Page 1 of Torrent’s Treasure

Chapter One

“Put on some clothes, cunt,” he ordered, standing over her beside the bed.

Cecilia Wilson pressed down the anger, horror, and shame she was feeling. He was dangerous, and she wanted to survive this because she was all her little sister had left. She’d come home after her parents died in a mysterious fire at their store. She’d fought him at first, but when he’d promised not to hurt her younger sister, Calliope, who was due home from school soon, she’d decided to lie there and take it.

She swallowed the nausea in her throat, rolled off the bed, and reached for her clothes to carry into the bathroom. She walked by him, but she wasn’t prepared for the hard yank on her hair, throwing her off balance and onto the floor.

“Get dressed. What did you think you were doing?” he asked.

“Getting dressed,” she said softly. At this point, nothing mattered besides keeping him from killing her and keeping her sister safe.

She stood up, sliding her panties on, then her jeans. She picked up her bra, but he’d sliced it. She turned to get a new one from her dresser when pain shot through her head. He’d grabbed her hair again, dragging her back against him. His furry chest rasping against her back had her flashing back to when he first threw her on the bed. She shoved that memory away until she was alone and could deal with it later. She couldn’t afford to not be on her game.

“You don’t need a fuckin’ bra. Your tits are plenty perky without it. Get dressed. Don’t make me say it again,” he snapped, shoving her.

She kept herself from falling to the floor, slipping her sweatshirt over her head and sitting on the bed to put on her socks and tennis shoes. Glancing at the clock, her stomach sank. He needed to be gone in the next ten minutes, or he’d still be here when Calliope was dropped off from school. Calliope’s best friend’s mom picked up the girls from school because Cecilia’s mom had given them a ride in the morning. Cecilia had kept up the routine because Calliope’s life had already changed so much. She stood, waiting to see what he was planning. She glanced around the bedroom but there wasn’t anything to use as a weapon. She’d checked when he’d first forced her in there, but Cecilia had a slim hope she’d missed something.

“Front room,” he said, grabbing her arm, his tight grip just one more bruise on top of the ones he’d already given her. He pulled her down the hallway and shoved her toward the couch.

“Sit, don’t move, or I’ll make you sorry,” he threatened.

She was already sorry that when he’d knocked on the door and asked to come in, she’d let him, but how the hell was she supposed to know that a police officer was a threat.

He kept an eye on her as he made a call.

“Yeah, she won’t be a problem, but I’m rethinking our plan. I know you’re heading to the law enforcement conference in Texas, then onto the charter for three weeks. That will be plenty of time,” he boasted.

Cecilia wished she could hear what the Police Chief was saying. At least, that’s who she assumed he was talking to. His older brother was the Police Chief of this town and a couple surrounding small towns. The man standing so casually in her parents’ kitchen was his younger brother and an officer.

From what she’d gathered while he was ripping her clothes off and assaulting her, her snooping into her parents’ deaths hadn’t gone unnoticed. She’d known it was arson even though the Police Chief had said it was an accident because her dad had put flammable materials near the heater, which was a load of bullshit. Her dad was very particular with his attention to detail, and he never would have done anything unsafe. She’d spent too many closing times walking through the store with her dad, looking for anything that could cause a fire or hazard, to believe the chief’s lies.

Cecilia wondered who she’d asked questions of in the last week that had notified the police chief. She was someone who dealt with science and facts. Anything that didn’t fit was examined and wrestled with until she had a possible conclusion. She tried to focus on what he was saying and not lose her train of thought.

The adrenaline was leaving her. As a nurse with the added certification of a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE), she helped women through what she’d been subjected to today. If she had a prayer of surviving, she needed to stay in the moment.

He walked back over, standing close to her, still talking on the phone. “Yeah, I’m taking her and her sister to the cabin. I think it’s a waste to just scare her. I’ll do some training, and then when I’m through, they might as well make some money for us. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Trained or taken care of. Got it,” he said, staring directly into her eyes.

She kept her face blank and didn’t allow any emotion to show in her eyes. The only possibility she had of gaining the upper hand was if he discounted her as a threat. He needed to think she was going into shock. If he was planning on staying until Calliope got home and then moving them, she needed to think of how she could get them out of this. But her mind was blank on what plan she could put together.

“Cecilia, I’m home,” her sister called as she opened the door. Before Calliope could comprehend what she was seeing, Officer Horace Fink grabbed Calliope’s arm, pulling her in and closing the door.

Cecilia hadn’t passed a mirror to know how bad she looked, but she was guessing she had a black eye and multiple contusions on her face and neck. Her throat was sore from him choking her.

“We’re taking a trip. Why don’t you gather some clothes for you. Put them in your backpack,” he directed.

“But, what happened to Cecilia?” Calliope asked, pulling her arm, trying to get him to let loose.

“The same thing that will happen to you if you don’t do what I say. Now!” he yelled.

Cecilia nodded at Calliope to do what he said. Ten years old was way too young for her sister to be dealing with this, but Cecilia needed Calliope to follow along until some opportunity presented itself. The more her sister obeyed, the safer she’d be. Calliope appeared ready to cry, but she nodded back, walking out of the room.

Calliope didn’t take long. He pulled some flexicuffs from his back pocket as her sister came back in. She’d slipped off the jean jacket she’d had on and changed into a large, zippered sweatshirt.

“Here, put these on your sister while I check the street for traffic,” he said.

Calliope knelt and slipped the flexicuffs on. Are you okay? she mouthed.

Just follow directions until we can figure out how to get away, Cecilia mouthed back.