It Ain't Me, Babe (Hades Hangmen #1)(7)

Then, finally, when I had reached my physical limit, hope almost lost, I found a road. With renewed vigor, I stumbled down a steep hill, landing hard on the graveled concrete of the bumpy pavement.

My conscience congratulated me that the disciples had not found me… The disciples did not find me. But I could never let down my guard. I could not be free until I was far, far away.

I limped along the side of the road, a quiet deserted lane. The chirping of crickets and the hoots of owls were the only sounds in the darkness. I did not know my location. I had never before left The Order.

I was completely lost.

As I tried to work out my next course of action, lights suddenly flared round a tight bend. They blinded me. I lifted my hand to protect my eyes from the glare, when a huge vehicle hove into view. A large, black vehicle was slowing. A large, black vehicle that stopped beside me. The window wound down from its place up high to reveal the shocked face of an older woman.

“Hell, honey! Why you out here all alone? You need some help?”

An outsider.

Prophet David’s teachings bombarded my thoughts; Never speak to the outsiders. They are the devil’s people. They do the devil’s work.

But I had no choice.

“Help me. Please,” I croaked. I had had nothing to drink in a long while and my throat felt like I had swallowed sand.

The outsider leaned forward and the massive door popped open. “Git’ on in, honey. This road is no place for young girls like you, especially at this time of night. Dangerous folks ’round here and you don’t want them finding y’all alone.”

Limping forward, I gripped the long silver rails attached to the side and climbed up into the warm seat. I reminded myself to be alert; to keep up my guard.

The lady’s brown squinted eyes widened, her gray hair a fluffy halo around her head. “Honey, your leg! You need a hospital. How’d that happen? You’re a mess!”

“Please just take me to the nearest town. I do not need a healer,” I whispered, my head feeling light and my breathing slowing in my tight chest.

“Nearest town, girl? That’s miles away. Y’all need help now! What happened? You look like hell.” She suddenly gasped. “Please tell me you haven’t been attacked. Tell me no man has forced himself on you.” Her eyes tracked down my body to the blood now trickling down my leg, then she searched behind her using the large mirrors attached to the door. “Oh no… have you been… taken against your will?”

I did not meet her eyes. She could control me; I had been taught that anyone outside of The Order would tempt me. I was one of Prophet David’s chosen people, envied by all others. I had to avoid her trap.

“I have not been attacked. Please. Just… take me to a town,” I pleaded once more.

The large vehicle pulled onto the unlit road with a deafening blare from a horn. Wincing at the sound, I stared out of the large window, deep in prayer. Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be—

“Where did you come from, honey?” The woman’s voice interrupted—soft and enticing. She sounded like a lullaby. Was she guising evil intent? Or was she being honest? I did not know… I just did not know! My head was a swirling fog and I could not focus.

I kept my silence.

“Did you come from that forest? If so, how? Where? There’s nothing in there but trees and bears. No one in their right mind goes into those woods. Too many unholy things lurking in them ol’ trees. I even heard rumors of a government testing facility in there or something.” I dared not look in her direction. She kept talking, but I managed to block out the sound.

We traveled far and many hours passed. I did not know where we were, but with every inch of new road, I let myself relax. I was tired and, to my happiness, my leg no longer hurt. It was completely numb and I was sleepy. I fought with my eyes to remain open and when I knew I could not keep consciousness too much longer, it was time to make my move.

“Please stop,” I urged, pressing my palms against the large pane of window glass. My eyes searched the barren outside area for a place to take refuge. I sighed in relief when I spotted a square gray building set way back off the main road. I could take shelter there… hide there… rest there, until I regained strength enough to continue on with my journey.

The woman slowed the vehicle and shook her head. “Hell no! I’m not leaving you here! Downtown’s still quite far ahead. A girl like you don’t belong in a place like that. It’s dangerous. Filled with bad, bad folks. Do you even know what this place is?”

My vision became blurred and tunneled, threatening to move to black. “My friend is here. She is waiting,” I said in panic, the deception coming surprisingly easy to my lips.

The vehicle suddenly pulled onto the crunching gravel and jerked to a stop. “You have friends here?” Her voice was filled with shock.

“Yes.”

“Well, I’ll be damned. Didn’t take you for one of those girls. I guess the devil comes in many forms. Kinda explains the state you’re in. S’pose they all decided to teach you a lesson, huh? Dumped you and left you to make your own way home? And here you are, crawling bloodied and bruised back into the den of evil.”

I did not understand her meaning. Who were those girls? I pushed open the door and fell down to the hard ground without another word. I needed to hide. I just needed to muster the strength to take a few more steps.