AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Chapter Six
Persuasion
TheonethingDean taught me was how to manipulate people. His influence on others was something I almost admired. He must have been born with it because I couldn’t remember a time that I wasn’t under the direct influence of Dean Riggs.
In school, teachers hung on his every word. He would run his hand through that charcoal hair and beam at you with those deep brown eyes, and they forgot their point. Maybe he needed an extension on a paper or a curve for the class. He may have just wanted to fuck with them. Whatever the reason, he left satisfied and victorious every time.
Having a close relationship with a manipulator lulled me into a false sense of security. I had every reason to believe that Dean would never exploit me. I was in control of my decisions and actions, right? When he talked in circles, it wasn’t to sway me, to make me forget the whole reason we were talking.
Right?
But Dean’s mastery of manipulation extended to every person in his life. Of course it did, and I realized it with some distance. Dean’s time away from me while he was enlisted was his downfall. It made me realize his manipulation stretched on for years, infiltrating every thought and feeling I thought I owned.
His father kept watch over me, but he didn’t have Dean’s cunning presence. I caught on quickly when he stopped by the farm or accompanied me to town while Dean was away. He would pick and pry for information that was then fed back to Dean.
Dean would visit, and I would fall back into the trap, back into his bed. Then, shortly after his departure, his father would casually stop by to check on me. It took me too much time for the tactics to come into focus. But once I saw it, everything was clear. Denial was a manipulator’s best friend.
It took one year of separation to see the cycle. It took my sister’s entanglements to realize that despite Dean’s tactics; I needed him. I still needed him, and I feared I would forever be indebted to him.
Regardless of his selfishness, I loved Dean Riggs. He would always put himself first, but true love meant accepting the worst things about a person and loving them in spite of that. Knowing that fact about Dean, being aware that every move he made would always benefit himself first, allowed me to love him properly. It didn’t disappoint me anymore when he made a decision that helped himself over others. It was simply nature: a wild animal bit, and Dean Riggs lied.
He saved our lives by getting us on the ship. He maintained he risked his life in doing so, but he had motivation behind his actions that I didn’t understand yet. He needed me here. He wanted Sam gone.
The mess hall was full of boxes stacked high to the ceiling. I imagined they haphazardly dropped everything, knowing they would handle it and unpack the contents once the ship was moving. A few tables stretched out in the metal room. They reminded me of high school folding tables with their fake wood and circular seats. As we made our way inside, a few men gave Dean a salute. BeLew followed suit, beaming with pride.
A young woman, early thirties maybe, crossed the distance of the mess hall and met us at the table. Her steps echoed in the empty room. “Lieutenant Riggs,” she spoke with apprehension. “Is this your family? Will they be joining you?”
“Yes, Smith, but don’t trouble yourself with us. We can manage ourselves,” he answered kindly. She visibly relaxed and gave a tight smile. “I don’t have much made at the moment, only crew food.”
“That would be wonderful. I’ll venture in and get us some plates. Are your sons here?”
Her back straightened, and her eyes shifted down to the floor as she answered. “Yes, Lieutenant. I didn’t want to leave them alone.”
“I completely understand. Where are they exactly?”
She pointed to the far corner of the room. The expanse was so great, I couldn’t make out any children in the direction she motioned. “They are playing in the empty boxes over there, building a fort.”
BeLew gasped and gave Dean a pleading look. “Go on,” he said. “We can bring plates back to the room later. Your mother and I have to talk, anyway.” He turned to Smith and put his hand on her shoulder, leading her back to the kitchen. “I’ll be right in to make us something. You have work to do. I won’t keep you.”
She nodded and sped off back to her duties. Dean turned to me and gestured for us to take a seat. “I’ll head in there and get some food for you. Start looking through the assignments.” He then gave my chin a quick pinch and sauntered over toward the smell of baking bread.
The prickling on my skin took hold, and I knew this was the start of his plan. He wanted something from me. His mannerisms gave him away after all these years. The way he would subtly flirt and act on someone’s needs. Innocent to most, but I knew him better than that.
I took the pages and skimmed their contents.
Assignment–A. Rowan Lawson
Division–Agriculture–Seeding/Sowing/Harvest
Subdivision–Chemistry
Leadership–Yes
Direct Reports–Yes, 27
Intake Date–Immediate
We have assigned deck sections 900 to 1300 to A. Rowan Lawson. Introductory planting has yet to begin. The mandated outcome is one completed growing cycle. Direct report to Lieutenant Dean Riggs.
