Page 27 of Dangerous Deviance

She held her head in her palm, exposing her arm. It was muscular like mine, bigger than the average woman’s. She shivered and I handed her the clothes.

“I’m sure they’ll get you more clothes later, but this will do for now,” I said.

Just before I turned to give her privacy to change, I saw a flash of her neck, covered with that same tattoo: four hills pressed together, leaning to the side, in red.

This is the only way you will defeat the enemy, the voice said.You must work together.

Once she was changed, I showed her to the bathroom, and she excused herself. The faucet turned on, water splashed in the sink, and when she returned, she had a clean, slightly damp face.

“Do you remember anything?” I asked.

“I’m looking for my daughter,” she said. “Where is she?”

“Do you remember her name?”

She held her chin, her eyes unfocused.She’s just like you, the voice said.She’s searching too. But that didn’t give me comfort. Why had we been let out into the woods, almost as if we had been freed from whatever it was, only to find out that our loved ones were in danger and that we had no information about them? They, whoever they were, had dropped us into a world that we didn’t understand.

The woman shook her head. “Can you help me find her?”

I nodded. “Of course.”

We went out to the dining area, standing close to one another.You’re stronger together, the voice kept repeating. And I agreed.

“You found her in the woods, like me?” I asked. Axe, the brother with narrowed eyes, nodded. “Naked and alone?” He nodded again.

“What do you know about her?” the other one, Derek, asked. The strain in his forehead showed his age. I figured he was only a few years older than Wil, but it seemed like a decade could have passed between them.

“She’s looking for her daughter,” I said. “We have to help her.”

“I have no one else,” she said. My heart sank, but I straightened my shoulders and reached for her hand, holding it in mine. She flinched at the touch, but then looked at me.

We were stronger together. I had no doubt about that.

“What were you doing in our woods?” Derek asked. He leaned forward. “What was your purpose?”

“I—” she stammered, but she couldn’t find the words. She touched her head.

“See?” Derek said, turning to his brothers. “Useless.”

“Get rid of them,” Axe said.

“No!” I shouted. The three men raised their brows, turning towards me. “That’s not right. She knows nothing. She’snotyour enemy.”

“If she knows nothing, then she doesn’t know whether or not we’re enemies,” Derek said. “Neither do you.”

A chill ran through the air. Wil stood beside me, putting a hand on my lower back, pulling me closer to him.

“Ellie has a point,” Wil said. I glanced at him; had that really come out of his mouth? “She’s the second woman we’ve found. Who knows if there will be more.” He tilted his chin. “It’s better to keep them around, under surveillance, and see what they recover. Piece together their memory.”

“Fine,” Derek shrugged. “You have the keys to the restraints?”

Wil nodded and got up, heading towards his bedroom. I followed him. I wasn’t sure why, but I was going with my instinct. I had hope for once; Wil had stood up for the woman, which meant he had stood up for me.

Ask him to let her stay, the voice said.You are stronger together.

“Let her stay here,” I said. “With us. You have the room.”

He scoffed. “Not likely.”