Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
Henry
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come?” Blake asked as I checked the magazine one final time before sliding my gun into its holster. “I really think I should—”
“Absolutely not.” I snapped my eyes toward him. “And I’m not saying that because I have control issues.”
One corner of his mouth twitched up in the ghost of a smile. “Although let’s be honest. You kind of do.”
“True.” I chuckled. “But you’re still recovering. The last thing I need is to worry about whether you’ll dislocate your shoulder again or crack a rib.”
He sighed, resting his hand on the steering wheel as he drove toward the compound where Ariana was hopefully being kept.
While I would have loved for Blake to join me, he was still a liability.
I didn’t want to worry about him while trying to break Ariana out of this place, especially with what I now knew.
There was a strong possibility I wouldn’t only have Josiah to contend with, but also everyone he successfully brainwashed into believing the shit he spewed.
But I’d faced worse situations during my time in the military.
Josiah may have been strengthened by his beliefs.
But I was strengthened by something even more powerful.
Love.
And I’d be damned if I let anything happen to Ariana. Or Sarah.
I just prayed it wasn’t too late for Sarah. Prayed her grit and determination kept her mind clear and strong.
“I understand,” he exhaled, pulling the SUV onto the shoulder of the deserted road and killing the headlights.
Darkness swallowed us immediately. No streetlights. No traffic. No distant city glow.
Just miles of wilderness stretching in every direction.
“But fair warning. If you don’t check in every hour on the hour, I’m coming in, and I don’t care how many ribs get broken in the process.”
I huffed out a laugh and squeezed his shoulder. “Deal.”
“Be careful in there. If Josiah’s anything like Isaac, and I have a feeling he is, he doesn’t think like us. He believes it’s his calling to control and indoctrinate others to follow his teachings. He believes God will protect him, so that can make him a formidable opponent.”
“There’s a difference between belief and reality. And he’s about to get a heavy fucking dose of it.”
“Henry, I’m serious. This isn’t just a bad guy with a gun like you’re used to. Your military training won’t help you in there. Not like you think.”
“I’ll be careful. Promise,” I assured him as I opened the door and stepped into the darkness.
Somewhere in the distance, frogs croaked and crickets chirped. The typical sounds of nighttime in Florida.
Yet, something in the air felt wrong.
Maybe it was because of Blake’s warning.
Or maybe because I worried this would end up being yet another dead end.
But it wasn’t. I could feel it in my bones. Ariana was near. And I was going to bring her home.
With one last wave toward Blake, I took off at a jog, the road disappearing behind the heavy brush and trees.
Branches clawed at my clothes. Palmetto fronds scraped against my hands. Roots snaked across the ground like tripwires hidden beneath layers of leaves.
Years in the military had taught me how to move efficiently and silently through terrain like this, always looking ten feet in front of me to prepare for what lay ahead.
The deeper I moved into the woods, the more isolated everything became.
Exactly the kind of place someone would choose if they wanted to hide people or build a cult or whatever the fuck this guy was doing.
I didn’t know. And I didn’t care. All I did care about was getting Ariana and Sarah out of there.
And making sure any of the other people he’d imprisoned over the years got the justice they deserved.
After a few more minutes of dodging bushes and trees, lights appeared through the darkness. I immediately dropped to a crouch and pulled out my binoculars, bringing them up to my eyes. The lights came from a building in the distance, the castle I recognized from the aerial footage I’d found.
It looked even stranger in person. Moonlight reflected off pale stone walls, turrets rising above the trees with a moat circling the structure like something pulled from a fairy tale.
But I knew this place was home to nothing but nightmares.
I slowly scanned the perimeter for any sort of security presence. But there was nothing. No visible guards. No cameras. No patrols.
I should have felt relief at the thought, but it made me more uneasy.
Pulling myself to my full height, I moved deftly along the tree line until I reached the back side of the castle where the moat was narrow enough to jump.
Blake mentioned Ariana wouldn’t be kept in the main house because that was most likely where Josiah lived.
But I’d much rather take him out without a bunch of sycophants coming to his aid.
I cleared the moat easily and hurried toward the house, flattening myself against the stone wall and pulling my gun from my holster, remaining as quiet as possible.
Reaching for the knob on the back door, I tested it to see if it was unlocked. It gave way, the hinges creaking loudly as the door opened. I immediately froze, barely even breathing as I listened for any response. Footsteps. Shuffling of clothes. A voice.
But none came.
I inched toward the door and peeked through the narrow opening before slipping inside.
The kitchen was bright and airy with white cabinets and polished marble countertops. Fresh flowers were arranged in a crystal vase on a small table. A bowl of fresh fruit sat on the middle of the island.
Above the sink hung a framed Bible verse written in elegant calligraphy.
Another decorated the opposite wall.
And another.
And another.
The farther I went into the house, the more I saw.
Scripture framed in gold. Crosses mounted on walls. Paintings depicting angels. Scenes of salvation. Redemption. Forgiveness.
This house wasn’t merely decorated. It was curated. Every inch carefully designed to communicate the idea of faith and belonging.
But there was nothing righteous about this place.
Then I heard it.
It was muffled, barely audible, but it sounded like a woman crying for help.
I dashed toward the staircase and took them two at a time up to the second floor. As I emerged onto the landing, I listened again for the sound, praying I hadn’t just imagined it. Then I heard it again. Coming from the room at the end of the hallway.
I moved quickly toward it with my gun raised, remaining as light on my feet as possible. My stomach tightened, a chill rushing over my skin.
When I reached the door, I carefully turned the handle, pushing it open.
My gaze immediately fell on the bed where a young woman was bound and gagged with a large gash on her forehead, blood streaming down the side of her face.
I rushed toward her, checking the room for signs of anyone else. But she was alone. Thank God for small miracles.
“I’ve got you,” I assured the girl, resting my weapon on the nightstand. “I won’t hurt you.” I reached into my pocket and pulled out my knife, using it to cut through her restraints.
Once I removed her gag, she exhaled a long breath, her entire body visibly trembling.
“Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere else?” I asked, raking my gaze over her frame for any additional injuries. Bile rose in my throat when I noticed more blood between her thighs.
“I… I don’t think so,” she responded meekly.
“Okay. Good. I hate to do this, but I’m going to need to leave you here. If anyone tries to hurt you again, use this.” I handed her one of my guns. “I’ll come back for you. I’m here to help you. Get you out of here.”
I started to spin when pain suddenly exploded across the side of my head. White light burst behind my eyes as dizziness overtook me. I tried to remain upright, but couldn’t, the world tilting violently as the floor rose up to meet me.
The last thing I remembered was seeing the woman standing over me with my gun in her hand.
“I can’t let you hurt Father,” she said with a sinister smile.
Then everything went dark.