Nothing Happens in Sommerville (Part Ten)

Mallory decided she was going crazy.

She’d come to this conclusion as she hurried to Tye’s office, ignoring cheerful greetings and bright smiles. Of course she was losing her mind. It was bound to happen after being stuck in one place for so long. It probably didn’t help that there was also a blank void where memories of her past life should have been. Mallory was surprised she hadn’t snapped sooner.

She felt oddly calm by the realization. Since she was obviously insane, it stood to reason that she’d misremembered the details of last night. Bennet certainly wasn’t acting like they’d just had a fight. If anything, Mallory had woken up to find him even more affectionate than usual that morning. Which meant she’d clearly dreamt up their argument and Bennet’s late night confession, and was now losing her grip on reality.

Because the alternative meant Bennet was a murderer.

“Which is crazy,” Mallory told herself as she reached the doors of Tye’s sanctum. “Bennet would never hurt anyone in Sommerville.”

Her fingers had just gripped the polished handles when the door was abruptly flung open. Mallory stumbled back, her startled cry catching in her throat at the look on Eden’s face. Tears rolled down the young doctor’s cheeks as she took a ragged breath. Her bloodshot eyes met Mallory’s for a brief moment, before she stormed away at the approaching sound of Tye’s voice.

“Eden. Eden!” He stopped in the doorway with a frustrated growl. “Damn it.”

“What’s wrong?” Mallory asked, looking between the retreating figure of her friend and the vexed expression on Tye’s face.

“Nothing.” His clenched jaw suggested otherwise.

Mallory arched a brow. “So people leaving your office in tears is a normal occurrence, then?”

Tye’s glare chilled the sunny summer day by a few degrees as he crossed his arms. His blazing brown eyes pierced through Mallory’s very being, and she found herself half-regretting the visit. She’d never thought of Sommerville’s leader as dangerous before.

“If you must know,” he said tersely. “Dr. Sawyer was worried because her brother didn’t come home last night. I had to explain to her that he’d been sent to another compound that was in desperate need of our assistance. Because of the urgency of the situation, there wasn’t any time for goodbyes.” Tye’s frown grew more irritated as he muttered, “Apparently, I made a mistake in expecting her to handle the news professionally.”

Mallory gaped at him, before shaking her head in astonishment. “I’m sorry, what?”

“What?" Tye asked as if Mallory was the greatest inconvenience of his life.

“You sent Riley to a different compound without any warning and are surprised that Eden's upset about it?” Her only answer was Tye’s apathetic shrug. “Tye, what were you thinking? He’s the only family she has left! How could you do this to her? Out of every one of the Watchers, why would you send him?”

“Would you rather I had sent Bennet?” 

Mallory felt the blood drain from her face as she caught the threatening edge hidden in his question. Surely, Tye wouldn’t; not to Bennet. Not to her. He was their friend!

But Eden was their friend, too. She’d assumed Riley was as well, but. . .

“That’s what I thought.” Tye smirked coldly as Mallory remained silent. “I know it’s hard to accept, but if we ever want to fix the world, we have to make sacrifices. Sawyer understood that before he left. Eden seems to be having some difficulty with the concept. So,” Mallory tensed as he placed his hand on her shoulder. “What about you, Mallory? Are you prepared to make sacrifices?”

There was something invasive in his gaze as they stared at each other, as if Tye were searching for a specific reaction from her. Mallory’s thoughts raced in time with her pounding heart as she took in every inch of his smug and all-consuming need for control. She’d seen bits and pieces of Tye’s darker side throughout the years. Not enough to ever address it, but she’d learned it was best not to push him when he was in certain moods. Now, in the full light of day, she could see him clearly. 

And she found his implied threats unimpressive.

Mallory straightened her spine. “I am,” she answered firmly. “Are you, Tye?”

The leader of Sommerville furrowed his brow. “What?”

“Are you prepared to make sacrifices?” She repeated with a hard frown. “Because it seems to me like you’re asking a lot from everyone else when you haven’t sacrificed anything.”

“How dare you!” Tye snapped with a flash of rage in his eyes. “You can’t even begin to imagine all the things that I have done for the good of the compound. I’m the reason Sommerville’s still standing!” His fingers tightened painfully on her shoulder. “If it wasn’t for my sacrifices, everyone here would be dead!”

“Dead from what?” Mallory shouted as she smacked his hand away. “You and the Watchers keep saying things will be getting better soon! That there’s nothing outside the wall! So which is it?!” She demanded with all the pent-up accusation she could muster. “What is out there? What aren’t you telling us?”

Tye sucked in a sharp breath and closed his eyes. His hands balled into tight fists as he struggled to compose himself before he met Mallory’s waiting scowl. A cool apathy had descended on his features and he waved her away.

“I think it’s time for you to go home, Mallory.”

“Excuse me?” 

“You’re obviously too upset to have a rational conversation right now.” His eyes flicked down to her pregnant belly with the barest trace of a mean smile. “Perhaps after the baby, we can talk about this calmly.”

Mallory was struck dumb with fury as Tye turned and began to walk back to his office. The door had almost swung shut behind him when her senses returned to her. She charged after him, slamming the door open so violently it thudded against the wall. 

Tye whirled around with startled surprise. “What the hell is wrong with you today?”

“Me? What’s wrong with you?” Mallory snapped as she approached him. “You’re acting like a total dick right now!”

He rolled his eyes. “And you’re acting crazy.”

“I know!” She shoved him, frustrated by his flippant attitude. “I’ve spent the better half of a year lying to everyone I care about because it’s “what’s best for Sommerville.” I’m pregnant and the only doctor for miles around is barely out of her teens! My husband announced he’s planning to kill people for me, and now, my so-called best friend is calling me irrational while keeping secrets from me! Of course I’m going crazy!” 

Tye went rigid at her words. “Bennet said what?”

The outraged gleam in his eyes made Mallory’s stomach turn. She’d made a huge mistake. The whole reason she’d come to see him was because she’d hoped that Tye would reassure her about Bennet’s confession being nothing more than a terrible dream. She hadn’t thought about what it would mean if Bennet’s words had been true.

When it came to Tye, Bennet was an open book. It had always been a touchy subject in their marriage, until Mallory just learned to accept that whatever she told her husband would almost always find its way to Tye. So if Bennet really was killing people, there was no way Tye hadn’t found out about it. And Bennet never did anything without Tye’s approval. 

“N-Nothing,” She stammered, heart thudding so quickly she felt nauseous. “I think I just had a nightmare and imagined it. Forget I said anything.” 

The office was starting to feel more like a crypt than the old chapel it actually was, with both the exit and air slipping through her fingers. Tye narrowed his eyes, clearly not believing her. But what would he do? It was the middle of the day and people knew she was there. 

And he’s my friend, she told herself. He won’t hurt me. 

Still, she took a wary step back as she flashed him a nervous smile. “I’m sorry, I think you were right. My head’s not in the right place this morning.”

“Uh-huh.” Tye’s expression was stormy.

“So I’ll just go.” She gestured at the door, and took another step back.

“I’ll walk you out.”

Before she could protest, he was beside her. She flinched as his hand rested on her lower back, almost pushing her as they walked. It seemed to take forever for them to finally reach the exit and open the door. Sunlight poured into the dark hall with a relieving breath of fresh air.

Mallory faced Tye as he leaned against the door and tried her best to appear apologetic. “Sorry, again.”

“It’s fine.” Tye’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. “I think we both let our stress get the best of us today.”

She froze when he hugged her. 

They’d embraced plenty of times, but never had Tye’s hold been so suffocating. Her arms stiffly wrapped around him, despite it feeling like all the air was crushed out of her lungs.

“If you ever question my dedication to Sommerville again, I’ll send you to another compound the moment your baby is born,” Tye hissed in her ear. “I’d sooner have the child grow up motherless than be raised with a head full of lies.” He pulled away with a grin and pleasantly said, “Always good talking to you, Mallory.”

The door slammed shut. Mallory was rooted to the spot until her shock faded, then promptly turned on her heel and left. She’d just made it to her apartment bathroom, when she fell to her knees and retched.

For the first time in her life, Mallory felt hopeless. The compound wasn’t her home. It had revealed itself as a sticky spider’s web, snaring desperate people and trapping them with a slow death as a crafty predator infected them with venom. 

Through her apartment window, she spied the old billboard that had greeted her every morning. The smiles of the happy family leered at her with a menace she’d never noticed before. Her gaze settled on the giant letters underneath them in a blood-red font: YOU ARE SAFE.

Another lie, just like everything else Tye had ever told her.