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"You never said about the women! You never told us that!"
"I had no idea who, if anyone, from your compound was involved,” May retorted. “I had to be careful what I said, in case I tipped off the wrong person and they got moved or hidden.”
"They’re being held in this area?"
"That's right," May said.
"It's not us. We would never do something like that! You know that Gary's mother was abducted and killed by a psycho, years back? His family was torn apart by it. And he never wants anyone to suffer like that again. He would never do something so cruel. One of our mission statements is to protect our women. And not by locking them in bunkers, either."
He seemed to be genuinely shocked, offended by the accusation that New Blood could have done this.
“We need proof of this,” May said, even though she was strangely convinced, not only by his words, but also by his tone. Now, instead of sounding furious, he was sounding stressed.
"We'd never do something like this to anyone. Especially not to females. How could you think that? We have strict rules here. Codes of conduct we live by. Gary is all about protecting our own without harming them."
May took that with a pinch of salt. Until she'd actually seen inside that bunker for herself, all this talk of codes of conduct was nothing more than hot air. People could lie. That, she knew. Especially when the chips were down.
"If you have nothing to hide, then let us go down there and see," she challenged.
He shook his head. "Rules are rules. Gary told you to leave. His word is law. He's the boss here, and nobody speaks against him. He doesn't like people treading on our land. So to get in, you'll need that warrant. But I am telling you that you are wasting your time. Come back with it if you like." He paused, shaking his head. "I don't accept that someone in this area is doing that. Treating women in such a way. To me, that's a disaster. A catastrophe. And if we learn who he is, trust me, he won't live long," he threatened.
“There’s no need for that,” May pleaded. “Rather let the police do their work.”
The man snorted derisively in response.
"What if he's part of your group?" May questioned.
The second-in-command shrugged. "Nobody could act that way without the rest of us, and the leader, knowing. We've only been in this area for a year. We broke off from the other group because we had different beliefs. Different rules. We are stricter about our territory. If you don't respect our boundaries, we will take action. We treat women better. And also, there are clothingrules. Dress codes. And we are clean shaven. That's another rule that sets us apart."
As the militia man spoke, May realized it was true. She hadn't seen one bearded man among the group. It was unusual for the area, and it was definitely unusual for the militia.
And this, more than anything, cleared New Blood. Now, she believed his version, because Chloe had said to her that their captor had been bearded.
He had been one man on his own, a bearded, lawless renegade. May believed now that he had not been part of an organized militia group. But perhaps New Blood knew something that could help her.
"Who else around here has access to an underground storage area?" May asked.
The militia man frowned. "We keep to ourselves, like I told you. We don’t talk to neighbors."
"Do you know of any? Or has anything been recently built?" May quizzed. "Perhaps you heard something or saw something? If you know of anything, or can think of anything, it could help us. And help these women."
"I'm not interested in helping you," the man growled. "But helping women is part of our mission." He frowned. "There were some noises to the north of us a few months ago. They went on for a few weeks. Clanking and grinding, the sound of machinery. And drilling. I remember we discussed whether someone was doing excavations or building of some kind. But it wasn’t on our land, and so we decided to let it be. We don’t go poking our noses into other people’s business around here."
"It might be helpful all the same. Thank you," May said.
"You're not welcome. Now, leave. And don't interfere with us again," the militia man snapped.
As much as he hated the police, this militia man had given them valuable information.
They turned away, May feeling willing to respect his boundaries now that he'd given them something they could use.
"So, I guess we search to the north of here?" Owen asked. "That's still a big area. But at least we have a time frame, if that is what he heard."
"We do. And, if this man constructed this bunker recently with the idea of hiding these women away, someone must know. Someone must have helped him build it, or at least provided the excavators and backhoes. Perhaps we can find out who it was. There are only so many firms that hire out heavy machinery."
"He might have done a cash deal. Cash under the table for a few days of hire. I'm sure that often happens, especially when people are building something they shouldn't," Owen said.
"But even so, it's worth following up. And it's also worth asking around to the north of here. If these militia heard building going on, then other people might also have done, and they might have heard it louder. Every scrap of information can help us get closer."
