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“I was glad to hear that.”
“Hank’s sending a plane to pick up Chuck and Mud in the morning. Hank told me Mud won’t talk to anyone.” Drake’s gaze met Judge’s. “He thought maybe you could get the teen to open up.”
“I don’t know about that, but I would like to see him. They program the recruits to keep their mouths shut about anything to do with their former lives. They threaten to harm their families, people they love or threaten to hurt them by public flogging.”
Drake’s jaw hardened. “Bastards. It’s hard to believe PJ chose to stay when she could’ve gotten out with you.”
“I don’t know what they’re holding over her,” Judge said. “Whatever it is, she’s not willing to risk it by leaving.”
“Yeah, well, let us know how it goes when you talk to the kid. Any information he might have could help us find their new location.” Drake pushed back from the table and stood.
Judge stared down at his sandwich. “I doubt Mud will know where they went. Unless he’s been with them for long enough to know some of the old places they’ve been and might return to. Even then, they move in the night. He wouldn’t know which direction.”
“At least you might find out where he belongs. I imagine his family has been worried about him.” Drake rinsed off his plate, stacked it in the dishwasher then placed his empty beer can in the recyclables. “I’m headed to bed.”
“Cassie on night shift?” Judge asked.
Drake nodded. “I have a hard time sleeping when she’s out all night.”
Judge gave him a crooked smile. “That’s the danger of falling for a sheriff’s deputy.”
“Yeah, but she loves the job. Why…I don’t know. I’d never ask her to give it up. It’s who she is. She likes helping people and loves the challenge.”
“You’re lucky you found each other,” Judge said. “Hold on tight to her.”
“I plan on it. She’s a keeper.” Drake stretched his hand over his head. “I’ve wandered around long enough. We still have more work to do in the morning. I assume you’re going to Hank’s as soon as Mud arrives?”
Judge nodded. At least he had one thing to look forward to. The kid wasn’t PJ, but Mud might know more about PJ than Judge had been able to learn in the short time he’d been at the camp. Hopefully, Mud would give him his real name so they could contact his family and let them know he was alive.
After Drake left the kitchen, the silence got to Judge. He finished his sandwich and beer and hurried to his room, where he showered and slipped into a pair of boxer shorts.
He lay on the bed and stared up at the ceiling for a long time, thinking about PJ, wondering what she was doing now and if she thought about him at all. He hoped Tiberius hadn’t punished her for losing her recruit. He wouldn’t let himself think about anything worse.
Deep inside, he knew she was still alive. He just had to find and free her from The Chosen Way madness.
The only way to do that would be to capture or kill the leaders. As long as they were alive and free, PJ and the people she cared about would remain in danger.
* * *
Judge fell into a fitful sleep filled with nightmares of escaping the camp under heavy gunfire. When it wasn’t the great escape, his dreams turned to Goliath and his flogger, whipping it across PJ’s naked back, leaving long wounds that oozed blood.
No. PJ didn’t deserve to be whipped for helping him escape. She’d only been trying to keep Mud alive.
As the gray light of morning crept around the edges of the curtains hanging over Judge’s windows, he gave up trying to sleep. He rose and faced another day without knowing where he could find PJ and the TCW camp.
With the work at the Lucky Lady Lodge coming to a close, he'd have to make a decision on what he wanted to do next. Hank had offered him a position with the Brotherhood Protectors.
Since he’d been in Eagle Rock, working on the renovations, he and his reno team had been involved in one rescue mission after another. He might as well go to work for Hank. There were people who needed former military with the kinds of skills he’d acquired on active duty. People like PJ, Mud and so many other recruits who’d been abducted and brainwashed.
Judge wanted to bounce the idea of working for the Brotherhood Protectors off the rest of his team. Or maybe they’d prefer keeping their group together and starting a renovation business. It would mean moving to a bigger town with more potential clients.
Whatever they chose to do next, Judge had to move out of the lodge.
Drake would be moving in with his fiancée Cassie.
Sean Murdock had already started moving his things into Gabbie Myer’s little cottage. He’d be a big help with her mobile veterinarian business while doing whatever he decided to do.
Michael Reaper, aka Grimm, had already moved into Dezi Thomas’s quarters at the lodge, freeing up his room to be retrofitted for guests. Dezi’s job as a chef required her to be there so early in the morning that it made sense for her to live in the lodge.
