts anticipation and dread, Honor waited. A slot at the bottom of the door opened and a tray appeared. Instead of her training, breakfast had arrived.
Honor stood and picked up the tray of cold cereal, milk, and hot tea. She didn’t hesitate to eat the meal. She’d already been drugged a couple of times. If Pike wanted her unconscious again, the sadistic Tabitha would likely be happy to jab another needle into her neck.
Just as she took her first bite of cereal, a creaking sound caught her attention, alerting her that she was being given another surprise. Honor looked down at the slot and watched as a toothbrush, toothpaste, and a glass of water appeared. So Pike encouraged good dental hygiene in his slaves.
How thoughtful
.
Honor finished her cereal and tea and then retrieved the toothpaste and toothbrush. Resenting the inhumane treatment would do no good. She was sure he intended much worse. So she took a few moments to appreciate the small convenience and relished the feeling of a clean, fresh mouth.
Breakfast and teeth cleaning out of the way, Honor sat down to wait. While eating her cereal, she’d noticed a minuscule black dot in a corner of the ceiling. Though she couldn’t get too close since she didn’t want Pike to think she was becoming suspicious, she was almost sure it was a camera.
So instead of pacing around the room or looking for an escape, she sat on the bed and acted as if being held captive by some sort of maniac was just where she wanted to be. Sure, a normal person would have put up resistance, but so far, Pike seemed to be buying her act. If he thought she would be an easy one to “bring over” or whatever the hell he called it—maybe he’d let his guard down sooner.
On edge to get this thing started, Honor stared hard at the solid steel door, willing it to open. Finally a sound outside had her attention. Was this it? The door opened and two women and a man entered. The tall, almost emaciated-looking man was in his mid-sixties, wore glasses, and had deep furrows on his forehead. He gave her a cold, clearly sadistic up-and-down glance. “Strip.”
Honor stood. Playing this thing out was going to take every bit of the courage she had and then some. Noticing her hesitation, the women who’d come in with the man began to tug on her clothes. Jerking away from them, she snapped, “I can do it.”
She took everything off, but she’d fight them to the death before she removed her watch. Right now, that was her only connection with Seth and freedom. Damned if she’d give that up.
Thankfully, no one seemed to care that she’d retained it. The man nodded at the bed. “Sit.”
Honor sat down and watched in surprise as he withdrew a stethoscope from his pocket and approached her.
“What are you doing?”
“Nothing more than a physical exam. We like to make sure everyone in our community is well.”
Several sarcastic responses came to mind, but Honor held them back. Staring straight ahead, she submitted to a humiliatingly thorough exam—one that included checking her teeth and gums.
Half an hour later, the man stood back and gave a satisfactory nod. “You’re in excellent health. Brother Alden will be most pleased.”
He turned and went out the door. The two women, who’d never said a word during the entire ordeal, followed him. One of them carried her clothes.
“Wait. Let me have my clothes back.”
As if they didn’t hear her, they closed the door behind themselves, and she heard the lock click again. Hell, what next?
She didn’t have to wait long to find out. The lights went off, creating an inky blackness her eyes couldn’t penetrate. Then Alden Pike’s voice boomed into the room:
“The time has come for you to learn our ways. You will memorize our mantra and recite it repeatedly until it is ingrained so deeply inside you that it is a part of who you are. The laws and mandates of Tranquillity will be your companion, your ally, and your security
.
“Welcome to your destiny.”
Honor took a breath. Okay, so this was the true beginning of her indoctrination. Knowing she was strong enough to resist the insanity the bastard was about to enforce didn’t negate her dread. Though the room was dark, Honor closed her eyes and thought about Seth. About the last time they’d made love. Keeping him at the forefront, she knew without a doubt, she could survive whatever these monsters threw at her.
Seth would be her light in the darkness.