A Merciful Promise (Mercy Kilpatrick #6)(25)

His mouth flattened, his eyes bleak. “I’ve seen men whipped . . . nearly to death.”

Mercy couldn’t speak.

“One of them was transported to the hospital. He didn’t come back.”

“Dead?” Her voice cracked.

“We were told he was expelled from the group. I don’t know if I believe that.”

The chill fully encased her spine, and she shuddered.

“Do you understand now?”

She gave a short nod.

“You think you got through to Pete, but I know he will not trust you until you’ve proven yourself over time. Do not trust him. Trust no one.”

Does that include you?

An earlier thought returned: Chad’s lack of intel for the amount of time he’d lived in the camp. And he hadn’t told her where the satellite phone was yet.

The seed of doubt was sown.

Dammit.

She no longer trusted her partner.





TEN

After tossing and turning all night, Mercy followed Vera through the morning chill to see the rest of the camp. She’d worn her heaviest coat and pulled on a knit pink hat in response to the temperature. The “dorm” had been freezing the entire night, and her racing thoughts wouldn’t let her sleep. Her brain was occupied with Pete and Chad. And her family.

Visions of Truman, Kaylie, and even Ollie had crept in and berated her for not telling them the truth. She’d followed orders by keeping the mission silent, but now she wondered if she was in over her head. It felt as if she had started at the beginning of an investigation instead of joining Chad at the tail end. The ATF had given her the impression that it was almost ready to wrap things up.

Or did Carleen stretch the truth?

She shuddered to think that the agent had been dishonest in order to recruit Mercy.

They seemed desperate.

As Vera led her up a steep hill, Mercy shoved the thoughts into a corner of her mind to analyze later. There was no point in obsessing over something that had already happened. Her goal was to find out what Pete had planned, discover where the stolen weapons were being stored, and get the hell out. She’d established herself to Pete as someone who had a bit of spine, and she needed to find the balance between being a subordinate and being someone with ideas worth listening to. Rocking the boat would not be acceptable here.

She frowned at Vera’s back, watching her put one foot in front of the other, puffs of dusty, dry dirt rising with every step. Vera was potentially Mercy’s biggest source of information. The key was to ask questions that would seem normal for a new recruit. “Do you know when I’ll be able to move in with Chad?” Mercy asked.

Vera stopped her climb, slightly winded, and gave Mercy a hard stare. “When it’s time. Our facilities aren’t ready overnight. Takes work. Elbow grease. It’s not like we have furnished apartments ready for you to move into. Currently all the construction is focused on a special project. Once that is done, the cabins will get more work.”

Mercy lowered her gaze. “Okay. We’ve been apart for a long time.”

Vera snorted. “Haven’t gotten any in a while, have you? You’re better off finding a spot against a tree trunk.” A scornful glare filled her face. “Watch out for the bark. It’s pretty rough.”

Seriously? “It’s more than that . . .”

“Your first commitment is to the group as a whole. Family is second.” She looked down at Mercy. “You two aren’t married, so he doesn’t qualify as family.”

“He’s all I’ve got.”

Vera resumed her walk up the slope. “You’re best off learning not to lean on one person. This is the perfect place to do that. Our community is successful because everyone pulls their weight.” She grunted. “Almost everybody.”

“I can’t see Pete tolerating laziness,” Mercy prodded.

“He doesn’t. Didn’t he tell you about the thirty-day trial period? Everyone shows their true colors within that time.”

“He told me. Has he kicked many people out?”

Vera glanced back at her, her expression unreadable. “A few. Others choose to leave. Those who prove themselves are rewarded.”

Mercy hadn’t seen anything that constituted a reward in the camp. “What do you mean?” Her stomach twinged as she wondered if women were expected to “offer” the rewards.

“Pete values dedication. Commitment.” Vera held out her hand as if to offer a fist bump. Mercy was startled at the friendly gesture and started to raise her hand in return when Vera pointed to a spot on the back of her wrist. “See that?”

A pink circle stood out against Vera’s sun-aged skin. It was about an inch and a half in diameter, slightly bumpy and raised.

A brand. Mercy caught her breath, the burning pain unimaginable to her.

“Did Pete do that to you?” Mercy whispered.

Pride shone in Vera’s eyes. “Yes. Only a few of us have earned it. The circle represents our group. Never ending. Continuity. One smooth movement.”

Mercy couldn’t speak.

A rapid flare of anger appeared in Vera’s eyes as she caught the force of Mercy’s shocked gaze. “You’re new. This is an honor. You’ll understand in time—or you won’t.” She spun around and continued her hike. Mercy moved her feet automatically, one after the other, her brain struggling to process what she’d just seen, her hand automatically rubbing the back of her wrist.