The sun had been doing it’s best to wake Zoe up, but it was a smell that got the job done. Bacon? she thought. She opened her eyes and saw that Alicia was still exactly where she’d left her, fast asleep. She pressed her head against Alicia’s.

“Mmm. Good morning,” Alicia said softly.

“How are you feeling?” Zoe replied.

“Sore. But like, sore in my brain,” Alicia said. Zoe ran her hands over Alicia’s head and started massaging her temples.

“I’m so sorry you had to go through all this,” Zoe said.

“It’s not your fault. I picked him, remember? There was no way we could have known it was going to go like this.”

“I know, I know… it’s just... I don’t know,” she said, and let her arms fall down to rest. “I’m sorry for dragging you into this life. For using my power on you, for all the things I’ve made you do, all th-”

Alicia’s hand covered Zoe’s mouth mid-sentence. She let out a few muffled syllables before she stopped.

“You saved me, Zoe. Everything’s gonna to work out just fine. Now stop apologising and behold my power. The power to make you shut the fuck up and kiss me,” Alicia said. She removed her hand from Zoe’s face and made good on her threat. Zoe couldn’t help but laugh as it happened.

Suddenly, the door burst open. They pulled away from each other and turned to see Grace.

“Breakfast is ready,” she announced, carrying a tray with two precariously balanced plates of food on it. Zoe and Alicia sat up. The cutlery clanked as she walked, then it down in front of them. Alicia eyed the scrambled eggs and bacon hungrily.

“You’re the best Grace!” Alicia said.

“Other than Zoe, you mean,” she replied with a big smile.

After breakfast, Zoe and Alicia cleaned themselves up then reconvened in the living room.

“We need to think about our next move,” said Zoe. “Alicia, what did he know, exactly? About you, about me?”

“Mast- oh god I’m sorry. That’s going to take a while to get over. Alexander never asked me directly about you. You were definitely on his mind, though. He had one of the other girls dressed up like you and kept calling her ‘Zoe’.”

“Oh god that’s so creepy,” said Grace.

Zoe elected not to tell them that this was a huge turn on for her. The idea that someone with so much power couldn’t get her out of their head and that they were desperately trying to find surrogates was hot as hell. She was the one thing they wanted, and she was the one thing they could never have. She was on his mind constantly and he was powerless to do anything about it.

“Yeah. He didn’t seem very interested in me. I think after he met you, he was starting to lose interest in the other girls. He just had me learning to assist with Sofia, she was the in-house lawyer. I think I would actually make a really good lawyer, by the way.”

“I’m sure you would. Do you think they’ll try to find you?” said Zoe.

“I really don’t know,” said Alicia. She looked up at the clock in the room. “They’ve probably noticed my absence by now. Considering the state all of his employees are in, I doubt this has ever happened before. I was… well you saw how I was. How desperate I was to obey him.” She shuddered.

“Well whether or not he’s after you, he’ll be looking for Zoe at minimum,” said Grace. “Don’t worry, I won’t let anything bad happen to you,” she said. Zoe smiled. “In fact, why don’t we just get Enrique back here. We’ll go down there and deal with him permanently. I mean I’ve never killed anyone before, but I think I could do it. We know where he is, right?”

Zoe laughed. Alicia looked nervous, like she wasn’t quite sure if she Grace was being serious.

“Well I’m only half joking...” Grace continued.

Zoe thought about it briefly. Having one of her toys go out there and just kill an enemy for her would be a new one. She’s always just been on the run, moving from place to place. It was so simple that way. She imagined them getting caught, and she’d have go down to the police station and enthrall a whole room full of police officers. They’d kneel and grovel and do whatever she wanted. They’d destroy the evidence and help her cover it all up completely.

She realised she was starting to get wet.

“You’re so sweet, Grace,” said Zoe. She scootched up closer to her on the couch. Grace was still so nervous to be near her. She could see her trembling as she drew in close. Alicia was sitting just behind Grace, and she gave a big thumbs up that only Zoe could see.

“Um, either way, I-I think you should, um, should definitely move on as quickly as possible,” said Grace, stammering as Zoe ever so slowly leaned in. Oh you’re just too damn cute, Zoe thought.

“I think we can spare a few minutes before we move on,” said Zoe, her face just a few short centimetres away from Grace. She closed the distance and kissed her.

“Hmmm, I haven’t officially thanked you for saving me, you know,” said Alicia as they made out. Zoe pulled away briefly.

“That’s true… and you know, I haven’t thanked Grace for all her help either.”

“Oh my,” said Alicia. “Well then, I guess we better stop and thank each other for a while.”

Zoe and Alicia grabbed one of Grace’s arms each and pulled her up. She squealed, but didn’t resist. They took her into the bedroom and threw her onto the double bed, then started removing items of clothing. Zoe decided she wanted to make the first move. She separated Grace’s legs and started to tease around pussy with a finger.

“Oh gosh. Oh Jeez,” said Grace. Zoe struggled not to laugh again. “I’m still not, ohhh,” she said as Zoe entered her.

Alicia, having finished on Grace’s and her own clothes, started on Zoe’s. She stopped every now and again to give a long, tender kiss. She moved over to Grace and started whispering in her ear. Grace listened in keenly, then she suddenly blushed even harder.

“What are you two gossiping about up there?” said Zoe.

“Oh, I mean… I’ve never done that before either but...” Grace said. Alicia whispered some more, and Grace’s hesitation evaporated.

“Zoe, could you fetch me one of the bed sheets from the closet?” said Alicia.

Oh, Zoe thought, and smiled wickedly. It’s been quite a while.

“I’d be happy to,” she replied.

“Now you be a good girl and stay nice and still,” Alicia said to Grace.

A few moments later, Zoe returned with her prize, and Alicia was stripping the pillow cases off the bed. Improvised bondage was something Alicia had taught Zoe. She’d learned it from the guy she was dating at the time, and it could be very effective. Zoe folded the sheet several times into a narrow strip and Alicia did the same with the two pillow cases. Soon enough, Grace had a pillow case tying each leg to the bed frame, and the sheet bound her wrists to the bedhead.

“Oh my gosh, I feel so open,” said Grace.

“That’s kind of the point,” said Zoe. This was it. She knew she still had loose ends to deal with, but she finally felt like things were starting to get back to normal. This was the two of them in their element.

Zoe jumped up onto the bed between her legs and started gently stroking her completely open pussy. Grace’s whole body started involuntarily tugging against the restraints. Sensing that she was ready, Zoe started full on finger fucking her.

“You’ve been a very good girl, Grace,” she said.

“Oh, yes!” said Grace.

Alicia jumped onto the bed next to her and started teasing her nipples with her fingers and nibbling at an earlobe. Zoe’s tongue joined in concert with her fingers, and all of these things started sending Grace into overdrive. She moaned, and gasped, and pleaded.

“You’re very grateful to Zoe for what she’s doing, aren’t you,” Alicia said. Grace had to force herself to nod as the sensations were still overwhelming her from below. Alicia turned to Zoe. “Let me take over down there, I think Grace wants to return the favour.”

They swapped, and Zoe moved her pussy into position above Grace’s head. She strained her neck to reach up and lick. It was a very uncoordinated attempt, but Zoe appreciated the enthusiasm. She lowered herself gently onto her, and Grace went to town.

As Zoe was starting to lose herself in the moment, Alicia stood up and moved towards the door.

“Hey, wha- ohhhh – what are you doing?”

Alicia ignored her. She unlatched and unlocked the door then started moving back over towards her.

“No, stop, stop,” she said to Grace, then started moving. This is not good, this is not good.

Alicia tackled Zoe just as she was hopping off the bed. They wrestled and writhed on the ground.

“What the hell is going on?” said Grace.

“Stop fighting me, Zoe. Master will be here any second,” Alicia said. When Grace heard her, she started thrashing against her restraints. “Oh christ it feels so good to call him that again. It’s pointless to struggle. He’ll be in the corridor by now.”

“What have you done, Zoe?! Please! Let me go!” said Zoe. Alicia’s grip didn’t slacken. She shifted even more weight on top of Zoe. She could slip her limbs around, but she just couldn’t get any kind of leverage.

“I must obey my master above all else,” she replied, smiling. “He’s going to be so happy, Zoe. And so will you.” She planted a quick kiss on her forehead. “We’re all going to be so happy together!”

“I’m…” Zoe tried to kick, but it barely made a sound striking Alicia. She was unphased. “I’m not going to find out!” She thrashed some more, and actually almost managed to knock Alicia off balance.

The door opened.

Three figures walked walked into the room. It was him. Zoe couldn’t see properly, but she knew. Her skin crawled.

“Help her out girls,” Alexander said. There was no trace of affect in his voice.

Just as she was almost breaking free, another woman grabbed her from behind and pulled her up. Her arms were pulled in two directions, with one person on each side. Alicia stood up and walked right up to her.

“See? I told you it was pointless.” She brushed her hand across Zoe’s face, took a lingering look, then turned to Alexander and dropped to one knee.

“You can’t have her you fucking monster! I won’t let you!” screamed Grace, but she was ignored.

“I have obeyed, Master,” said Alicia.

“Well done. Very well done,” he said. “And you’ve already disabled this one. What a delightful improvisation. I had no idea you were so resourceful.”

“Thank you Master.” She looked joyous at the praise.

“Fuck you!” Grace screamed again. Zoe was silent. She understood. She knew how hopeless her position was.

Alexander stormed over to the restrained girl and stuffed an item of clothing in her mouth. She spat it back out. He looked like he was weight up options for a moment, then leaned down and gazed into her eyes.

Grace realised what was about to happen. She started kicking and yelling even more intensely, but it wasn’t even a minute before her struggles started dying off. She became completely still. Her breathing became calm and regular. It looked like she was sleeping.

“I was hoping I wouldn’t need to expend myself too much before I got to you, but I can’t focus with her shrill ranting,” Alexander said. “Even with a ball gag I doubt I could concentrate. But rest assured, we’re not going to have a repeat of our last encounter.”

Zoe knew she’d lost. She should have listened to Enrique. She should have been more cautious. How did she even contact him? It didn’t matter now. Alicia had obviously been acting from the start. She’d been lying about what he knew. She’d probably told him everything. There was really only one more thing to try - she reached within herself.

“I haven’t stopped thinking about this moment. Ever since you got away,” he continued. He loomed over her.

“Neither have I,” she said breathlessly, then unleashed the scent.

It washed over him, and he sucked in a deep breath reflexively. His eyes fluttered closed for just a moment, and she felt the two sets of arms gripping her soften ever so slightly.

“There’s nothing that turns me on more than a powerful man, Mister Bateman,” she said. “And I’ve seen what your power can do. And I know you’ve felt what mine can do.”

Alexander looked down at her, and he was breathing very heavily.

“We can be together, sir,” she said, drawing out the final word. “I know what you are. You know what I am. We’re so much more than all of these other people. We’re two of a kind, and together we could be so much more. We could rule over them - together.”

Zoe knew he wanted to believe what she was saying. Love makes people very stupid. She used to laugh at how gullible the people under her influence were. Now she could relate. She wanted to glance over at Alicia one more time, but knew she had to focus everything on him to sell it.

“Yes...” he said. “God I want it to be like that. I want it so much I can taste it. I’ve never wanted anything so badly in my whole life. But that’s exactly why I can’t trust you. You’re right, I do know what you can do, what you have done to me,” he said. “I’ve never felt anything like it before. At first I was angry, at you, at myself - how could I let these desires rule me, synthetic or not? But in the end, I just don’t care. I haven’t felt so alive in years. I have to have you, I’m going to have you. I just need to make a few little adjustments first,” he said.

“It won’t be as easy as all the others. I’ll fight it,” she said, the fear now very obviously creeping into her voice.

“You will try.”

Zoe felt it. The headache. It stared just behind her eyes, but was moving, slowly at first, then in a rapid zig-zag pattern up her head. Zoe had never been more terrified in her life, but she knew she needed to keep it together.

“But don’t you want me?” she said. “You want…” it was a struggle to remain coherent. “You want… me. Not one of those… mindless slaves. If you change me, I’ll be someone else.”

The headache subsided, just for a moment. Alexander’s expression was impenetrable.

“You’ll be whoever I want you to be,” he said.

The pain came back. The intensity had increased twofold. She struggled to get more words out, but it found what it was looking for. It breached into her mind, almost imperceptibly. She went blank. She was floating on a calm, relaxing cloud. There were no worries anymore. There was nothing to be afraid of. She wasn’t quite sure what was happening, but she was so grateful not to be in the dark place she was moments earlier. This felt so much nicer. Just as she was starting to enjoy herself, a nagging doubt emerged in her mind.

“Ah, here we are,” his voice said from far away. “Zoe, can you hear me?”

“Yes,” her voice replied.

“That’s excellent, Zoe. I’ve already taken you deep, but we’re about to go even deeper. Can you do that for me Zoe?”

“I don’t know… I don’t think I should…”

“Just let it happen.”

Her mind zoomed out. All of the voices, already so far away, now seemed so much more distant.

“Do you know who I am, Zoe?”

“You’re Alexander Bateman...”

“But do you know what I am?”

“Um...”

“Alexander Bateman is your master.”

This wasn’t like his voice. It was something else. Something powerful. Something indomitable. It was an almost physical sensation, rather than an auditory one. The words struck her like a comet. They almost seemed true.

“That can’t be right, can it?” she said, or perhaps thought. But she was increasingly uncertain.

“It is right, Zoe. Just think about it one more time. Alexander Bateman is your master.”

Thump. It was getting hard to understand why she might object to that.

“I… I’m not… sure if...” she thought/said.

She floated for a few more moments. Although distant, she could feel the voice growing more insistent, more powerful.

“Alexander Bateman is your master.”

It made so much sense. What was she even doing trying to avoid this obvious truth?

“Alexander Bateman is my master,” she thought.

She could suddenly relax again. It was so much easier to do it this way. It was sooo tiring to fight. She couldn’t even remember why she wanted to. The voice did not relent.

“You must obey your master above all else.”

Thump. The truth embedded inside her once again.

“I must obey my master above all else,” she repeated.

“You… um…” the distance voice said, before regaining it’s composure. “You love Alexander Bateman, completely and without reservation.” That one seemed weird. It was almost indecisive, like it was a question as much as an assertion.

“I love…? Wait, do I?”

“You love Alexander Bateman, completely and without reservation.” It was by far the most forceful truth yet. It had such unbelievable power behind it.

Her world was changing around her. She struggled to believe that she could have missed all these revelations up to this point in her life. How could she have been so blind? Why was she ever trying to fight against him? She loved Alexander Bateman, completely and without reservation.

“You would do anything to please your Master. His happiness is your purpose in life.”

Zoe wanted to cry. She couldn’t believe how lucky she was to have the voice here to explain these things to her. Alexander was her Master. The love of her life. The person she would do anything to please. Zoe realised that up until now, there had been a giant hole in her life. She’d been filling it with fleeting pleasures, with broken toys that she picked up, played with and discarded like rubbish when she tired of them. She knew that even Alicia would some day be left by the wayside when the magic faded. There was no meaning, no purpose behind any of it, just ephemeral, hedonistic thrill-seeking. That had all changed.

As Zoe’s awareness returned to her, she remembered where she’d been. What had just happened. Her brain ached under the strain of the new truths. She had made it down to the floor somehow. Master’s slaves had stopped holding her down, and instead they hovered, kneeling on the ground next to her. She could tell from their adoring looks that they, too, had been affected by her scent. But they had still obeyed their master despite their new feelings. They were no different than Alicia in that sense. She sat up and turned to Alicia, who was sitting next to Master and the peacefully sleeping Grace. Master had stolen a pair of tissues from the beside table while she was coming to, and he was cleaning up all the blood from his nose. She knew that what he’d just done must have strained him terribly.

“Thank you,” she said, looking at Alicia. She felt the tears of joy streaming down her face. “Th-thank you so much for what you did for me. It must have been so hard for you to pretend like that.”

“I must obey my master above all else,” Alicia replied. Zoe echoed the phrase immediately in response. They both understood now. This was how it always had to be. This is how it always would be.

“Master,” Zoe began. “Master I’m so sorry for everything I did to resist. I never should have even contemplated defying you,” she said. Master’s expression was so hard to read. God, the way he was trying to look so calm all the time was so cute.

“All is forgiven, Zoe. Don’t worry about it any longer.”

Zoe would not worry about it any longer. I must obey my master above all else, she thought. Zoe became more and more cognisant of her new role in life. I would do anything to please my Master. Just the thought of not pleasing and obeying him was utterly exhausting. She recalled how this whole situation had come about. There was one thing she knew for sure that would please her Master. She launched herself at him.

“I love you, Master” she said, then kissed him. He allowed her to place the kiss, but then pulled away.

“I...” he said, then stopped.

He didn’t have to say anything. She knew how he felt. She’d caused it after all. She felt ashamed about what she’d done to him, but at the same time, she was also happy beyond belief that it had all led up to this moment. The moment where she got to serve her master.

The wall of composure came crashing down. He hungrily kissed her and they started grinding against each other. His cock was as hard as a rock before she’d even touched it. The other women gave them a wide berth, and they migrated out to the couch. Zoe dropped to her knees and pulled his cock out. Alicia watched on, she looked so happy.

She’d gone down on men before, she’d even enjoyed it from time to time. In a way, it was like another kind of control, another way to tease and titillate. But this time it was different. There was no game she was playing. She was here to please him to the utmost, and she relished the opportunity.

Master was strangely quiet. He wasn’t domineering, he didn’t bark orders. He was content to let her take charge. It was the opposite to how Alicia had described him the previous day. I’m special to him, she thought. He was controlled by the desire she placed in him, and now she was controlled by him. They were enslaved to each other. The thought would have driven her wild if she wasn’t already lost in the throes of lust for her Master. She knew that even the old Zoe would have loved the idea.

When she took Master inside her, she was once again struck by a sense of awe at how blessed she was. She had believed his infatuation was a grave misfortune so recently, but now she knew better. The two started to get into a rhythm. They moaned and writhed. Zoe slowed the pace to keep things going as long as possible. In time, Master came in her, and the idea of pleasing him so much sent her over the edge shortly after. They stayed and embraced each for a few minutes in silence. She could tell he was so happy, and that made her even happier. But the silence couldn’t last forever.

“What do you want done with the girl on the bed?” Master said.

For a long time, Zoe had… lovers, she’d called them. Thralls probably would have been a more accurate description. Master had slaves. She was one of them, but it was obvious to everyone there that she now enjoyed a privileged place among them. Master wouldn’t care about the opinions of an ordinary slave. She tried to imagine what kind of response might please him best, but quickly realised that Master wouldn’t have asked if he didn’t want her genuine thoughts. He didn’t just want another drone. This was going to be complicated. What would I have wanted an hour ago? It felt so distant. That Zoe felt so far removed.

“I think she should come work for you, Master. Part time. While she finished her studies,” she said. It seemed preposterous given the circumstances, but Master didn’t laugh.

“So it shall be,” he said. Zoe felt another little erotic thrill. “Pack her into the car, girls.”

Sofia, one of the slaves Master had brought with him, drove them back to the office. Zoe hadn’t recognised Jan at first, because they all looked so different now, but she was in the front. She seemed unhappy. Zoe was snuggled up next to Master in the back, with Alicia on the other side. At first he seemed embarrassed by the display of affection, but once he relaxed, he was obviously contented. This pleased Zoe greatly. For her part, Alicia still seemed happy too. Zoe understood. Alicia wanted to please Master just as much as she did. And she’d delivered Zoe to him. Once they got back to the office, she was sure that Master would reward her somehow. If he didn’t, Zoe might suggest it. He obviously valued some degree of independence in her, so she was fairly confident he’d be ok with it. The enigma of Jan’s displeasure was really bothering her, though. She waited for a moment where Master looked most receptive to a question.

“Is there something wrong with Jan?” she asked delicately.

“What do you mean?”

“She looks… unhappy.”

“Jan, look happy please,” he said nonchalantly. He wasn’t even looking at her. The melancholy on Jan’s face evaporated instantly, only to be replaced with a big, enthusiastic smile. God that’s hot, she thought.

“I was just curious,” she said. “Why wouldn’t she be happy serving you, Master?”

“Because I didn’t wish her to be. You used to run the company, didn’t you Jan?”

“Yes Master,” Jan replied from the front. “We founded it together,” she said, gesturing over to Sofia.

“I came to her – as an equal, I may add – and I offered her a deal. I demonstrated my power. I told her what I could offer. What did you call me, Jan?”

“I called you a monster, Master,” she said.

“Yes. And you know, you were right, but it still hurt,” he said. A small smile broke out on his face. “Anyway, as I’ve mentioned, I’m not the kind of person who takes no for an answer. She told me to fuck off. But I’m not unreasonable. We met in the middle. I had her fuck me instead, and we definitely did not go into business together as equals. So we both got what we wanted, more or less,” he said.

Jan hadn’t so much as bat an eyelid in response to this. She was far too busy looking happy for her Master.

“At the time, I wasn’t nearly as skilled as I am now,” he said. “It was so much harder for me to break into a mind and bend it. The subtler manipulations, the associations you don’t even notice me making consciously, those were almost impossible for me. I doubt I could have broken into your mind at all,” he said, then brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face. “You were strong. She was weak. I had her obedience, but nothing more, and over time I found that I enjoyed that fact tremendously. She serves me unwillingly, but can’t do anything about it. How does that make you feel, Jan? Answer honestly.”

“I can’t stand it, Master. Every day I serve you is torture. I wish that you’d die,” she said, her face still one of absolute delight.

“Isn’t she a charmer?” he said, then chuckled slightly.

Zoe was breathing heavily as his story came to an end. She was accustomed to power, but not this kind of power. Changing people on a whim. Complete and total obedience. She’d never even dreamed of it. She loved it. She felt so small in comparison, her power so limited.

Shortly before they got to their destination, Zoe started wondering if she would be able to notice it. She never got his shirt completely off his body during their intimacies earlier. He seemed more comfortable with it on, and she hadn’t pushed the issue. He must have seen her glancing down at his arms.

“What’s on your mind?” he said.

“I was just wondering if… um...”

“Tell me what you’re wondering,” he said in a firm tone. She shivered. I must obey my master above all else.

“I wanted to see if you had a tattoo on your wrist, Master,” she replied instantly.

Master took a moment to pull one hand out of the suit jacket. He undid the cuff and started rolling the sleeve up. The barcode was right there, as plain as day, just like she remembered them.

“And yours?” he said.

She turned her wrist over to the scarred spot where it used to be.

“Ah,” he said.

“I never knew anybody else made it out,” she said.

“There were a few of us,” he said, gazing off into the distance. “But that’s a story for another time.”

“I think that’s him now,” said Brianna.

Slade perked up and looked out of the van.

“I think you’re right.”

The two had been camped out there overnight. They’d slept in shifts to make sure they didn’t miss anything. Alexander Bateman had left in a hurry with several of his staff a couple of hours ago, and now they were back. Slade had got the feeling that something important was going on. It was something about the way the man had looked getting into the car.

Slade loaded his weapon, just in case. At first, nobody in the car moved. Then, the doors started opening. One Zoe doppleganger. Two Zoe Dopplegangers. A Blonde. A third - wait, fuck is that her?

“Jesus, let’s go!”

Brianna was out the door before he was. They sprinted towards the car. It wasn’t far. When the group people noticed they were coming, they were too startled to react quickly.

“Nobody fucking move!” shouted Slade, holding his handgun up in the air for maximum visibility.

Alexander ducked behind the car. One of the women moved over to protect him. Zoe had exited on the other side of the car, and she’d frozen in place. Slade pointed the gun in their general direction, but not at anybody specific. Certainly not at Zoe. His finger was kept a safe distance from the trigger. Brianna ran out in front of him.

“Zoe! It’s me!” she said as she ran up to her. Zoe took a few seconds to process.

“Oh Jesus, Brianna? What the hell is going on?” Zoe replied.

“We’re here to rescue you. Come on, let’s go!” she said. “Go! Go! We don’t have time for this!” Slade was surprised that Alexander hadn’t reacted. I never expected him to be a coward.

“I can’t come with you,” Zoe said. “I belong here!”

Brianna meant what she’d just said. She ran up and seized her arm. Zoe pulled away. One of the others made a dash towards her. Slade aimed down and fired at the ground near her. He’d hoped to avoid discharging the weapon. It was sure to draw unwanted attention. It had the desired effect, though. The woman freaked out and stopped moving for just a moment. Everybody else reflexively ducked slightly.

“Now, there’s no need for anybody to get hurt,” Alexander said.

“Let her come with us and nobody will get hurt,” Slade shouted back.

As Zoe and Brianna briefly struggled, Slade felt a pressure in his skull. It was just noticeable enough to distract him slightly. Just as quickly as it had appeared, it went away. He could just see Alexander drop to the ground through the windows now that he was much closer. He aimed the gun over where he was, but it seemed like he’d… passed out?

He didn’t have time to worry about that. He closed the distance grabbed Zoe. The other women had all rushed around to check on Alexander. They dragged her kicking and screaming to the van. Brianna ran around into the driver’s seat to get it going.

“Zoe, you’re safe now! You’re safe! You’re with us!”

“Let me go back! I have to go back!” She tossed and tried to get out of Slade’s grip, but she wasn’t getting anywhere.

They drove off as fast as they could.