That didn’t mean I would abandon my brother though. I looked back at Sara. She seemed ill. I ran my hand up her arm to cup her cheek. Her green eyes were glassy. Unseeing. As if she were stuck in a memory she couldn’t shake.
“Sara, can you tell me where The Refuge is?”
“You can’t go there, Bastian. We’re not to disturb someone when they’re out there,” Anne argued, her voice trembling.
I took a deep breath and willed myself to calm down.
I wanted to rage.
It would do no good.
I had to be smarter than the ignorant fucks who had dragged off my brother.
“I won’t leave David. He’s been left too many times. He needs me.” No one would stop me from getting to him. From getting him out. “He needs all of us,” I said, the words hitting Anne hard.
She bowed her head, her shoulders sagging. “I’m so sorry, Bastian.”
“Then take me to The Refuge.”
Anne and Sara exchanged a glance. I could tell they had an entire conversation without saying a word. The connection between the two women was intense. And strong. Like the one I had with David.
“Okay,” Anne replied finally.
Sara pulled her hands from my grasp. I wanted to hang on but would never, ever restrain her. She had had enough of that in her life.
“Come on.” She beckoned for me to follow her. The three of us headed for the woods.
We walked for what felt like miles. I had no idea where we were. You see one tree, you’ve seen them all. I was out of breath by the time we climbed down into a small ravine. I could see what looked like a dilapidated wooden shack at the very bottom. It was completely exposed and totally isolated. The shingled roof had gaping holes and the entire structure looked as if it would fall over in a strong wind.
Anne and Sara stopped walking when we were ten feet away. “That’s The Refuge,” Anne said, her voice cracking.
I was horrified. “That’sThe Refuge? That piece of shit building?”
“Yes,” was all Sara would say.
“My brother is in there?” I couldn’t believe it. It didn’t look fit for human habitation. And these assholes had stuck my brother out here? Away from everyone?
“I think so.” Anne wrapped her arms around her middle as if she couldn’t stay warm.
I ran to the shack, tripping over rocks in my haste. When I got to the door I noticed that it was closed with a heavy padlock. The kind you needed bolt cutters to break. I tried pulling on the door but it wouldn’t budge. The Refuge may look derelict, but it was pretty structurally sound.
I pounded on the wood with my fists. “David, are you in there?”
It was silent. Too silent. I barely noticed Anne and Sara behind me. “David!” I shouted.
Then there was a rustling, followed by a groan. “Baz?”
I almost sagged with relief. “I’m going to get you out of there!” I yelled so he could hear me. I started looking around for something to break the lock with. I picked up a heavy rock and started to slam it into the metal. It didn’t even dent it.
“Stop it, Baz,” I heard David say. His voice sounded weak and scratchy. As if he had been shouting for a long time.
“No! I’m getting you out of there.” I slammed the rock down onto the lock again and missed, bashing my thumb instead.
“Motherfucker!” I hollered, dropping the rock.
“Baz, don’t.” David sounded as if had moved closer to the door. “Just go away. Please.”
“I won’t leave you in there. What the fuck is wrong with these people that they would lock someone inside this place? All alone out in the middle of nowhere? It’s wrong, Dave. Don’t you see that?” I didn’t care that I was insulting Anne and Sara’s family right in front of them. If they couldn’t see how messed up this was, they were the problem.
