Son of Cerberus (The Unusual Operations Division Book 2) by Jacob Hammes Read Free Book Online Page A

being careful not to miss any of her nooks and crannies. Though she was trying her best to be rough, the black-haired girl didn’t mind. It felt good to have someone else do the work for her, especially after what she had been through.
    “My name is Belle,” the old woman said in a shuddering voice. “You can call me any time you need something, young miss. I assume you don’t have a name, do you?”
    “I…” was all the young woman could utter. Her mouth felt funny and her tongue felt as if it were made of unwieldy sausages. She hadn’t gotten the grasp of speaking yet, after such a terrible experience. Instead of an answer, she just shook her head. It was easier for the woman to keep calling her ‘girl’ than it was to get a name out of that awkward hole. After all, she really couldn’t remember her name.
    The thought frightened her.
    “How about I call you Amy, then,” Belle said as she slipped a robe on over her naked body. “It’s my granddaughter’s name and it’s easy for everyone to say. Everyone will be able to remember it and we can stop calling you ‘girl’ and ‘young woman’ and whatever else we can think of. Think of it as a nickname until you’re well enough to tell us what you are called. Amy.”
    The newly named Amy smiled and nodded her head. It did feel good to be assigned a label after what felt like a long time being without. She wondered briefly if she would ever remember what she had been called before getting on, or being forced upon, the haunted ship. Though Amy could only assume that she had done her fair share of drugs, she couldn’t imagine having a hang-over that would wipe her name and past life away so completely.
    “Well, Amy, you are a beautiful young girl,” Belle said, standing back and giving her a beaming smile. Perhaps the old woman didn’t hate her after all. Maybe she just had the worst bedside manners that a person could have. “I’m sure the psychologist will tell you this, but you’re probably suffering from something called Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. You may not find your voice for a while. Get used to it is my advice.”
    Amy didn’t know whether to smile or grimace at Belle’s mixed signals. She simply stood in place to negate the necessity to choose. The dull look that plagued her otherwise pretty eyes made her seem empty inside. Belle stared into them, searching perhaps for something only a grandmother could find.
    For a brief moment, Belle could swear that she had seen it. Something deep within her dark brown eyes lit like a fire. It was there, though, and then it was gone.  Whatever life Amy had inside her disappeared before she could place her thumb on it.
    “Just keep your chin up and start talking soon or they’ll throw you in a looney bin and be done with the entire situation,” Belle exclaimed as she turned to leave the bathroom. “Come out when you feel up to it. I have some clothing that might fit for your interview with the police later. They are going to want answers about what you went through.”
    Amy sighed audibly. She knew that people would be coming along to ask her about what happened. She had to admit, she wasn’t fond of the thought. It would probably be weeks before she had enough energy to move about like she wanted to. She could feel that whatever had happened to her aboard the boat had changed her in a way that would take real healing. 
    “Don’t pay them too much mind and they’ll come back later,” Belle said as she closed the door. “You can sleep when they leave.”
    Amy put her clothes on slowly. It was still somewhat hard to move inside her body. It seemed as if everything moved much too quickly for her to control. Not that she could remember much, which she also found very strange, but somehow she knew that she had never been this clumsy. She nearly fell twice as she slipped the white cotton panties up her small legs, so she decided to sit down and slip her pants on.
    They were too loose. Without the