Dissipate

Dead ends. It all lead to a dead end. It felt like I was in a tomb of research. We continued looking

for . . . anything.

Pages flipped to the side of the map book as Aiden kept looking.

Aiden tapped my leg with his pencil, urgently whispering, “Shit, Kenzie. I think there are multiple societies all over the U.S.”

“What?” My voice came out louder than I’d meant for it to and I quickly covered my mouth with my hand as I looked around. Only one person raised their eyebrow to me and I gave them an apologetic nod.

Unfolding a larger map, Aiden queued up a few things on his computer. “So, I traced Peter Peppington, who owns The Society land in Missouri. He owns another section of religious land not four hours away from Missouri in Kansas.” Aiden pointed to the different sections of the map. That excited gleam in his eyes shown when he knew he was on to something. “From there, I found his partner, Luke Masterson, who owns land in Ohio as well. It keeps going.”

“Are all the lands considered religious sections?” Multiple societies? I felt sick as a weighted knot formed in my stomach.

The mouse moved quickly about as Aiden read and marked places on a map he’d photocopied earlier. “Yes. They all stand for different things like truth, trust, purity, knowledge, etcetera. I think it’s all connected. Each person I find owns two groups.”

“Do you see any red flags? Any at all?” I crouched on the edge of my seat as I continued to watch Aiden mark up the map.

“No. None. It’s all legit from what I can tell.” Cradling my head in my hands, Aiden tried to be reassuring. “We’ll keep looking.”

Studying at the map, there were over thirty dots, marking the different societies. Were these other Societies true religious groups? Or were they doing similar things as The Society I’d come from?

I STIRRED AND saw that the movie was over. Aiden’s warm body had lulled me to sleep fast when we sat. Mike, Brooklyn and Aiden were talking about one of the football players who’d been busted for drinking and driving this afternoon. The news had run rampant and all the fans were beyond shocked.

Brooklyn saw I was waking. “Hey there, sleepyhead.”

I stretched. “Hey, was the movie good?”

It had been a sci-fi movie with robots and alien attacks. The name eluded me at this point.

Brooklyn shrugged. “It was okay.”

More talk of how the campus was going to handle the football player resumed. People took their football very serious in this area. After a while, Brooklyn stood.

Mike took it as his opportunity to snag Brooklyn as he threw her over his shoulder and wagged his eyebrows. “Night, guys. I think Brooklyn is exhausted.”

She faked a yawn and we chuckled, calling out goodnight as Mike carried her up the stairs. The DVD menu came on and was currently on repeat.

Aiden played with the ring on my finger. “Are you sure you want to go to the cops tomorrow, Kenzie?”

We hadn’t found anything else that would remotely shed any negative light and give probable cause that The Society was doing anything illegal.

“Yes. Aiden, I can’t sit back while people are being killed. Could you?”

“No, but I can’t lose you either.” With my head on Aiden’s chest, I could hear his heartbeat quickening. “If we do this, we do it anonymous. This can’t lead back to you. I’m going to report it to the cops.”

“But—”

Aiden cut me off. “Kenzie, if The Society finds out you’re alive, we won’t be able to help these people.”

“There’s a fine line to tread and I feel like anyone who dies going forward is partly my fault.” There was an immense moral obligation I felt to the people I’d grown up with and even those I’d never met.

With Aiden knowing everything, I think he felt the burden of helping everyone too. “We’ll do everything we can.”

Ready for a subject change, I wanted to get lost in Aiden. I gave a fake yawn like Brooklyn. “Boy, I sure am tired.”

Aiden picked up on my hint and bolted to his feet while carrying me. I giggled as he raced up the stairs. Throwing me on the bed, the green comforter whooshed around me. Aiden covered me while giving me hungry kisses, only stoking the desire for him. I throbbed between my legs, needing to have Aiden within me.

Clothes were shed and tossed as we tangled in a mass of limbs. Slipping on the condom, Aiden lined himself up.