Isela's Love (7 page)

“Guarros had a thing for her mother,” Bernie remembered. “He said he took her in after the father was killed.”

“I still think he had something to do with Kie’s death. His obsession with Isela smacks of it,” Darrios argued. “I’ll bet the mother knew the warden before her husband was killed. If we can make that connection...”

“Jerric said one of the older inmates might be able to help.” He unfolded his notes. “The guy’s name is Bashua.”

Darrios sucked in a breath. “What did you say?”

“I said his name is Bashua.”

Darrios and Evan exchanged glances.

“You gonna share, boys?” Brendan asked.

“We knew Bashua,” Evan said quietly.

“Word was he got himself killed,” Darrios added.

“Yeah, not that long after Kie.”

“Soon enough that it looks suspicious?” Bernie asked.

“Oh yeah,” Darrios and Evan said in unison.

“I’ll go to the Council first thing tomorrow. Brendan, be ready. I have a feeling they’re going to be more than receptive when I tell them what we’ve learned today.”

“Do you think the kid, Jerric, will go with you, Bernie? I bet he’d be willing to.”

Bernie shrugged. “It can’t hurt and he is a native. Can you do without him on the farm?”

Darrios and Evan smirked at each other. “Yeah, Bernie,” Darrios said sarcastically, “I think we can handle it.”

“No need to get ugly, gentlemen. I was only trying to be considerate.”

Chapter Seven

Upon hearing Bernie’s account of the warden’s activities and Jerric’s testimony, the Council unanimously agreed to support an undercover investigation of Warden Guarros. They placed Bernie in charge, instructing him to keep them informed and not to take further, aggressive action without their direct approval. He agreed, signed the necessary paperwork, and he and Jerric headed home.

As Bernie pushed the door to Darrios and Evan’s office open, Jerric ran in ahead of him and announced, “Guarros is goin’ down! He’s out!”

Darrios and Evan exchanged looks, both of them fighting smiles as they watched the young man dancing around, chanting that repeatedly. Bernie sighed then smiled and nodded.

“We have the full support of the Council. “They’re sending a sheriff tomorrow to escort ‘the condemned man’ to prison,” Bernie said, referring to Brendan.

Darrios groaned.

“What’s wrong, Darrios?” Bernie asked. “I thought you and Brendan cooked this whole thing up to begin with.”

Leaning back in his chair, Darrios rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands. “We did, but now that it’s official I have to tell Maggie...and Aunt Gin.”

“I don’t know who I’d be more scared of,” Evan muttered, snickering.

Darrios glanced out the window at the endless farmland, bountiful with crops, enjoying the peace it brought him, if only for the moment. He stood, stretching. “Well, let’s go guys. We might as well get this over with.”

Bernie and Evan stared at him.

“We?” Bernie asked.

“Are you crazy?” Evan asked.

Bernie shook his head. “I’d rather face ten moltergs than be anywhere near you when you tell your wife you’ve arranged for her baby brother to go undercover in Midland Prison. Mmm mmm, not me, brother. You are one hundred percent on your own.”

Evan pointed a finger at Bernie and smirked. “What he said.”

“Cowards,” Darrios muttered, stalking out.

****

Darrios hoped Brendan would be with Maggie when he got there. At least then he’d have some backup. He breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped onto his porch, hearing the sound of Brendan’s voice along with Maggie’s. Brendan looked at him expectantly as he came through the door. Darrios gave him a knowing nod before pulling his wife into his arms.

“I missed you,” he said, nuzzling her neck. She returned his embrace, smiling.

“We missed you too,” she said, nodding her head toward the playpen in the center of the room.

“Where did that come from?” Darrios asked, releasing Maggie. He slid his hand over the wood finish.

“The baby? Dude, that was all you,” Brendan said jokingly.

Darrios rolled his eyes. “The playpen.”

“Sandra and Evan loaned it to us. Evan was willing to get rid of it for good, but Sandra insisted they’re having more children.”

“Good, I hope that happens soon. He needs something else to do besides ride my ass.”

“Trouble in paradise?” Maggie asked.

“Naw, just a difference of opinion. I got him to come around though.”

Maggie squeezed his arm as she moved around him. “You do have some wicked powers of persuasion.”

He slapped her bottom, playfully. “You know it, toots.”

“Ahem,” Brendan said, exaggerating the tone, “Before this moves to a level I can’t stomach, I move we change the subject. Did Bernie find out anything?”

Darrios glanced at Maggie. He nodded to Brendan. “Yeah, we’re a go.”

Brendan smacked his hand on the table, waking Lucan. “Yes!”

Maggie glared at her brother as she picked up the crying infant. “Excuse me, gentleman. Thanks to that outburst, I need to go feed this young man a bit ahead of schedule,” Maggie said, taking Lucan down the hall.

Darrios leaned in and spoke quietly. “The Council is sending a guard detail to escort you to the prison. They’ll have a story for you, complete with the necessary paperwork. Are you sure you’re up to this, Brendan?”

“Trust me, Darrios. Compared to what I’ve seen in the last two years? This will be a cake-walk. The worst part is telling my sister.”

“We’ll do it together. It’ll be safer that way.”

Maggie returned a few minutes later. “He went right back to sleep. I laid him down in his cradle. Too noisy in here.”

Darrios got up and grabbed the bottle of Mulsket. He poured a glass for himself and one for Brendan, hoping Brendan would begin the conversation he didn’t want to have.

“Mags, sit down for a second, will you?” Brendan said.

She eyed him warily, glancing over at Darrios, who seemed completely immersed in pouring drinks.

“What’s going on, Brendan? I know that tone of voice. The last time you used it was when you told me you’d joined Social Saviors. Are you leaving again...so soon?”

“I’m not leaving yet. In fact, I might even be here longer than I originally thought.” Looking over at Darrios, he took a deep breath. Darrios handed him his drink. He sat down in the chair next to him, leaving an empty one between him and Maggie.

“I’m going to do some work for the Celio Council...some undercover work, kind of like some of the stuff I did in Africa,” Brendan said, keeping his tone light.

Maggie narrowed her eyes. “I thought you were cleaning rivers and teaching kids to read, getting them immunized, stuff like that. As far as I know, the Celio Council has other interests at heart.”

Brendan and Darrios exchanged glances. Darrios took Maggie’s hand, caressing it. “He’s going into the prison...posing as an inmate to investigate Guarros,” he explained.

Maggie jerked her hand away. She jumped up, pointing her finger at Darrios. “You did this,” she shrieked. She turned to Brendan. “Are you crazy? You can’t go into that prison. It’s too dangerous.”

She took a couple of deep breaths, focusing her attention back on Darrios, making an effort to lower her voice. “Why would you involve my brother in something like this? It’s bad enough I have to worry about your adrenaline addiction, but now you’re dragging Brendan into it too?”

“He didn’t drag me, Maggie. I volunteered. It was my idea.”

Her eyes still on Darrios, she said, “Then Darrios should’ve said no.”

“I tried, but arguing with your brother is like arguing with you,” Darrios said. “There’s no winning.”

Brendan stood up. “Maggie, I’m not a kid anymore. I don’t need you to protect me. I did some crazy shit in Africa...way more dangerous than this and I’m still around to tell the tales. I’m really good at this covert stuff. I know what I’m doing. I promise I’ll be careful. You have to trust me.”

“I do trust you, Brendan,” she said, hugging him. “It’s the bad guys I don’t trust.”

“I have to do this, Maggie. That animal has to be stopped. I’m the only one who can do it. Guarros has seen the other guys.”

“And the Council doesn’t have anybody else?”

“Actually,” Darrios said, cringing, “Bernie went to them and asked if we could do this.”

“I’ll kill him,” Maggie muttered.

“Maggie, don’t blame Bernie or Darrios. I want to do this. I need to. Tell her what he’s done, Darrios.”

“We think he killed Kie, one of our hunters, who happened to be that young woman’s father—the woman I told you about, Isela. Apparently Guarros is obsessed with her, but what’s even worse is he’s been sexually abusing some of the female inmates and servants. We had two inmates admit it to us.”

Maggie gasped, “Oh my God. And Isela?”

“No, at least not yet. He abuses her, but not sexually. He’s trying to beat her down into submission. He really is a twisted fuck.”

Maggie sat down, placing her hands on the table. “Do you really think you can stop him?”

Both Darrios and Brendan nodded.

“And Brendan will be safe?”

“At the first hint of any danger, we’ll pull him out,” Darrios promised. “It’ll be easy to monitor since we’ll be back and forth because of the meat deliveries and the trustees.”

Staring down at the table, Maggie said quietly, “I don’t like it, but I understand why you have to do it. I admire that you’re doing the right thing...both of you.”

Brendan patted his sister’s hand. “Look at the bright side, Mags. This will keep me in Celio longer.”

“But I won’t get to see you.”

“Maybe I’ll take you on a delivery if you miss him too much,” Darrios offered.

Maggie looked up, smiling. “I’d love that. Then I can see for myself he’s all right.” She pointed at Brendan. “But you’re on your own telling Aunt Gin.”

“C’mon, Mags.”

“Don’t need me to protect you, my ass,” she said with a smirk.

Chapter Eight

Isela and Mae stood together washing dishes after lunch.

“I miss Jerric,” Mae said.

“Me too,” Isela agreed. “He was really lucky to get that job on the farm.”

“I don’t know. Don’t you think it’s kind of scary, leaving here every day and going through Midland...with all the monsters?”

Isela shook her head. “No, I’d give anything to get out of here...except once I do, I’ll never come back.”

“Why are you so anxious to get out of here?” Mae asked, clearly agitated. “What else would you do? Where would you go? It’s not so bad here, Isela. It could be worse.”

Isela looked at her friend, feeling sorry for her. Mae really would rather stay in the prison than even attempt a life outside of it. It was safe to her. Although, as far as Isela could tell, Guarros had never laid his grubby paws on her. Isela doubted if he’d even noticed her.

“I hate it here, Mae. Every minute. I feel like I’m dying inside. The only good part of my days is when I’m with you and Jerric.”

Mae smiled weakly, hugging Isela. “I’m sorry you’re so sad, Isela. I really hope you get what you want.”

“I will, Mae. Someday I will.”

They finished the dishes then moved on to their other chores, agreeing to meet later for dinner.

****

As Isela and Mae finished their dinner, one of the inmates approached them, sitting down across from Isela. Frowning, Mae glanced around nervously.

“What do you want, Keeri?” Isela asked. “Why the smug smile? Did the warden give you extra beans or something?”

“Listen to you talk. Everyone knows he wants to screw you.”

Isela’s stomach rolled at the thought. “I’m sure you’re mistaken, Keeri. Why are you here?”

“You know, Isela, if you’d quit trying to be all high and mighty and just give in to him already, your life would be a lot easier. All of our lives would be.”

“I will never give in to him. And I don’t understand how you can. The thought of him on top of me repulses me beyond words.”

“Oh spare me, Isela. You’re saying you wouldn’t like new clothes or an extra helping now and then? Maybe get out of some chores once in a while?”

“Not if I have to give myself to him.”

Keeri rolled her eyes. “Suit yourself. More for me.” She shrugged her shoulders.

“I know that’s not why you came over. I’ll ask you one more time: What do you want?”

“I just heard some news I’m sure you two will be interested in.”

She smiled smugly again. Isela tapped her fingers on the table impatiently. “Are you going to tell us what it is or continue to sit there being obnoxious?”

“The trustees working on the hunters’ farm? They’re going to be staying there more permanently, I hear. They’ve converted one of the buildings to a dormitory. The escorts will just guard them now, I suppose. So your boy-toy Jerric won’t be coming home to you every night.”

Mae whimpered. Isela sighed. That could’ve been her. She had the chance to be free of this place but Guarros had snatched it away...again. While she was happy for Jerric, she envied him too.

“Lucky him,” Isela said, not giving Keeri the satisfaction of seeing how much the news had upset her. Keeri was only happy when she could make others miserable. Isela refused to play her game. Mae, on the other hand, had no concept of a poker face. She nearly burst into tears right there at the table.

Keeri stood up in a slow, leisurely manner. As she walked away, she hollered over her shoulder, “Oh yeah, and we’re getting a couple of new inmates tomorrow. Hopefully they’re hot. I could use a pretty face in my bed, how about you, Isela?”

Laughing, she sashayed from the hall.

“What are we going to do? We didn’t even get to say goodbye,” Mae said ruefully.

“We’re going to be happy for him and wish him good luck. He’ll be back. Don’t let that bitch get to you.”

Isela and Mae took their trays to the drop-off area then headed toward their rooms. Guarros stood in the doorway talking to Keeri. Isela swallowed hard when she saw Keeri point at her and Guarros nodding. Turning her gaze to the front, she kept on walking. She supposed she’d find out what kind of trouble Keeri was stirring up soon enough. Isela cursed inwardly when she saw Guarros hurrying after her.