Deadly Cult

by Joel Gomez-Dossi

  Sharar continued with his duties while Zacchaeus basked in the compliment. But he began to worry when he saw Raamiah approaching Sharar. Raamiah’s smile exposed his filthy brown teeth. Raamiah said something to Sharar, and Sharar got angry. They argued, and Sharar hit Raamiah. Raamiah fell to the ground and then looked up with hate in his eyes.

  This made Zacchaeus happy, but what followed made his stomach turn. Sharar helped Raamiah stand up, and they embraced one another. Sharar even kissed Raamiah on the forehead.

  Zacchaeus wondered how Sharar could show affection toward that man. He was fat, ugly, and mean. He didn’t have spiritual thoughts. He loved evil. He loved dominating and striking fear into the hearts of Godly men.

  Zacchaeus paused. Could Sharar be like Raamiah? Maybe Sharar isn’t as kindly as I believed. And maybe Sharar is using me for his own gain, so that I’ll follow him without question.

  No, that’s not possible. Sharar cares for me. He told me so himself. I’m his little soldier.

  The two thoughts ricocheted back and forth through Zacchaeus’s brain, and he started shaking.

  Breathing slowly to control his tremors, he finished packing the SUVs. When no one was looking, he made his way to the Disciples’ quarters to gather more supplies. He wrapped them in a linen cloth and hid them under his clothes, for fear someone would spot him carrying a bundle through the square.

  He walked quickly past the Faithfuls guarding the home front. However, they didn’t appear to be very weak. They were yelling the most obscene things about Eddie and Jamie. They had fierceness in their eyes. It frightened Zacchaeus, so he didn’t speak to anybody.

  He reached his destination, the Spiritual Containment Center, and closed his eyes, lowered his head, and prayed, “May the Lord have mercy on my soul.”

  He opened his eyes and walked to the guards. “Open the door and stand back,” he commanded.

  “But we can’t. We’re under strict orders from Saul. We’re not even allowed to talk with the prisoners, and you want to go in there?”

  “I’m under strict orders, too,” he lied. He hoped his shaking hands didn’t give him away. “And my orders come from Sharar. He has higher rank than Saul.”

  The guards conferred with each other. “Very well, then. But let it be known we comply under protest.”

  “Duly noted,” Zacchaeus said.

  The guards handed him a lantern and opened the cellar door reluctantly.

  He thanked the guards with “God will bless you for your kindness.”

  “May Mordecai bless you, too,” they said. He gave them an expression of gratitude and went through the door. The cellar was pitch-black, and smelled, too.

  Jamie’s voice came through the darkness. “Who is it?”

  “It’s me, Zacchaeus,” he called back loudly, making his voice sound deep and manly. He didn’t want to tip off the guards to what he was really doing. He held up the lantern to illuminate the room, and he heard Eddie gasp.

  “We have nothing to say to Zacchaeus,” Jamie said. “We will only speak with Andrew Caldwell.”

  Zacchaeus looked over at Eddie. “Is that true for you, too?”

  Eddie slowly replied, “Yes. I’ll only speak to my good friend Andy.”

  “So be it.” Zacchaeus put down the lantern and his shoulders slumped. He retrieved the package from his pocket. “These are for you, from your old friend.”

  Jamie accepted the gift, untied the hemp string, and pulled back the linen fabric to reveal a handgun and a wad of cash.

  “What is this?” Jamie asked.

  Zacchaeus swallowed hard. “It’s my undoing.” He looked over at Eddie, who was crying.

  Jamie asked, “What are we supposed to do with this?”

  Zacchaeus’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Wait until sundown. By then, the Disciples and the Faithfuls will have left. Security will be at its lowest. It should be easy for you to escape.”

  Jamie nodded. “Why is Mordecai doing all of this?”

  “Mordecai is creating a diversion, something sinful his Faithfuls can latch on to.”

  “A diversion? What is he trying to cover up?”

  “What he’s going to do to his real enemies.”

  “Okay.” Jamie paused to process Andy’s garbled information. “First, who are Mordecai’s real enemies? Where are they located? And what can we do to stop Mordecai?”

  Zacchaeus shook his head. “You do what God required, but you don’t have much time. It all begins on Easter morning.”

  He started to walk out, but Jamie stopped him again. “You’re not making sense. Tell me, what begins on Easter morning?”

  He turned around. “Armageddon begins.”

  “Armageddon against the gay community?”

  “No,” Zacchaeus said. “Mordecai’s real enemies are the ones closer to his heart.”

  Jamie scrunched up his face, and finally said, “Okay. At least tell us where this Armageddon is going to start.”

  “Boston.” Zacchaeus left the cellar. Fearing he’d been gone too long and his absence had been noticed, he hurried back to the Disciples’ quarters.

  Chapter Forty-two

  Mordecai watched one of the Faithful lead the stallion into the square. “Careful,” he cried. “This magnificent animal is a symbol of our ministry.” He approached the horse and petted its white mane. “My beautiful animal,” he whispered into its ear. “Our time is nearing, just as the Archangel Ezekiel promised. And I’ll carry my sword and wear my crown as I ride you to victory.”

  Mordecai signaled the worker to continue loading the horse, and he turned his attention to the Faithfuls preparing to leave for Boston. With the faggots as a common enemy, his flock were excited and ready. As a reward, he gave them signs of appreciation. Smiles. Handshakes. Even hugs. The sacrifice paid off. Victory was in his reach.

  But I’ve got to act humble, he reminded himself. I will be making a miraculous appearance as the leader of a ragtag group of humble righteous, showing mankind the way to heaven.

  His entrance into the city would have to be stealthy, because no one would recognize his divinity. But after D-Day things would be different. The Christian world would be in disarray, and he would step in to preserve order. Everyone would praise him for his selfless actions, and they’d come to worship him as the true voice of modern Christianity.

  Mordecai got into in the lead SUV and Saul took the driver’s seat. They drove down the path leading out of the compound, the vehicles filled with his hand-chosen Faithfuls following close behind.

  Smiling at the size of the procession, he asked, “How many are coming with us?”

  “About two hundred,” Saul said.

  “That should be plenty.”

  Saul drove up to the electronic gate and pressed the wireless remote. The gate rolled open, and Mordecai got on the SUV’s loudspeaker. “Now is our time, Christian soldiers. We are marching with humility and reverence into Satan’s lair. May the Lord’s divine countenance be upon us.”

  The Brethren cheered and followed Mordecai out of the compound.

  Chapter Forty-three

  Zacchaeus ran into the Disciples’ area just as Sharar yelled, “Where’s my manservant?”

  “Here I am, Disciple.” He tried to hide the shortness in his breath.

  If Sharar noticed anything amiss, he didn’t show it. “It’s about time, Zacchaeus. You can’t separate from the group once we’re at Ground Zero. You’ve got to stay close by.”

  Zacchaeus understood and bowed with supplication. “Absolutely.”

  Sharar turned to the Disciples. “Mordecai will be taking the state and county roads with the Brethren because they have so many vehicles. It’ll be easier for them to separate on those roads and not look conspicuous.”

  Raamiah stopped picking his teeth for a moment and asked, “What route will we use?”

  “We’ll take the expressways. That’ll save up to an hour overall. But remember, from now on, we are to remain separate from Mordecai a
nd the Brethren.”

  “That doesn’t bother me in the slightest.” Raamiah threw his toothpick on the ground and looked Sharar straight in the eye. “What I want to know is when do we get paid?”

  Sharar sneered. “When your work is satisfactorily finished. Not a second before.”

  “Just asking, is all. Need to make sure my portfolio is properly diversified, you know.” Raamiah laughed. The rest of the Disciples chuckled along, too.

  Zacchaeus realized the Disciples weren’t really disciples at all. They just wanted the money. They wanted to be paid in full.

  The Disciples loaded into their SUVs and headed for the gate.

  Chapter Forty-four

  Early morning, Holy Saturday

  The light snuck between the cracks of the cellar door, providing just enough illumination to show how filthy the dungeon was. Jamie and Eddie had been locked up there for hours, but Eddie hadn’t said a word the whole time. He was probably blaming himself for Andy’s troubles.

  Andy’s a fucked-up individual, Jamie thought. But right now we’ve got our own problems.

  He turned to Eddie, but was only able to see his outline in the dim light. “Do you think it’s time to escape yet?”

  “No,” Eddie answered flatly. “Andy told us to wait until sundown, and we’re going to obey his wishes.”

  “Then how are we supposed to know when the sun sets? They took our watches, and there aren’t any windows in this fucking cell. It could have set hours ago for all we know.” Jamie started doodling again.

  But Eddie evidently wanted to get something off his mind. “You know, Jamie, if we ever get back to New York…”

  “You mean when we get back.”

  “Okay. When we get back to New York, I won’t have a job anymore.”

  Jamie realized Eddie was worried about his own situation. “Don’t be silly. Of course you’ll have a job.”

  “No, Bardot was serious when he said I had to return for Easter brunch or else.”

  “He’s not going to fire you for missing one day of work.”

  “Yes, he will, without a second thought.”

  Jamie wanted to swear again, but deep down, he knew Eddie was right. “I’m sorry,” he said.

  Eddie didn’t answer. Or maybe Jamie couldn’t hear his response because of the loud ruckus that started outside. It sounded like the Faithfuls had stormed the front of the cellar. They banged on the exterior walls, yelling the most disturbing things.

  “Okay, maybe Andy’s right,” he said. “We should wait for things to settle down before trying to escape.”

  Eddie agreed, and Jamie stared at the wall until he fell into an uncomfortable sleep. What seemed like moments later, he awoke to an eerie silence. The Faithfuls’ commotion had stopped. “Must be time to escape.”

  Eddie agreed and they put their plan into motion. Eddie quietly crawled to the front of the dungeon door and curled into a fetal position. Jamie grasped a plank of wood and hid in the background. He gave Eddie the signal to start wailing, which he did, pretty convincingly. Jamie figured it was due to all the pain and anguish pent up inside him. He finally had an opportunity to open his emotional spigot, and the pain just flowed out.

  “What’s wrong?” the guard asked from outside.

  Eddie didn’t stop wailing.

  Jamie shouted, “He’s in lots of pain. Saul took away the medicine for his leg, and the welts he got from Mordecai’s whipping must have become infected. He needs help.”

  The guard said, “Just a moment.”

  Jamie heard the jingling of keys as the guard opened the door and stuck his head inside. Jamie sprang from his hiding place and walloped the guard’s head with the piece of wood. He fell to the ground. He struck the guard again before he and Eddie walked outside. After making sure the coast was clear, they locked the guard inside.

  The rest of the Faithfuls had moved into the square, gathering tree branches, logs, and kindling. It looked like they were in the process of making a big bonfire. There were a couple of crosses in the middle of the pile.

  Eddie froze at the sight. “What do you think they’re building that for?”

  “They’re building it for us.” But Jamie noticed the Faithfuls’ profane mutterings weren’t just about them. They were also swearing about foreigners, non-Christians, and just about anybody who was different from them.

  “How will we slip past the Faithfuls without being seen?” Eddie asked.

  “We can’t,” he answered. “So our only hope is to blend in with them. If we act as crazy as they do, maybe they won’t notice who we are.”

  Eddie gave him an are-you-crazy look. “How do you blend in with a bunch of maniacs?”

  Jamie shrugged. He hunched his torso forward, keeping his head looking to the heavens. Then he jerked his arms in upward random swings and yelled, “Rush Limbaugh is God’s voice on earth” and “The only good gay is a dead gay.”

  Jamie realized it didn’t matter what he yelled. What mattered was that he looked like the rest of the Brethren, half-crazed.

  Eddie surprised him. He play-acted insane with abandon.

  Together, they walked in the direction of the parked SUVs. Jamie continued spouting conspiratorial theories while Eddie jabbered on in Spanglish. When they reached the galvanized steel fence encasing the motor pool, Jamie crossed his fingers. He hoped there would be at least one vehicle with the keys still in the ignition. But his luck ran out when they tried to open the gate. It was locked up tight with another one of those electronic locks requiring a code to open it.

  “Not only that,” Eddie said. “The combination has to be punched in with a certain rhythm. It reads the pauses as part of the code.”

  Jamie looked at him with disbelief. “How do you know that?”

  “It says so right on the keypad.”

  Jamie looked closer. The keypad read, Patent Pending: code and timing-spatial compliant security system.

  “Damn it,” Jamie muttered. “Well, we can’t stay here,” Jamie went on. “We need to find a secure place to hide while we figure out how to get out of here.”

  He and Eddie started searching for a hideaway. They didn’t get far before they heard sounds coming from the side of the pathway.

  It was more like a high-pitched, nasal whimper, and it sounded like Peter Sokolov.

  Chapter Forty-five

  Ellen woke with a nasty-tasting cloth in her mouth. Her entire body ached, and she smelled offensive, too.

  She tried to get off the floor, but her legs were bound. The tape started at her ankles and ran up to her knees. Her wrists were also bound with tape. Chris had even taped the window curtains closed.

  The door rattled and he entered. “Promise not to scream?” he asked when he reached her. She nodded and he pulled the rag out of her mouth. “How long have I been tied up?” Ellen’s throat was rough and scratchy.

  “About a day.” He chuckled. “You know, if you had stayed in New York and minded your own business, none of this would be happening.” He found another roll of packing tape and started to reinforce the binding on her wrists.

  She tried to fight him, but it was useless. She asked, “Why would the Brethren want to harm Conservative Christians? It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “Very little about the Brethren makes sense.” He tore off another strip of tape and wrapped it around her wrists.

  “What do the Brethren plan on doing at the service?” He dropped the roll of tape and looked into her eyes. “They’re planning to do what they did at those other cities, aren’t they?”

  He didn’t answer her.

  “Tell me!”

  He sat down next to her. “Look, Ellen, the Easter Service was in danger of losing its funding. The council approached your father about giving additional money. The Brethren found out about it and paid me to make sure Rhodes Petroleum gave them the grant. That’s all I was supposed to be concerned about.”

  “Supposed to be? What more did you do?”

  “Sto
p asking me questions.”

  She struggled to get upright. “You’re just as evil as they are.”

  He backed away. “I’m not evil. I simply provided information to the concerned parties. Considering what I could have done, I’m practically innocent.”

  Ellen laughed. “That’s fucked up.”

  “Is it? If your father hadn’t given them the money, the service would never happen, and neither would D-Day.”

  “Is that what you’re calling it? D-Day?”

  “I don’t call it that. They do.” He grabbed the rag and crammed it in Ellen’s mouth. Within minutes he was out the door.

  Ellen took a deep breath. She was still tied up and gagged, but at least she was alive.

  Chapter Forty-six

  Jamie and Eddie ran to Peter, but cringed when they saw him. He was a mess. Horseshit still covered his clothes, and his face had been ripped open by the nails in the booby trap. Dried blood crusted over an eyebrow.

  “Didn’t anyone help you?” Jamie asked.

  Peter shook his head. “I’m low on the priority list, compared to Mordecai’s new mission.”

  “I’m sorry,” Jamie said. “I’d like to help you, but how can I be sure you’re not going turn on us again?”

  Peter looked up with his good eye. “I’m sorry for the things I’ve done. But you’re right. You don’t have any reason to trust me.”

  “That’s true,” Eddie said. “We should stay far away from you. But coming out to yourself is one of the hardest things imaginable. Jamie and I know because we’ve done it. So I think you deserve another chance.”

  “No.” Peter shook his head. “You’ve been my only friends, but look how I treated you.”

  Jamie gently rubbed Peter’s tense shoulder. “You did what you had to do. We understand and we’re not angry. Well, we’re not angry with you, at least.”

  “But I should have known better.”