"Never going to tell on my brothers."
Snake laughed. "Damn, I was hoping you'd say that." He cut off the sleeve of his flannel T-shirt, revealing a swastika. He gently sliced into the skin. Blood welled up from the cut. Hiram clenched his teeth.
"Looks like we got a real tough guy," Sharp said.
"We'll see about that." Snake began the delicate work of cutting off a strip of flesh. Screams exploded from Hiram.
He moved back to admire his handiwork.
"Bring me the salt."
Sharp handed him the round canister, and he poured some into his hand, then rubbed it in the wound. Hiram bucked as he cried out. His hoarse voice wavered.
"N-no more."
"What you got for me?" Snake asked, calmly carving away at more of his flesh.
"Names."
Snake paused. "I'm waiting."
"P-Paul Smith, Jacob Sanders, a-and T.J. Perkins."
"I'm going to enjoy killing you. I wish you would've taken longer to break."
He gave a rusty laugh. His swollen cracked lips formed a wicked smile. "Can't kill me, boy. I'm the only one who knows where your child is."
He rushed him and placed his hands around his throat. His eyes rolled into the back of his head, and breath rattled around in his throat, sounding like a balloon that sprung a leak.
"Whoa. Wait, wait, wait," Sharp said, pulling at his left arm as Sick pulled the right.
He roared as he struggled against him.
"You never found her, man. This might be legit," Data yelled.
Snake released the man's throat and stumbled back.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Snake hissed.
"Not dead, just rehoused. Ain't telling you more until I'm someplace safe."
With that sentence, the floor fell out of his world.
He sat on the cold concrete, thoroughly knocked on his ass. He'd never even considered her as anything other than dead. Images of a pitiful waif beaten down and jaded by human trafficking sprang forth in his mind. What the hell has she been going through all this time? Did she think I just gave her up? His stomach turned. He rose and stalked out of the shed, sucking down crisp night air to keep from losing everything in his belly. Footsteps followed him.
"You think he's telling the truth?" Data asked.
"I have no clue. It could be fuck fuck games. If so, he won hands down. If he was being honest, Jesus Christ, what shape is my baby girl in?" he whispered.
"What do you want to do?"
"Can't risk losing her if we off him. She'll be lost in the wind. Fuck." He speared his fingers through his sweat-soaked hair. "I'm too old for this shit."
"We need to figure out our next step. If he's still breathing, we need to figure out where to store him."
"Keep him here, we'll do shifts. I refuse to give him any comfort. If he thinks he can sway this situation in his favor, he'll make us his bitches. We need to let him know we think he's full of shit and keep him scared for his life."
"We can do that no problem, Veep."
"Shit. I need a minute."
"Take all the time you need. Sharp and Sick are introducing themselves." Data patted his back and walked back into the shed. The noise of the torture faded into the background as he stared unseeing at the forest. What am I supposed to do with this? Any wrong move could damn his daughter. All this time he'd been drinking, fucking, and carrying on, while she'd been out there trapped. I really do not deserve something so precious. Guilt hit him like a sledgehammer to the chest. He gasped for air. The world swam. He stumbled over to a tree and leaned against it. Sweat slipped down his neck and forehead and dripped onto his black hoodie. Lord in heaven, if you're still listening to a fuck up like me, I could use a little help. He needed to keep his shit together. Any misstep could ruin any chance he had of finding her. If he's telling the truth. He wanted to believe him. That his Jocelyn was around somewhere, still living and breathing. They'd pick up the others, get them all hurting, talking, and ready to sell each other down the river. Then the truth would be revealed. He just needed to keep it together until that happened.
§
Estelle
The abrasive jangle of her cell phone yanked her from a deep slumber. She rolled onto her side, reached out, and patted the nightstand until she grabbed the vibrating square. She pulled it into her nest of blankets and put it to her ear.
"Hello?" she croaked.
"Es, I need you."
The anxiety in his voice pushed away her sleep. "Xavier, what's wrong?"
"Everything. I think I fucked up big time, Es. I think my little girl's suffering." His words were slurred. His voice wavered.
"No, she's some place where pain and sorrow no longer exist."
"I don't think she is. They never found her remains. How could I be so stupid? I don't believe she died."
"Wait, what?" She sat up in bed, shoving the tangled locks away from her face. "What brought this self-doubt on? Where do you think she's been this entire time?"
"I don't know, and that's what kills me."
The sound of shattering glass made her jump. "Where are you, Xavier?" she asked, careful to keep her voice even as her sluggish sleep-laden brain woke up.
"Nowhere fucking Kentucky."
"Hmm, never heard of that town," she said, mocking playfulness. He was funny that way, opening up until he realized how much he'd said. Then he'd shut down and clam up.
"It's Dawson Springs, 'bout two hours out."
"I'm coming to you. Give me the directions."
"You don't need to do that."
"I think I do. I don't like the way you sound, Xavier. Support has to do its job. You've been there for me, now let me return the favor."
"Don't think it's a good idea, Es."
"Why not?"
"Because I'm taking care of something."
"Yeah? Well, who's taking care of you?" she shot back, refusing to back down.
"Don't need someone-"
"Clearly you do, or you wouldn't be calling me at three o'clock in the morning. I got a bad feeling about this. I want to see you with my own eyes. Then I can sleep knowing I'm not going to wake up to bad news tomorrow. I can't lose another person close to me."
"You mean that?" he asked. His hoarse voice was a rough caress.
"I said it didn't I?" she replied, praying she hadn't just put her foot in her mouth.
"Shit, Es. When did you get so damn hardcore? It's kind of hot." He hiccupped, and she laughed. "Listen, Es. If you come down here-"
"When."
"All right, when you come down here, you have to keep it to yourself. The shit I'm in right now … I need to be able to trust you."
"You can."
"I know that deep down, but I've been guarded so long, I'm a bit rusty at letting down my drawbridge."
"You're doing just fine, big man," she whispered.
"Thanks, Sprite. Here, take down this address."
Mentally cheering, she took down his address. "I'm throwing on clothes, and then I'll be on my way."
"I hope neither of us lives to regret this," he whispered.
"I can do more than shoot darts and pools. I'm loyal and a damn good listener. My father, rake that he was, taught me to think like a man when necessary. I don't plan on hanging around to cramp your style. I have a day of work to put in tomorrow night. But I can tell you don't have your head on straight. I can't have you out there like this."
"I never saw this coming, Es. I can't stop asking myself questions I don't have the answers to, running fucked up scenarios in my head. She's my little girl. It was my job to take care of her. I failed her in the worst possible way knowing I've continued to do that with each day that passes." He took a shaky breath.
She climbed out of bed. "Hey, we don't know anything for sure, right?"
"No, but it's a gut feeling-"
"Shelve it." Grabbing a pair of yoga pants from her dresser, she wiggled her way into them and decided to keep the oversized sleep shirt. She wasn't trying to win any beauty contests. "I'm coming, support. You wait for me and don't give up, you hear?"
"Loud and clear."
"Good, I'm going to get off here, brew a cup of coffee, and pack a bag. Then I'm on the road."
"I'll be waiting."
"If sleep takes you, don't fight it. But your ass better get up to answer the door for me."
He laughed, and the sound was heavenly. He was moving away from that dark place she knew all too well.
"I'll get up. I promise."
They disconnected, and she rushed through the house like a mad woman, tossing things into the small black suitcase she pulled out from underneath her bed. She was in her car and on the street before she could talk herself out of anything. This wasn't her normal, rushing off in the middle of the night to places unknown. But she couldn't ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.