Page 81 of Knot All Is Lost: Part 1

“I couldn’t agree more,” Nixon muttered. “Everyone is just too scared of what they will do in retaliation for speaking out.”

“Too bad for them they are doing the one and only thing that would stop me from ripping them a new asshole,” Bodhi interjected. “As long as we have each other and Cambrie in our lives nothing else matters. Let them do their worst because I’ve already survived hell. I'll do it again for her.”

“Here, here,” I cheered. “I’m with Rafael and Bodhi. It’s time those bastards learned they won’t be able to stay at the top of the food chain forever.”

All eyes turned to Oscar as we pulled up to a stop light. He looked over his shoulder to look at us and signed. “Let’s hit them where it hurts and make them pay for all they’ve done. It’s time for anarchy and a fresh start.”

“Then it's decided,” Marius agreed grimly. “I’ll reach out to Alton and let him know he just gained some new members for the collapse of the CoF mission. We will bring the fuckers down and make this place a world we want to start our forever in.”

The car was filled with shouts of agreement as we pulled into the gated community. There was a flurry of activity outside the guard hut like something awful had happened. Oscar rolled down his window, and the guard on duty looked panicked as he searched the car opening the back passenger doors of the SUV. “Official Stone are you in there?”

Marius popped off his seatbelt and leaned forward to see the man. “Yes I’m here, what’s happened?”

“Someone broke into your house, and we’ve been trying to contact you. When none of you answered we assumed the worst—”

The guard didn’t get a chance to finish what he was saying as Oscar peeled away down the street. I grabbed the door and slammed it shut as it felt like we turned on two wheels onto our street. There was our house, front door kicked in and hanging on its hinges oddly. The car hardly stopped moving before we all stumbled out, rushing inside. It looked as if there was a struggle with things strewn across the floor making panic claw at my throat.

“Cambrie!” I bellowed, flying up the stairs. “Cambrie you better answer me now!”

The others were quick on my heels as we made it to the top floor and found her room in disarray like she’d been in bed and whoever took her hauled her out of it spilling pillows all over the place.

“No,” Marius gasped, dropping to his knees. “This can’t be happening, please god tell me this isn’t real. I promised her she would be safe here, that I wouldn’t let anything happen to her.”

Far too numb to think properly, I moved to her closet, then her bathroom. When I couldn’t find her there I started to look in every room of the house calling her name, the desperation clear in my voice. When I got back to the front door I noticed nail marks on the door frame. She fought with everything she had not to leave us, and we’d failed her. A sob escaped from my chest as I ran my fingers over the marks.

“Where have you gone, my little Dove?” I whispered. “You can’t leave us, we need you just as much as you need us.”

Then I spotted something in the dirt next to the steps. I bent down and picked it up realizing it was one of the books Marius had given her— The Little Princess. Turning back I found the others gathered by the front door, looking as lost and stunned as I was.

“She’s gone.”

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