Men scuffed their boots, fiddling with their guns. None of them made eye contact.
Finally, someone found a backbone. “No, boss. Not since last night at the ceremony.”
Cut scowled, running a hand across his face. “Well, find him. He can’t have run off too far.” His glare landed on me. “Unless you have something you want to share with me, Nila?”
I glared right back, silent.
“Fine.” Pacing, Cut growled, “Search the compound, head to the mine to see if he was stupid enough to go there, and check the plains around the camp. I want him to be a part of the afternoon plans, and he doesn’t get to skive off just because he has a fucking hangover.”
My lips twitched. I’d won in some small measure against Cut.
Daniel was suffering the worst hangover of his life.
Inpieces.
The workers nodded, fanning out in levels of importance to carry out Cut’s orders.
When only a few men remained, Cut said quietly, “That damn son of mine has to learn a thing or two.” Pointing at the man who’d rescued me, he ordered, “Take them to cave 333.”
“Yes, boss.” The man ducked to collect me.
Cut grinned, stepping closer, blotting out the sunshine with this evilness. “I think it’s time you learned a few secrets, Nila, and for my eldest to learn that nothing he does can stop me.”
I wanted to scream. I wanted to kill. But I bit my tongue and stewed. I’d had my chance to leave. We both did. We’d done what we could, but it wasn’t good enough.
Now, we would pay yet another price.
Another debt.
Another toll.
My entire body howled as the worker hoisted me to my feet. My imbalance threw me sideways, turning the world into a broken jigsaw. I groaned as I gave up trying to find an anchor and swam in vertigo.
“Carry her, for fuck’s sake,” Cut snarled. “She won’t make it otherwise.”
“Yes, boss.” The worker’s arms scooped me up, holding me firm. I squirmed, looking drunkenly over his shoulder as he carted me away.
Bye, Jethro...
I didn’t relax.
I didn’t cry.
But I did die inside as another worker hauled Jethro into his arms and together we were thrown into a Jeep and taken to perpetual hell.
* * * * *
The stickiness of Daniel’s blood stained my hands as his father paced before me. Luckily, it threaded with the blood from my sliced cheek and gratedlegs from the car accident, hiding my sins.
We were no longer above ground but below it.
Cave 333.
Deeper than the caves Cut showed me. Bigger than the sorting or paraphernalia storage caves by the surface.
My bruised body craved sunlight. To beg the sunshine to grant me its healing power so I could run.
But in here...with dampness and rankness and darkness—I was already dead and buried.
