Simon nodded knowingly and fished in his pocket for the bitter white pills. He used his teeth to pry the lid off and grabbed her hand. “Eat more of these. Drink this afterward.” He handed her his ever present bottle of brown liquor.
He watched as she sniffed the aspirins in her hand then give him a cautious look. “I don’t like them.”
“They’ll make you feel better.” He lifted her hand closer to her mouth. “Do it.”
Slowly she slid the pills into her mouth and chewed, her face twisting as the bitterness spread. She quickly reached for the bottle and sucked down the burning drink. Simon watched her carefully then pulled the bottle away.
“Go. Try to sleep.” He lifted her chin until her eyes met his. “We have a big night tonight.”
“Why big?”
“Tonight we kill the Cagers and eat them.” He gave her a cheesy grin. “Slow and tasty, remember?”
Her face fell and she stepped away from him. “I…remember.”
Simon raised a brow at her. “What? What do you remember?”
She stared at her filthy bare feet and swayed slightly. “The before.”
“Before?” Simon nearly shouted. “What ‘before’?”
As if she could shrivel and withdraw any more than she already had, she seemed to wither in his presence. “Small things.”
Simon grabbed her by the arm and dragged her to the rear of the store. He kicked open the swinging doors to the prep area and dragged her behind a wrapped flat of boxed goods. With a shove he sent her sprawling across the floor and stood over her. “What do you remember?”
She winced at the anger in his voice and shook her head rapidly. “Small things.” She looked away, her eyes probing the darkness for some minute hole to slide into.
“Tell me.” Simon’s voice was low and quiet, dripping with menace. “Tell me what you remember.”
She glanced at him and shook her head. “Pretty things.” She motioned to herself. “People. Faces.” She looked up at him and her eyes were full of tears. “My…just places.”
“And?”
She shook her head slightly as her eyes lowered to the dirty floor. “I was not…this.”
“What?” He hunkered down next to her, his eyes probing her. “What’s wrong with ‘this’?” Like a coiled snake, his arm struck, reaching out and snatching her hand. “You think you’re too good for this? Huh? Do you?”
With a quick tug he pulled her to her feet and pressed her close to him. “You think you’re too good for me?” He stepped back and his face was a mask of rage. “I’m your leader. Your fucking Alpha!” He pulled her close again and glared down at her. “You would have starved by now if it weren’t for me.”
She nodded quickly, her eyes darting side to side praying for an escape. “I know.”
“Then you should push all of those faces and places out of your empty fucking head.” His voice was a low growl. “You are mine now.”
She nodded rapidly again. “Yes.” Her voice cracked as she spoke. “Yours.”
He released her arm and stepped back, eying her from head to toe. “That’s right. You’re mine.” He extended his hand and gripped the collar of the shirt he’d given her. With a brutal tug he ripped it from her shoulders and left her standing nude in front of him once more.
“I think it’s time I remind you.” His hand slid down his front and gripped the tail end of his belt. As he slid it through the buckle he saw a single tear roll down her cheek.
He leaned in close and whispered in her ear. “Don’t worry, my pet. I’m gonna pound all of those memories right out of you.”
Chapter 17
“It’s quiet as a graveyard.” The sentry lit a cigarette and blew a blue-grey plume into the night sky. “I hate to say it boss, but I think you’re worrying over nothing.”
Hatcher fought a yawn and stared into the inky blackness. “I hope you’re right.” He stepped closer to the gate and peered across the street into the vacant lots where Simon’s old truck waited to begin rusting. “But my gut is rarely wrong and trusting it has kept me alive a lot longer than I deserve to be.” He patted the sentries arm. “Just stay alert.”
“Always.”
Hatcher turned slowly and headed back into the main building. He worked his way past the few people surrounding Big Mike at the short wave radio closet and pushed his way into the infirmary.
Coop raised a hand in welcome. “Had to wait until bedtime again, didn’t you?” He fought the urge to smile. “I stayed up just for you.”
“I bet you did.” Hatcher stepped into the small recovery room and pulled a chair beside the bed. “You were probably waiting for my sister to come by and tuck you in.”
Coop smiled at him. “Guilty.” He crossed his arms over his chest and gave him a knowing look. “So what bug has crawled up your ass?”
Hatcher leaned back and stared into the shadows. “Am I that transparent?”
“You all but said something was wrong the last time you came by to visit.” Coop raised a brow at him. “Spill it so I can get some sleep.”
Hatcher slowly shook his head. “You were military, right?”
“Navy. Viet Nam era. Why?”
“You ever get that feeling that something just isn’t right?” He raised his eyes to meet Coop’s gaze. “That something bad was about to happen?”
Coop scoffed. “Just about every damned day.”
“Well, my internal alarms are screaming at me. Again.” He cleared his throat. “The last time it happened, I…” His voice trailed off.
“You about lost your mind. Became paranoid. Started snapping at folks. I remember.”
“Yeah.” Hatcher sat upright in the chair. “That feeling that caused all of that is even stronger now.”
“And you’re afraid you’re gonna lose your shit again.”
Hatcher nodded slowly. “Or worse. Ignore it and something really bad will happen.”
Coop drew a deep breath and blew it out slowly, his mind trying to find the right words
