A tear rolled down her cheek as she stared at the bunkers.
'It eats me up. There're good people inside, sir. Decent people who're looking for God in all the wrong places. It's not them. It wasn't even Jupiter. Yeah, he was psycho, but more into his visions than into power. It's the mad four below him - Pluto, Nova, Venus and Bob. You don't know the half of it.'
Oliver took out his notepad. 'Apparently not if you're telling us that Nova was a pedophile.'
She focused in on Scott's face. 'Chester the Molester.'
'He seemed like a wimp.'
'Most pedophiles are,' Lauren snapped back. 'How'd he die?'
'Exsanguination, most likely,' Decker said. 'Someone carved him up and stuffed him in one of the kitchen cabinets at the Order's ranch. The local law is holding the ranch hand named Benton for the murder. Does his name ring a bell?'
Lauren shook her head no. 'I wasn't even aware that the Order owned a ranch.'
'Jupiter owned it. Now it probably belongs to his daughter, Europa. Benton runs the place although Idon't think he popped Nova. I think Bob did it'
'Sounds logical,' Lauren said. 'After Our Father Jup - After Emil Ganz died, Bob moved in like a cockroach.'
'I always picture Pluto as the roach,' Oliver said.
'Pluto's more like a T-rex. He destroys what gets in his way.'
Bob as the roach and Pluto as T-rex. Like Oliver, Decker would have thought it was the other way around.
Marge asked, 'Why would Bob kill a wimp like Nova? Was he a threat to Bob's power base?'
Lauren gave the question some thought. 'Not really. Nova was the weakest of the four.'
'So why would Bob kill him?' McCarry asked.
'Because Bob enjoys killing people,' Lauren said. No one spoke.
'Even so, there has to be more.' Decker stopped for a moment, his mind flipping through the file of the original case. Back to the very beginning. A spark in his brain ignited. 'Jupiter was found dead at around five in the morning. Nova was writing out the death certificate a half-hour later. Europa called the police shortly after that.' A pause. 'Some woman from the Order called Europa to tell her that her dad had died. It wasn't Venus.'
Decker looked at her pointedly. Lauren bit her lip.
'C'mon, Lauren. You couldn't have called without help because only gurus had phones. Someone instructed you to make that call. Process of elimination tells me it had to be Nova. Why would he want you to call up a violator?'
'He was frightened by Jupiter's death. Bob and Pluto had wanted to bury Ganz on the grounds like the others-'
'The others?' McCarry said. 'What others?'
'The others that had "expired" along the way,' Lauren answered. 'No doubt they were murdered-'
'You know that as a fact?' McCarry asked.
'I know that rebellious members had a way of disappearing-'
'Jesus!' Marge muttered.
Decker said. 'What else did Nova confide in you, Lauren?'
'He said Ganz's death was too big to hide. That Ganz was too famous and he had children. He was worried about Europa, the daughter. Ganz had kept up contact with her. This time, Nova wanted to go through proper channels. He said if we didn't call the police in now, it would be big trouble later on when Europa found out about her father's death. Everything and everyone would be investigated. That would have been the death knell for us... for them... the Order.'
'Thinking he could waylay us before we dug too deep,' Oliver said.
Lauren nodded. 'He told me to phone Europa even if it meant breaking the vows and overstepping the chain-'
Decker blurted out, 'Overstepping the chain... breaking the vows.' He tapped his foot. 'I've heard that expression before.'
'It's one of the Order's most basic laws,' Lauren said. '"Never break your vows and never overstep the chain of command." The gurus used to lecture on it to us over and over and over and over.'
Decker hit his forehead. 'Oh my Lord!'
'What?' Oliver asked.
'When I first met Pluto, I asked him about the phone call to Europa. He said whoever did it would have to be addressed because he had overstepped the chain, and had broken his vows.'
He made a face. T-Rex here we come.
'It was Pluto who killed Nova. He was addressing Nova's insubordination. That little motherfucker knew all along that he'd carved up Nova. He knew it when you two went up there. And he knew you'd find the body. But he didn't care because he knew we'd arrest Benton!'
'Loo,' Oliver said. 'Ms Bolt just said that it was Bob who enjoyed killing people.'
'Bob kills for sport - for pleasure. Pluto killed to keep his power base absolute. He couldn't have men like Nova - who overstepped the chain and broke vows - get away with colluding with violators. Especially since Nova was a privileged attendant - a guru. That position demanded complete loyalty to the Order. And since Nova couldn't be trusted anymore, Pluto killed him.'
"Then why did Bob kill Pluto?' McCarry asked.
'Because Bob knew his power base was finished. While Jupiter was alive, but zonked out from arsenic, Bob pretty much had free rein. Even though Pluto was second in command, Jupiter still ran things. But once Ganz died and the free ride had ended, Bob knew he had no constituency. Better to die a leader than live under a little totalitarian putz like Pluto. And after Nova's death, maybe Bob figured he was next on the chopping block, anyway.'
'So who killed Jupiter?' McCarry asked.
Marge said, 'The place housed two homicidal lunatics and a child molester. Take your pick.'
Lauren took a swipe at her eyes. 'I keep seeing the children -obeying whatever they're told.' The young girl bit her lip. 'We've got to do something. They do terrible things. They made us watch.'
'You witnessed murder?' Decker asked.
'Punishments,' Lauren said, softly. 'They claimed they served as purification as well as warnings for the rest of the Order.'
'What kind of punishments?' Decker asked.
'Burning iron pokers on the stomach and soles of the feet, branding the back with six-six-six of the devil. If it was a second offense, Pluto would amputate digits - fingers, toes.'
There was silence. Oliver thought of the little man hacking off a chicken head. He said, 'And if it was a third offense?'
This time when Lauren bit her lip, she drew blood. 'There wasn't a third time. The offenders would... disappear.'
'Was Jupiter present during the punishments?'
'You know, I never remember seeing him at the rites of purification.' A sob escaped her throat. "The sadism always came from his underlings.'
'What about Nova? Did he participate?'
'He'd take the atoner's... the victim's vital signs. To make sure the punishment didn't go too far.'
'Like the Spanish Inquisition,' Decker said. 'The torturers always had a doctor present during the process to make sure the victim didn't actually die... so the person could be tortured again.'
To Lauren, Marge said, 'The victims were given only two chances?'
'Yes.'
'And no one protested?'
Lauren said, 'You know, I found out real quick that protest is an invention of a free society. Everyone was terrified). No one said a word!'
More silence.
Lauren went on. 'Pluto had convinced the congregation that the process was necessary for atonement. If the victim didn't undergo the torture, he'd die a violator and never reach the next level. Venus led them in chant while Bob or Pluto performed the horror. Everything was ritualized.'
'How'd you get around them?' Marge asked.
The young woman's face was full of pain. 'I played up to Bob.' She threw up her hands. 'Hey, placating the enemy with sex is a time-honored tradition.'
Immediately, Decker thought of Chanukah. Most people knew about the brave Maccabees fighting off the Greek Syrians. Few knew about the heroics of the woman, Yael. After the Syrian defeat, the enemy general, Sisera, escaped to her house for shelter. She wore him out to complete fatigue by bedding him
. Afterward when he had fallen into a deep sleep, she drove a tent peg through his brain. 'How did you escape, Lauren?'
Lauren blinked. 'Used a time-old tradition of convicts. I tunneled my way out. I started digging on day one.' A shrug. 'I always had my fingernails. On good nights, I had a spoon.'
Along with the others, Decker was stunned. All that for a little girl she had never met. Someone should study her superior morals and ethics.
Lauren brushed strands of hair from her face. 'I did what I had to do.'
'Anyone else from the Order know about your tunnel-'
'Maybe that's the hole in the fence,' Oliver interrupted.
'What hole?' Lauren asked.
Marge explained the phone call.
'I didn't dig out midway between any fence. I came out way beyond the fence in the middle of the wooded area behind the compound. I would have never dug in the open. Way too vulnerable. Reuben and I talked about it before I went in. He said to dig out in the mountain brush where there was plenty of cover. I don't know what hole your caller's talking about.'
'You think the call is a trap?' McCarry inquired.
'Depends who called. If it was Terra, no, it's not a trap. She's terrified of Bob.'
Decker nodded. 'If you met up with her again, you'd think she'd be on your side?'
'Well, she's terrified of Bob. But she's also terrified of defying him.'
'If Venus had made the call, would it be a trap?'
'I don't know. I will say that she has a lot invested in the Order so I don't see her trying to bring it down. Venus also commands respect. You don't mess with her. People have tried and things have happened to them.'
'What things?' McCarry asked. 'Don't tell me she's a serial killer.'
Lauren was pensive. 'Like I said, I never saw anything. But her enemies, like the enemies of Bob and Pluto, had this way of disappearing.'
'Talk about declining populations,' Marge said. 'It's a wonder the Order didn't murder itself out of existence. It's unbelievable!'
'Not at all,' Lauren said. 'When there are no absolutes and people make up the rules, anything is fair game.' A pause. 'I'm not a big one for organized religion. But God has its good points. If the Ten Commandments were given by the Ultimate Creator, then those rules have to be immutable. And that's not bad. Because when human beings change the norms, they always fuck things up.'
McCarry snapped her out of her musings. 'Tell me more about this tunnel'
She told them all she knew. How she chose her spot - in the teens' classroom. Because the gurus weren't the least bit concerned with the kids. And the classrooms were always empty at night. She' d sneak off and dig. She'd time her digging with the cries from the infant nursery next door. Every night, she'd scratch away. She was lucky. Out here, in the valley, the soil was loose. Not like the clay soil that held up most of the city of L. A.
'We should contact SWAT,' McCarry said. 'I'd play it like this. We lead the Order into thinking that we're looking for an imaginary hole-'
'It may be real,' Lauren said. 'Maybe someone else was trying to dig out. I'm just saying it isn't part of my tunnel. Its location doesn't even sound like one of my red herrings.'
'Red herrings?' Decker asked.
'I dug some fake holes outside. Also Reuben's idea. In case I'd make an escape and get discovered midway, my pursuers wouldn't know which hole was real and which one was a dead-end. I dug two fake tunnels while I was at the Order. They don't lead anywhere. One goes about twenty feet and dies, the other's about forty.'
Decker was flabbergasted. 'Can I harness your ingenuity and market it?'
'I was trying to save my life...Lyra's too. Incredible how creative you become.'
McCarry said, 'If we look for this imaginary hole in the fence midway between somewhere, we can draw Bob into thinking we've fallen for his trap. In the meantime, SWAT will tunnel-'
'Uh, there's a problem with a raid,' Lauren said. 'My tunnel was barely big enough for me. It's all belly-crawling. Can't lift your head more than six inches off the ground. At some points, I really had to contort to make it through. You'll never get your regular men through there. A small man would even be doubtful.'
'What about my size?' Marge said.
'Maybe-'
'We'll do the raid with women,' Marge said. 'I'll lead.'
'You're not familiar with the pathway,' Lauren said. 'The turns are tricky. If any part of the tunnel has collapsed, you'll be lost.'
'I'll risk it!' Marge said.
Decker looked at her. 'Margie, that's insane.'
She ignored him. 'It'll have to be done at night.'
'Night, day, it doesn't matter,' Lauren answered. 'Tunnel is as dark as jet fuel. Slimy, too.'
'I was thinking of dark as coverage in the mountains-'
'Ah,' Lauren said. 'Good point!'
'We'll need miner's caps for starts,' Marge said. 'Protective gear, equipment, gloves, masks. Don't want to pick up any lethal virus nesting in the soil.'
'A lightweight oxygen tank may be helpful,' Lauren said. 'Just in case.'
'You're not worried about gases igniting.'
'It's not that far down.'
'How far?'
'Six feet maybe.'
'It's too dangerous,' Decker said. 'Forget it!'
'What do you mean, forget it?' Marge was outraged. 'It's okay for men to raid and risk their lives, but when it comes to meek women-'
'I'd forbid anyone under my command,' Decker said. 'Marge, for Chrissakes, you're a Homicide cop, not Indiana Jones!'
'She made it out!'
'She had two years for test runs. Besides the Order wasn't looking for a raid when she broke out!'
'Pete, they're not going to be looking for a raid coming up from a tunnel-'
'They'll be looking for a raid in any way, shape or form. Through the doors, through the ceilings, under the floors. They're going to be scrutinizing everything!' He threw up his hands. 'If this is going to be done, at least let SWAT handle it-'
'I've got a major advantage over SWAT.' Marge poked her chest. 'I've been inside the Order.'
Oliver said, 'Marge, to use the advantage, first you've got to get inside.'
'I can do it-'
'She just said you're too big!' Decker insisted.
'Maybe not,' Lauren backtracked.
Marge turned to her. 'Are you willing to go back in?'
'Yes.' She nodded fiercely. 'I couldn't live with myself if I didn't give it my best shot.' She looked at Decker. 'Loo or Pete or Decker or whatever your name is, if she's willing to go in, so am I. You need me. I'm your only hope.' McCarry said, 'You'll need professionals with you.'
'Then no more than three people,' Lauren said. 'I've loosely calculated the oxygen level for the given area. The tunnel can support around three sets of lungs without trouble.'
'We'll take supplemental oxygen canisters,' Marge said. 'So I'm one, and Lauren's two. We'll take one more.' She turned to Decker, 'Who's our best on SWAT?'
'Probably Sharon Jacobs.'
'Is she here?'
'I don't know' Decker was agitated. 'This is sheer suicide!'
Marge said, 'Pete, I keep hearing the voice of that kid I interviewed-'
'Who?' Lauren asked.
'Vega-'
'Oh she's wonderful! Brilliant, too.'
'I'm going and that's it!' Marge turned to Decker with a determined look on her face. He had seen it too many times in the past. It said, 'I hear you, I'm disregarding you.'
McCarry said, 'Special Agent Elise Stone has been with SWAT for ten years. I know she's here. Been here since the beginning.'
'We'll take her,' Marge said, 'Lauren'll lead, then I'll go. Elise Stone'11 bring up the rear.' She looked upward. The sun was stronger now. The harsh light made her eyes burn. 'We've got about twelve hours to concoct some kind of workable plan. We'd better light a fire.' She threw her arm around Lauren. 'C'mon. Let's go save some kids.'
Reuben Asnikov was brought down to identify Lauren Bolt:
to verify that she wasn't a plant from the Order. He did the identification with glee, not only feeling vindicated by her appearance but relieved and grateful, stating that perhaps maybe the kids had a glimmer of a chance.
The children. The foremost consideration - the drooling infants with bald heads and lopsided smiles, the toddlers with wet thumbs, teetering gaits and curious eyes, the preschoolers learning how to count while pushing rubber blocks through shape-sorters, school-aged children with missing front teeth, bright eyes, and gangly limbs, the giggling preteens on the verge of puberty, teenagers carving their way into adulthood.
Faye Kellerman - Decker 11 - Jupiter's Bones Page 33