Page 110 of The Cult

What I wanted was my dad back, but that was impossible because of this monster. As I approached him, I could feel the weight of all the heartache and sorrow he had caused us over the years. Memories flashed before my eyes, a bitter reminder that my family would never be whole again. I remembered the sleepless nights haunted by nightmares of his cruelty, the tears I shed, and the scars, both physical and emotional, that I would bear for the rest of my life.

But through it all, I persevered. I refused to let him break me.

He took Dad’s life, and there was only one way this could end. “You know the difference between you and a shadow?” I asked, towering over Orcus. “A shadow only appears when there’s light. You won’t see one anymore.” I aimed my gun over his head.

“I should’ve killed you and your family too,” Orcus said, his eyes filled with hatred.

I pulled the trigger; a surge of triumph radiated through me.

Tobias stood beside me and draped his arm across my shoulders. “It’s over,” he whispered. “He can never hurt you again.”

The Wolf stood over Orcus’s dead body and spat.

“Orcus had The Wolf’s twin brother killed during a fight, that’s why he was here—he wanted to kill him too,” Tobias explained. “Let’s go.”

I rode with Two and the rest of the guys and the assassins in silence. They all watched Tobias and me with our joined hands, probably wondering what was going on between us. I was wondering myself, but there would be another place and time for explanations.

Our vehicles screeched to a halt, jolting us forward in our seats. “We’ve got a situation,” our driver announced. We turned our attention to the windows. Shock wouldn’t even begin to describe what I felt. The assassins loaded their guns, ready for another fight.

Archer’s radio beeped. “What’s the plan?” Zero, who I’d learned operated the drones, asked.

“We fight,” Archer said.

“No!” I yelled. “That’s our families.” I pulled the lever open and ran outside, my friends following behind.

I stepped out of the vehicle and was met with a sight that both surprised and impressed me. The women of The Creed stood before us, their stance tall and proud, their faces bearing the marks of battle. The field of the Central Compound was littered with lifeless men in black ski masks—the cult’s women, armed with machine guns, had taken them all down.

Confusion swirled within me. How were they able to fight and use guns? Had they been planning this all along?

They lowered their guns when they realized who we were.

“How? What?” Seven asked.

“Those men are from The Firm,” Tobias said, pointing at the dozens of lifeless men, some with dripping blood wounds between their eyes. “Probably sent to Orcus for backup. I doubt they expected this warm welcome.”

“They took them all out?” Archer whistled.

“Looks like it,” Zero said.

“Abel!” Maddy’s voice cut across the din. I searched the crowd for her. She emerged from the group of women and hurried toward us. I beamed with pride. She had her gun draped over her chest, her waist adorned with ammo. I wrapped her in my arms when she reached me. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“Where’s Mom?” I asked.

“Somewhere safe,” she replied. Maddy hugged Tobias next.

“Mom!” Two cried and hurried to his mother.

“Orcus is dead,” I told Maddy.

Maddy looked behind her. The Creed’s elders and men had joined the crowd. “Orcus is dead!” she cried.

An almighty cheer sounded as they raised their weapons in the air.

“I’m glad to see you, Abel,” Two’s mom said.

“How did you do all of this?” Tobias asked.

“Orcus and The Creed underestimated us. They never believed we were capable of fighting, so we turned their underestimation to our advantage. Our men”—she nodded toward the guys who were busy disarming The Firm’s fallen soldiers—“they helped us collect the weapons and taught us how to use them.” She leveled her machine gun at my face. “We were the blind spot, and no one saw this coming.”

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