Nineteen Tobias

Where the fuck is everybody? I thought to myself as we cautiously made our way through the cult's eerily quiet compound, uneasiness settling deep in my gut. The guards were nowhere to be found and that alone was enough to set off warning bells in my mind. I'd always been a man of instincts, sharpened by years of surviving an unforgiving world. I didn't believe in coincidence or luck; everything had a purpose and nothing was as it appeared. Believing otherwise was deadly. Based on my deception-filled history, I knew that the calmer the surface, the more dangerous what lay beneath.

"Hold up." I grabbed Abel's arm, ignoring the volts of electricity that skated across my skin. The guilt I had felt from touching him, pleasing him, had slightly diminished after finding out that he was almost twenty. I'd hoped giving in to the temptation would finally put out the fire of my cravings for him, but the result had been the opposite: having a taste of him was fuel and I was burning.

"What's up?" Abel asked. His cheeks were crimson from our dash to get here. Sweat trickled down his chiseled face, and he stuck out his tongue to lick his upper lip. "Why're we stopping?"

"Just making sure no one's here." I released my hold on him in a lame attempt to put distance between us. I needed to pay attention and Abel was a distraction.

"Okay." He glanced behind me, then to his sides, and raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that a good thing?"

I shook my head. It was easy to forget how sheltered he'd been. He probably wouldn't know danger if it hit him in the face. There were a lot of things he needed to learn, and I'd make sure he came out of this mess in one piece. He didn't belong here.

"Okay …"

"Just stay close to me," I said. "The security guards could come back any time now. And do what I say."

"Yes, Daddy," he teased.

The visceral sensation that followed that word traveled to my core, where it flooded my senses. The feeling was indescribable. "Will you stop?" I barked. I'd aged ten years after spending a few days with Abel. I shuddered to think what would happen if I was around him constantly. It'd probably kill me.

"So … can we go now?" the punk asked, a grin on his face.

I nodded. "Go."

"Oh shit," a voice said when Abel and I finally entered the barracks. A smaller guy wearing black boxers hopped off one of the top bunks and woke the guy sleeping on the bottom. "Hey, wake up! Nine is here."

"What's up with the numbers anyway?" I asked, watching the guys sit up one by one.

"They don't bother calling us by our names around here. In this place, we're just a number. And when we're gone, we'll be replaced." Abel was unable to hide the bitterness in his voice and the disgust on his face. "Just like that," he said, snapping his fingers. "Nobody cares about us."

His admission had me thinking about the life I'd lived that was parallel with his. As a child in the orphanage, I was simply a kid in the sea of lost boys. And as an adult, I was The Savior on The Firm's roster, a dispensable assassin following orders. The last thread of who I was as a person had been wiped clean to become a killing machine. It was too late for me, but maybe not for him.

The announcement of our arrival woke the others and, seconds later, everyone was on their feet, all bare chests and that same pair of black underwear. To say that I was surrounded by muscles was an understatement. These guys were ripped like they lived in a gym. I studied their shaven faces; they appeared to be around the same age as Abel. Who are these people? I leaned over to ask about the others but was taken aback by the frown on Abel's face. Deep lines ran over his forehead, and his jaw was clenched shut. What the hell is wrong with him? Is he fucking jealous?

I didn't have time to dwell on it because the smallest of the group pulled Abel closer. "Nice to see you again, Abel," he said, hugging him.

"You too, Colt," Abel said, matching the kid's enthusiasm.

More than a dozen young men huddled around Abel, squeezing his shoulders and tapping his back.

"We thought we'd never see you again," one of them murmured, his eyes darting nervously around the room. "We were getting ready to switch gears."

"How did you get out?"

"Do they know you're here?"

"Where are the others?"

"What's it like out there?"

Half of the young men peppered Abel with questions, while the other half appraised me warily from head to toe. Their movements were cautious, as though they were in the presence of danger.

They weren't wrong. I was danger.

"One question at a time please," Abel said, calming the guys. Just like the other day at lunch, Abel seemed to have a way of keeping his friends under control.

"Who is he?" someone finally inquired. I was surprised it had taken them that long.

Abel glanced over his shoulder and met my stare. "His name is Tobias. He's my dad's best friend."

"What's he doing here?" the boy named Colt asked.

"Long story," Abel answered.

"Is he solid? Can he be trusted?" Buzzhead number two sneered, but I ignored him. "We can't afford any hiccups in our plan."

What plan? I held my breath, anticipating Abel's reply. I didn't know why his opinion mattered so much. Perhaps because his trust would make escaping with his family much easier. That had to be the only reason why—and I could use an easy mission right about now. This task was starting to get complicated.

"Yes, I trust him."

Good. Feeling somewhat lighter and accomplished, I stepped toward the door. "I'll be outside," I said before exiting the room to give Abel a moment alone with his buddies.

"We've been trying to figure out what's happening. Something's not right," someone said as I headed out.

I was curious about what he meant, but my desire to keep Abel safe won out, so I slipped away from the group and continued my investigation of the compound. There had to be a reason why this section was a ghost town. Unable to shake the feeling of trouble brewing, I began to probe around the perimeter of the barracks. Like the other part of the commune, the area was deserted. The fire I created didn't require every guard to respond, did it? Where were the dogs from days ago?

My surveillance led me inside an old barn larger than some of the houses surrounding it. I pushed the door open, revealing a room filled with the aroma of hay. The wooden posts were embellished with rakes, shovels and other well-worn farm tools. Even in the dark, I could see metal containers wrapped with chains and padlocked stacked against the wall. They were stamped with serial numbers. Taking a mental reminder to come back with my phone so I could take a photograph to send to Zero, I went outside, but just as I was about to round a corner, my path was intercepted by Abel. "What are you doing out here?"

"Looking for you." He peered behind me but, without any light, I doubted he could see the containers.

"Why?" He'd practically begged me to come out here because he had something important to discuss with his pals and instead he was wasting time looking for me.

Abel shrugged.

"Are you done with them?" I asked, nodding in the direction of the barracks.

"Yeah," he answered quickly, brushing me off. He was hiding something. It was obvious by the way he avoided my eyes when he answered.

"What was that about? I'll find out, you know." It wasn't a threat but an assurance. "So you can tell me what's going on or I'll figure it out myself."

"Nothing. Just wanted to see my friends," Abel said. It was comical that he didn't think I could see through his bullshit. He had no clue who he was dealing with.

I played along. For now. "Let's get back before they realize we're gone."

"Not quite," he said, grabbing my elbow. "One last thing before we go." He didn't wait for my protest before he ran behind a small trailer.

"This better be quick," I grumbled.

We hurried through the maze of trailer homes and vegetable gardens, the air thick with the scent of farm animals. I glanced around apprehensively. This part of the cult's compound was unfamiliar to me; I'd only passed through once when I arrived with Orcus days ago. "Stop," I said, reaching for Abel's arm. I scanned the walls and posts, searching for surveillance cameras. "I'm not familiar with this place." In the outside world, I would've figured my way out, but I was with Abel and couldn't let anything happen to him. I clutched Abel's arm tighter, pulling him closer. My senses were on high alert.

"I do," he said. "You're forgetting, I grew up here." His face dropped when he looked around the compound. "It robbed us of our childhood."

My kinship with Abel grew; I understood. "You good?" I asked.

"Yeah. Follow me." Abel moved with purpose, his steps steady and assured. After five minutes of running and dodging behind houses, Abel suddenly came to a stop behind one house in particular. He made a sound with his mouth, mimicking an owl, calling three times before a faint light flickered inside. The back door creaked open, and a teenage girl wrapped in a quilt blanket came out, scanning the premises for the source of the sound.

I squinted, trying to recall where I had seen her before. She was familiar, but not someone I had seen recently.

Slowly, the memories came flooding back. She was Abel's younger sister. He didn't tell me he was leading me to them. I glanced at Abel staring in my direction. Maybe he meant it when he said he trusted me.

He whistled and the girl dropped her blanket to the ground when she saw him. She beelined straight to Abel and, without uttering a word, encapsulated him with her arms. She buried her face in his chest, her hold on him tightening as though they hadn't seen each other in years. Abel closed his eyes and kissed the top of her blonde hair. It was hard to miss Abel's love for his sister. A connection I would never experience. They stayed locked in that affectionate embrace for what felt like an eternity. I watched, feeling like an intruder in their private moment.

"I missed you, Abel," she said. "I heard you were taken away and I was so scared."

"I'm fine," he assured her, soothing her by rubbing circles on her back. "I'm here. I'm safe."

He wasn't, but I didn't have the heart to tell him or his sister, who appeared to have been worried sick about him, the danger awaiting him weeks from now.

Abel released his hold on her and brought her chin up to meet his face. "Don't worry about me, okay? I can take care of myself—and I have him." He pointed at me. "How's Mom?"

"Um … the same," she answered, giving me a curious glance. "There are days when she's better and some days she's worse."

"What's wrong with your mother?" I asked warily. The answer could uncover more shit I didn't need. This mission was complicated enough, and the deeper I got involved, the harder it was to maintain a sense of objectivity.

Abel gestured to his sister. "This is Madison. You remember her?"

I nodded. "I remember."

"Uncle Tobias?" she asked.

Uncle. I was surprised how the word didn't make me physically ill like it did when Abel used it. Madison smiled and then did something that caught me completely off guard. She pulled away from her brother and, without hesitation, hugged me. Her petite frame was surprisingly strong, and I was momentarily stunned.

"It's nice to see you again," I said, after a few seconds prying her off my body. I wasn't big on physical touch and affection. Besides, I'd had enough contact tonight to last me a lifetime. "How are you and your mom, kiddo?" The question was my way of breaking the tension, but I was genuinely curious about her answer.

"Oh, you know, same." She shrugged, her smile fading. Like her brother, Madison looked older than she was. Any remnants of her teenage years were zapped by the worry on her face.

"Tell me," I said.

Abel nodded when Madison looked behind her. "It's okay," he said.

"Mom seems to be getting worse. She's more detached." She sighed. "It's like she doesn't even know me sometimes. Her eyes look dead, and all she wants to do is sit at home." She clenched a fist, barely concealing her frustration. "I'm tired of this place. I wanna get outta here." Her demeanor changed, appearing agitated and anxious.

"I'll get you and your family out of here," I promised. "Your dad asked me to take you all to safety."

Madison's eyebrows rose in disbelief. "Where is he?" She stepped closer to her brother. "Do you know where Dad is?"

Abel shook his head. "I don't, Maddy."

Madison directed her attention back to me. "Is he okay, Uncle Tobias?" There was helplessness in her voice. "He's been gone for a couple of years."

I could shield them from the truth and tell them he was all right, that their father was somewhere safe, but I wouldn't want to give them a false sense of hope because, truthfully, I didn't know whether Oliver was alive, let alone safe. The thought of the last real family I had falling to a tragic death felt like someone pouring acid on an open wound. The truth could be a bitter pill to swallow, but deception and empty promises hurt more.

Deciding to be honest, I said, "I don't know. The last time I spoke to him … he didn't sound good."

"What do you mean?" Madison asked. Her eyes glistened, but she didn't cry.

I struggled to find the right words, and that alone should've sent a warning to my brain. Usually, I didn't care about how others felt. This wasn't me. Never could be.

The sound of dogs barking broke the silence. Thankful for the interruption, I changed the subject. "We have to go," I urged.

"I'll come back. I promise," Abel said, hugging his sister.

"Stay safe out there," she said. Madison brought her attention to me. "You too, Uncle Tobias."

"I'll be back, okay? Don't tell anyone that you saw us," I instructed.

"Okay." Madison nodded. She tiptoed to Abel and planted a soft kiss on his cheek before running back to the trailer house.

"Let's get going." Abel and I traced our way back to the woods, to the other side of this godforsaken place.