Chapter 26 - Riggs

CHAPTER 26 - RIGGS

W hen I wake up , the only thing I hear is a peculiar squeaking sound. I focus on it like it's my last hope as my head spins and my foggy mind begins to clear. It takes several long minutes to realize I'm lying down, but moving at the same time.

The gurney. You're strapped to a gurney, Riggs .

My entire unfortunate situation comes hurtling back to me like a punch in the face.

Clover! Where is she? What's happening?

Suddenly, we stop. "Where's Hattie?" It's my father.

"I don't know, sir," an unfamiliar voice says. "She went to get the prisoner and hasn't come back yet."

"We can't wait for her then. Let's continue. Open the door."

I start coughing as the drugs wear off.

"Good," my father says. "You're awake. I want you to be awake. I want you to look Collin Creed in the eyes as he kills you. It's a fitting punishment for a traitor."

There's no way to ignore his threat. I've been conditioned my whole life to care what this man thinks of me. But most of my attention is on what the other guy said. She went to get the prisoner and hasn't come back yet .

"Clover," I say, my voice raspy and nearly unrecognizable. Did Hattie kill her? Is that why she hasn't returned?

"Sir?" a third voice says.

"Yes, what is it?" My father sounds annoyed.

"There's…" The new guy pauses.

"Spit it out, soldier. We're in the middle of something here. I don't have all day."

"There's been a… an incident."

"What kind of incident?"

"Ike Monroe. There are reports that he… well, he shot four of our men at the Blackberry Hill checkpoint."

" What ?"

My eyes aren't even open and I can see my father's angry expression. I've been on the receiving end of that glare so many times, it's burned into my retinas.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"He took the prisoner—his men claim he was taking her to the pile for a…" This soldier hesitates. "Final rite, or whatever."

"He wasn't told to do that."

"No, sir. No one thinks he's actually doing that. They think he's setting her free."

I don't know what comes over me, but I start laughing. There's a good bit of coughing in there too, because I get an elbow to the jaw and my mouth fills up with blood.

"You think that's funny, Riggs?" Oh, my father is pissed.

"I do," I manage, spitting the blood out with my words. "She's free. She's free and she's gonna go right to Collin. So your little plan is?—"

But before I can finish, an alarm starts blaring, cutting me off.

My father leans in to my ear to make sure I hear him over the roaring sound of the klaxon. "You wish. Blackberry Hill won't help her. Ike might be willing to risk everything for a woman, but that village of his has been living in prosperity for over a decade now. They're not going back to that sad, poverty-stricken life they had before we took over. And even if she does make it out of Blackberry Hill, she's miles away from Disciple. She'll never make it home before Collin gets his hands on you. Because this alarm you're hearing? It's Collin's alarm, not ours. He knows we're here. And now he's coming for you, Riggs. This is your end, son. I wish I could say it's been a pleasure."

Someone is next to me, pushing more drugs into my IV.

And then the fuzzy fog turns to darkness.