On the Lookout

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On the Lookout Page 11

by Christy Barritt


  And she had no idea what that meant.

  Did he meet with everyone who came here? Had he found out Moriah had taken that loaf of bread?

  Fear spread through her at the thought.

  Moriah smoothed her tunic and paused. She wished she had a mirror, so she could check her hair. Or maybe even some makeup.

  Outward appearance wasn’t important. She knew that. Still, she’d like to look presentable for the meeting. Gilead always looked so well put-together.

  “Why do you look so nervous?” Ruth paused as she climbed out of the bed on the other side of the RV. Just last night, they’d been paired as roommates.

  Moriah actually preferred to live alone, but beggars couldn’t be choosers, as the saying went. Still, her extra loaf of bread was in a cubby she’d found beneath her own bed. She hoped Ruth didn’t get nosy and find out—or catch her eating it.

  Moriah shoved the thoughts aside and turned to her roommate. “I just don’t know what to expect.”

  “I’m sure it will be fine.” Ruth lumbered to the sink and started the water to wash her face.

  The woman was big-boned, and her personality seemed as strong as her features. She wasn’t the type of person Moriah would normally be friends with. Ruth’s opinions were too strong and unyielding for Moriah’s tastes. But Moriah could learn to get along with all kinds of people. It was the way of Gilead.

  “How has the protocol been going this week?” Ruth asked.

  The protocol was what they called the personal development plan each person received. Moriah was at the beginning of this plan. Hers was a time of learning and serving right now.

  Moriah leaned against the kitchen cabinet. She still had a few minutes until she had to leave. “It’s been … it’s been great. I’ve worked during the morning. I’ve had my therapy sessions during the afternoon.”

  Ruth towel-dried her face and turned to her. “Have you opened up your mind to the possibilities of what it would be like to belong?”

  Warmth filled Moriah’s chest. “I’ve never felt like I’ve belonged this much. I’ve always been the outcast, but here …”

  Ruth smiled. “You feel like you’re one of us.”

  “Yes, that’s right. Exactly.”

  Ruth folded her towel and placed it on the small counter. “Then perhaps Gilead is meeting with you to discuss the next step.”

  “What do you mean?” The next step? Moriah had barely been able to comprehend everything she’d already learned. She hadn’t been prepped yet about what would happen next.

  “There are levels of trust and community here. You’re new and just beginning this journey. But there are opportunities to advance. And, of course, before you can do that, you’ll have to show your complete loyalty to us by going through an initiation process. It’s really a beautiful thing.”

  Initiation? The last time Moriah had heard that word, she’d been lured into a sorority—only none of it was real. She’d acted like a servant to those girls for two weeks before they’d proclaimed it was all a joke and had a good laugh on her account.

  Moriah cleared her throat, trying to shove aside the memories. That was what Gilead would tell her to do. “What happens there?”

  Ruth smiled again and began to brush her long, dark hair. “I can’t tell you. It’s a surprise. But I will say, this is awfully fast for that to happen. Unless you’ve really caught Gilead’s eye.”

  “We’ve barely spoken. In fact, I have trouble looking at him. I feel so small when I’m around him.”

  “Remember, we’re all equal here. There are no small people.”

  “Moriah?” a deep voice called from outside her RV.

  She cracked the door open and saw Dietrich waiting there. “Yes?”

  “Gilead requests to see you now.”

  “Yes, sir.” She rubbed her hands against her clothes and lowered her gaze as she stepped outside and followed Dietrich down the gravel road. She asked no questions.

  Inside the meeting center, they went upstairs. Dietrich opened a door and stretched his arm to indicate she should go inside one of the rooms.

  Her pulse raced again. She’d never been up here. Never been into Gilead’s office. Never even spoken one-on-one with this man.

  What if he’d discovered that she’d taken food? Would he kick her out? Was that what this was about? Would she be given punishment?

  She knew she shouldn’t have taken the bread. Yet she’d been so hungry. And she found comfort in knowing she could nibble on the loaf whenever the pangs hit her.

  Gilead smiled at her from the other side of his desk and rose. “Ms. Roberts. Thank you for meeting with me. Please, have a seat.”

  He indicated she should sit in one of the chairs against the wall. To her surprise, he crossed from around his desk and sat beside her.

  The man was so handsome. Moriah knew it was wrong to think that way of a leader. But his eyes were so blue that she wanted to stare at them. And his hair was a thick brown, his build lean, and his smile contagious.

  She might have even daydreamed about the man a few times.

  But she’d asked for forgiveness afterward. It seemed disrespectful.

  “I wanted to see how your stay here has been so far.” Gilead leaned his elbow on the arm of the chair, his full attention on her.

  Moriah’s fingers nervously wound together in her lap. “It’s been great. Thank you so much for welcoming me here. Gilead’s Cove has been an answer to prayer.”

  His smile widened. “I’m glad to hear that. That’s what we’re here for. So many people in this world today are lost and feel alone. We were never meant to live life that way. First Corinthians 1:10 tells us ‘in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another in what you say and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be perfectly united in mind and thought.’”

  “I’m so glad that God has given you a word on this.”

  “It’s all in the Bible. But we get blinders on. We see life and the Bible through the lenses we’ve been taught to see it from. I like to come at it with no preconceived notions. And that’s the gift that God has given.”

  “Yes, sir. And what a wonderful gift.”

  She could feel his gaze studying her and didn’t know whether she should feel delighted or scared. She wavered somewhere between the two.

  “I’m sure you’re curious about why I wanted to see you,” he said.

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Elizabeth tells me you’re making good progress here. She said your sessions together have shown tremendous growth.”

  “I hope so. I feel like I’ve grown so much, even in such a short time.”

  “I see something special in you, Moriah.” He reached forward and rested his hand on her wrist. “I think you’re going to do great things here.”

  Moriah’s cheeks flushed. No one had ever thought she would do great things. No one. Not even her parents. “I’m honored.”

  “It’s too soon for an official ceremony to bring you in as a shepherd. But you’re well on your way. I wanted to tell you to keep up the good work.”

  “Yes, sir. I will.” Her cheeks flushed again as Gilead continued to stare at her.

  “And you don’t have to call me sir. Call me Gilead.”

  “Yes, sir—I mean, yes, Gilead.”

  He grinned and stood. She instantly missed the warmth of his touch as he released her wrist.

  For the first time in a long time, she felt like someone actually could see past the mess of her life and into her soul. She felt like someone understood her. Saw potential in her.

  Delight filled her at the thought.

  Coming here had been the right choice. Now she knew that for certain. It was worth it, even with her empty belly and cold arms. Even though she missed her parents and her beautiful West Virginia.

  She stepped toward the door, but Gilead’s voice stopped her. She paused to turn, only to find he was standing close—much closer than she’d anticipated.

&n
bsp; She glanced up at him. At the blue eyes that probed into hers. Gilead made her feel safe and welcome and worthy.

  How could one man have that much power over her in such a short amount of time?

  To her surprise, his hand brushed her cheek. Something crackled between them—some kind of tension.

  “I have big plans for you,” he murmured, his eyes swirling with an unreadable emotion. “Big plans.”

  Big plans? What was he talking about? She had no idea.

  But she couldn’t wait to find out.

  Chapter Nineteen

  After a vigorous early morning run, Cassidy and Ty were drinking coffee on the deck while Kujo lay at their feet. The sun had risen, but the color of the sky was still pastel and calming, the sight promising a new day.

  As she’d jogged, Cassidy had kept her eyes open for that man she’d seen on the dune a couple days ago, but he’d been strangely absent. Maybe his presence wasn’t significant. But at this point in her investigation, she wasn’t discounting anything.

  The sound of a vehicle pulling down the gravel lane filled the air. A moment later, a door slammed, footsteps pounded up the stairs, and Wes appeared on the deck.

  “Sorry to drop by unannounced.” Wes leaned down to pat Kujo’s head. “I dropped my phone and the screen shattered. Otherwise, I would have called.”

  “Everything okay?” Ty tensed beside her, his instincts kicking in. “You sound urgent.”

  Wes’s gaze went to Cassidy. “It’s actually about Gilead’s Cove.”

  “Anything you know about them, I’m all ears.” She straightened and put her coffee down on the railing beside her.

  She’d hardly been able to sleep last night as she’d contemplated the case. She wouldn’t be able to rest until she knew exactly what was going on behind that fence. That community was a part of the island here, and it was her job to keep the island safe. To keep everyone on the island safe—even the people who’d willingly chosen to live in that compound.

  The more she learned about them, the less comfortable she felt.

  “My friend up in Nags Head is headed there today,” Wes said. “He’ll arrive in about three hours, to be exact. They hired him to install some solar panels.”

  Cassidy’s pulse spiked. “Is that right?”

  “Yeah, he called to ask me about the place. For the record, I dropped my phone after he called. I leaned over the deck railing to talk to my neighbor, and the phone fell from my pocket. Anyway, apparently this solar panel order is pretty large, and the man he spoke with said they’re trying to be a self-sustaining community.”

  That made sense. There was less government interference and regulation that way.

  “Good to know.” Cassidy’s thoughts raced ahead, the start of a plan forming in her mind. “Does your friend need some help?”

  Wes squinted. “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, does he need some additional manpower? I’ve been trying to get into that compound to find out more information. They’re not willingly going to let me poke around. This might be the perfect opportunity.”

  “But they would recognize you.” Ty visibly tensed as he turned toward her. “That would never work.”

  “I know. I can’t go myself.” Her thoughts continued to circle.

  “Then who would go?” Ty asked.

  Cassidy nibbled on her bottom lip a moment, various scenarios playing out in her mind. “I’m sure Gilead has already scoped out most people here on the island. But he probably doesn’t know about Dane yet.”

  “Who’s Dane?” Wes squinted with confusion.

  “He’s my newest officer. He’s just starting today.”

  “And you want to throw him into this?” Ty asked, his voice tinged with doubt. “Is that a good idea?”

  “Dane has had a lot of experience—not here, but in Cincinnati. He has the know-how to handle this. I hate to throw him into something like this on his first day too. Then again, I’m not sure I have any other choice.” She glanced at Wes. “Do you think your friend would be up for something like this?”

  Wes nodded. “I’d be happy to ask him … but I’m going to have to borrow your phone.”

  Cassidy stepped into her office and released a long breath.

  The wheels had been set in motion, and in two hours Dane should be inside Gilead’s Cove. Every bit of information they could gather about the place would help their investigation. She just prayed everyone would stay safe. She’d never forgive herself if something happened on her watch.

  At the moment, Dane was filling out a pile of paperwork to make his job here official.

  She paused in her doorway and glanced around her office, some kind of internal warning sounding in her mind.

  What felt different in here? She couldn’t pinpoint what it was—maybe just gut instinct.

  But she didn’t like the feeling.

  She scanned the surroundings again. Her file drawers were closed. Her chair was pushed beneath her desk. The trashcan was in place.

  Her perusal stopped at the crime board behind her desk.

  One of the pictures was crooked, she realized. That must be it. Maybe the magnet had slipped or something. But it was nothing criminal.

  Cassidy nearly laughed at herself for being so paranoid.

  Instead, she slipped behind her desk. But no sooner had she done that then Melva appeared at her door, wringing her hands together.

  “Chief, someone else is here to see you,” Melva said.

  “This is a bad time.” Cassidy still had to review the notes she’d made for Dane and sign some of the papers.

  “They said it’s important.”

  Cassidy drew in a long breath. This sleepy town was suddenly feeling very needy and demanding. “Pertaining to …?”

  “They said their daughter is missing. They think she came here.”

  And Cassidy had thought a job on Lantern Beach would be easy. She couldn’t be more wrong. “Send them in.”

  A moment later, a man and woman in their fifties came into her office. Both were overweight, and their features looked drawn with tension. They introduced themselves as Mr. and Mrs. Cross.

  After getting them coffee, Cassidy sat down to chat. “What can I do for you?”

  They exchanged a glance before the woman spoke up. “We think our daughter came here to Lantern Beach, and we’re worried about her.”

  “Why do you think she came here? Could you start from the beginning?”

  “Our daughter has always been a bit of a lost soul,” Mrs. Cross started. “She’s a beautiful girl, but her self-esteem has always been low. She suffered with depression, and that led her to make some bad choices—choices like drugs and bad relationships.”

  “Okay.” The story wasn’t an entirely unfamiliar one. Just last month, Cassidy had tracked down a runaway teen on the island. Some people came here because they thought the ocean could fix everything. If only that were true …

  “About a month ago, we noticed some changes in her,” the father continued, his voice grim as his wife gripped his hand. “She’d met someone new.”

  “A romantic interest?”

  “No, we don’t think so.” Mrs. Cross shook her head. “But someone was coming through town and leading these … these … revivals. A friend invited her and she went. She came home and looked hopeful for the first time in a long time.”

  Revivals? The breath left Cassidy’s lungs.

  “At first, we thought it was a good thing,” Mr. Cross said, his features still drawn. “I mean, we’re not opposed to religion. We’re Christians ourselves, and we believe in the good Lord above. But something about this was different. She sold all of her possessions—not that she had much. And then she packed up and said she was going to leave to live at a retreat center affiliated with this group.”

  “We couldn’t talk her out of it,” Mrs. Cross continued. “She was convinced if she joined this movement that she was going to find a new life for herself. But now we haven’t been able to ge
t in contact with her. We’re worried.”

  “I can understand that,” Cassidy said. “Did she tell you she was coming here?”

  Mrs. Cross squirmed. “No, not exactly. But we tracked her cell phone—not as a means of being controlling. But it’s good to know where the people you love are. You never know what could happen . . . anyway, the phone last pinged here. And then it went dead. There’s nothing.”

  “I see.” Cassidy would guess their daughter may have had to turn it over as a stipulation of staying at Gilead’s Cove. It fit what she knew so far about the group.

  Mr. Cross shifted. “There’s one other thing. Our daughter was married—divorced, actually. She’d moved back in with us until she could get back on her feet. She didn’t have a good marriage—not at all. Her husband was ten years older and very controlling, to say the least. He was just one of her many problems. Men … they’ve always been our daughter’s weakness.”

  Mr. and Mrs. Cross glanced at each other again, a worried look passing between them.

  “Two days after she left, the police found him dead,” Mrs. Cross said.

  Cassidy sucked in a breath. “Do they think your daughter killed him?”

  “No, we don’t think so. But the way he was killed …” The father’s voice faded.

  “How was he killed?” Cassidy could hardly breathe as she waited for their response.

  “He had these marks on his back, like he was tortured. But, ultimately, the police told us he was strangled. With a rope.”

  Cassidy’s mind raced at the similarities between that man and Al Hartman. Maybe this was her first real lead.

  “What’s your daughter’s name?”

  “Her name is Moriah,” Mrs. Cross said. “Moriah Roberts. Please help us find her. Please.”

  Cassidy had promised Mr. and Mrs. Cross that she would do her best to locate their daughter. They’d given her a picture, and—Cassidy couldn’t be certain—but the pretty girl in the photo had almost looked like the woman Cassidy had seen cleaning the bathroom at the compound.

  Hopefully, she’d figure out some answers soon. In the meantime, the Crosses had left, and now Cassidy had to get ready for Dane’s undercover assignment. She didn’t have much time. Wes’s friend and three members of his crew were on their way, and she needed to continue to fill Dane in on everything going on.

 

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