“He told me you had been killed. Why would he do that?” she asked.
“Because that’s what his plan had been. He wanted me dead so he could have you, that’s how simple this is. One man’s desire for another man’s wife has set off a chain of events that finds us behind bars and…” he said then stopped from finishing his thought.
“Are we going to die?” she asked.
“No, I will find a way,” he replied.
She wanted to believe him but just couldn’t put all her feelings into that prospect.
They sat and talked for what felt like hours. Though he reassured her, he talked in ways to let her know how he felt just in case there was no way out of their situation.
“Do you remember when I slipped on our wedding day?” she asked.
“Do I? I felt so bad for you. I’ll say this, you were the most beautiful bride that I’ve ever seen, falling or not,” he replied.
She paused, her thoughts went to the one question she’d never gotten him to answer. If there was a time to answer fully, it was now. “Who was Tiffany?”
He sighed. Thinking of how to answer he attempted to blow it off. “Now isn’t the time to talk about that.”
“Actually, there’s never been a better time,” Portia fired back.
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“But I do.”
“Why?”
“I know you love me, but sometimes I feel I wasn’t or maybe even was never your true love. On the night we were married, just after you fell asleep you had a terrible dream. You were thrashing and calling out her name.”
“I told you before, I knew her before the war.”
“Did something happen to her?”
Thoughts of that day came rushing back. He could see her smiling face punctuated with those deep dimples on both cheeks. Her green eyes with the yellow specs and that auburn silky hair she often had pulled into a long pony tail.
“Kyle, are you there?” Portia asked.
Her question jolted him from his daydream. “Yeah.”
“Did something happen to her?” she asked again but this time more delicately.
Sensing Portia was not going to take no for an answer, he said, “Yes.”
“What?”
“Please, I don’t want to talk about it.”
“I need to know. I feel like she’s been a part of our marriage.”
Giving in fully he said, “Five weeks after the war I discovered a radio broadcast coming from a military base, Cheyenne Mountain. It was a recording that repeated over and over. It said to come to a specific set of coordinates for aid. We were low on food and fearful that bandits operating close by would come to the camp. With no weapons at all to defend against such an attack and with the prospect of me finding more food, it seemed like the best, let me rephrase that, only option we had. So, we loaded all the kids on bus. I was in a pickup truck with another counselor. After several hours on the road I started to get drowsy. It was suggested we switch drivers so we did. Not minutes after we got back on the road were we attacked. The woman with me was killed, shot through the windshield. The truck turned hard and started to roll, I was thrown from the truck. Next thing I know I wake up. I’m not sure how long I’d been out, but I was badly hurt. I look and see the bus and Tiffany on the ground, she look terrified but still she showed a strength and resilience I haven’t seen before. She signaled for me to stay down. Seconds later the bus moves and I never see her again.”
“I’m sorry,” Portia said.
“I passed out again and when I woke up next I was being put into a van. The rest is written in the annals of The Collective.”
“Is she why you became a driver?”
“Can we please stop talking about this?”
“No. I need to know.”
“I’ve held a tremendous amount of regret since that day. I was helpless to stop what happened and to be honest it does haunt me. I have nightmares about what happened to her, to all of them, especially the children.”
“So you became a driver with hopes that you’d find her.”
“It’s not like that,” he countered.
“I know you love me, Kyle; but I sometimes think you’re not in love with me. That you have that special kind of love reserved for Tiffany. Maybe it’s guilt, maybe it’s shame, I don’t know but it forces you onto the road, driving mile after mile in hopes you will find her.”
“I never got closure. One minute she’s there, the next gone forever. I just wasn’t ready to let her go,” he confessed.
She put her arm out of through the cell bars and said, “Take my hand.”
“What?”
“Take my hand, put your arm through and try to take my hand,” she said.
He did as she said. When their hands met, she slipped her slender fingers into his rough and callused hand. “I love you and I’m in love with you, Portia Grant. You’re so precious. I couldn’t imagine my life without you in it.”
“Thank you for telling me.”
“Sorry it took so long.”
“You’re a good man. A true romantic. Promise me if we get out of this and I somehow disappear that you’ll never stop looking for me.”
He squeezed her hand and said, “I promise.”
“I love you.”
“I love you too,” he replied.
CHAPTER 5
The entrance to the prison cells opened with a loud clang and jolted Kyle awake. He looked out between the metal bars and saw he and Portia were still holding hands. “Portia,” he whispered.
Silence.
The sound of hard soles shoes clapping on the tile floor echoed down the walkway.
“Portia, wake up, someone is coming,” he said tugging at her hand.
“Huh?” she asked, her voice groggy.
“Someone is coming.”
“What time is it?” she asked.
“I don’t know. With no outside windows I can’t figure if we’ve been asleep for an hour or ten,” he answered.
The footfalls grew closer.
“Is there anything you can use as a weapon over there?”
“I looked already, there’s nothing,” she replied.
“Wake up little love birds,” a familiar voice called out.
“It’s Barry,” Kyle said.
Barry approached Kyle’s cell and looked in. “Good morning Driver Eight, did you sleep well?”
“I thought we had a deal,” Kyle said.
“We did, but when I saw you standing there, I decided to renegotiate.”
“This is for how I treated you, isn’t it?” Kyle asked.
“To be honest, yes. I won’t lie, I need tough and obedient men like you on the road driving for me, especially after the changes I’m going to be making. The Collective is now under new leadership and with that comes a new vision.”
“What did you say the other night? I’m replaceable?”
“I did say that. I also said, I was going to dance on your grave and fuck your wife.”
Kyle clenched his jaw and growled, “When I escape, I will cut you to pieces.”
“I’m afraid that’s not going to happen. You my friend have a gathering to go to then promptly after that, there’s a big beautiful tree waiting for you.”
“I’m going to kill you slowly,” Kyle threatened.
Barry began to laugh, he gave Portia a look and asked, “Say goodbye to your husband.”
“Go to hell,” she snapped.
“Guards!” Barry hollered.
A minute later four guards appeared. The lead guard stepped forward and said, “At your service, Number One.”
“Has the truck departed yet?” Barry asked the lead guard.”
“No.”
“Good. Take her to the processing center. I want her on that truck. She’ll fetch a decent amount at the auction.”