What was she talking about? “And you were still friends with them? After what you know?”
“My friends weren’t the ones paying to keep you captive. Just their parents. With the Sinister Minister’s church, the rich could indulge in their most evil fantasies from a safe distance. I heard that some of the kids came from the town itself. But I guess you’d be able to elaborate on that more, wouldn’t you, Kansas Foxworth?”
My muscles tightened. She knew the truth.
“How many people did you tell that bullshit to?” I asked, trying to stay aloof.
“What bullshit? About you being Spencer’s long-lost half-brother? Just his dad. You’d think he’d be able to come up with a bigger check to keep that hidden. He only gave me five grand. How much did he give the Sinister Minister to take you from Shelley Vale, and more importantly, why do you keep coming back?”
“I can’t leave Eisley,” I blurted.
“Why? She doesn’t care about you. She’s been all over the Sinister Minister’s son since he showed up. It’s almost like you don’t even exist to her. Sounds just like your dad.”
She found our abuse funny?
“I’m going to kill you, claim self-defense, and then threaten to reveal your identity to Shelley Vale. I’m going to get paid by everyone for my story.”
“You must really need the money.”
I was surprised she could still hear me talking. She seemed off in her own little world. She’d turned away from me completely and wasn’t batting an eye at me creeping closer to her.
“Everyone has secrets, Kansas.” The words halted me, and she spun around. It was a trap. I should have known. She lunged her arm forward, swinging the knife.I dodged it and smacked her hand. The knife flew out of her grasp and landed blade up in a bed off to the side. In a flash, both of us were scrambling to collect it, shoving the other aside. She scurried underneath me, and as I shoved her away, she fell forward and I heard the sickening sound of the knife piercing her insides.
Emi stood up, slowly, with the knife embedded in the side of her belly. The white shirt was stained a deep red from the wound. Emi stared at me in shock. Her mouth fell open and blood poured from it as she collapsed to her knees.
She reached for the knife and then looked up at me for help. I shook my head. There was no helping her. If we removed the knife, she’d only die faster.
“I guess you’re right, Emi.”She fell face-first, her body relaxed and her last breaths were taken. I counted to 237 again, just to make sure she’d died, and then crouched down to pick her up and carry her body to the greenhouse that slowly went up in flames. “Everyone does have secrets.”
Rule 44 - Kansas
Know your enemy.
Ten years ago.
“Constantine, I have to talk to you.” I lifted the Minister’s Bible and my eyes flickered with panic to the steel door. One of the Mothers had closed it, taking Eisley with her.Constantine glared at me from in front of the door. He had fought with the Mother to not let them take her but ultimately lost. We always lost.
“What?” he snapped. His chest was heaving and his fists bleeding from pounding on the door.
“Do you ever listen to the Minister’s sermons?” I crept cautiously toward him. Constantine had anger problems. He exploded so easily and would fight whoever got in his path.
“No. I’m too busy trying to find food for us. I don’t care what he has to say.” He turned and pounded on the door again, causing a loud thump and echo but nothing else.
“Well, you should. Constantine, we have to get out soon. I think…” I gulped. My empty stomach tightened. “I think they are going to murder us.”
Constantine blinked. “What?”
I handed him the floppy, worn bible. “It’s all in here. It’s hard to understand, but I think there’s a reason he put us together. Me, you, and Eisley. It’s all part of his plan.”
He began flipping through the text, shaking his head. He walked over to the bed and flopped down.
“Where? Show me.” He thrust the book at me.I joined him on the bed and flipped to the pages I’d found. I pointed.
“Right here. Two Sons and one Daughter of the Family will be brought forward to wed. In order to serve the Family, the unwanted Son will be given up to the Reanimator. Our Minister shall bleed the Son and spread his flesh, burning his insides, and asking the Reanimator to take his body and feed his ministry. With the unwanted Son’s sacrifice, the Family will flourish, and the Reanimator’s word shall be spread throughout the land.”I stumbled on some words, as I wasn’t used to reading aloud. It had taken me a long time to figure out what most words meant, but once I did, I knew we had to escape.
“What does this mean?” Constantine looked at me. “Who’s the Reanimator?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged my shoulders. “I can’t remember. It’s hard when my brain always feels fuzzy!” I slapped my hands against my head. Without food and clean water all the time, I couldn’t think straight.
