Page 15 of The Rise

“What did you think would happen, Lana? That they’d come in here, kill us, and save your ass?”

“I don’t know what I thought would happen. I’ve never done this before,” I tell him. He huffs a laugh.

“Never done this before? Or have you done it many times? Have you been sent out to do a little recon and fuck the good guys to get what you want?” I shake my head.

“It’s not like that.” Now, he moves toward the cage, grabbing it in his hands.

“Then tell me what it’s like, Lana. What the fuck are you doing here?” Tears slide down my cheeks now. I shouldn’t tell him this. I shouldn’t tell him anything because Ray is going to kill me if I do, but Hunter? Hunter can save those kids. That’s what they do.

“I was supposed to find out what I could about you guys and report back.”

“How are you to report back?”

“I was supposed to find a way out,” I tell him. He laughs now.

“Find a way out? Look at what I’ve built, Lana! Do you think I’d let you walk out of here?” he screams at the top of his lungs at me.

“I … I didn’t know.”

“So you fucked me. You tried to get into my good graces, thinking I would take pity on you and let you go. Is that it?” I shake my head. Why did I fuck him? Because I wanted to. Because I watched him that day with those kids and it pulled at something deep inside of me. I saw the good in all the bad that he does, even after only a week.

“No. That’s not it,” I deny, my voice shaking now.

“I’ve been fucked over before, Lana. Too many times to count, and I won’t be fucked over again.”

“You cut the tracker out of me!”

“And that means what? That I should let you go?” I shake my head.

“I don’t want you to let me go.”

“What?”

“I don’t want you to let me go!” I say louder this time. He looks confused, and I get it. I can’t go back there. I can’t be a part of what they’re doing. I want to stay here. I want to be here. I want to help, but at what cost to me?

“Then what the fuck do you want, Lana?” He growls at me.

“I want to stay here.” Now he laughs again.

“I’ve had you here a week. A whole fucking week, and you want to stay?” I nod my head. “Why?”

“I don’t want to help them steal children. I don’t want to see their little faces, knowing they’re never going to see their families again. Do you know how badly that hurts?”

“I see it every time we get a group in here. I see the look in their eyes, but I also see the hope. And that’s what we give them, Lana. We give them hope to see their families again. You take it away!”

“No! I’ve never done that! All I did was care for them. I fed them, sat with them, read to them!” Tears keep rolling down my cheeks as Hunter watches me intently. I don’t know what he’s looking for, and I don’t know if he’ll find it in me.

“It’s your family, Lana. Your family is doing this!”

“I know that. Don’t you think I fucking know that? I’ve lived it, Hunter. I’ve lived the fear those children do,” I scream as I climb to my feet and yank my shirt off. I turn my back to him now so he can see all the scars. He can see what they did to me. I don’t turn back when I hear the cage door open. I stay here with my shirt up, baring it all to the world, to him.

Then I feel his fingers run over the scars on my back.

“Who was it?”

“A friend of my father’s.”

“A name, Lana. I want a name.”

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