“That was the tip of the iceberg,” she continued “The heiress eventually went back to him. After that, it started happening all the time. Then Nightline did a special on it.”
“That’s crazy. I’m surprised I’ve never heard of him before.”
“So am I. He was pretty famous for a while. I remember being on location in Mexico and watching a repeat of a program about him on the crime channel on satellite television. It all seems like a strange dream now.”
“Or this is,” I said. “But I know what you mean. So what happened then?”
“It got to the point where any time you’d see a white van in town you got to wondering if there was a paid team of exit counselors hiding inside,” she told me. “Some of the people rescued starting telling stories about devotees being forced to take drugs and about group marriages conducted by the prophet. They said he had several brides.”
“So why didn’t the government step in and do something?”
“They did,” Felicity said. “They came in with armed SWAT and raided the compound. They hauled Bryan off to jail, practically parading him around town like some kind of martyr. The only problem is, they didn’t find anything.”
“Did someone tip him off they were coming?”
“Maybe. Who knows? All I know is that they questioned his followers and in the end they didn’t have anything to hold him on except a few misdemeanor permit violations that got dropped. All it did was make his faithful all the more devoted.”
“That’s probably when they started arming up,” I said.
“Makes sense,” she replied. “But that was almost ten years ago. I can’t imagine how much artillery they’d have by now.”
“Enough to keep us in line. So what do we do?”
“We could fight our way out. “We might not be able to get the SUV back but we could find Benji and head out on foot.”
“Don’t think it didn’t cross my mind,” I said. “They would cut us to pieces, starting with that chick Rowena. Plus we have no idea where Benji is or what state he’s in. For all we know, they’re holding him hostage to get us to behave. I think it’s strange he’s not here now.”
“Well we can’t just stay here forever,” she argued. “Who knows what he’ll do to us, to me?”
I realized for the first time that she was truly scared of him, of what he might try to do to her as a young woman. If he liked young girls ten years ago, chances were his habits hadn’t changed much.
“We’re going to have to go along with whatever he has planned,” I said. “At least for the time being, until we can figure out an escape plan. Try to blend in, I guess.”
“Xander,” she said with big pleading eyes. “I can’t.”
“I’m not saying you should offer yourself to him,” I said quickly. “That’s not what I meant at all. I’m just suggesting we start to give him the impression that he is winning us over to his freaky religion long enough to figure out how we are getting the hell out of here.”
“That’s like playing with fire,” she cautioned. “You know that right? A guy like Bryan Crowe can’t be reasoned with. You can’t cut a deal with him. In the end, all Bryan cares about is twisting and distorting reality until it fits the way he wants the world to be—his own.”
Before we could argue, the door was opened and Rowena came in toting her automatic weapon.
“It’s time,” she spat in disgust at the sight of us. “Get up and get moving.”
Chapter Twenty
We were marched out back across the main entrance again. I noticed right away that our vehicle was gone. Great, I thought. Any chance of jumping in and escaping was now long gone. I knew it wouldn’t be that easy but still it sucked to have my suspicions confirmed.
Rowena led us to a large outdoor area with cooking pits. There were six banquet style tables nearby that looked like they had been hewn out of large trees then sanded down and made into tables by a master craftsman. The ground was comprised of soft, dusty brown dirt with not a single rock or pine needle to catch your foot on. It was as level as the tables. The sun had set and at first the only light I could make out was coming from the pits. Then, as my eyes adjusted, I saw that there were low level lights on all the trees and structures. I squinted, trying to make out what they were when I heard Bryan’s ominous voice wash over me like a bucket of ice water.
“Bioluminescence,” he said. “It’s a natural, chemical reaction similar to the kind found in fireflies, only we use a special kind of concentrated bacteria that we cultivate ourselves. It’s called Luciferase, ironically enough. It’s taken from Satan’s original name when he was an angel—Lucifer, which means light bearer. He was the most beloved of all the angels once upon a time. Then things changed. I see you are dressed for a night of festivities.”
He stepped forward into the light to greet us.
“Where is Benji?” I asked gruffly. My rudeness didn’t throw him off a bit. He was in good spirits.
“He is around. He’s been playing a fierce game of capture the flag with the other kids. They’ve really taken to him.”
“Benji has that effect on people,” I said. “He’s a great kid.”
“I agree. Come now, join me at my table as my honored guests.”
Rowena fell back as we willingly followed him to the middle table and sat down. There were six young girls seated with him. I looked to Felicity to see that her features had hardened. She glared at Bryan. Before we could say anything, he let out a laugh that seemed to set Felicity more on edge.
“I can see from the disapproving look on your face that some introductions are in order,” Bryan said. “These are my wives.”
“All of them?” I asked, unable to help myself. They were all around our age or younger.
“I am very blessed,” he said with false modesty. He gestured around the table in a circle, naming each girl as he went. “This is Annabelle, Syriah, Leah, Tara, Beatrice, and Victoria. Say hello girls.”
“Hello,” they replied dutifully in unison like some kind of sideshow attraction.
“Isn’t it against the law to have more than one wife?” I asked. “No offense.”
“I am glad you asked.” Bryan smiled. “It is against man’s law but not God’s law. In the Old Testament we see many instances of polygamy. Moses had two wives, at least. Abraham had three known wives. Then there is the case of King Solomon who had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines, and he was considered one of the wisest men to have ever walked the face of the earth!”
“How many wives does one man need?” Felicity fumed.
“I would say the perfect number is seven.” He winked at her. “It’s a holy number.”
“Seriously though,” I interjected. “Why do you need all these wives?”
“It is a responsibility and a privilege. I am blessed by God almighty who said we may take as many wives as we can comfortably maintain. Verily he tells us to go forth and be fruitful and multiply.”
“Amen,” said Leah, leaning over and kissing him on the mouth. She couldn’t be older than fifteen.
He could be her grandfather, I thought, grossed out by the sight. I did my best to hide my feelings.
“It’s time for the toast of the feast,” Bryan said, standing up.
I could see now that we were surrounded by devotees on all sides, watching our every move. Chefs stood by the fires with meats that looked like skewered rabbits and vegetables, waiting for the order. Another group of helpers moved from table to table filling glasses. Bryan already had a large, ornate bottle of his own red wine open. He poured a generous helping into the chalice in front of him and held it up.
“Brothers and sisters,” he began in a loud, booming voice that echoed out across the valley beyond the banquet area. “Tonight we join together to celebrate our great good fortune in being gathered as one family in the final days of our Lord and Savior. Praise God! Hallelujah!”
“Hallelujah!” A deafening chorus of hundreds joined in raising their gl
asses.
“As we come together in this special time of Harvest, let us not forget those blessed souls we have lost, those that have gone before us into the arms of the Lord.” Bryan bowed his head. “We will see them again in the promised land soon enough.”
A wave of amens crashed over us again.
“May the blood of the Lamb cleanse us of our sins and bring us peace.” He put the chalice to his lips and tipped it back, taking a strong gulp of wine before passing it to us.
“No thanks,” Felicity said, pushing it away.
“It’s important,” he pleaded in a soothing voice. “It’s part of our customs. Harvest lasts from sundown through the rise of the full moon. It begins with a drink of the blood of the Lamb, symbolizing the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us on the cross which washed away our sins. You see? You have to drink.”
“Fine,” she relented. “I’ll drink if it will shut you up already. To Jesus.” She tilted her head back and took a big swig. She set the cup back down on the table. “There. You happy?”
“I am happy for you,” he corrected. “You don’t know this since you are new but when you finish drinking you are to pass the cup to the person on your right. Then they drink. We repeat this until the offering is gone.”
“If you say so,” she said saucily. “I just hope we eat soon because I am not good at handling my liquor. I haven’t had a drink since rehab.”
She passed the cup to me and I took a sip. It was red wine but it tasted overly sweet, as if someone had added sugar to hide something else.
Don’t be paranoid, I told myself. You saw him drink out of it. If they wanted to kill you they could have taken you out a million different ways by now. All they’d have to do is march you to the tree line and gun you down, not secretly poison you.
I took a full swig and passed it to my right, to Syriah. She took a good sip and passed it on.
I could smell the meat had been put on the fires. It smelled good. Within ten minutes the cup had gone around several times and the bottle was empty. We were all laughing and smiling. I couldn’t feel my face. Although I wasn’t used to drinking, I knew this wasn’t from being drunk alone. I was right. There was some kind of drug in the wine. I felt happiness bursting in my chest and flowing through every part of me. Whatever it was, it felt good. I had no fear anymore—not of death or zombies or cult members holding us hostage. Feelings of love and peace and happiness washed over me again and again. Anything seemed possible. For a minute I thought I might be able to fly.
Pretty soon everything seemed to be running together. Food was brought to the table and we ate, but I don’t know what it was. Then the world began to spin and spin. People got up and danced and took off their clothing. I stood up and began searching for Benji. The last thing I recall was turning to see Felicity staring at one of the bio-luminescent lights on the trees and laughing over and over.
The next morning I woke up in an empty bedroom with a dull headache. The white of the walls seemed to be seeping into me and making me nauseous. I climbed out of bed and the whole room seemed to spin. The first thing I noticed was that I was naked. The next thing I noticed was that my normal clothing was left in a pile next to the bed.
Did I take off my clothes last night in front of everyone? I wondered, but I sure hoped not. What if Felicity had seen me naked? That would be super embarrassing!
I quickly put on my clothing then searched the pocket and found that the pills I had snatched from the bathroom at Jackson’s place were long gone. I had forgotten to mention them to Felicity so I couldn’t say anything. For a minute I wondered if that was what they fed us the night before, but then I realized they had made Felicity seem really calm. Whatever was in the wine we drank had the opposite effect. For all I knew it was ecstasy and angel dust.
Panic came over me as I realized I didn’t have my sword. The last place I recalled having it was at the dinner feast where I had set it on the table. Frantically I searched around the room. Relief washed over me as I found it propped against the wall in the corner. I checked the blade to make sure it was still clean then slid it over my shoulder and walked out.
In the living room I found a glass of water and two aspirin with a note telling me to meet up with them for breakfast when I felt better. I popped the sour white pills into my mouth and gulped down the liquid like a thirsty dog. My stomach felt like a gurgling pit of acid.
I threw open the door and stepped outside. The cool air felt good but the sun seemed to be burning a hole through my head. I began to hope the aspirin would kick in fast.
Jonah approached me with a kind smile. “How are you feeling today, brother?”
“I’m all right,” I said, trying to belie the pounding headache that was setting in.
“You sure seemed to be having fun last night,” he said with a smile.
“Funny,” I replied. “I can’t remember much of it.”
“That’s how it is when the spirit of the Lord takes over you.”
“Or when the drugs in the wine kick in,” I said. He laughed as if I was kidding but I just stared at him.
“All right then. I’ve been waiting for you. It’s my honor to take you on a tour of the grounds, after breakfast that is.”
“I’m gonna skip breakfast if you don’t mind,” I said as the nausea returned. “Just some bottled water would be nice.”
“Done.”
“Where is Benji?”
“I don’t know about your friend, Benji,” Jonah said. “He spent the night with the other kids. They have their own cabin across the way. Children tend to keep different hours than adults and we’ve found it’s best for all if they are kept separate.”
“And Felicity?”
“She got up about an hour ago. She went to see Bryan and I believe she is now on a tour with Darren.”
“Great,” I said with a fake smile. “That is just perfect.”
“I am glad you are pleased,” Jonah said with a genuine smile. It was obvious he really believed in all this religious stuff and was happy to be one of Bryan’s minions. “Shall we go then?”
“Lead the way,” I replied with a flourish of my hands.
The tour actually turned out to be pretty cool, against all odds. They were a highly skilled, self sufficient group of people who knew how to build, how to trap and hunt and fish and live off the land. They understood science and medicine. They were creative and smart and generally kind, if only just a little creepy. Everywhere we went they sang the praises of their messiah and wished us a happy Harvest.
The aspirin kicked in soon enough and my headache began to fade as my body returned to normal. I drank two large bottles of water Jonah provided for me and ate a stick of rabbit jerky he’d carefully wrapped in a strip of tan cloth for the tour. To his credit, Jonah never once gave in to my taunts or teasing or sarcastic remarks. Against my better judgment I began to like him. It was hard not to like the guy. He was just too nice!
He showed me a water purifying station they had set up and talked about their failed attempts to create a small power plant.
“We just don’t have enough fuel to power it. We’d need coal or gasoline or something strong, and in the end it wouldn’t be worth it for what we could generate and store. For now, we’ve found other ways around the problem.”
“Like bioluminescence?”
“Exactly,” he replied. “Or as we like to call it — God’s electricity.”
A group of kids across the way ran screaming into the woods. I thought I caught sight of Benji from behind, disappearing off in the high brush.
“Too bad you can’t harness the energy of all those kids,” I said. “You’d have more than enough to power the whole of California.”
“That’s the truth.”
I looked up and saw Felicity off in the distance with Darren, talking.
“What’s over there?” I pointed in their direction.
“The pits,” he said. “I’m not sure you’re ready to see them.”
“Nonsense. I’ve made leaps and bounds since this morning. I’m practically converted to your way of life.” I smiled.
He looked pensive but relented, probably realizing that I wouldn’t give in without a fight. “Try to keep an open mind,” he cautioned as he led the way.
Darren looked up and saw us coming. He had a frown on his face as he talked to Felicity. She had her back to us so I couldn’t tell what she was thinking. Jonah smiled and waved to them and Darren waved back.
When we got close to the spot where they were standing, I began to smell a faint scent of death and decay. Then I heard the low moaning. Instantly my hand went to my sword in defense. Jonah calmly put his hand on my shoulder.
“It’s okay,” he said soothingly. “We are safe.”
We reached them and I looked past Felicity to see what she was staring down at. There was a natural ravine set into the side of the hill that had been dug out and covered over with metal bars. Inside were upwards of a hundred zombies milling about. Undead men, women, and children shuffled back and forth moaning and groaning. Occasionally one would lift its head, sniff the air, then snap with its rotten teeth in our direction.
“What the hell is that?” I was starting to lose my cool.
“Those are people,” Jonah replied. “Just like you or me, only they are suffering.”
“Those are zombies,” I countered. “They are dead, infected people.”
“Yes. Exactly.”
“So why are you keeping them penned up like that?”
“I knew he wouldn’t understand,” Darren said to Felicity.
“I’m not sure I do either,” Felicity replied, turning and taking me by the hand. “Why don’t you explain to us both again?”
Darren looked angrily at me. I tried my best to fight back the smile blossoming on my face.
“Okay then,” he said, regaining his composure. “We believe that the living dead are people just like the rest of us who have committed terrible sins and are now paying the price for their transgressions.”
“That’s pretty cold, man,” I said, but he stopped me.
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