Konrad by LeAnn Ashers
6
Konrad
The drivethere is fucking killing me. Etta is shaking in the seat next to me and that shit alone is fucking with my head.
I reach over and take ahold of her hand, fucking hating the feeling of her hand shaking in mine.
Vinny and Danny are looking out of the window deep in thought in the back seat.
What the fuck is going on here? What the fuck are we stepping into that has all three of them fucking terrified?
What has that haunted look on their faces? I know my brothers are feeling the exact same thing.
It’s going to be fucking bad.
Etta
We pullover on the side of the road, out of the way, so we can sneak around the house.
We don’t want to give them time to hurt the girls, try to kill them to silence them, use them as hostages.
“Etta.” I look over to Konrad. He takes my hand and pulls me to the side away from everyone.
He lets out a deep breath. “Darlin’, you don’t have to be brave right now. Stay with me. I will keep you safe, but please don’t force yourself. I know you're scared; it’s okay to be scared, honey,” he says, soft enough for only me to hear.
I close my eyes, his words affecting me right now. I was trying with every fiber of my being to be strong, be tough.
Dealing with other cults is one thing, but when it’s the one you grow up in? It’s different. PTSD is something I fight with.
“You’ll be with me?” I repeat, being vulnerable.
His jaw clenches, and he cups my face softly, tenderly. “Darlin’, I will protect you, always.”
His words are like a balm. They soothe an achy part of my heart. He takes my hand and we walk together into the woods. My brothers are standing on my free side.
Lane and Kyle are walking in front of the group, leading everyone. Prospects are at the vans and we will call them when it’s time for them to come pick up the girls.
The house comes into view. It’s huge enough to fit quite a few people and right in the middle of the yard is a woman, naked, chained to a pole. I can see her moving.
“Fuck is that?” Lane asks.
“A woman,” I answer. I pick up my gun, throwing the strap over my shoulder, my protective instincts kicking in.
I am ready to protect these women. I am ready to take them out of this fucked up life.
This is what I am meant to do. It’s time to show this fucking cult that no matter how much they abuse us, women are unstoppable. We may bend, but we don’t fucking break.
It’s time to show them that years ago we fractured them, but this time? It’s time to end it completely.
When they hear my name, I want them to shake in fear.
I look at Konrad, nodding, letting him know I’m good.
Lane raises his hand, motioning for some of the guys to run through the woods to the back of the house so no one escapes.
We all stand in wait, all of us watching the women roll on the ground trying to get comfortable. She tries to roll over but the way she is chained doesn’t allow for that to happen.
Lane looks at his phone. “They’re in place.”
We all take off running. “Danny, unchain her!” I tell my brother. I don't want to leave her outside by herself.
She looks at us in horror. I’m sure it’s a scary sight to see all of us running straight toward her.
We can’t stop though. Danny splits off and goes to her, taking off his shirt so he can cover her.
Konrad puts his arm in front of me, stopping me as Kyle kicks in the door. We are hit with a sickening stench. The smell of feces and piss is overpowering.
As we step inside of the house, we see a woman is lying chained on top of a small coffee table, her head and her legs on the floor. The only thing supporting her is the small table in the middle. I know she is in agony.
“Fuck!” Wilder yells and runs over to help her.
We all split up. Me, Vinny, and Konrad run upstairs with some other guys with us. I stop in the first room I see, where there is cage after cage smashed together just big enough for someone small to sit inside.
The most horrific part—there are people inside.
The women are backed as far as they can go. “Who are you?” one of the women asks, her voice cracking.
“We are from Hope House. I am Etta. We are getting you out of here.” I rein back my emotions.
That’s when the bathroom door opens and a huge man steps into the room. Konrad lifts his gun, hitting him hard in the face and knocking him out. “We need to keep him alive,” Konrad informs me.
I walk over to the cages and they all have locks on them. “Fuck, I need some cutters.”
I look at the caged women. Their eyes are huge, their faces are hollow from not getting enough food and they’re all naked. “I will be back. I’m going to locate all of the other girls,” I let them know.
The one who spoke earlier says, “There are a few new girls under the house. The secret doorway is in the office behind the bookshelf.”
I leave the light on. Konrad walks in front of me and I grip the back of his shirt so we stay close together.
I turn in to the next bedroom, where a woman is lying on the bed motionless, her eyes looking at us without any life.
The next room is filled with cages once more—woman after woman piled on top of each other.
We did not bring enough vans; this is more than I ever expected. “Konrad, this is so bad. We need to call in some reinforcements,” I tell him.
He nods. “Let’s go find Lane and Kyle.”
We find them in one of the rooms upstairs trying to break open some of the cages. “We need more vans and medical. I think we need to call in the girls for extra help,” I tell them.
“I was just thinking that, but I don’t fucking understand why there is no one here but the one fucker you found?” Lane questions.
I shrug my shoulder, thinking the same thing. “One of the girls mentioned a basement.” I look over at one of the girls in a cage beside us. I take the cutters off of the floor, tearing off the lock and pulling it open.
She slowly crawls out. I know her body is killing her from being in the same position for so long.
My heart breaks, knowing what happens here, but seeing it? They are in fucking cages for a dog the size of a golden retriever. They are starved and I can see how abused they are. They are forced to lie in their own shit and piss.
This is the worst thing I have ever seen in my life. I try to make myself numb to it.
Lane hands me a blanket and I wrap it around her. The woman closes her eyes at that. She slowly moves to the bed and sits on the edge. “Thank you. Are you here to move us?” she asks. She isn’t looking at us.
“No, sweetheart, we are here from Hope House.”
She gasps and looks at me. “Etta?” she questions.
I nod. “That’s me.”
She starts sobbing, clutching the blanket to her, and I don’t know what to do. I’m scared to touch her.
“I tried to contact you and I got into trouble. That’s how I got here. Most of the girls here are here for the very same thing.”
I look at the guys, all of us hurt to our core that they wanted our help but this happened to them instead.
“You are going to get out of here. We’re going to take care of you,” I tell her softly.
She sniffs and I smile at her. “We need to tell the house mom to move everyone out of the main house so we can move these girls in,” I tell one of the prospects who helps out at Hope House. He nods and walks out of the room to do just that.
Konrad takes the cutters. He moves into the next room and I join, with the blankets. Ten cages in the next room—snap, snap, snap. The wild eyes of the women inside show they’re scared out of their minds.
“I am with Hope House. I am Etta.” Once they hear my name they start sobbing. It hits me like a ton of bricks that my name gives them comfort. They know I am here for them and I will get them to safety.
“Thank you so much,” one of the younger girls sobs. She’s around sixteen or seventeen. She moves to hug me, and Konrad reaches out, taking her hand. She gasps in pain.
She is missing two fingers. It looks like they were cut off and her hand is healing horribly. “Prospect, put her in the medical van. I need to get antibiotics in her, ASAP.”
Her eyes tear at that. “Something for the pain too?” she asks so softly, afraid.
Konrad gently lets her hand go. “Yes, sweetheart.”
She lets the prospect take her out.
“Fuck,” he cusses. I’m shaking with anger myself.
We move to the next room. These have fucking cages stacked on top of each other. These are wooden cages with just one small hole to let in a small bit of light. “Fuck, please don’t tell me there are people in there.”
These cages are super small. You’d have to lie down to get inside and they are long. They look like coffins.
Konrad puts his hand on my shoulder, halting me. “I’ll do it.” He walks over and cuts off the lock, opening one of the doors.
A woman screams from inside. I turn around and hide my face in Vinny’s chest, horrified.
“I’m okay.” I pull away and walk over to the opening. “Hey honey, I am Etta. We are here to get you out of here.”
She stops screaming. “Etta?” she asks.
“We are going to have to pull you out by your legs if that’s okay?” I ask her.
She sniffs. “Okay.” We pull her out and I don’t want to think about the massive splinters she’s getting right now.
We put her on her feet and she tilts to the side. She blinks as she adjusts to the light.
I can see cuts all over her body and she’s bleeding in random places. “There’s no one else in here. I got in trouble earlier.” She looks at me, studying me. “You’re really Etta?” she asks.
I take the blanket from the prospect and wrap it around her. “Here you go, yes, I am Etta.”
Her bottom lip trembles. “For a long time, I’ve dreamed of you coming to rescue us.”
I tear up at that. I lean over and hug her tightly. “You’re safe now. You will never have to go back.”
She sniffs and I let her cry. Konrad is hovering, unsure of what to do. “You’ll take her to one of the medical vans. Once we get everyone cleared out, I will be down,” Konrad tells the prospect.
She lets me go and lets the prospect lead her out of the house.
Lane is walking out, carrying a girl bridal-style. “Her legs are broken.”
Fuck.
“Let’s go into the basement.” Konrad takes my hand and we find the secret door. Vinny takes my other hand and we all walk down a huge flight of stairs together.
Once we reach the bottom of the steps, I find the light switch and what I see will forever haunt me.
Hanging from the walls is every single torture device made, blood caking the floor from God knows what.
There are five wooden tables in the middle of the room. Five women are lying on them, tied spread eagle, blood coming from everywhere.
The worst part are the names engraved on their skin—Jezebel, Lilith. Crosses burnt into their skin. There are crosses everywhere. The women are looking at us.
“Who are you?” one of them asks, her beautiful blue eyes showing her fear.
Konrad and Vinny are looking at the ground so the girls aren’t scared. “I am Etta. We are here to get you out of here.”
One of the girls in the back hisses like she’s shocked. “Do you know Henry?” she rushes, trying to get loose.
I walk over to her and I almost fall to the floor. I know right off the bat that this is Robert’s mom.
She is alive, but she is in horrible shape and I can see the worst of her problems is she is completely starved.
This is the worst case of malnutrition I have ever seen. “Are you Robert’s mom?” I ask.
She nods, crying. “Yes, that’s my baby. Is he okay?”
I unhook her and the guys free the other girls. “Yes he is. He’s at my home right now. He’s the reason we are here. We’ve been trying to find you.”
She sobs and wails and clutches her fists to her chest, overcome with so much pain and emotion. “He is safe, he misses his mom and he’s going to be so excited to see you.” I try to make her feel better.
“Can I carry you, ma’am?” Vinny asks, holding out a blanket for her. She nods and he wraps her up like a little mummy, lifting her off of the table.
Konrad picks up another girl, and Aiden, Butcher, and Liam come in and get the rest. I walk in front of the guys, so ready to be out of there.
The vans are pulled up close, and the guys lay the girls onto blankets on the ground and cover them with more so they don’t feel exposed.
The girls are tagged by who is worst, and Konrad grabs a bag and gets to work, getting all of the girls set up with IVs.
I am overwhelmed.
There are around fifty girls, if not more.
A bunch of vehicles pull up and I start to sigh with relief, thinking it’s the girls, but then I realize they couldn’t have gotten here this fast.
“Get ready!” I yell and pick up my gun, looking through the scope.
It’s the bishops. Now this is what I’m talking about.
The girls start screaming, realizing who just pulled up. I move to stand in front of them and the guys join me. “Get out of the SUV, now!” I yell. Konrad moves next to me, angling his body slightly in front of mine.
I take a deep breath, letting my nerves settle, because if we can capture them, this would be huge.
They start to back up when one of the prospects in one of our SUVs pulls up behind them, blocking them in.
“Lane, Kyle,” I call. They look at me. “They are some of the leaders—the bishops. The one in the driver’s seat is the one that belonged to our church.”
They realize what my words mean. This means if we can capture them, we can get information and save so many more women.
One by one we step together, closer and closer.
I can see the fear on their faces as they look at the women on the ground and in our cars. They’re realizing how fucked they are.
They were meant to fix these women, now they’re realizing we’re taking them all and the hell that is going to rain.
Their thinking is wrong. Their hell is not that; it’s going to be us. They are going to pay on this earth and in the afterlife.
One thing about them I like is, they don't carry guns. They feel like they’re invisible, that nothing can hurt them and that they are fully protected.
Right now, their whole entire world is falling apart. They have spent their days hurting these women.
We all charge to the SUV. Konrad takes my hand and pulls me behind him as he wrenches open one of the doors.
He grabs one of the bishops and throws him onto the ground. I put my foot on his throat, pressing down hard and choking him. “Move, please, I beg you,” I taunt him.
His eyes narrow on me, his hand going to my foot and trying to pry it off. His fingers dig into my toes, trying to hurt me.
“Fuck, there’s more women.”
The bishop below my foot really starts to fight. I stumble when his leg kicks out and he rolls slightly.
I look down at him, glaring. Konrad is standing in front of me going through the papers. “Hey, stop,” I tell the guy under my foot when he punches my leg hard.
I cry out, kicking him back, pointing my gun at his head. “Stop it now!” I yell and Konrad whips around at the commotion.
The bishop’s face is red from the exertion trying to fight me.
“JEZEBEL!” he roars, pushing me off of him and onto the ground.
I hit the ground, my back slamming into the dirt hard.
Konrad turns around and grips the guy by the hair before he can reach me. He puts his face in front of the bishop’s. “Oh, how I am going to love hurting you. You dared to harm her and you will pray for hell,” Konrad spits out.
Vinny lifts me off the ground. I know one thing these men are scared of and that’s women.
They are so fucking intimidated.
I laugh. “Look how scared he is. What a pathetic excuse for a man,” I belittle him.
His face reddens with anger. “You think I’m scared of you? I could take you with my hands tied behind me back.”
He tries to run at me. “Let him go. I would love to kick his ass.” I smirk at him.
I feel someone walking up behind me. I look back and see my girls. Shaylin walks in front with River.
“Ohh, maybe we should let them all go. Let’s show them what women are capable of,” River mocks him, winking at one of the bishops lying on the ground.
“Yeah, show them who’s boss!” one of the girls yells.
She walks toward me. “Strip him naked,” she demands.
I can see the fire in her eyes. Konrad does as she asks, leaving him completely naked.
I look down at his penis. I point at it and all of the girls laugh loudly, completely humiliating him.
His lip trembles, horrified. All of the girls around me have been abused and are taking back their power as they call him every single name in the book. “Shit, I’ve seen Vienna sausage bigger than him,” Robert’s mom says last.
I bust out laughing again. River and Shaylin are almost lying on the ground. Gage is laughing harder than everyone; he’s practically crazy.
“You think this is bad? What do you think we’ve felt? I have been here for months,” she hisses, stepping up and punching the bishop dead in the face.
I watch in sick fascination as his head snaps back. “Fuck, that felt good, you stupid bitch.”
I snort. “I think we just need to tie them up and let the girls have their fun,” I joke.
The guys all look at each other. “I don't see why the fuck not. We need to keep one alive for information reasons.” Lane shrugs.
“I agree, we will keep this one.” Lane picks the bishop off the ground by his feet, throwing him to a prospect.
The guys drag the rest to the middle of the parking lot in front of the house.
One by one, the girls pick themselves up off of the ground, some helping others. “Take their clothes off,” one of the girls yells.
I watch as their faces change before my eyes. They are finding their strength and they are taking back what was taken from them.
The prospects do the dirty work. Konrad tucks me into his side. “Are you hurt where he pushed you down?”
I shake my head no. “No, I’m fine, but the best revenge is happening right now in front of our eyes. They are facing their abusers head on. They’re taking back a small part of what was taken from them,” I whisper to him.
“What?” Danny asks me.
I smile sadly. “Power.”
One of the girls screams and they charge the bishops, surrounding them. I can hear their screams. I can make out the sounds of fists hitting flesh, bones breaking.
“MY BALLS!”
We bust out laughing at that. This continues for close to thirty minutes. We can’t even see what’s going on, there are so many of them surrounding the bishops.
One by one, the women fall back and collapse onto the ground, exhausted.
We are left with the visuals of men that aren’t even men anymore; they are just pieces of meat at this point.
Their heads are lying at weird angles, letting me know one thing. They are dead, never to hurt anyone else.
I walk to the girls and stand in front of them. “You guys ready to go home?” I ask.
“Please,” they say.
We all help them to their feet and into the vans. The girls drove them here but the guys will take over driving. We’re leaving a girl in each van to make sure that the rescued women feel safe.
It takes close to an hour to get everyone inside of the van. We give them Gatorades and snacks to tide them over until we get back.
We have the chefs currently making meals for them even though it’s getting dark outside.
I know it’s chaos back at the house getting everything ready, but luckily, I have tons of help because a lot of girls who’ve been there for a while have taken over duties for us.
Lynn will be there bright and early in the morning with other therapists ready to tackle these girls’ mental health issues.
We have seen abuse, but this is just the worst.
I shut the last door of the van and climb inside, and Konrad takes the driver’s seat.
He won’t leave my side. He has stuck by me all day long and made sure I am okay, protected. I squeeze his hand. “Thank you for protecting me today,” I whisper into his ear before kissing his cheek and finding my seat.
He gives me a heated look. I sit in the front, closest to the door. I can feel the eyes of the girls behind me.
I leave on the lights for them so they can see each other. “Are you guys feeling okay? Need anything?”
“I’d kill for a bath,” one of the girls says.
A few of the girls laugh. “I just want to lie down and sleep.”
I close my eyes, thinking how horrible it would be trying to sleep in one of those fucked up cages.
“Will we have our own beds?” one of them asks.
I nod. “You will have your own beds. You can choose if you want to have one person in your bedroom with you, or we have bunk-bed rooms, but all of them have their own kitchen and bathroom, fully stocked.”
They look at me like I’m crazy. “Fully stocked?”
I nod. “Yeah, some of the girls that were rescued years ago are in school to be doctors, nurses, teachers. Some are wanting to join me and do what I do. Some are just mothers, living in peace on the property.”
“Wow.”
They look at each other in disbelief. “I’ve wanted this for so long. Etta, we’ve heard about you for years. How you got out, how you got so many girls out.”
“I wish I knew about you guys sooner. When I was eighteen I made a promise that I would end the cults if it’s the last thing I do,” I tell them.
Looking at their faces, knowing that no one can hurt them again, that makes it worth it.
“I have a daughter. She’s four years old. Can we rescue her?” the one closest to me asks, her eyes bright with tears.
“Tomorrow we will get all of your information and we will get your loved ones one by one.”
They start crying, and I feel utterly useless right now, but I hope those tears dry up once I reunite those who are separated.
The girls all fall asleep and I move to the front with Konrad, cutting off the lights so they can rest.
He reaches over, taking my hand, bringing the back of it to his mouth and kissing me. “Darlin’, you are so fucking strong. I’ve been in awe of you today.” He looks at me with such sincerity.
I lean over and rest my forehead on his shoulder, letting myself be vulnerable for a second. “You make me happy,” I admit.
I see his beautiful happy smile from the corner of my eye. “Darlin’, you make me so much more than happy.”
I shake my head, smiling ear to ear, my heart happy, butterflies in my stomach. “Once we’re home, I’m going to run you a hot bath, I’ll find us some food and turn on a movie. You deserve to relax, baby.”
Dear God, I almost fall to the ground in a puddle. “You are amazing,” I whisper, not wanting the girls to hear.
“Baby, that’s all you. Look at what you did today. Look how far you have come in life. You made this from the bottom, turned it to this so you can help all of these people.”
God, my heart burns as his words hit close to home. “You’re going to make me cry.”
“Don’t cry. One thing I can’t handle is your tears, honey. “
In this very moment, I truly realize I am a complete and utter goner for this man. His face actually shows his pain as he glances over at me.
He truly cares for me.
The rest of the ride back home is so long, the girls are so uncomfortable, they’re wincing with every move and bump on the road.
The line of vans pulls to a stop in front of the gate, waiting for the person in front to put in the code and check in with the prospect there.
I stand up and walk to the back with the girls, turning on the light so they can adjust.
“How’s everyone feeling?” I ask, but they’re too busy looking out of the window at the houses along the driveway to the main houses.
“Who lives in these houses?” one of the girls asks.
“Most are newer and no one lives in these yet. A lot of the girls have readjusted to new housing. Some live alone with their kids.”
They look at me in shock. “What? They have their own homes?”
I smile. “Yes, you will too, but first you will be staying in the main house until you’re adjusted.”
I can tell they’re trying to wrap their head around the idea of that life. I know once I left the cult it was so hard to learn new things.
The van stops and I step out. Konrad helps the girls out of the vans, making sure they don’t fall.
“Alright everyone, follow me.” I motion for all of the girls to follow me—the ones that can walk, that is. Some are in the medical vans and they will have to be carried in last.
“I’m going to stay with medical to check on the girls,” Konrad tells me.
Inside of the house, I’m relived at the amount of help on hand. “Girls, thank you so much for this. These rescued girls are in bad shape,” I warn them.
The house is filled with the smell of soup, and my stomach growls from not eating in hours.
I split the rescued girls off in groups and they follow one of my girls to their rooms to clean up. We’ve called in some nurses to make sure every girl is looked after and to assess if they need more medical treatment.
There was no way to make sure everyone got checked over there. We needed to get them out before something happened and anyone else showed up.
We got lucky it was just the bishops—those fuckers were useless.
Once the girls are all upstairs, I look at the empty main room. Shaylin walks up to me, hugging me into her side. “How are you holding up?” she asks.
I rub my eyes, sighing loudly. “It never gets easier.” She nods, accepting that response. “I’m going to head up and make sure everyone is adjusting okay. Want to head up with me?” I ask.
“Fuck yeah.”
I laugh. Shaylin has been a friend of mine for a while. She took me under her wing and she helped me learn how to defend myself. She was the one who taught me how to shoot.
We walk upstairs, and once we reach the top of the landing, we are hit with an ear-piercing scream.
I gasp in shock at the sound and I run toward the sound. I can hear the thundering footsteps behind us as the guys run up the stairs.
I push open the door and I see one of the younger girls in the corner of the room, holding onto a pillow. I run to her. “Honey, you’re okay!” I whisper to her, trying to break through the panic she is feeling.
Her eyes aren’t on me but on the TV hanging on the wall. “Hey,” I try again and she finally, slowly, looks over to me, and the look on her face takes my breath away.
“What’s the matter, honey? Did something happen?” I ask, sitting on the ground beside her.
Her hair is plastered to the side of her face from the sweat, tears, and God only knows what else.
I help fasten the blanket around her shoulders to make sure she feels secure. She points to the man’s face on the screen.
I look over and see the chief of police talking about some kind of crime that happened in town.
“What’s the matter, honey?”
Her eyes are filled with tears. “That is my daddy.”
Wait what? Then why was she there? I look over at the guys in horror because I actually know the man and he has been trying to find his daughter since she was twelve years old when she went missing.
“Sweetheart, you need to tell me,” I tell her in a gentle, soothing tone.
She sniffs. “I was taken from outside of the school. My mom was late picking me up and I was carried into a van years ago.”
I close my eyes. “Sweetheart, I am so sorry.” I pull her over and hold her as she weeps from all of the pain she has suffered.
Konrad is hovering by the door, waiting to make sure she is okay. “Okay, honey, I need to ask you something.”
She nods. “How old are you now?”
She wipes her eyes with the back of her hand. “I’m fourteen. I know I look older. I was taken two years ago.” Her eyes get glassy as she sinks into her mind.
Fuck, I hate this so much.
“One more thing.” She looks at me once more. “Do you want me to call your dad?”
She is shocked by my words. “You know my dad?” she asks, sitting up straighter.
I push her hair over her shoulder. “I do know him, honey. He has been working with us since you were taken.”
She nods. “I want my daddy please,” she begs, tears finally falling from her eyes. “I just want to go home. I tried to not think of home but I just want my daddy.”
My throat thickens. “Okay, honey. I’ll call him right now. I am going to turn the water on for you. There’s clothes on the counter. I’ll check on you in a bit.”
I help her off of the floor and she walks into the bathroom, the door locking behind her.
I run out of the room. I need to tell Kyle, since this is the police chief. Kyle is standing in the main room.
“Kyle!” I yell and run down the stairs, stopping in front of him.
He grips my shoulders. “What is it?” he asks.
I am shaking from all of the emotions I am feeling. “I just found Olivia—she was who is screaming. She saw her dad on TV.”
His face shows his shock. We have searched and searched for her, but never in a million years did I think she was in the cult, that they had taken her.
This is going to make me reanalyze everything I know about them—this is different.
“She wants me to call him.”
“Fuck, how bad is she?” Kyle asks.
It makes me mad that I didn’t see her. There were so many girls in that short period of time, she just slipped through the cracks.
I close my eyes, hating this. “She doesn’t look that good. Once she’s out of the shower I will have someone check her.”
Kyle has known her since she was little. He and the police chief are best friends and her going missing affected everyone in this town because stuff like that just doesn’t happen in Raleigh.
“Can I go wait outside of her door?”
“Let me call her dad and I’ll take you to her. I’m sure she recognizes you.”
He nods. “I gotta tell Chrystal.” He takes out his phone and calls his wife.
This is heartbreaking.
Your daughter being missing is the worst thing imaginable, but knowing what she has suffered all of this time?
That makes it hurt even worse.
Because it is the worst nightmare come true.
I step outside, breathing in the cool night air. The door opens and Konrad steps out. He pulls me over to a chair and into his lap.
“I know this is hard, baby.” He rubs my back. I let my head sink for a minute, letting myself gather my emotions, feeling the pain before I shut it off.
I lean back, kissing his cheek softly and showing my thanks. I dial Brian’s number, and a few rings later he picks up. “Hey Etta, how did the bust go?”
I clench my eyes closed, hating this.
“Are you sitting down?” My voice comes through with no emotions.
“What is it?” he demands. I can hear a door opening and closing. I know he’s moving into his office.
“We’ve found her. She’s here at the compound. Olivia is alive.”
I can hear crashing. “Oh my God,” he says into the phone. I can hear some guys yelling and I know he’s at work.
“Is she bad?” he asks. I can hear the fear in his voice.
“We don’t know the full extent yet, but she wants you.”
“I’ll be there in thirty minutes.” He hangs up and I stuff the phone into my pocket. “I need to go check on her.”
Konrad takes my hand and walks me up the stairs, Kyle right behind us. “Let me walk in first to make sure she is okay.”
They hang back as I open the door, stepping inside as Olivia is walking out of the bathroom.
I have to suck in a breath because now I can tell for sure she’s Olivia. I couldn’t even recognize her under the filth.
“Your dad is on his way,” I tell her, and she sits on the edge of the bed, taking the blanket and wrapping it around her.
“Someone here wants to see you, if that’s okay?” I ask her. “He’s a male.”
She looks scared for a second. “Stay with me please?” she begs.
“I won’t leave you, honey.” I run my hand down her wet hair. “Come in!” I yell.
The door opens and I watch her reaction to seeing Kyle. She bursts out crying and runs to him. “Uncle Kyle.”
He lifts her off the ground, holding her tightly as she cries and cries. “I have missed you, pumpkin,” he tells her, kissing the top of her head.
His eyes are looking straight ahead, fire inside of them. I know that there will be hell to pay for this and I know one thing— I want a part of that.
There is a knock on the door and it opens. “The female doctor is here.”
This part sucks. I was terrified out of my mind when Lani and Vinny took me to the doctor, but hopefully it will be easier for Olivia because she grew up in the normal world first.
Olivia sniffs and steps back from Kyle. “Let’s get it over with,” she says without emotion. I know she’s turning it off.
Kyle steps out, looking at me pleadingly. I know he wants me to stay with her.
I nod once, letting him know that I will stay with her. I hold her hand, talking her through everything as she gets checked, tested and then gets her blood work done. It only takes a few minutes, but I know in her head it feels like forever.
I hear a loud truck outside and her eyes widen. Her dad is here. I move to the foot of the bed, my heart pounding, waiting for the guys to bring him up.
The door is pushed open. Brian’s eyes go straight to his daughter. “My baby.” He walks to her and starts to pick her up but stops. “Can I touch you, baby?”
She jumps up and he lifts her. “I missed you so much, Daddy,” she cries, holding onto him for dear life.
I have to look away, the scene too raw. I look at Kyle, who is barely holding it together, and Konrad looks just as devastated.
“Can she go home?” Brian asks me.
“Yes, but I recommend her coming back here every day for therapy. She has been seen by a doctor and we will have those results soon,” I inform him.
He closes his eyes, hugging her a little tighter. “Want to go home?” he asks.
“I really want that.”
He takes her hand and Olivia slowly walks from the room. I know she’s in pain. Brian bends over and carries her down the stairs.
“Come on, honey, you’ve done all you can do.” Konrad takes my hand and lets me into my apartment on the top floor.
I let him drag me; I am so emotionally drained.
He sets me on the bed and walks into the bathroom. I stare at the doorway he just walked in.
I notice a duffle bag on the chair. I walk over and open it. It’s full of clothes for Konrad.
I guess he’s planning on staying for a while, and I have to admit, I’m not mad at it.
“I’ve started the bath for you. I’m going to run downstairs for a shower. I want you to relax—no more worrying about the others, okay?”
“Okay.” I let out a deep breath. “Thank you.” I am totally exhausted and most of it is just mental exhaustion.
I sit in the warm bubbles, closing my eyes and wanting to forget this day even happened.
Konrad
A piercing screamwakes me up from my dead sleep. I look over at Etta, who is fighting in her sleep, her face looks like she’s in pain and she’s gasping for air, like she’s having a panic attack.
“Etta, baby.” I try to wake her up and it doesn’t even faze her.
Fuck.
I put my hands on her face. “Baby, wake up. You’re having a nightmare,” I try a little louder and her eyes open. The complete and utter terror on her face makes me lose my fucking breath.
“Are you okay?” I ask, pushing her hair off of her face.
I can feel her shaking under me. Whatever she was dreaming was bad. She shakes her head no, my heart breaking a little.
Fuck, she is wrecking me.
She wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me down until I’m practically lying on top of her. “I’m too heavy,” I tell her, trying to take my weight off of her.
“No, you’re just right. You make me feel safe.”
Fuck, if that didn’t make me feel a hundred feet tall. She breathes deep, in and out, trying to calm herself down.
I lean up, staring down at her. “Baby, what did you dream?” I don’t want to fucking know, but I know that speaking about it may help her.
A tear falls from her eyes. I catch it with my lips, pressing a kiss there and resting my forehead against hers, giving her all the time she needs.
“I have PTSD. Today just made it worse. Today was hard.” The pain on her face is real. “I dreamed that I was fourteen again, when I was forced to marry. I have that dream usually every night I have a mission, but this one was extra bad because that could have been me…” She trails off. I can’t fucking fathom that she could have gone through that.
Fuck, I hate this shit. “Fuck, I wish I could take it from you, the hurt you have suffered. I would do anything.” I whisper the last part, my heart fucking hurting so fucking bad for her, for all of the girls here.
I spent many years of my life on missions, protecting and serving this country from those who dared to harm it, but this shit? Right in the fucking US? I will stop this shit.
I wish I could have protected her from it. Life isn’t fucking fair. “You being here with me, taking care of me, it’s taking a small bit of the hurt from my heart a little at a time.”
That shit hits me right in the heart. “Baby.” I shake my head, leaning down, kissing her, wanting her to feel everything I’m feeling right now.
I am so fucked when it comes to her.
She has wrecked me.
The Next Day
Etta
My phone ringsand I pick it up when I see it’s the doctor from yesterday. She usually sends the labs over. If I get a phone call, then it means she has some news.
We always send in swabs in case there is DNA. Usually there is none, but sometimes in rare cases we get pings in the system. It’s rare, though, as most of the guys in the cults are off the grid.
“Hey, what’s up?” I ask.
I’ve been busy all day long making sure the girls have everything they need.
“We have a ping in the system for Olivia and a few of the other girls,” she says, and she has a weird tone.
“Who is it?” I ask, putting a book one of the girls was reading on the shelf.
“It’s Randy Henderson.”
Fuck, this is bad.
Konrad overhears because the call is on speaker phone, and before I can utter a word, he is running out of the house.
Randy is the high school principal at the school that Olivia went to. Another of the girls we rescued goes there too and I have gotten calls from other girls that go to that school.
Wait…
My eyes widen as I connect the dots. I run out of the house, catching Konrad before he leaves, hopping on the back of his bike.
This is not fucking good. At all.