Page 59 of The Cult

“Why not?” I sat up, reaching for my shirt folded neatly at the foot of my bed.

He shrugged. “Because it’s Sunday.”

This was fantastic news. Orcus had given the young men a break, which meant a free day for me to figure out our escape plan, even without Abel’s approval. I’d drag his ass out of here if I had to. “So I’m free to do whatever, then?”

A laugh escaped his lips. “Free,” he murmured before heading out.

Fuck you. I barely had my pants on when Sterling peeked into my room.

“Hey, are you ready?” he asked. His somber voice caught me by surprise. What made Sterling stand out from the group of militant guards in the cult was his bright disposition—he always had a smile on his face. He was growing on me. Having him around wasn’t half bad, after all.

“Yeah. What’s up?” I asked, lacing my combat boots.

“You’re with me today,” he said.

So much for having a day to myself. This wasn’t how I wanted to spend my free day. “Where are we going?”

Sterling sighed. He looked at the floor when he answered. “Orcus wants your opinion about something.”

“Sure,” I agreed, even though I had a feeling this wasn’t a request but an order coming from their leader.

Sterling saw himself out, almost bumping into the door frame when he exited my room. Something was definitely amiss with him.

Don’t get yourself involved, I told myself. That was the last thing I needed. “I’ll be out in a minute.” I grabbed my phone and tucked it inside my right boot. There had to be a charger around somewhere.

I chose to follow behind Sterling, giving him space. He clearly had something going on, judging by his stiff posture and balled fists. A few hallways later, we approached Abel’s bunkroom. The door was half open, and the guys’ conversation and laughter traveled out. The atmosphere in the room shifted when they spotted us passing by. Voices hushed and stares followed our steps. Sterling didn’t pay them any attention and continued on.

My eyes connected with Abel’s as we passed. Heat crept up my neck when he flashed me the brightest smile, taking my breath away.

Last night, as insomnia gripped me, my mind was consumed by the impact of Abel’s presence. When we were together, time seemed to warp, as if nothing else existed. I didn’t know how to explain it, or perhaps I lacked the emotional intelligence to truly understand, but I knew we both felt alone and seemed to find comfort with each other. I could unburden myself of memories, emotions, and experiences I’d never told another soul, and that rattled me to the core. He had the ability to erase my existential loneliness in a way no one else had. Kill me! How fucking cliché was that?

Whatever this was with Abel could really screw up my already messed-up life. Nothing good and promising ever went my way, so this had to be nothing but bad news waiting to happen—if it hadn’t already.

I shook my head and looked away before he saw the smile emerging on my face. I wouldn’t recognize me if I saw myself right now—smiling and caring about someone’s changed demeanor. This was foreign territory, and it was scaring the shit out of me.

We continued our trek outside and into a cellar door jutting from the ground. It was the door that had piqued my curiosity when I scouted the premise days ago, but stayed away because it was heavily guarded. It was the same door from the images Zero had given us. About time I got to see what else was lurking out here.

I was in killer mode and on full alert. Two armed men stood on the other side next to the entrance. I discreetly checked the space and counted six different cameras mounted on metal posts, tree trunks, and the concrete walls. What the hell is in there? The two guards seemed unaffected by our presence; they didn’t even blink.

Sterling acknowledged them with a nod before tapping his fob to the black control pad attached to the wall. The lock clicked and he pulled the lever down. We climbed down the stairs and, once inside the bunker, the lights came to life one by one, illuminating long narrow aisles pointing in different directions. The small door outside was deceiving, hiding a maze of corridors underground.

“After you.” I motioned for Sterling to keep going.

He led the way to one of the hallways, leading us to another door controlled by a keypad.

I glanced at Sterling to gauge his reaction: still nothing. I didn’t know him well, but I could read people and their body language. And the shift in his demeanor was night and day. “Is everything okay with you, man?” I asked. My question was met with more silence; I doubted he’d even heard. “Sterling!” I yelled, elbowing his side.

Sterling jumped. “Huh?”

“Is everything okay?”

“Oh. Yeah,” he answered. “I’m okay, I guess.”

I stopped walking and faced him. “Are you sure?”

He looked up at the cameras mounted on the ceiling. “I’m okay,” he reiterated. He was more convincing this time, but I didn’t buy it for one second. It was an act. “We’re almost there.” He pointed at the closed metal door. 1-2-2-5. He didn’t bother trying to conceal the code he entered into the keypad. Seconds later, the automatic door opened.

I held my breath as we stepped in. Walls of monitors greeted us, feeds of black-and-white reels playing on each screen, depicting different angles of the cult’s most heavily guarded sites. Another pair of guards stationed in the room acknowledged our presence with a quick glance before resuming their duties. I’d die of boredom staring at a screen for hours.

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