Page 17 of In the Light of Day

“Thought you’d never ask sheriff,” I say grinning at him, giving him a quick pat on the back. “Single file, no going off our path. If you see anything of interest call out but she's left a pretty good trail for us to follow.”

And so we do.

I place each of my calm steps next to her panicked ones. I can see where she's fallen and where she's run into a low branch. Blood drops and shredded foliage leave a perfect path for us to follow but as I see each step she took under the dark sky, all I hear are the sounds she made crying in my arms only hours ago. They get louder the closer we get to her nightmares. Snippets of destruction flash before my eyes. The violence of war, the hate people spew, all a torrent of my past, flooding to the surface as I take each step toward her prison. The screams of everyone I couldn't save, my constant companion. The hollow reminder of a little girl looking at her doll for comfort.

We come to a clearing and I lose her trail briefly in the tall grass. There is a tree near a small hill and it's only when I step closer that I see a bloody handprint on the trunk. Rounding the hill, I spot the door sunken into its side. Almost like a hobbit door built into the earth but this one is hard and cold. Thick steel wraps around it and despite hearing the sheriff's call, I don't stop to wait for him.

I have to know.

I have to know what happened to her.

The intense smell of stale air hits me as I pull the heavy door open. Rust, flakes from where it slams against the exterior frame. A black hole gapes before me, welcoming me into the darkness.

Stepping over the threshold my fingers absently reach out and graze a small polished patch of metal on the interior door.

Fuck.

The weight in my chest gets heavier as I take each step down the metal stairs. The copper smell gets bolder the closer to the bottom I get. There is no light down here, only pure darkness, and I wonder how anyone can survive this,how Nova can survive this. The small flashlight I hold shines brightly, causing a tunnel of hell as it shines on a new terror each time I move it. It's only when I find a wall switch to the small overhead light that the full truth is revealed. A man lies to my right, clearly dead in a pool of his own blood. Half of his abdomen is carved out and the rest of his body is riddled with stab wounds. An ornate silver knife sticks out of his chest. But that's not what causes me to fall to my knees. The weight of it all becoming too much the moment the lights flickered on and the living hell she was stuck in reveals itself completely to me. I take in every aspect all at once until it overwhelms my senses.

Chains.

Belts.

Restraints.

Scratches are carved in the random wood panelling scattered throughout the small space, but it's the ornate snowflake drawn on the side of the wall near the bed that gets my attention. The one thing of beauty in the torture chamber that is this bunker. The one piece of her that remains down here with him.

A firm hand on my shoulder startles me and in an instant, I refocus my attention, and my weapon on the person. Only pulling back at the last minute when I register it's the sheriff.

“We don't talk of this again, not if she doesn't want us to. We found her hell, Ace, and I'm going to kill the devil when I meet him one day for what he did to her. But what we do now is fight. For her. For what she lost. For what she will have to go through to heal. We don't let him win. We can never let them win, because if we do that, then what's the point? We keep fighting for her and all the women like her.”

Clearing my throat, I stand, not hiding the silent tears that fall down my cheeks.

“How did she survive this?” I gasp, my voice doing nothing to hide the overwhelming emotion I'm feeling.

“The other two deputies are waiting outside. It's not often we’re faced with the worst humanity has to offer, but I know that you've seen it ... I've seen it too. And if I'm honest I don't know how people survive this. I don't know how anyone could survive it because I'm not sure I could if I was put in the same situation. I don't have the right answer, Ace. All I know is we need to ensure she has the best start out there now.”

Nodding at his words, I try to get hold of the situation but I'm manic in my feelings.

“I'll stick by her. Help her if she wants me to,” I whisper, my voice hoarse even though I've barely said anything.

“I checked up on you. Called my contact at Camp Valor. Said you’re the real deal and mentioned that you like to blow things up?”

My head turns so fast, that I feel my neck crack at the sudden adjustment. Whoever he knows there must be important because the man I am, the soldier I am, is so wrapped up in red tape, I’m practically confidential.

“Do you know what happe–”

“I know everything that happened during your last tour and all of the others. I know the man you are on paper and I see the man who is in front of me.”

There's a long pause while I wait for him to keep speaking. Not sure if he supports or judges the choices I've made to get to where I am but it's not the first time I've been looked down on for who I've become.

“If you want to stick around. I’d welcome you to do so.” He looks me in the eye as he says the words, so graciously letting me know that despite everything he's learnt about me, I won't be run out of town as soon as I stop being useful. Chuckling, I can't help the sense of approval I feel from him.

“Thanks, sheriff, I'd like that.”

“I think you can call me Seth now.”

“What do you want to do with the fucker in the corner?” I ask, looking back at the bloodied body on the floor.

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