Conscience (The Bellator Saga Book 2) (39 page)

“See you later,” Kathleen corrected.

“What?”

“It’s not
goodbye
. It’s
see you later
.”

Caroline patted her shoulder. “Go get Jen and Eric. I’ll get everyone else.”

Tearful goodbyes were had. Jack, Marguerite, and Sophie tactfully excused themselves after doling out hugs and well wishes. The girls looked a little shell shocked; they had been hoping that Kathleen would stick around. And Jack…he was still a rock, but held on to Kathleen for a very long time before following the girls upstairs.

Caroline tried to smile at Jen and Kathleen. “Guess you better get going, huh?”

Jen held her husband’s hand so tightly that it turned white. “Guess so.”

“I’ll go start the car,” Eric said.

“Do I have to talk to him?” Kathleen asked, after Caroline gave him one final hug.

Jen sighed. “Please be nice, Katie. It’s going to be a long drive regardless.”

Kathleen shook her head. “Don’t wanna. I don’t want to leave, either.”

Caroline crossed her arms. “You no longer have a say in the matter.”

“Are you trying to make me angry as a defense mechanism, so that leaving isn’t so hard?”

Caroline would worry less if she knew Katie had a chip on her shoulder the entire way to Canada. She’d keep her wits about her that way. “That’s exactly what I’m trying to do.”

Kathleen hugged her. “Stop. We’ll see each other soon.”

The waterworks were about to begin. “Of course we will.”

Jen put her arms around them both. “I’m not missing out on a group hug.”

They needed to get this over with. Like ripping off a bandage. Let it sting for a second before the pain receded. “I love you both,” Caroline said. “So much.”

“We know,” Kathleen said. “Or,
I
know. Not sure if Jen figured it out.”

“I have,” Jen said. “Go get in the car. I’ll be there in a minute.”

Kathleen squeezed Caroline tighter. “I love you.”

Caroline smiled through her tears. “See you later.”

Kathleen pulled back and saluted her. “Right on,” she said, then whirled around and walked out the door.

Caroline pulled a small black backpack from under the kitchen table. She and Jack had several of them. They were turning into hoarders, but they fully intended to hand the backpacks out like candy if need be.

“What’s this?” Jen asked.

“Something I hope you never have to use.”

Jen looked inside the backpack. “For real? I’ve never, I mean-”

“Plenty of ammo. Extra magazines. Point and shoot. You won’t care about training if you need to use them. Understand?”

“Caroline-”

“Jenny, don’t fuck around with this. The government isn’t.”

“Katie is going to hate this.”

Among other things. Caroline hugged Jen one final time. “I know. Just…keep her safe, okay? Keep yourselves safe.”

They heard a car horn. Eric was getting impatient. Pretty dumb, since they were trying to keep their departure hush-hush.

“Go,” Caroline said. “Be smart. Smarter than your husband, who thinks that honking at someone near the Governor’s Mansion at three in the morning won’t attract attention.”

Jen smiled wryly. “I will. I love you.”

All these words of affection were liable to cause her to have a nervous breakdown. Caroline hugged Jen a final time and shoved her out the door, waving as they pulled away.

Maybe she could pretend they were going on vacation. A nice short jaunt. They’d be back soon. She’d see them all again. She was sure of it. She would ignore that nagging voice in her mind, the one that told her that people traveling to safe destinations wouldn’t need handguns in order to get there. She’d focus on the positive. Caroline stared at the door before locking it.

“See you later,” she whispered.

The Fed

“Sweetheart, wake up.” A gentle voice was at her ear. “Come on, baby.”

Caroline’s eyes fluttered open. A dark figure knelt in front of her bed. “Who are you?” she asked.

The figure chuckled softly. “You know who it is.”

That voice. How could she have forgotten that voice? “Jack?”

He stroked her cheek. “I’ve come for you. It’s okay.”

Caroline blinked and tried to sit up, but she was strapped of energy. Jack held her steady, bringing her to a sitting position.

“Take a minute,” he said. “Orient yourself.”

Had he any idea of where they were? Of who they were surrounded by? She tried not to sound too panicky. “We don’t have a minute. What are you doing here?”

“I told you.” She could tell he was smiling, even in the dark. He seemed so happy to see her. “I’ve come for you.”

“But-”

He pulled her into his arms, breathing heavily, his hands tangled up in her hair. “I promised you,” he said. “And I would never break a promise to you.”

Caroline buried her face in his shoulder, trying not to cry. “I knew you’d come,” she whispered. “I knew it.”

Jack kissed her cheek. Funny, she didn’t feel any pain when he did it. She wanted him to do it again. And he did, kissing his way to her ear. “I’ve missed you so much, my love.”

Caroline grasped his shirt, trying to get closer to him. “My darling,” she murmured. “My hero.”

Jack laughed softly. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. I still have to get you out of here.” He gave her a critical look. “Are you all right? Can you walk?”

She felt a spring in her step that had been missing for weeks. She wanted to get the hell away from this place. She’d crawl if she had to. “I’ll manage. Let’s get out of here. We have to hurry.”

“I know.”

Caroline shuddered again, hoping he knew an easy way out. If he’d gotten in, he had to know how to get out, right? And he would keep her safe. Just like he promised.

“They do bad things in here,” she whispered.

“I know.” Jack pulled her into his arms again. “That’s why I’m going to take you someplace where no one can ever hurt you.”

“I never told them anything,” she said. “I swear I didn’t.”

He kissed her forehead. “I know, baby. I’m so incredibly proud of you.”

It wasn’t the time or the place, but she was desperate to tell him anyway. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He released her suddenly and got a strange look on his face. “There’s just one more thing we need to do.”

“What?”

“Wake up.”

She tried to straighten up. Was he blind? “I’m already awake.”

“Wake up,” he said, louder this time.

Caroline looked around the cell. “Jack, keep your voice down. Someone might hear you.”

Jack moved closer to her ear and the lights flickered on, flooding the room. “Wake up!” he yelled.

*              *              *              *              *

Caroline sat up with a start and found herself looking at a scornful Jeffrey Murdock.

“Good morning,
darling
,” he mocked.

She rubbed her eyes and stared at him angrily.

“That was quite amusing.” He let out a cruel laugh. “The guards told me you talked in your sleep but I had no idea you spilled out all your fucking internal monologues.”

“Fuck you,” Caroline snarled.

“Did McIntyre put a muzzle on you at night? Jesus Christ.”

She wrapped her arms around herself and didn’t say anything.

“I imagine he did something else to keep you quiet. Maybe-”

Jeffrey Murdock didn’t deserve the privilege of speaking about her husband. “Don’t you dare talk about Jack. Keep his name and everything about him out of your mouth.”

“So defensive. Does it make your panties moist, dreaming about him?” Murdock asked.

What a disgusting, distasteful word. When it rolled off Murdock’s tongue, it sounded even more revolting. “You are truly vile,” she said.

He laughed again. “Don’t worry. I won’t check for evidence. This time.”

Caroline swallowed hard, trying not to think about all the horrible things Jeffrey Murdock could do to her. Her throat was dry. She looked over at the sink before she could help herself.

“Oh, yes. You’re in for another long day. You might want to freshen up.” He gave her that disturbing smile again. “Be a dear and make yourself presentable for us.”

Caroline shuddered. He made those comments on purpose, to keep one thing in the back of her mind. The one thing they’d never done. The one thing she hoped they would never do. Although considering everything else they’d done to her...

“You have ten minutes,” he said.

*              *              *              *              *

She wasn’t sure why the guards dragged her into the interrogation room and plunked her down at the table. She was cuffed but not immobilized. Would she thank them for that little concession? Not likely.

Murdock, Fischer, and Powell were all but ignoring her, although she knew full well that if she tried anything they’d spring into action. They were sorting boxes of personal property. Property confiscated from people crossing the border. Apparently even if you were allowed through, you still might have to bribe your way to ensure safe passage.

There were watches, necklaces, rings, baubles, heirlooms...likely the most precious possessions of those seeking a way out of the country. They’d probably been carefully chosen and packed because of their significance, then reluctantly handed over to the government in a time of terrible emotional trauma. All those memories, reduced to salvage.

Powell and Fischer rifled through one of the boxes as Murdock stood watch.

“I call dibs on that Rolex,” Fischer said, pulling it out of the box.

“Why not? That’s how I got mine.” Murdock flashed the watch on his own wrist. He smirked at Caroline. “We didn’t all just stumble into money, you know. Some of us had to work for it.”

Stealing wasn’t work, but Caroline decided to keep that observation to herself. She wanted no part of whatever game these men were playing.

Fischer flipped the watch over. “It’s got something inscribed on it.”

Murdock grabbed it out of his hand, gazing into the box. “I was hoping we’d get to this one. Hmm…what’s this? ‘
To Tommy. Happy fiftieth birthday. All my love, Dr. Spencer
.’”

Caroline’s ears perked up. What had he said? She strained for a better look at the watch.

Murdock handed the watch to Fischer. “Good choice. Although you might not want to wear a watch taken off of a dead guy.”

Fischer recoiled. “Good call.” He glanced over at Powell. “Want it?”

Powell grabbed it out of his hand. “Not gonna turn down an expensive piece of shit like that. I don’t care where it came from.”

Murdock brought the box over to the table by Caroline. “Shall we see what else is in here?”

Coincidence. It was pure coincidence. Just some person married to a doctor, male or female, who had the same name as Christine. Who just happened to receive a very nice watch for his fiftieth birthday, the same as Tom. Just a coincidence.

Murdock pulled another item out of the box and held it up. “What’s this?”

A scarf. The material was stiff, after being soaked through with blood. But for the bits of gold and blue peeking through here and there and the embroidered interlocking
MU
on the bottom, it was almost unrecognizable. 

No.

He pulled out another item. A stuffed hippo, once a beautiful shade of blue, had large patches that appeared to be a dirty rust brown color.

No. No no no no.

Caroline let out a small cry and reached for the scarf and stuffed animal. She didn’t care what shape they were in. She had to touch them.

Murdock pulled them back. “Oh, we can’t have that. No touchy. You just get to look.”

“No,” she said. “No! Give them to me!” She threw herself on the table, trying to get to the scarf and the plush toy. Powell and Fischer yanked her down roughly on the metal chair, but she pushed away from them, continuing to try and claw her way across the table, stretching toward the items.

“Those are mine! They belong to me!” Caroline’s screams echoed through the room as the men dragged her back to the chair.

Fischer pulled his gun out and put it to her head. “Don’t move.”

Murdock pulled the scarf up by its edge, and the animal by its tail. “Disgusting, really. I should probably be wearing gloves. So much blood. I don’t want to get any diseases.” He tossed them back on the table, stepping back with a triumphant look on his face. “I’m sorry, Gerard. Did those mean something to you?”

Caroline shoved away from Fischer, toppling her chair. Like she gave a shit if anyone shot her now. She lunged at Murdock and they both tumbled to the floor.

He had to die. And she was going to kill him even if she lost her life in the effort. She grabbed at his face, catching him off guard just long enough to slide the links connecting her cuffs down against his throat. She pressed against his trachea and he made a gurgling noise, but the smile stayed on his face. He pushed her off him as if she were a rag doll.

Who was she kidding? Her spirit was willing. More than willing. Her spirit wanted nothing more than to strangle every last breath out of Jeffrey Murdock. But her flesh was weak. Fischer and Powell pulled her from the floor, pressing her against the wall.

Murdock had a split lip. Had she caused that? She hoped so. “You’ll pay for that,” he rasped. “Goddamn cunt.”

Fuck him and fuck that word. She reached for Fischer’s gun hand. She needed a weapon and she needed it now. But Fischer knew she was weak, both mentally and physically. He pushed her away into Powell’s arms. She kept staring at the gun. Feet away from her. He held it irresponsibly, lazily by his side. A loaded gun. She stared at it. Could she go for it again?

Murdock wiped at his mouth. “Try it and I guarantee you’ll be anything but dead, and you’ll be miserable.”

She pushed Powell away from her, taking a step toward Fischer. The three men tackled her to the floor.

“Don’t.” Murdock grabbed her by the throat. “Your suffering isn’t over yet, Gerard. I’ve got plans for you.”

“You’re a bastard,” she choked out.

“Yes, but I’m free and in fantastic health, unlike you.” Murdock released her, picking the bloody items up off the table, tossing them back into the box. “Oh, don’t worry. You’ll be with your children soon enough. I think we’ve had enough fun for today, though. Don’t you?” He gestured at Fischer and Powell. “She’s earned some alone time in her cell. Be extra cautious getting her back there. I’m not sure she’s in a very good mood right now.”

The guards dragged her down the hall as she tried to keep from losing control. Fischer still had his gun in his hand, and she again contemplated grabbing it and pulling the trigger, not at them but at herself. Would they have time to react before she got the job done? Probably not. She had nothing left. Everything that ever mattered to her was gone.

The guards unlocked the door to her cell and pushed her inside. She caught herself on the wall and spun around with her last little bit of adrenaline, socking Fischer in the face. He shoved her down and she landed on the floor with a thud. When she looked up, he had his gun pointed at her.

“Do it.” Her lip trembled. She didn’t bother trying to hold back her tears. What was the point? They had no empathy for her, no pity, not even a small shred of respect. “Please.”

Fischer smirked and holstered his weapon. “Not today. Believe me, if I’m the one that gets to finish you off, I won’t be using a gun.” He kicked her in the stomach before crouching down to remove her cuffs. He knew she couldn’t fight back. “Not when this is so much more enjoyable.”

Powell followed with a few swift kicks to her legs. Further humiliation, further proof that neither man had a heart or a soul. “Sweet dreams,” he said.