The Registry (16 page)

“How long will that take?”

“Should have the glass assembled by nightfall. I’m not sure about cracking the code, though, might take another twenty to thirty minutes.”

“You could have your wife home before bedtime,” Leonard said.

Grant wrinkled his brow at that idea. He wasn’t sure whether it was because he didn’t want to end the chase or because the idea of taking her home was no longer appealing. He shrugged it off. He could always kill her, make it look like an accident. Nobody would dare question him.

“Mr. Marsden, where is Agent Jeffries?” Leonard asked.

“That’s a funny story.” Grant wrapped his arm around Leonard’s shoulders. “I let him fly my chopper. It’s a less complicated prototype, but the guy forgot to buckle his safety belt and slipped out. Don’t worry, I sent a team out to find his body.”

Grant continued flashing his million-dollar smile at an uneasy Leonard. He wished he could tell the whole story, how Jeffries dangled from the aircraft and begged for his life, but he figured the death was enough. Grant hoped the RAG team was beginning to understand the true extent of his power.

Chapter 29

All grooms are American heroes. It is an honor to be the wife of a hero. She will enjoy respect from all her peers and bask in her husband’s glory.

—The Registry Guide for Girls

M
ia was growing tired and hot. The morning sun gave way to the afternoon heat, and the two girls were still sitting in the field. They moved closer to their meeting spot but not all the way there. Mia was getting restless and debated walking into the bar to see what was going on.

“It looks like something is happening in the parking lot.” Whitney’s voice snapped Mia back to reality.

It did look like there was some action taking place. They were close enough to see people moving but too far away to see what the people were doing.

“I’m going closer, to get a better look.” Mia began crawling back to the original meeting point. She was surprised Andrew would have had them wait in such an open spot.

Crawling felt stupid. The grass wasn’t hiding her at all and she had a feeling anyone who looked in her direction would notice her right away, but for whatever reason Mia remained on all fours.

When she got closer, the figures in the lot came into focus. They were fighting. Some were laughing and shoving, joking around, while others were full-on swinging. The monsters she and Whitney had noticed earlier weren’t monsters at all. They were just starving people. Mia gasped in horror as someone started kicking a starving boy. The attacker was huge, double if not triple the weight of his victim. She wanted to rise up and yell at the attacker to leave the boy alone, but fear and Andrew’s instructions kept ringing in her head. She continued to crawl. She was already well past the meeting point, almost to the end of the grass. Any cover she had was lost.

Her stomach turned at the violence that she saw. Young men were laughing at each other’s despair. It was wretched. Thoughts of Andrew filled her mind, that it was a possibility he could have shared their fate. It was a cruel world for young boys.

She knew she had to do something. She was not going to sit by and let these people be killed. Mia became so fixated on the beatings she did not realize a vehicle was parking right by her hiding spot. She rose to yell at the abusers and found herself face-to-face with a van. She ducked down, hoping to avoid the driver’s notice.

The fear of being hit by a car refocused Mia’s energy. She felt like she had been woken from a trance and needed to run back to Whitney. She was about to turn and crawl when something caught her ear.

Midwest Area beauty Mia Morrissey was abducted late Tuesday night. The eighteen-year-old made headlines for having such a hefty price tag. She was purchased by a Grant Marsden of the Northeast Area and the two were married. Little is known about her abductor, who has been identified as Scott Rand, a twenty-six-year-old truck driver. Her husband had this to say: “Please give me back my wife. We did not get the chance to enjoy our lives together yet; I just want her home safe. Please.” For more information please visit our website at . . .

The radio station was turned off and the door to the van swung open. Mia was so interested in the report she forgot about staying out of sight. Her eyes met the driver’s for a brief second and she reminded herself to close her mouth and look away.

He looked nice, though, warm and welcoming, with silver hair. He tried to smile at her but Mia started moving toward Whitney, never looking back. She decided it wasn’t worth it to crawl. Andrew had picked this spot because he knew the boys were too busy being nasty to each other to worry about her.

M
aybe the radio misspoke,” Whitney said. “Did they say anything about me?”

“How can I be married? Don’t you think I would know about it?”

“What does it matter? If you are married it’s better for your father. At least that means he got paid. What about me?”

“Yeah, they mentioned you. Said we were taken together. It sounded like they had just finished up your segment when I started listening,” Mia lied, and noticed Whitney’s joy at being mentioned.

“Let’s walk closer to the bar.” Mia stood and walked upright. “I don’t think crawling makes a difference; nobody will pay attention to us.”

The boys who had been fighting earlier had scattered. Mia hadn’t noticed any action at all since she made it back to Whitney. Even the starving boys were gone. Mia shuddered, doubting they had made it out alive.

“I’m hungry. This sucks,” Whitney said. Mia was shocked at her language choice; she thought being a boy was starting to suit her.

A tall, lanky, dark-haired figure popped out from the front door. Mia recognized Andrew and wanted to run to him. Every muscle in her legs was telling her to sprint and throw her arms around him. She was grateful he had made it to the farm, that he hadn’t starved in a parking lot somewhere. She thought he needed to hear those words, but just as she sped up, her brain reminded her boys didn’t run and hug other boys. She needed to play the role.

She slowed down a little and could hear Whitney groaning over Mia’s little sprint.

Mia was so busy focusing on Andrew that she didn’t pay attention to the gentleman who was following him outside. It was the guy from the van. She hoped the silver-haired man didn’t mention their encounter to Andrew. The last thing she wanted was for him to get testy with her again. She pulled her hat brim low over her eyes and looked to the ground as she approached them.

“This is, ahhh, Walter and, ahhh, Marty. Walter and Marty, my traveling partners.” Andrew sounded pleased at his choice of names; Mia assumed she was Marty.

“Hello, Marty,” the man said.

Both Mia and Whitney responded to his greeting. Avoiding eye contact made it difficult for Mia to tell if he noticed.

“Didn’t have enough for us all to sit in the bar, so they’re just tired from this heat.” Andrew put his arm around Whitney. “Isn’t that right, Walter?”

Mia might as well have been blind. She was too scared to look at the man’s reaction.

“It is hot out,” the silver-haired man said. “Well, you two little ones get in the back. Andrew, you can sit up front with me. It’s about an hour’s drive to my farm, so get ready for a bumpy ride.”

Mia gave Whitney a quick sideways glance. The last time they had been in the back of a vehicle together, it hadn’t ended so well. She hoped Whitney’s nerves weren’t getting the better of her.

“I get carsick, can I sit in the front?” Whitney didn’t do a good job disguising her voice.

Mia was certain they were going to get caught. If this man hadn’t had suspicions yet, he would now.

“Walter, you’ll be fine. Mr. Piozzi and I have to talk about the work we’ll be doing. When you’re the one in charge, you can sit in the front.” Andrew was already walking Whitney toward the back. Mia stayed close and jumped in first to help Whitney up. It was obvious her friend was uncomfortable, but Mia couldn’t risk comforting her; it would expose them as females.

There was a divider between the front seat and the rear of the van. Mia and Whitney had to sit on the hard floor. There were a few tools visible. Mia hoped the ride would go fast. She noted it was hotter in here than outside. Mia went to the window over the door to see if she could get it open.

The van’s engine turned over and they backed out of the lot, right over a giant bloodstain. Mia wanted to reassure Whitney, but the sight of the stain sent a giant shiver through her body and she decided it was best to remain quiet. The van was moving too fast to have a conversation anyway. Mia ignored the window and leaned back against the side. The heat was making it easy to nap.

Chapter 30

When a groom chooses his bride, he becomes responsible for her well-being and safety. All of the future choices he makes are intended to ensure these principles.

—The Registry Guide for Girls

M
ia had always assumed her father’s farm was average, but it was grand compared to the Piozzi farm. There was one small farmhouse, which looked like it might fall down any minute. The white paint was coming off in giant chunks, making the place look like it was melting.

Only one barn was on the property. It was a shell of its former glory. Though it was about double the size of the house, it did not compare even to her father’s smallest barn. Everything about the place was scary, and every bone in Mia’s body told her to run.

Jumping out the back of the van was easier than getting in. She tried to give Whitney a hand down before the men exited the front. However, Whitney was still moving slowly; Mia sensed a change in her friend and wasn’t sure how to handle it. Whitney’s mind seemed to be elsewhere and Mia didn’t know how to get through to her.

Mr. Piozzi didn’t seem to care about Whitney’s sluggishness. His attention was diverted when a man popped out the front door of his home. The mystery man was in his thirties, with sandy blond hair and a welcoming smile. He was capable of making any girl swoon, and Whitney was no exception. Mia noticed her face light up as he came into view.

It was nice to see a father and son together. Earlier, Andrew had mentioned how rare it was to keep a boy child. They had stumbled onto an odd relationship. Mia wondered if Andrew was jealous. The young man greeted his father with a hug and a deep kiss. Mia’s brow crinkled at this sight. She was unfamiliar with the father-son relationship but had not thought it would be so . . . physical. Whitney seemed to share her feelings, but Andrew leaned against the truck with a straight face, looking away.

“This is Andrew, Marty, and Walter.” Mr. Piozzi introduced them to his son while keeping his arm around his shoulders.

“I’m Alex Piozzi. Nice to meet you
boys
.”

The emphasis he put on “boys” made Mia nervous, but nobody else seemed to notice.

“I told Andrew on the ride over, but, please, call me Frank,” Mr. Piozzi said. Mia knew he was talking to her and Whitney, but she was still dodging his glance. “Let me show you to your area.”

Frank began walking to the barn. With each step toward the dilapidated building Mia felt closer to her doom. He swung open the door to reveal the standard animal stalls for chickens, pigs, and cows. Almost all of them were filled, too. A cat sat in the rafters looking down on them with curious eyes. On the inside, the barn was well cared for. Mia thought it was nicer than her father’s. Frank pointed toward some stairs and started to walk up. There were no railings and the climb made Mia feel a little uneasy. By the time they reached the top, she was sure a slip would result in immediate death.

They walked into a decent-sized loft, with sleeping places for at least ten people, each with a straw mattress, pillow, and giant bowl. She wondered what it was like for Andrew at her father’s housing unit. She had never been allowed to go near the boys’ quarters. Andrew dropped his bag on a mattress and signaled for Mia and Whitney to do the same.

“How long are you looking to stay?” Frank asked.

“About three weeks,” Andrew said.

“That’s a bit long. I don’t know if we have enough for you to do.” Frank showed concern.

“Well, as long as you need us, then.”

Frank nodded in agreement. “There’s water in a well out back; you can’t miss it.” He pointed out the little window. “Freshen up a little. I’ll go get you fellas something to eat. Then you can get started on your project.”

Frank made it down the stairs and left them alone. Before the barn door was even closed, Whitney and Mia looked at Andrew for answers. Neither one of them was sure what was going on.

“Three weeks?” Mia was shocked it would take that long. She wanted to arrive in Mexico as soon as possible.

“Why were they kissing like that?” Whitney asked.

Mia was surprised that out of all the things going on, that was what Whitney cared about.

“We need to make some money so we can get to Mexico quicker and with some cover. We can’t walk the whole way, and hitching is out of the question after the last time. I have three weeks till my enlistment date, so we need to make as much as possible. I think the cost of three tickets will be about three hundred dollars. Right now, I only have about one hundred.” Andrew sounded annoyed.

“Were they father and son?” Whitney continued to ask.

“Too much can happen in three weeks! We won’t be safe here. You know they are looking for me,” Mia said.

“It doesn’t make any sense. I never saw any of the workers kiss like that. You had some close friends, didn’t you?” Whitney was still trying to get her question answered.

“I’m not rich. I can’t help you any quicker. I’m doing the best I can.” Andrew had to talk over Whitney’s ramblings.

“What about two tickets to the border? Whitney and I can go on our own from here.”