Chapter Eleven
Hours later, Rafe paced the length of his cell for what seemed to be the thousandth time. He stopped and gazed down through the wire grate at Alison, who was locked with Caleb on the other side. She had finally, through his urging, fallen asleep on the torn and stained mattress Joshua had been so kind to provide. Just the thought of something so filthy touching her made him shake with anger. But she had been through so much in such a short time, he knew that she needed to sleep.
Alison promised him when he asked that Joshua hadn't hurt her, hadn't touched her really, but Rafe knew from the look in her eyes as she spoke that he had scared her half to death. Joshua made her change into that long red gown, which, given any other circumstances, Rafe would have thought made her look absolutely lovely.
But, when he looked at her as she was still wearing it now, it simply reminded him of what that animal was really up to.
Rafe clenched his fists as he remembered the rest of what she had told him. How that bastard had forced her to spend time with him, pretending as if they were sharing a romantic evening. How he had dared to threaten her life.
Joshua's intentions were becoming crystal clear.
He wanted to make Alison his own.
Over my dead body, Rafe swore as much to her, as to himself.
On the floor behind him, Livvie was asleep as well, fed at last by Caleb. There was no end to the sickness of Joshua's mind. Putting him in a cell with Livvie and insinuating they should sleep together to keep Livvie from starving.
Nice try, Joshua. That would never, ever happen.
He looked over at Caleb, who stood at the end of the other cell, staring at Livvie in much the same way he had just been looking at Alison. Rafe could admit they had at least that in common. They would both do absolutely anything to protect the women they loved.
"So, tell me. How did Livvie find you?" Rafe asked him finally.
"I'm not sure," Caleb reluctantly replied. "What I am sure of is that you certainly didn't help her."
"No, you're right, I didn't." Rafe agreed.
"You'd have probably lied to her and tell her I was dead just to torture her."
"Well, you'd know all about torture, now wouldn't you?" Rafe nearly spat out the words.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means, you did such a good job torturing Alison and me, you'd be the expert."
"Really, Rafe. Get over it will you? You were right. Alison's not your sister. You know, actually, now that I think of it, the possibility really didn't seem to bother you so much anyway."
Caleb looked at Rafe and sighed loudly, looking almost bored.
"Do we really need to keep going over the past?"
"No, we don't. In fact, I'd like nothing more than to move on. But, thanks to you, we're still living this nightmare." Rafe answered him, his voice bitter and cold.
"Oh please, don't thank me - thank your future mother-in-law."
While they spoke, the two men moved to the center of the cell. Their voices were incredibly angry, but even in their contempt for each other they made sure that they argued quietly, as not to wake Alison or Livvie. They stopped and ended up squared off, standing face to face, the grate between the cells all that separated them.
"Ah, yes. But here's just a quick question for you. Who gave her those fangs, Caleb?"
"You know what. Stop!" Caleb lifted his hand to emphasize his point. "You don't need to worry, she doesn't have them anymore."
"Yeah, that's right, and guess what? Neither do you." Rafe said then, gloating just a bit.
"Take it easy, Rafe, put away the champagne. I'll have them back soon enough."
"I won't let that happen."
Hearing Rafe's words had Caleb chuckling back at him.
"It'll be fun seeing you try and stop me."
"You know what? It'll be more fun actually stopping you."
Rafe turned away in frustration and tried to contain himself. He faced Caleb again, and spoke softly, his voice eerily calm.
"As amusing as this debate has been what we really need to do is focus on getting Joshua now."
"Well, then, look at that" Caleb replied, "We finally agree."
************
Up above in his office, Joshua's answered his cell phone. He always loved good news, especially coming from his best recruit. He hung up after hearing his latest report. That Frank took the power he gave him and simply ran. Dear boy, he was doing such a great job. Better than he'd ever dreamed of.
Who knew this town would be so open.so accepting of the gifts he could give them?
Staring at his laptop, his scanned his list of names. The "targets" he wanted to hit continued to grow.
Thanks to a little luck, he had hit some of the best already. Victor Collins. Such an asset. His knowledge was priceless, well worth the risk in turning him so soon.
His new club would be the center of it all for now. It would enable him to weed out those he wanted to turn, and those he would keep as, well, livestock, actually.
Joshua chuckled. Couldn't keep his family hungry, now could he?
That scrappy young man, Jack Ramsey - he was something special as well. Joshua was amused by him - for now. I'll have to keep my eye on him though, he thought, and make sure he truly knows his place.
Joshua sighed then, thinking of his little "pets" in their cells below. Quite a fun experiment he had going on at the moment. Those longing looks they exchanged, their staining to be near each other through those small cracks in the bars. It nearly turned his stomach, it was all so sickeningly sweet.
His darling Alison had resisted him today, and truth be told, he had expected that reaction from her at first. Oh well, let her think she had a chance to be with her precious slayer again. It would be fun to see her finally realize the truth. In the morning, he would start over with her again.
And this time, he would truly make her pay if she didn't behave herself.
In the next room, that silly doctor was still painting, content as a kindergartener, thanks to the little injection he had given him. He really does excellent work. Joshua thought with a smile. And the talented Dr. Collins would help him in more ways than one.
If the lovely Livvie would trust anyone at all with Caleb's ring, it'd certainly be dear old dad.
Hours later, Rafe paced the length of his cell for what seemed to be the thousandth time. He stopped and gazed down through the wire grate at Alison, who was locked with Caleb on the other side. She had finally, through his urging, fallen asleep on the torn and stained mattress Joshua had been so kind to provide. Just the thought of something so filthy touching her made him shake with anger. But she had been through so much in such a short time, he knew that she needed to sleep.
Alison promised him when he asked that Joshua hadn't hurt her, hadn't touched her really, but Rafe knew from the look in her eyes as she spoke that he had scared her half to death. Joshua made her change into that long red gown, which, given any other circumstances, Rafe would have thought made her look absolutely lovely.
But, when he looked at her as she was still wearing it now, it simply reminded him of what that animal was really up to.
Rafe clenched his fists as he remembered the rest of what she had told him. How that bastard had forced her to spend time with him, pretending as if they were sharing a romantic evening. How he had dared to threaten her life.
Joshua's intentions were becoming crystal clear.
He wanted to make Alison his own.
Over my dead body, Rafe swore as much to her, as to himself.
On the floor behind him, Livvie was asleep as well, fed at last by Caleb. There was no end to the sickness of Joshua's mind. Putting him in a cell with Livvie and insinuating they should sleep together to keep Livvie from starving.
Nice try, Joshua. That would never, ever happen.
He looked over at Caleb, who stood at the end of the other cell, staring at Livvie in much the same way he had just been looking at Alison. Rafe could admit they had at least that in common. They would both do absolutely anything to protect the women they loved.
"So, tell me. How did Livvie find you?" Rafe asked him finally.
"I'm not sure," Caleb reluctantly replied. "What I am sure of is that you certainly didn't help her."
"No, you're right, I didn't." Rafe agreed.
"You'd have probably lied to her and tell her I was dead just to torture her."
"Well, you'd know all about torture, now wouldn't you?" Rafe nearly spat out the words.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means, you did such a good job torturing Alison and me, you'd be the expert."
"Really, Rafe. Get over it will you? You were right. Alison's not your sister. You know, actually, now that I think of it, the possibility really didn't seem to bother you so much anyway."
Caleb looked at Rafe and sighed loudly, looking almost bored.
"Do we really need to keep going over the past?"
"No, we don't. In fact, I'd like nothing more than to move on. But, thanks to you, we're still living this nightmare." Rafe answered him, his voice bitter and cold.
"Oh please, don't thank me - thank your future mother-in-law."
While they spoke, the two men moved to the center of the cell. Their voices were incredibly angry, but even in their contempt for each other they made sure that they argued quietly, as not to wake Alison or Livvie. They stopped and ended up squared off, standing face to face, the grate between the cells all that separated them.
"Ah, yes. But here's just a quick question for you. Who gave her those fangs, Caleb?"
"You know what. Stop!" Caleb lifted his hand to emphasize his point. "You don't need to worry, she doesn't have them anymore."
"Yeah, that's right, and guess what? Neither do you." Rafe said then, gloating just a bit.
"Take it easy, Rafe, put away the champagne. I'll have them back soon enough."
"I won't let that happen."
Hearing Rafe's words had Caleb chuckling back at him.
"It'll be fun seeing you try and stop me."
"You know what? It'll be more fun actually stopping you."
Rafe turned away in frustration and tried to contain himself. He faced Caleb again, and spoke softly, his voice eerily calm.
"As amusing as this debate has been what we really need to do is focus on getting Joshua now."
"Well, then, look at that" Caleb replied, "We finally agree."
************
Up above in his office, Joshua's answered his cell phone. He always loved good news, especially coming from his best recruit. He hung up after hearing his latest report. That Frank took the power he gave him and simply ran. Dear boy, he was doing such a great job. Better than he'd ever dreamed of.
Who knew this town would be so open.so accepting of the gifts he could give them?
Staring at his laptop, his scanned his list of names. The "targets" he wanted to hit continued to grow.
Thanks to a little luck, he had hit some of the best already. Victor Collins. Such an asset. His knowledge was priceless, well worth the risk in turning him so soon.
His new club would be the center of it all for now. It would enable him to weed out those he wanted to turn, and those he would keep as, well, livestock, actually.
Joshua chuckled. Couldn't keep his family hungry, now could he?
That scrappy young man, Jack Ramsey - he was something special as well. Joshua was amused by him - for now. I'll have to keep my eye on him though, he thought, and make sure he truly knows his place.
Joshua sighed then, thinking of his little "pets" in their cells below. Quite a fun experiment he had going on at the moment. Those longing looks they exchanged, their staining to be near each other through those small cracks in the bars. It nearly turned his stomach, it was all so sickeningly sweet.
His darling Alison had resisted him today, and truth be told, he had expected that reaction from her at first. Oh well, let her think she had a chance to be with her precious slayer again. It would be fun to see her finally realize the truth. In the morning, he would start over with her again.
And this time, he would truly make her pay if she didn't behave herself.
In the next room, that silly doctor was still painting, content as a kindergartener, thanks to the little injection he had given him. He really does excellent work. Joshua thought with a smile. And the talented Dr. Collins would help him in more ways than one.
If the lovely Livvie would trust anyone at all with Caleb's ring, it'd certainly be dear old dad.