Page 117 of Malachi
“Father,” I breathed out, rage filling me.
“FBI! Hands up where I can see them!” Agent Driscoll shouted across the small clearing in the copse of trees.
The Elder, with his fist raised to hit Delilah, stopped dead in his tracks, but Father didn’t. His eyes locked in on us, and though I couldn’t hear him from this distance, I knew the words he spoke.
“Levi,” I saw him say, pure hatred so stark in his eyes it was unmistakable even from across the clearing. He didn’t let go of Ruth’s neck. Her face was turning red, and she struggled weakly to free herself.
“I said show me your hands, asshole!” an agent yelled.
In my peripheral, I saw several agents making their way around the expanse, circling my father and the other Elder.. They were surrounded. Still, Father did not let go of Ruth.
Beside me, Levi growled, baring his teeth with hands clenched at his side.
“Don’t do it, Levi,” I urged him under my breath. “He’s got nowhere to go. He’s surrounded, with multiple guns trained on him. He’s evil, but he’s not stupid.”
“I want to kill him,” Levi seethed.
“So do I. But death is too good for him,” I reminded him. It was the truth. My eyes scanned the clearing, but my fears were confirmed. No Talia. No Eden.
Fuck.
With multiple little red dots of laser light trained on him, Father finally gave an exasperated growl , letting go of Ruth and slowly raising his hands into the air in defeat.
I could do nothing as Zeke rushed past me, racing to Father’s side, his fist raised, ready to punch. His hand fisted in Father’s shirt, pulling him close as he screamed, “WHERE IS MY WIFE, YOU MOTHERFUCKER!?” Even from here, I could see spittle spray across Father’s face. Not a single agent moved to help Father or to stop Zeke.
I do not know what Father said, but before anyone could react, Zeke’s fist flew, colliding squarely with Father’s face with a satisfying smack that echoed in the fading light. He fell to the ground, Zeke following him down as punch after punch landed across his face.
“Zeke! Zeke, that’s enough!” I called out, racing to his side. I pulled my brother off of my father, and some agents pulled him from underneath Zeke and rolled him onto his back to be placed in cuffs.
“Titus Temple, you are being placed under arrest…” their voices trailed off as I focused on Zeke.
“Brother, we have to keep going,” I reminded him.
“Talia’s not here. She’s not here, Kai,” he repeated like a mantra, his eyes wild with fear.
“I know. Let’s go.” With Agent Driscoll and several others accompanying us, we continued on towards the bunker.
Step after step, yard after yard, we continued, and still no sight of the girls, or the Reverend.
As the totem came into view, my heart sank into my stomach.
There he was.
It didn’t matter how many red dots covered his chest from the guns trained on him. It wasn’t enough.
I had only half a second to react, but I flung my arms around Zeke’s body, holding him back as he tried to rush forward.
“TALIA!” he screamed, breaking at the sight of his pregnant wife clutched in Reverend Jacob’s grasp, the pistol pressed to her temple.
“Zeke,” she whimpered, her eyes finding his. The pain that was written there, as she clutched her belly, was almost too much. What broke me even further was the splotch of red blood marring her dress around her thighs.
No.
No. No. No. No.
And still no Eden.
Fuck!
