Thanks to the plans Lilah had provided, Jordan, Bethany and several others made their way upstairs quickly. They came to a sort of conference room where they caught brothers John and Daniel red-handed, exchanging money with the gun sellers. There was some yelling and threatening, but they had the element of surprise on their side. For once, Jordan was glad that the Prophets favored such a strong separation from the woman and children on the compound. Within the first minutes of the operation, two founding brothers, several of their sons, and a couple of business partners were arrested. They found them in the exact same place Lilah had directed them too.
Officers were going from door to door, serving arrest and search warrants.
“You’re going to regret this,” Daniel Deane said to her with a small, condescending smile. “You’re overestimating yourself, Detective. What do you think you’re going to find? The woman and children chose the quiet life here, safe from the loud and ugly outside world. They don’t want to be rescued. In fact, maybe it’s you who still needs a rescue after all.”
“That’s all interesting, but I’m afraid I don’t have time to chat. We have so much more on you than you think.”
Deane made her skin crawl, reminding her too much of the men like him she had encountered in her day job, men who believed themselves to be above any law. Like the serial killer who had taken an interest in her. Like her biological father.
“You mean the book that Jennifer wrote?” He laughed.
“Who told you about a book?”
“I can’t seem to remember. Maybe Nathan mentioned it. It’s a shame Raphael panicked and now wants to blame the family. She could have published it for all I care. We already know it’s all lies, and our lawyers would have destroyed her.”
“One of your sons is in prison for murder. Another was killed because he went on a shooting rampage. That doesn’t bother you?”
“Oh, it bothers me all right, but that’s not why you’re here, is it? People like you are all about tolerance, but you just can’t accept a lifestyle that doesn’t fit your ideas.”
“Most people would have a problem with a lifestyle that includes domestic abuse and child abuse masquerading as marriage.”
She went on to another room, not waiting for his answer, feeling anxious for reasons she couldn’t grasp. This was going well—too well. Jennifer Beaumont’s book might or might not be admissible, but there was Lilah Strickland’s extensive work, the woman she had befriended, and hopefully other women who would speak out…
From the window, she could for the first time see women and children living on the compound. They would have access to child protection services and therapists. Jordan assumed that even so, it would take them a long time to trust. With the numerous accusations made, some of the parents were likely to lose custody, depending on whether they were involved in “marrying” young teenagers to older men including the Deane brothers, and in other criminal activities.
Seeing the panicked look on some of the younger children’s faces made her stomach churn. They were attached to even those parents who gave the term a bad name. The devil you know.
“Hey. Are you doing all right? This must back…stuff.”
Leave it to Bethany to raise the subject right here.
“My parents weren’t in a cult,” Jordan said curtly.
“They were unfit, and people who cared came to take you away. That’s pretty much what’s happening right now.”
“What’s happening right now is a lot more complex, and you know it. Don’t worry. I’ve been seeing Dr. Burns. One shrink is enough. Where’s Strickland?”
“I haven’t talked to her yet, but she managed to call Russo earlier. She’s laying low with the other women right now. When we’ve cleared the place, we can take her in as an alleged witness as well.”
“What about the friend, Deborah?”
“Dr. Roberts!”
The both spun around as Russo came running into the room, a couple of other agents on his heels.
“We found Deborah Deane.”
No. In an instant, Jordan knew why she’d felt this was going much too well.
“What about her?” Bethany asked impatiently. “You were supposed to get her and her daughter out first!”
“The daughter is with the other children. She’s safe. Deborah was shot.”
“What? When?”
“She didn’t make it,” he said, leaving no hope. “Was already dead when the paramedics got to her. It has to have happened around the same time we arrested the gun dealers.”
“Damn it. She was supposed to be among the first. She took a high risk, and everyone knew it. Who do I fire before I get fired?”
He shrugged. “It was nobody’s fault. The daughter was there. She said her mother had sent her while the arrests were going down on the other side of the compound, that it would be less suspicious if only one of them went to see the cops.” They headed along the corridor, down the stairs and across the yard that led to the women’s day quarters.
Jordan knew from the plans they’d seen the day before that these building also housed school rooms. In one of them, Deborah Deane’s body lay sprawled in front of the black board, shot in the chest. Was Daniel Deane really that bold? No, the real question was who would take the fall for this latest murder. Deborah was going to talk, and so was her daughter. All of a sudden, they had lost an important piece of the puzzle. Someone had silenced Deborah, and thirteen-year-old Ariel might be too intimidated to speak out now. The book…that stood on shaky ground, but they still had Strickland to back it up.
“Does Agent Strickland know?” she asked.
Russo looked confused.
“I thought she was with you. That’s what she said in her text.”
“Jordan, could you please go join the officers who are with the women and children, and find an excuse to get Lilah in here? Break it to her gently on the way, but break it to her. And be careful. I have to wait here. Russo, the next time you tell me first! I want every civilian out of here now. Let’s find that shooter!”
Jordan was already on her way. She knew that Ellie was among the officers on that side of the operation, and wondered if she had a chance to talk to Lilah.
She found Ellie trying to assist a woman with three children under the age of five, all crying at the commotion.
“Hey. Did you or anyone here see Lilah?” She kept her voice down. The woman here had only met the agent as Lilly, a lost soul hoping to find home with the Prophets of Better Days.
Ellie shook her head. “I thought she was with you? We have pretty much everyone accounted for. She wasn’t with the women.”
“Just what I didn’t want to hear. Someone killed Deborah Deane. We have to get everyone out of here. I can help, but I have to check with Bethany first.”
Ellie looked worried, but she nodded. “Ms., I’m sorry, but we need to go. I’ll make sure you and your children are somewhere safe to sort this all out. Please, come with me.”
Jordan remembered her first impression of when she’d seen Strickland after weeks inside of the cult, how she’d looked tired and aged. This woman had probably spent most of her life on the inside. They were truly lost souls.
“Please, go with the officer now,” she said. The woman finally relented, walking as if she was in a trance.
Jordan called Bethany to inform her that she’d assist the evacuation on this end, and that no one had heard from Lilah. This day was going downhill fast.
* * * *
“They’re not supposed to eat this.” It was the first sentence the woman had uttered since they’d left the compound for the station. Ellie suppressed a sigh. She had determined that her charge had an older daughter who was “married” to Daniel Deane, now eighteen, but obviously younger at the time of what they called the “ritual of joining spirits.” The chocolate bars Ellie had gotten from the vending machine temporarily dried the children’s tears, but apparently Terah Deane considered refined sugar worse for her children’s heal
th than her daughter being with a man old enough to be her grandfather.
Knowing that Terah had grown up in similar circumstances did little to hide Ellie’s irritation with her when seeing those small children, girls who would have most likely faced a similar threat if it wasn’t for today’s operation.
“It’s been a difficult day. Could we make an exception?”
Terah shrugged. “When can we go home? This is terrible. We haven’t done anything wrong. You had no right to come to our homes and tear our families apart.”
“You know that is not true. I’m really sorry, but some members of your family are accused of serious crimes.”
“Daniel said that would happen. It’s all lies. It’s because of the way we live. You don’t understand.”
“I’m afraid it’s not a matter of understanding. These are the laws.”
“I am not giving up my children. They are being raised well.”
Ellie suppressed the impulse to shake her. It wouldn’t do any good for either of them, realistically, but maybe it would make her feel better for a moment. Being raised well, keeping them in line with threats and abuse, while deals were made with internationally wanted criminals?
“There’s someone from Child Protective Services here. They’d like to speak to you, about the general climate on the compound. It would be helpful if you talked to them.”
“What are you saying? Those people have no right to—”
“Please. You can make a difference for them. We can protect you.”
“He knew you would say that. If we can go home after that…”
Ellie wasn’t ready to make promises.
When she went back, Jordan exited another room.
“Can you come with me for a moment?” she asked softly. “Deborah Deane’s daughter is here.”
“Does she know?”
Jordan nodded. “A doctor has seen her. CPS will take her later, since the father is not likely to go home tonight. Ariel still wants to work with us—that’s the good news. On the other hand, no one has heard from or seen Lilah Strickland. She seems to have fallen off the face of the earth.”
“How is that possible?” Ellie asked, alarmed. All of them had been busy since this morning, and she hadn’t had a chance to talk to Jordan since she’d seen her at the compound. “You don’t think…”
“We don’t know. But so far, Ariel seems to be the only one who is willing to talk. They’re looking for Strickland now,” Jordan added.
Ellie didn’t like her tone, the hint of defeat. They had many witnesses, but most of them would do anything to protect the family. She was scared for the young agent who had risked everything to get them the information they had. The Deanes would still be charged with illegal gun purchase, but Bethany’s big dream they had shared over the past few weeks, dismantling the cult completely, was getting further away.
She followed Jordan into the room where Ariel was sitting. As she looked up, Ellie could see that her face was tear-streaked. This day was too much for all of them, but especially this young girl on whom so much depended. She needed time to grieve her loss, but they couldn’t give her that time.
Ellie wasn’t quite sure why Jordan had asked her to sit in, but if she could help at all, she’d gladly do so.
“Hey, Ariel. I’m Ellie. Detective Carpenter says you are ready to talk to us about your family.”
“They killed my mom,” she said, her eyes welling up again. “Please, promise me they’ll all go to prison.”
“We will do what we can to make that happen, I promise. What about your Dad?”
Ariel studied the tabletop as Ellie sat across from her. Jordan remained standing.
“I hardly ever see him,” Ariel continued. “It’s the same for all of us, and when he bothers to show up, we need to show him respect. I don’t respect him. I know he hit her, and I’m sure he doesn’t care that she’s gone.”
“I agree that doesn’t sound like someone who deserves respect. Who do you think hurt your mom?”
“You can say it out loud. It’s murder. She wanted to get us away from that place, and they found out. The men always say outside is a place for whores. They don’t want to let us go, because they’re afraid we’d betray them.”
“Can you tell us more about your life there, and the other families?” Ellie ventured. “It really helps us to know more. Everyone who has done something wrong, will be punished.”
Ariel looked doubtful. “I don’t know how you are going to do that. No one ever tried. The Prophets know about everything, and everything belongs to them. At least that’s what they say.”
“He is married to more than one woman?”
Ariel nodded.
“Did you ever attend one of those weddings? You know that according to the law, he could only marry one person, right?”
She caught Jordan’s thoughtful look, wondering if she had crossed a line.
Jordan left her place at the wall to sit with them.
“I know this is horrible. If I was you, I wouldn’t want to be here. I would want to be left alone and not talk to anyone, but you’re doing great. Just take your time.”
“I know about laws.” Ariel’s tone was defiant. “The Prophets say some of them are unjust, and deny their greatness. I heard Brother Jeremiah has thirteen wives, and I don’t know how many children. He was always in a competition with Brother Daniel. Daniel…” She swallowed hard. “He married one of my friends last summer. I was there. We all have to be there.”
“How old was your friend at the time?” Ellie asked, struggling to keep her voice level.
“Fifteen,” Ariel answered matter-of-factly. “We are allowed to get married at fourteen, but most of us hope it doesn’t happen. Hannah has a baby now, and that’s really tough. Before, it was just our chores, and we could spend time together, but now that’s all she does.”
“Do you know any more girls who got married recently?”
“A few. Some we take in from the outside, because they were doing really badly…” She shrugged. “At least they get food and shelter here, so I guess it could be worse.”
In the resulting silence, her stomach growled, prompting Jordan to get to her feet.
“Thank you so much, Ariel. I’m afraid we’ll be here for a while, so why don’t I get us something to eat?”
She could have pulled rank on this one, but Ellie figured Jordan was probably more than ready to leave the room for a few minutes.
“I’m not hungry,” Ariel said immediately.
“I can imagine, but I am kind of hungry. Ellie?”
Ellie nodded. “Yes, thank you.”
“I’ll be back in a few. Let’s take a little break.”
Ariel glanced after her when Jordan got up to leave, waiting until the door was closed before she turned back to Ellie.
“She’s nice.”
“Yeah, I think so, too,” Ellie agreed. “Ariel—we’ll do whatever we can to help, so if you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask.”
“I don’t mind talking to you, I really don’t,” Ariel said. “I don’t ever want to go back. If I have to stay up all night, that’s okay. I just hate them so much.”
Ellie laid a hand on her arm, carefully, but Ariel didn’t seem to mind the light touch. She couldn’t promise that it would all be okay to the girl who had lost her mother today, because it would never be completely okay…but they could try to help her make it through the worst of it. Beyond tonight, she feared, Ariel’s future was uncertain.
CPS would find her an emergency placement and hopefully a permanent home soon, but with the cult’s lawyers fighting back, she might have to testify in court.
Ariel had a long, difficult path ahead—and they still didn’t know anything about Lilah Strickland’s whereabouts.
* * * *
Outside the door, Jordan would have liked a private moment to herself, but of course that wasn’t possible. A woman from CPS was waiting with A.D.A. Esposito and an agent.
�
��Any word on Strickland yet?”
The agent shook her head. She didn’t offer any other commentary.
“How soon can you wrap this up?” The CPS employee asked. “She’s obviously exhausted. Since her father was among the arrests, and the mother…I have arranged a temporary home for her, and I think it would be for the best…”
“She hasn’t eaten in a while,” Jordan cut her off. “I’ll get her dinner, and then we can finish for today. I need the address of the temporary home, so we can send an officer there. I imagine that we can’t hold everyone here forever, and she’s talking. Someone might take offense.”
The truth was, if Ariel didn’t want food, Jordan needed something badly. She had a blinding headache, and she wasn’t even sure if a sandwich would cure it—it was worth a try. She wondered when Ariel was going to fall apart, and wished fervently that an adult would be there for her in that moment.
“I’ll make sure you have all the information.”
“Thanks.”
Jordan remembered her meetings with her former CI Darla Pierson, before Darla had a home and a baby of her own. Darla had enjoyed everything sweet. It wasn’t the solution to everything, but it could be a tiny comfort on this complicated day—for everyone involved. She hurried to the bakery across the street and bought some bagels and pastries, specialty coffees for the adults and a juice for Ariel, hoping that would carry them all through the evening.
They were lucky to have a witness like Ariel who was clear and concise for her age, even if her determination was a surface that could crack at any moment, when she realized what lay ahead for her. In the best case scenario, the father would go away for a long time, all of them would, though that made Ariel’s future still unclear.
Living with her birthparents had been difficult for Jordan, and scary at times. Living without them had been difficult at first, too, and she hardly ever thought about the strange time in between, not knowing where she’d end up.
All of that was coming back to her now. While she hadn’t been born into a culture of respect, Jim and Kathryn hadn’t belonged to a women-hating cult that shut them off from the rest of the world. Deborah had wanted to leave, built a different future for her and Ariel.
Initiations (Carpenter/Harding Book 5) Page 13