The Forsaken (The Chosen Series Book 2), Patricia Bell [e textbook reader .txt] 📗

that there is a back gate to the community. It is not watched, but I am sure it is still charged and locked. It opened when the car approached.”

“It’s automated. He probably has a remote inside the car,” Luna said. “We have to figure out how to cut the electricity to the fence. Did you see a generator anywhere?”

“I do not know what that is.”

“It would be a good size and probably very noisy. It runs on gasoline.”

“I saw nothing like that. Could it run the entire house as well as the fence?”

“The High Prophet’s house has electricity?” Jonathan gasped.

“Yes.” Malachi nodded.

“It would take a big generator to juice the entire house as well as that mile-long fence. I bet he had electricity installed.”

“How would you know?” A thought came to him. That first day he’d gone to see Abigail, the garage had opened, and Malachi had ducked behind a strange gray box. “I think I know where it is.” He told them about the box he’d hid behind at the front of the house.

“Malachi!” a voice called. It was Jonah. “You must hurry.” He ran up to them. He nodded at Jonathan and Luna and then spoke. “Elder Joseph is angry. He wanted to come looking for you himself.”

“I must get back. Can you meet me here again tomorrow?”

“Yes. We will be here.” Jonathan said.

Luna nodded her agreement.

“Thank you,” Malachi said. “Thank you both.”

“Tell Abigail that Rachel had her baby boy and both are doing well,” Luna called after them.

Malachi and Jonah rushed back to the stall. Maybe he’d been wrong about the girl. Maybe she hadn’t caused the problems so much as opened their eyes to it. For over a century, they had blindly done what the High Prophet told them to do. Without question. Now the man had stacks of money hidden away and all from their hard labor. They had blindly trusted, and they had been deceived.

“Where were you?” Elder Joseph asked.

“I am sorry. My stomach is not well.”

Elder Joseph stared at him for a moment. “Something is going on. This is not the first time you have wandered off with complaints of a stomach bug.”

“I am sorry, Elder Joseph. It will not happen again.” But it would. How would he get away the next day to speak to Jonathan and Luna? He would have to figure it out some way. Abigail’s life depended on it. And maybe Jonathan and Luna’s as well.

“Get back to work. I will be speaking to Elder Aaron about this. If you cannot control your ‘stomach issues’ we will have no choice but to replace you.”

“Yes, Elder Joseph.”

Chapter 31 ― Abigail

Abigail sat in her cell and contemplated her options. Either Daniel or Malachi had been by each day to bring her food and water, but the lack of sunlight and the smell from the waste in the corner was making her ill. At first, it hadn’t been a big deal because she wasn’t eating or drinking so her output, so to speak, was minimal. But she could not hold it for long.

Eventually, she had no choice but to make a restroom in the farthest part of the cell she could reach with her leg chained to the post. With her bare hands, she’d managed to dig a small hole in which to use. The smell was no different than the outhouse she grew up using, but she never had to live in that outhouse either.

The High Prophet had not returned, and Abigail was unsure why. Even she knew that a person could not survive too long without water. Without the knowledge that she was getting basic nutrition along with her new love, Twinkies, he was sure to have assumed her dead. But why had he not at least come to dispose of her body? And what would he say when he found out she was not dead? She hoped to not find out.

“Hey,” a voice called from outside the vent.

“Hi, Malachi,” she answered. “How did it go?”

Malachi bent down so that his face was eye level with hers. They had agreed not to open the vent unless he needed to pass something through. It would be much easier to hide if someone happened by, without having to put the vent back in before doing so.

“I met with them at the market as planned, but our meeting was cut short when Elder Joseph sent Jonah out looking for me. We will meet again tomorrow.”

“Do they have a plan?”

“Not really, not yet. They are going to try and come up with something. Hopefully, you will be out of here soon.”

“If you cannot get me out of here, please tell my sister I love her.”

“We will get you out.”

“But—”

Malachi looked up. “Hold on. Someone is coming.” Malachi disappeared, and Abigail shrunk down to the floor to pretend she was sleeping.

At the sound of two sets of feet shuffling outside, Abigail’s body shook with each step toward the room. She’d never been so tuned into outside noises in her life as she was now. Every sound made her cringe. From the howling of coyotes at night to the critters that scurried along the ground. She’d never realized how safe she’d been in her own home. If only life could go back to the way it was.

“It is only Daniel,” Malachi’s hushed voice called out.

Abigail stood and went to the vent.

“I brought you some bread and Twinkies.” Daniel opened the vent and slipped the items through to Abigail. She took them readily. He also handed her a bottle of water.

“Thank you.” Abigail tried to smile, but she wished they would stop coming. Prolonging her life would only make things worse on her when the High Prophet came to find her still alive.

“I got caught the last time.” Daniel grinned, looking so much like his evil father. “I told the High Prophet that the can and wrapper were from me. He thinks I hid in the garage and gorged on junk food. He won’t dare