Immediately following the press conference with the CMO of Kellogg Premier, another story caught my attention. Video of a car on its roof, charred almost beyond recognition and the brief headline to keep us fixed in place through the next commercial, a name that made my heart freeze in my chest: Elaine Cooper. Biting my nails nervously through what seemed like endless advertisements, I nearly chewed them down to the end by the time the
news came back on.
I looked over at Roger, who was as deeply engrossed in the story as I was. He too was staring ahead at the screen, waiting for the woman to come back and let us know what happened. The commercials finally ended, and the news was back on. It took me several seconds to realize that I was holding my breath. Letting it out as quietly as I could, I concentrated on the announcement.
The car in the video, or what was left of it, had belonged to Nurse Elaine Cooper. The very same one who had been so kind in both the urgent care and emergency room. Yet our encounters had taken a turn toward the darker side when she gave me unfathomable news. She was inside that smoldering carcass, burnt beyond recognition. It was reported that they had to use dental records to identify her body. My heart broke for her. Although it turned out she had been completely wrong about Kellogg Premier, at least according to what I really knew, I would have never imagined her life ending the way it did. I hoped there were no children involved and said a silent prayer for anyone that was close to her. I prayed for peace for them all, stood and stretched.
That was my cue that I wanted to go to bed. I wasn’t tired, necessarily, but everything I had gone through finally hit me all at once. I had been so fixated on finding out what was going wrong with me, I had ignored everything else around me. It was time to get myself back, time to find healing in the knowledge I had. It was a good feeling.
-Epilogue-
Elaine
Our escape was dramatic, the recovery just as bad, and we were all left to wonder what we were going to do. We could not very well stay in the U.S. They would be looking for us, turning over every rock along the way in hopes to find us there. It was a good thing that Gregory knew people, who knew people, who…you get the idea.
We hid out, in an underground silo that belonged to Gregory and a few family members who were into “prepping” for many years, resulting in a stockpile of food, water, and all the weapons we could handle. It felt like we were at war, and we really kind of were. The Secret Directive Force turned out to be as relentless and as ruthless as anyone could have imagined based solely on their name. Of course, no one knew about them, and it would continue that way now that the small group of people who knew the true nature of their existence were out of the way, the entire ordeal had been swept cleanly and neatly under the rug.
The press conference made me sick to my stomach as the three of us watched it on a battery-operated television the size of an apartment microwave oven. I wanted to vomit to stop the bile from creeping up my throat. Listening to the lies of Dr. Steinburg had my blood pressure shooting through the roof and my head throbbing in no time flat.
They of course covered the whole thing up, dismissing the facts as a conspiracy theory. What made matters worse, as I kept watching the broadcast, my own death flashed before me on the electronic screen. I held my breath as the reporter announced that I had been in a terrible accident and burned to death in my car. My mind flashed back to what the agents had said. They had taken care of my disappearance all right. No one would ever question what happened to little old me.
We would eventually have to move. The SDF were very intuitive and would definitely trace the silo back to Gregory soon. He had made contact with some friends in Mexico. They would receive us, transport us farther south, essentially to South America, where we would travel to Europe. Gregory wasn’t sure exactly where yet, but assured me that his people are reliable, confidential and most of all, hated the government with a passion.
Riley wrapped me in her arms from behind, I reached up and took her hand into mine. We sat there for some time like that. Silent and without a word, she stood and drew me in for a big hug. She and I had been through something horrific together. I would never let anything happen to her again and I knew by the look in her eye, she felt the same. It was the three of us against the world, and we were all determined to continue to exist, even if it was just to be that aggravating memory of the ones who got away.
OTHER WORKS BY R.J. CASTILLE
The Goddess Series
Goddess: A Femme Dom Erotica Novel
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B06XYWL9NP
Leila: Goddess the Second Coming
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074H9X38Z
Man Farm Series
gopHER: A Femme Dom Erotica SciFi Suspense Crossover
https://www.amazon.com/gopHER-Femme-Erotica-Suspense-Crossover-ebook/dp/B07B89C271
Utopia: A Femme Dom Erotica Dystopian Crossover
https://www.amazon.com/Utopia-Femme-Erotica-Dystopian-Crossover-ebook/dp/B07PZ1RZMP
Atonement: A Femme Dom Erotica Thriller Crossover
Contemporary Romance
Make It Reighn: A Contemporary Badboy Romance
https://www.amazon.com/Make-Reighn-Threads-Inc-Saga-ebook/dp/B07L8KZS71
The Billionaire’s Weakness: A Billionaire Badboy Romance
https://www.amazon.com/Billionaires-Weakness-Billionaire-Romance-Book-ebook/dp/B07VDGV71H
Memoir
In A Flash: A Memoir
https://www.amazon.com/Flash-Memoir-R-J-Castille-ebook/dp/B07G15BR1W
Taboo Erotica
Testaments: A Collection of Kinky & Erotic Shorts
https://www.amazon.com/Testaments-Collection-Kinky-Erotic-Shorts-ebook/dp/B07VWXN8G9
Also Featured In
Hot Pants: A Sexy Collection of Short Stories
https://www.amazon.com/Hot-Pants-Collection-Short-Stories-ebook/dp/B07DFBWFG5
Credits
Editing Services: Erica Bankston Stokes
Formatting Services: Tom Speed
Cover Design: Jessica Tahbonemah with Magic Quill Graphics
Header Graphics: Lars Meiertoberens with Noun Project