Page 5 of Madison
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It must have been at least a couple of hours since I was locked up in this cabin with the other girls. There are no windows, only tiny spaces between the wood slats that tell me that the sun must be coming up soon. I know there’s no way I could sleep right now, even though there seem to be a number of mattresses along the back wall. It’s just this one room and a little closet with a bucket that’s supposed to be our toilet. Just ew.
I really hope someone knows I’m missing by now. I know I get over looked sometimes, but I don’t think they’d forget me, would they? I mean, I think at least Mick would know I was missing. Ma and Pa, too. I love my siblings to death, but I feel like they’ve all moved on with their lives, and I’m just kinda stuck. If-no, when I get out of here, I need to find a real job. Cleaning theclubhouse once or twice a week is something, but I want to feel like what I’m doing matters, that it helps someone, ya know?
A noise outside the cabin gets me out of my head. A minute or so later, I hear a rattling outside the door and the unmistakable sound of keys unlocking it. The door swings open and Lug Two from before walks in. Behind him, a shorter man, maybe five-nine, and who has to be at least seventy, if not eighty, walks into the room with the aid of a cane. I swear it looks like he’s taking stock of me, as if he’s judging if I’m worthy or what he expected.
He speaks up and shocks the living shit out of me. “Well, hello, daughter of mine.” He moves to the table, pulls out one of the chairs and sits down before he continues. “What? Did your inconsequential mother not tell you who your DNA comes from? You’re one of my offspring. Your birth mother took off right before you were born. Seems she was destined to become one of the inconsequential and not be the woman to sire all of my children.”
I’m from these people? Why didn’t Ma and Pa tell me, especially after they finally told us her story?
Joseph looks like he’s waiting for me to say something. I have no fucking clue what, but he seems to be used to getting the responses he wants. Well, I got nothin’ to say to him. I’ll sit here and stare at him for however long he stares back. I can be as stubborn as anyone if I want.
He stares at me for a couple of minutes before he stands up and walks, leaning heavily on his cane, over to me. He stands in front of me, looking down at me as I stay sitting, trying not to show any fear.
“You may not want to speak now, but I have a feeling soon, you’re not going to shut up. Your wedding is going to happen the day after tomorrow and I’m sure your soon-to-be husband will want to try out the goods before then.”
What the fuck?I must not school my face fast enough to hide my surprise and horror. I don’t even see the smack coming till Joseph’s hand hits my face. My hand immediately goes to my cheek. Fucker! Joseph gets a grin on his face that can only be described as demonic. “It’s time you do what you were created to do. You’re going to keep my lineage going and produce vastly and with whom I choose.”What the fuck?He sneers and continues, “Oh, did your mother not share with you that we don’t prescribe to the whole waiting for marriage thing? Your chosen has a right and privilege to test out the goods before the wedding. Hell, if he chooses, he can have others test them out as well. We don’t deny others if they want a chance to try you out.”
Oh, fuck no.I’ve never wished to be Dorothy so much in my life, wanting to click my heels three times and be home. I can’t help but pray to the gods, hell, any deity, that’s listening.Please let Mick find me and fast.
Mick
It feels like we’ve been driving forever. I didn’t realize just how far up the pass their compound was. I try to keep my focus on the road in front of us and not let it wander to what Mads is going through right now. The lead truck that has Erik in it givingdirections slows down and makes a turn onto a gravel road. I know we may still have a ways yet, but I can’t help but fidget in my seat.
Jameson glances over at me from the driver’s seat. “You gonna be able to lock your shit down, brother?” I look at him and nod,while he continues talking. “I know you’re gonna want to rain down vengeance on the guys in there, but, brother, Mads needs to be your focus. Lean on us to get the fuckers. You know we’ll get them and hold them for you and Pa to get your chance to dispatch them on their one-way ride to forever with Hel.”
I nod my agreement, not really able to form the words right now. I’m holding on by a thread.
Leif makes his presence known from the back seat and speaks up while I feel his hand grab my shoulder to reinforce his words. “We all know you need to beat on these bastards, and you’ll get your chance. But Mads, brother, I might have been gone a while, but everyone can see she’s meant to be yours. The way she lights you up, just by walking into the room. I’m both equally jealous that you've found that and also disgusted ’cause she’s like a sister or a cousin and just…” I can see in the mirror that he shakes like he’s grossed out.
Jeremiah chimes in, “He’s right. We’ve got your back, brother. Him trying to act disgusted is hilarious since all through school, he had the biggest crush on Mads.” I must turn around in my seat super fast ’cause I see the second what he said registers with Leif, and he punches his younger brother while looking at me. “Bullfrog here is full of shit and just tryin’ to get you out of your head a little bit.” Realizing that Jeremiah was pulling my leg, I turn back around and watch the road. Fuckers, both ofthem. They’re the closest things to actual brothers I’ve ever had though, since Dad and Erik were such good friends.
We’ve been on this road for at least fifteen minutes when the trucks all slow down to almost a crawl. We must be getting fucking close. It’s been hours since she was taken. Hell, it’s light out now. A couple of minutes later, the lead truck stops and the guys start to pile out. All the trucks stop after seeing everyone get out of the first one. I get out of the truck and get over to Erik and Pa as fast as I can humanly move.
Erik’s pointing to what looks like a shed with overgrown brush all around it. Rory asks what I wanna know. “You think this is the place? Is this where they took—”
Pa interrupts him. “Yeah, it is, but I’m doubting she’s here. We’ll check it out, but nothing looks like it’s been disturbed in months, if not years.” He’s not wrong. He also didn’t speak the question that I fucking know is on everyone’s mind. If she’s not here, where the fuck is she and how’re we gonna find her?
I walk over to the door of the shed and I can see it’s locked, but the doors don’t look that strong. I kick at the doors, trying to get them to open. Jon, Rory, and Asher come over. The three biggest fuckers in our club start kicking with me and, within a minute, the doors crash open. My heart sinks when I find it’s empty. It looks like it's been vacant for a long time.
We must all be looking at the shed ’cause when a female voice from behind us speaks up, I think almost all of us just about jump out of our skins. “I can take you to the girls they brought here.”
Rory finds his voice first. “Who are you and why would you take us to her?” The girl, who looks to be possibly in her late teens orearly twenties, with brown hair pulled up in a ponytail and what looks like a t-shirt and jean skirt on, speaks up.
“Girls, not girl. I’ll take you to them. You save them all. If you’re feeling generous, you take me too, but definitely them.”
Ry pipes up. “You say girls. How many are we talkin’ about, and why do you want to be taken, too?”
She starts fiddling with the hem of her shirt, probably nervous to talk to a bunch of angry-looking guys. “There are four girls in the cabin, including the one who just got here. Two girls were taken last week, and they got homes to go to, but the other girl is like me and from here. They have her in there, ’cause she keeps trying to run away and they keep catching her. She’s supposed to be married the day after tomorrow like the girl you’re looking for.”
I can’t help it when my questions come out in rapid succession. “Why do you want to help them escape? How do you know so much about them? You’re not leading us into a fucking trap, are you?” I feel a hand on my shoulder and out of the corner of my eye, I see it’s Erik.
He tilts his head, studying her. “They forget about you, don’t they? They expect you to serve them, but you’re quiet and they don’t even think about you being there when they talk. If we take the girl who’s from here, who’s in there without you, they’re gonna see you and marry you off, ain’t they?” I watch her eyes get big as she nods.
Staring at Erik, she asks barely above a whisper, “You’re that Linnea lady’s brother, aren’t you? You two are famous around here. Mama used to talk about how you guys got out of here. Shealways wanted to escape, but Father always kept her pregnant. She wasn’t strong enough to leave.”
Enough fucking chitchat. Jon speaks up before I lose it. “You’re more than welcome to come with us. Are you going to have a problem if we bring justice to those who took our girl?” She shocks all of us with her answer.
