Page 30 of Be My Salvation

“I will never tell you, fornicator! You and that other cunt are both monsters, betrayers of your family, and the faith!” Daniel yells through clenched teeth, as blood pools around him in a rapidly growing puddle. Zeke pushes the barrel of his gun against Daniel’s nostril. “You will die either way, but perhaps you would like me to gift you tomy wifeas an offering first. You’ve seen how much she enjoys tearing apart Brotherhood scum like you!“ I glimpse real fear materializing on Daniel’s features instantly. It seems my sweet Dinah is the boogeyman of all these maggot’s nightmares, and the knowledge only succeeds in making me prouder to be one of the men at her side. “No! Please... I’ll tell you.” He tries to move his head away from the gun, and I catch his hand moving across the floor closer to his gun. I take a giant step and crush his fingers underneath my heavy black boot, and his screams fill the air around us as I squat down and grab the gun, slipping it into the back of my pants. “Nah, that’s really naughty, thing one. I guess he wants to be Dinah’s new plaything, Zeke.”

“Fuck! He’s hiding on the top floor, with half a dozen loyal Brotherhood men. Please... please just kill me now!”

Chapter forty-three

The Protector

Sammy

Dinah and I move from one room to the other, with two of the rebels at our sides, murdering everyone in our paths. There seem to be fewer snakes hiding up here in the dark than there were on the main level. My body is filled with tension, as the real possibility that we’re finally going to get our hands on Noah Rothesay races through my mind. Will I be able to allow Dinah to be the one to murder him in my stead? The immediate answer that soars through my mind isno,that I deserve to be the one to send him to hell, for all that I’ve suffered directly at his hands, for all that I have lost of myself. I know that isn’t fair, and is even selfish of me, since Dinah suffered too. She had her childhood stolen from her, when she was forced to witness the abuse her mother suffered, and the part he played in her father’s death, regardless of if the cunt was actually dead or not. What about Ezekiel? He is his father’s son, but does that mean he hasn’t equally suffered at his hands? He, too, was a captive of Noah’s, even if he was rescued. The truth is, there is no correct answer; we, and countless others, deserve a piece of Noah as well for all the harm he has committed, but there won’t be enough of him to give.

A gunshot blares from across the hall and momentarily distracts Dinah. She turns towards the door, a frown marring her features, and I sense that she’s worried about Ezekiel and Abraham, even though both of them are more than capable of holding their own against Noah’s diminishing forces. At least Ifucking hope they’re diminishing. We were told ten were here hiding with him, but Dinah and I alone have murdered that number, if not more. More and more, it feels like we are once again being set up, and this is a goddamn trap. I feel the stirrings of panic rising inside of me, causing darkness to attempt to take over my vision, and a fine tremble to accost my limbs, at the possibility that we could be captured. My hand shakes, with my gun firmly clenched in my fist. Fuck, I have to keep it together for Dinah and myself. I can’t let the madness wrap me up and strangle me. I have too much to lose.

“Dinah! Watch out!” I yell, as a man appears from behind a large cabinet and tries to strike out at her with a blade, managing to catch her forearm, as she releases a pained and outraged scream. The sight of her crimson blood has a dark haze forming over my vision. I stride over there, oblivious to everything around me, and wrap my hands around the fucker’s neck from behind, lifting him clear off the ground and crushing his windpipe, as he waves his arms around frantically, and tries to slash at me with the blade. Distantly, I can hear Dinah screaming at me as if she’s coming from a ways off, and her voice comes and goes, breaking off at certain syllables. There’s a buzzing getting louder and louder in my ears, and mixing with the erratic thumping of my heartbeat.Dead, he’s fucking dead.The feel of the vibrations of what must be this fucker’s screams tingle against my fingers, and I’m faintly aware that I’ve dropped my gun somewhere, in my haste to get to him. His feet kick out backward, hitting me against my shins with force, but I refuse to release him. I don’t feel anything except overwhelming rage.He must die! He touched what is mine. He hurt her. No one gets to hurt my Nightstar ever again.I squeeze until I feel a pop as I crush his throat, and his body stops moving, and goes limp in my hold. Reality starts to come back in fractions, and I feel Dinah’s fingers prying at my hands forcefully, her sharp nails digginginto my skin as she tries to get me to release my hold. I meet her blue-gray storm-filled eyes, loaded with fright, and her voice penetrates through the void of nothingness. “Sammy, he’s dead. Baby, please let go!”

I drop the heavy weight, and it hits the floor with a resounding thud, as Dinah steps right over him and raises her hands to my face. The feel of her cold fingertips against my skin is exactly what I need to force the rest of the murkiness to recede. “Dinah?” I reach up and grab her arm, my eyes narrowing on the thin line of red blood that’s sliding down her limb towards her elbow. “Fuck! We need to get you medical attention.” I want to pick her up in my arms, cradle her to my chest, and race the fuck out of here, promising that I will keep her safe forever. “I’m fine, Sammy. It’s just a little cut. You got to him before he could do any real damage.” Her hands tighten on my face, forcing me to really focus. “You saved me, Sammy.”

I drag a deep, labored breath inside of my chest, taking in her worried expression. She thinks I’m losing it, and fuck, she’s not wrong. I’m about to open my mouth and beg her to leave here with me. I want to run into the other room, and grab Ezekiel and Abraham, and disappear into the wilderness, leaving all of this shit behind, and allowing the world to destroy itself while we stay safe. I know, however, that we have gone too far now, and it’s too late to turn back. “I will never allow anyone ever to hurt you again, Nightstar.”

A slight smile creeps over her lips, but doesn’t quite reach her eyes. “Ditto, babe.” A large bang has us both turning towards the doorway of the room, as Abraham storms into the space. His amber eyes seem to glow in the dim lighting, giving him a menacing and sinister look. His body is covered in splatters of blood and grime, and he has a gun firmly held in his hand, and shit, he looks badass. “You two, stop fucking around. We know where Noah is hiding!” He shouts, with a look ofaggravation, and I get a glimpse of a solemn-looking Ezekiel over his shoulder. He’s intently staring at Dinah, and the blood on her arm, and if I’m not mistaken, the look he gives me is filled with reproach, as if I failed her, which fuck, I know I have. “Snow, are you alright?” His words confirm my suspicions, and shame soars within me, with my culpability that she’s once again hurt, because I wasn’t able to stop someone from harming her.Failure. Useless. Broken.

Dinah releases her hold on me and turns towards them. She either didn’t see the look he gave me, or she’s choosing her battles with him. “I’m fine, it’s nothing. How do you know where he is?” I tear my eyes away from Ezekiel’s, as his lips tip downwards in disapproval at her reply. He tears at the bottom of his shirt, stepping forward and pulling Dinah towards him, as he begins to bind her arm.

“We foundthing onehiding in one of the rooms, and Zeke threatened him with you, and the coward caved like a damn pussy. Atasi, you’re infamous. All of them are afraid of what you’ll do to them. They choose death over facing you.“ Abraham grins like a damn psychopath, and Ezekiel rolls his eyes at his antics, finally releasing me from his condemnatory glance, and Dinah from his hold.

“Thing one?” I question with confusion. Then it dawns on me, this must be that fucking gorilla who helped Noah torture me. I know from Dinah that they already murdered the one I referred to as Gorilla number two, and although it pained me that I didn’t get to be the one to take his life, after all the suffering he put me through, I am just glad the fucker is gone. “Gorilla number one,” Ezekiel grunts, and I nod my head in acceptance.They are both gone now, good fucking riddance, they can’t hurt anyone else ever again.

“He confessed that there are more loyal Brotherhood men, hiding with Noah on the top level. We will need to be careful. Idon’t trust what he told us, even though he was clearly terrified at the prospect of being given to my wife as a plaything,” Ezekiel mutters, and I don’t miss the scathing look he gives me at the word,‘wife’.He’s beginning to seriously grate on my already frazzled fucking nerves. I get it. I’m a fucking failure, move on, asshole, you’re not perfect either. “Perhaps we should all stay together from now on, safety in numbers,” Ezekiel mumbles, as he wraps an arm around Dinah’s waist and kisses her cheek. I raise my eyebrow in his direction, daring him to utter what he really thinks.

“Let’s go already! I’m fucking ready to get this over with, and ensure Noah doesn’t get another moment to keep breathing.” Abraham turns back towards the doorway, and I am right there with him in agreement. It’s time this finally came to an end. With a final glance back at Dinah and Ezekiel, who are quietly whispering to each other, I walk out the door, followed by the two rebel guards, knowing I am leaving my heart in safe hands with Ezekiel, even if he’s a fucking self-righteous cunt. If I were to perish here, he’ll take good care of her, and protect her with his dying breath.

Chapter forty-four

The Sinner

Dinah

We make it up to the top floor, following behind Abe, Sammy, and the two rebel guards. I can feel Zeke at my back, a silent, menacing shadow filled with aggression. I didn’t miss the accusatory look he gave Sammy at my minor injury. I wanted to argue with him that it happened because I was fucking reckless, and not paying attention to my surroundings, and too busy searching for Noah. However, I held my tongue; this is not the place to get into all of that. I need Sammy focused and not lost in his head. I see him drifting farther and farther away from me. I’m not even sure he realizes that he’s spacing out, and it scares me. I witnessed the anger on his face at Zeke’s tone, and implied accusation, and I hope it will help to keep him grounded, and here in the present with us.

This is such a clusterfuck, and we are lucky we are not already dead. If I could bring that fucker Asa back to life, only to beat his ass and murder him again, I would. I have no idea how many of the rebel forces that came with us are still left alive, but based on the uneasy looks of the two with us at the moment, it can’t be many. The only thing driving me forward, and preventing me from calling a retreat so we can regroup, is the possibility of finally getting my hands on Noah Rothesay, and the devastation I know I’ll feel if he manages to escape me once again. It’s a deep, embedded longing within me. I want to see him on his knees, begging for his life, and full of cataclysmic fear. I clench the handle of my gun tightly in my fingers, allowing its weight,and cool metal surface, to keep me present and grounded, and not lost to the bloody-thirsty monster who lives within me. The one who is not yet satisfied with all the blood, and death, I have caused here today.

Abe and Sammy halt, once we reach the top floor unchallenged, and eerie silence greets us. Dread is a viper sliding within the pits of my belly, and my self-doubt whispers to me that I am dragging all of them into a trap once again with me.You’ll be their deaths, the ghostly thought slithers through the recesses of my mind, and I have to pause to rub at my tightening chest. Fuck, not now, I can’t afford to have a fucking panic attack. I’m so close. Three more lives to take, and I can finally rest, and allow the remainder of the false Brotherhood maggots to be left up to the hands of the equally vicious bitch, fate. She and I are best friends at this point.

Sammy motions silently for us to each be on guard, pointing at his eyes with his two fingers and gesturing around the room with his hand. He nods with his head for me, Zeke, and one of the rebels, to go to the right, while he, Abe, and the other rebel, slowly move within the large, open-planned top floor. There’s so much unobstructed space here that it’s frightening to think where Noah could be hiding, and just waiting to crawl out of, to murder us if given the chance. While there aren’t segregated smaller rooms like the floor we just left, this part is sectioned off with free-standing partitions placed randomly around the ample space, and made out of rigid, tall, dark material, affixed to the ground by rusted metal legs. The once-white walls are dirty with grime and rust stains, and the threadbare umber carpet does little to disguise the sound of our steps in our combat boots. There are fewer shadows here, due to the bright morning light streaming through the dirty, stained glass ceiling above us, bringing me equal terror, and somehow seeming to portray even more malice than the other levels. The scent up here has less ofthe chemical stench from below, but is infused with dust, stale air, and mold, as if it’s been unused for an extended period of time. There’s debris everywhere, indicating that this space has been abandoned, or at least to make us believe it has been. I wouldn’t put anything past Noah. The crunching of glass under heavy feet thunders loudly through the silent space, and has me scanning the room, only to notice one of the rebels halting, and giving Zeke and me an apologetic look. The utter silence of the space is deafening, making the whooshing of my blood sound even louder in my ears.Where the fuck are they? What are they waiting for to attack us?

“I don’t like this shit one fucking bit,” Zeke whispers in my ear, coming up behind me and causing a small gasp to exit my lips, as the fucker scares the shit out of me. “Something’s not right here,” I whisper back just as a shot rings out, and hits the rebel with Sammy and Abe. He falls to the dirty carpet and clutches at his chest, a blooming red stain instantly present, and a loud moan echoing around us.Fuck!All hell seems to break loose at the same time, and has all of us diving, and ducking behind any available furniture we can make it to. I find myself lunging towards a grouping of metal filing cabinets, with Zeke just a few feet away behind a large wooden sorting desk. The last rebel, whose fucking name I should have bothered to get, is pinned down behind another set of filing cabinets, taking most of the fire, and Abe and Sammy both have hit the ground, and are using a large, black metal desk for cover. One look at the injured rebel assures me that he’s already dead, and that brings with it so much sadness. It’s another life lost to the corrupt Brotherhood, which is determined to hold on to power by any means. The bullets keep coming, in a hail of gunfire, as we hold our positions. Abe shakes his head, arguing silently with me to remain where I am. I can almost see his reasoning inside that large, stubborn head of his. He’s hoping that they are stupidenough to exhaust their ammo supply, while we remain safe for the moment. It’s a good plan, and for now, I won’t resist it. A few minutes go by, time speeding past us as we fight for our lives, and antsy adrenaline spikes through my veins, with the desire to kill anyone who means us harm.

A canister billowing smoke comes from Zeke’s direction, towards where the attackers are, and when I turn to stare at him, he winks at me. Three, two, one.Boom!The canister goes off, with a loud explosion that causes some of the glass ceilings to explode, and rain down a bunch of shattered glass from above. We hear screams from the furthest part of the room, and one of the hidden attackers runs towards us, but Abe shoots him immediately down with a well-placed bullet to his head. “Fourteen, Atasi,” the mischievous idiot calls.

“GLORY TO THE BROTHERHOOD!” A loud yell sounds, before two men dressed in Brotherhood livery race forward, shooting recklessly. One of the shots hits the sizable wooden table Zeke is hiding behind, splintering it, and my heart gets stuck in my throat.Fuck, that is too close!I take aim and fire until my gun runs out of bullets, and I’m forced to reload. Abe, Sammy, Zeke, and the rebel, are all doing the same. The rebel manages to fire off a shot at one of the shooters, and he falls to the carpet, clutching at his side. “We have to push forward,” I yell, and begin to move around the filing cabinets, making my way to a large partition. “Fuck, Snow! Stay with me!” Zeke growls from behind me, but I ignore him. If we just stay here, we are sitting ducks. We have no idea how many of them there are, and they are going to keep coming at us. I can see Sammy and Abe also making attempts to advance, from my peripheral vision.

“Death to the rebel whore!” A deep male voice roars in my direction, before bullets land and pierce the partition I’m hiding behind.Well, fuck, I almost got my head taken off.Zeke quicklygains ground, and throws himself next to me with a grunt. “When... this is... all fucking... done. My palm has a standing... appointment with your... ass, Snow,” he pants with fury, making me giggle, even though we are in a perilous situation. “You’ll have to catch me first, husband.” I blow him a kiss, before darting around the partition and firing. I manage to shoot another one down, and that just makes me smile. “Abe, I’ve caught up!”

“Jesus fucking Christ, would the two of you knock this shit off! You’re going to get yourselves killed playing this game!” Zeke roars, and darts in my direction. “You’re just jealous ’cause we’re beating you, Zeke! Don’t pout, baby, it’s not a great look on you!” Abe taunts Zeke. Oh my god, priceless. I think Zeke is really offended.

“Focus, Nightstar!” Sammy yells, as he darts up from his hiding spot and throws another canister. Those sure are coming in fucking handy right now. As the smoke thickens the air between us and Noah’s lackeys, I make a run for the next partition. We are so close now; I can feel it deep in my soul. The rebel and Zeke both join me, as I try to catch my breath. “What’s your name?” I question, and receive a bewildered look back from the rebel. “Dartmouth,” he replies. I want to immediately ask what kind of a name‘Dartmouth’is, but again, it’s not the place or time to have an in-depth chit-chat. “Thank you for putting your life on the line for us, Dartmouth.” He tips his head, and then refocuses his attention on the assholes shooting at us.

Zeke gives me an incredulous look, before grabbing my face and kissing me hard on the mouth. “You are insane, reckless, stubborn as fuck, but I love you, Dinah Rothesay.” Well fuck, if that doesn’t get my heart racing, look at how romantic my unhinged husband is. “I love you too, Zeke. Now shut up and help me kill some more Brotherhood scum.”

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