Ch.13

"Mac," Charlotte murmured, looking around in the darkness of the canyon surroundings. She'd learned where everything was in the desert, could tell when something was out of place, or when there was an animal hiding out. But since they'd passed the summer house, a feeling of unease had settled in the pit of her stomach. It had tightened her gut with every mile they drew closer to the canyon. Something was wrong, out of place, but even with her extensive knowledge of Cainsville desert, she couldn't place the cause of the feeling.

"What?" Mac growled and Charlotte realized she hadn't continued her thought out loud. She blinked a few time, eyes adjusting oddly to the darkness out the window and the bright light in the truck. She looked to her brother, reaching out for his hand on the steering wheel. Reaching out for some of the comfort she'd offered him earlier. He didn't privilege her with such a treat. Instead, he moved away, grabbing her arm and jerking her across the bench seat. The hand on her arm curled in her greasy hair, snapping her head up so her eyes met his directly.

"It's a party, lighten the fuck up." He let her go, nearly throwing her away from him. With a sigh, she climbed out of the truck. Her stomach tightened to the point of momentary pain so intense she had to lean against the truck to catch her breath. When Mac came around, she straightened, not wanting him to see her in pain. Her hand remained on her stomach as she walked with Mac into the cavern. They didn't need light to navigate through the tunnel; for the most part they followed the thrumming base of the music Rick had playing in the open space. When they stepped into the room, Charlotte took a step back into the shadows as the flood lights Rick had set up for lighting blinded her. As her eyes adjusted, she took stock of who was in the cave. Most of the time, when there was a "party" in the canyon, it was just Rick, a few of the local whores, Mac and herself. But this time, it was different. Mac was standing by Rick behind the work table and Lowell was reclining on the dirty mattress with a girl in his arms. At first Charlotte thought the girl was Lowell's wife Nora. But the girl rolled over, throwing long black hair over her shoulder.

Nora was a platinum blonde.

Charlotte stepped further into the open room, walking over to her brothers. Rick handed her a beer, which she accepted absently, taking a long sip. Mac gave her a sly smile, wrapping his arms around her waist, turning her body so she could watch Lowell roll around the mattress with the strange, dark haired girl. Who had hair that color in town? Charlotte couldn't place it. The pain in her gut was making her head fuzzy. Mac urged her to take another, longer, pull from the beer. She did, as Mac ran kisses up and down her neck.

"That's it," Rick's voice sounded far away, his image blurred as he moved toward her, stroking a hand over her cheek. Charlotte blinked, shaking her head against the wave of dizziness washing over her. She turned in Mac's arms, looking up at him. He was grinning wildly. She recognized that look. She hadn't seen that look in five years.

Mac was planning something.

"You fucking drugged me?" she slurred, stumbling out of his arms. She caught her body on her table, nearly knocking the surface over as she collided more solidly than she meant to. Rick reached out, grasping her chin and turning her head toward the girl and Lowell. He leaned in close.

"I remember," he started, his husky smokers' voice rasping against her skin as soundly as his rough fingers. "Watching you and Mac like that, all those years ago." He laughed, like the whole thing was one big joke her foggy mind couldn't understand. Mac laughed with him. Charlotte forced her mind through the muddy mess in her brain, straining her eyes at the dark haired body of the other girl. It clicked.

Summer girl.

The one in the cage.

The one who was safe because she wasn't related to them.

Charlotte wanted to scream as Lowell tore the poor girl's shirt down the front. How could this be happening? What were they even doing here? Had they been in town all along? Was the DEA agent's visit that distracting? There were so many questions running through Charlotte's head but the drugs were making it hard to focus. She felt tears on her cheeks though and turned to Mac.

"Anything," she choked out, "I'll do anything just let her go." Mac and Rick shared another laugh. The girl let out a little, startled cry. Charlotte didn't want to know what was happening. She clutched onto Mac's shirt, staring into eyes identical to hers. "Please Mac, please, let her go!"

"I think it's time we showed her why we're really here," Rick urged, coming up behind Charlotte and prying her fingers off of Mac's shirt. Mac helped him and then moved around the table. Rick turned them so that they were watching the pair on the mattress as Mac came up. He threw Lowell off the mattress, taking the other man's place on top of the helpless girl. Charlotte noticed a beer bottle as it fell over, rolling across the stone floor. The girl was drugged too. "Mac was missing your pussy. Missing the days when you used to get wet for him so easily." She tried to look away. Even her muddled mind could tell what was going to happen next. Rick held her chin, forcing her to watch as Mac ripped the young girls skirt up her hips, her simple panties coming down her legs to tangle on one ankle. Mac wasn't gentle this time. The girl screamed and squealed, thrashing wildly beneath him. But her fighting just spurred him on. Her hand came up, dragging nails down his cheek, tearing through the skin and leaving thin red trails in their wake. Mac groaned, doubling his thrusts as he got closer to his peak. Charlotte shook Rick's hand from her face, turning away from the brutal scene. Lowell was sitting back on his hunches, smoking a joint and watching enviously as Mac fucked the young girl. Rick was laughing, plumes of sweet smelling smoke escaping his lungs as he too smoked on of the stronger joints he and Mac concocted. Charlotte slid down to the floor, Rick let her drop. Tears were coming faster now, as every horrible thing Mac did to the poor girl played behind her eyes in slow motion. Her screams echoed the cavern of her mind like they did the stone cave walls. Charlotte sobbed louder, Rick laughed louder, Mac grunted louder. Everything increased in volume tenfold.

With one final scream from the girl, everything went black.