"To rape and murder her? You're insane!" Callahan shouted.
Their masks were tinted, making it hard to see their faces from here.
"It's the way things go around here." The other man said. "Once theYoung Ladies have graduated, one is chosen as a reward for us Daddies who've gonethrough the programwith them. She was the highest ranked, and it went to a vote."
"You're disgusting. How could you even think like that? You're monsters."
"You're ruining a time-honored tradition, Cal," The younger voice snapped. "I let you in on the secret and you blew it. Now we can't let you go back."
"So mychoice is to brutally rape her, or be shot?" Callahan asked. There was silence, and the two men raised their guns.
Callahan lifted his arms out, and just then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Boonereach for the gun at his side. They'd all beenlistening and watching too. Boone shot at the men’s feet, causing them to drop their guns and scream. The distraction was all Callahan needed. He cocked his gun and shot the older-voiced man square in the chest.He dropped in an instant; Callahan turned the gun on the other one.
"We'refriends!" he screamed. "I never told anyone about the pills, or your little crush, or any of it!"
"We were friends, Milton," Callahan said. "I'm not your friend anymore. I let a lot of stuff go over the years, but I can't just forget what you'd had planned for her. You're sick."
"I'm sick?" Milton laughed maniacally. "You think I'm the one messed up in the head? That's laughable, considering what you did last night. She hates you, Callahan. She'll never love you like she loves me. You can kill me if you want, but that won't change things. I made sure of it. I spent the last ten years filling her pretty little head with every lie I could think of to make sure she never looked at you with anything but hate and resentment. Good fucking luck."
Callahan cocked his gun and then lowered it. Who were these men? They had to be from the bunkers; they wore gas masks. The people above didn't have guns or suits like that. Were they the men who had hurt Myrtle? Were they the ones who took her daughter? My fists bunched at my sides. Based on what we'd heard so far, I was sure these men were one of them. Fucking monsters.
"What? You too chicken-shit to kill me?" Milton mocked.
Callahan didn't say anything for a long moment, and then shook his head.
“I’m giving you a head start.”
Chapter 8 - Eleanor
Don’t get separated from your DADDY.
"All Young Ladies and their assigned Daddies are to return to their private quarters, now!" Dorothy, our den mother, shouted over the screams as we were shoved back down into the bunker.
There was so much chaos and confusion, it was only after I reached my room that I realized my Daddy was missing. I ran out into the hall and was stunned to see soldiers I'd never seen before marching down the hall. They wore fatigues but carried their guns.
What was going on? What happened?
"Go back to your room, Eleanor." A cold hand fell on my shoulder. I looked up to see Dorothy glaring down at me.
"I'm scared. My Daddy hasn't come back. Where is he?"
"Go back to your room, Eleanor." She squeezed me so hard I yelped. "You just finished the Young Lady program with the highest ranks. Did we make a mistake?"
"No Ma'am." I slumped my shoulders and turned back, heading into my room. Silent, terrified tears slid down my face as I walked back to my bed, my stomach twisted in knots. What was I supposed to do? I couldn't just shower and go to bed like nothing was wrong. Like there'd been an attack of some sort andpeople were scattered and tossed onto the bus and no one knew who had gotten back and who hadn't.
Was Milton okay?
My chin quivered and then I broke down, throwing myself onto my pillows and sobbing. The makeup I'd taken so much time doing earlier was now smeared across the pink fabric as I cried into it. All I'd wanted from today was for Milton and I to have our special moment, but it was ruined by those stupid creepies and crawlies up above.
My phone rang loudly suddenly, causing me to stop crying and sit up. I wiped my face and reached for the phone.
"Hello?" I asked.
"Eleanor? Oh thank god. Are you okay?" Nancy cried from the other side. "It was all so fast and we were forced to go to our rooms and--"
"Is your Daddy with you?" I interrupted her. "Did he come back?"
She hesitated. "Yeah, he's in his room. Why? Is yours not there?"
