by Tillie Cole
DEEP REDEMPTION
A Hades Hangmen Novel
Tillie Cole
Copyright© Tillie Cole 2016 All rights reserved
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eBook Edition
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This is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, actual events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters and names are products of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.
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Dedication
For those who deserve to be free.
Contents Page
Glossary
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Epilogue
Author’s Note
As with all of the Hades Hangmen novels, Deep Redemption (Hades Hangmen #4) contains religious practices and experiences that, although may be unfamiliar and unknown to many, are inspired by the beliefs and traditions of past, and existing sects and New Religious Movements.
Please note that this novel also contains graphic scenes of disturbing and taboo practices, sexual abuse and excessive violence.
Can I please kindly request that your reviews, progress updates and edits be SPOILER FREE so that all readers can get the most from their reading experience.
Many thanks and happy reading!
ALL HAIL THE PROPHET!!!
Glossary
(Not in alphabetical order)
The Order Terminology
The Order: Apocalyptic New Religious Movement. Beliefs based on selected Christian teachings, strongly believe the apocalypse is imminent. Previously led by Prophet David (declared himself to be a Prophet of God and a descendant of King David), the elders and the disciples. Succeeded by Prophet Cain (nephew of Prophet David).
The members live together in a secluded commune; based on traditional and modest living, polygamy and unorthodox religious practices. Believe the ‘outside world’ is sinful and evil. Have no contact with non-members.
Commune: Property owned by The Order and controlled by Prophet Cain. Segregated living community. Policed by disciples and elders and stocked with weapons in case of an outside world attack. Men and women kept in separate areas of the commune. The Cursed kept away from all men (except the elders) in their own private quarters. Land protected by a large perimeter fence.
New Zion: New Commune of The Order. Created after the previous commune was destroyed in the battle against The Hades Hangmen.
The Order’s Elders (Original Commune): Comprises four men: Gabriel (deceased), Moses (Deceased), Noah (deceased), Jacob (deceased), Charged with the day-to-day running of the commune. Second in Command to Prophet David (deceased). Responsible for schooling the Cursed.
New Zion Council Elders: Men of elevated status in New Zion. Appointed by Prophet Cain.
Prophet’s Hand: Position held by Brother Judah.
Second in command to Prophet Cain. Shares in the running of New Zion and any religious, political or military decisions concerning The Order.
Disciple Guards: Male members of The Order. Tasked with the protection of the commune lands and the members of The Order.
Lord’s Sharing: Ritual sexual act performed between male and female members of The Order. Believed to help the male get steadily closer to the Lord. Performed in mass ceremonies. Narcotics often used for a transcendental experience. Females are forbidden from experiencing pleasure as punishment for carrying the original sin of Eve and must perform the act when required as part of their sisterly duties.
Awakening: Rite of Passage in The Order. On a girl’s eighth birthday, she is to be sexually ‘awakened’ by a commune member or, on special occasions, an Elder.
Sacred Circle: Religious practice exploring the notion of ‘free love’. Sexual intercourse and behavior with many partners in a public setting.
Sacred Sister: A chosen woman of The Order, tasked with leaving the commune to spread The Order’s message by sexual means.
The Cursed: Women/Girls in The Order deemed too naturally beautiful and inherently sinful. Live separately from the rest of commune. Seen as too tempting to men. The Cursed are believed to be significantly more likely to sway men from the righteous path.
Original Sin: Augustine Christian doctrine that says mankind is born sinful and has an innate urge to disobey God. Original Sin is the result of Adam and Eve’s disobedience of God when they ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. In The Order’s doctrines (created by Prophet David), Eve is blamed for tempting Adam to sin, thus sisters of The Order are seen as born seductresses and temptresses and must therefore obey men.
Sheol: Old Testament word meaning ‘the pit’ or ‘the grave’ or ‘the Underworld’. Place of the dead.
Glossolalia: Incomprehensible speech displayed by religious believers during an episode of religious ecstasy. Embracing the Holy Spirit.
Diaspora: The dispersion of people from their original homeland.
Hill of Perdition: Hill on the outskirts of the commune. Used for seclusions of New Zion’s inhabitants and for punishments.
Devil’s Men: Reference to the Hades Hangmen MC.
Prophet’s Consort: Female chosen by Prophet Cain to aid him sexually. Elevated status in New Zion.
Prophet’s Head Consort: Appointed by Prophet Cain. Elevated status in New Zion. Closest consort to the prophet. Sexual partner of choice.
Celestial Meditation: The act of spiritual sexual intercourse. Believed in and practiced by members of The Order. Reaching a closer connection to God through sexual release.
Repatriation: To bring back a person to his or her country or land. The Repatriation of The Order involves bringing back all the members of the faith to New Zion from foreign communes.
Hades Hangmen Terminology
Hades Hangmen: One-percenter Outlaw MC. Founded in Austin, Texas, 1969.
Hades: Lord of the Underworld in Greek mythology.
Mother Chapter: First branch of the club. Founding location.
One-percenter: The American Motorbike Association (AMA) were once rumored to have said that 99% of bikers were law-abiding citizens. Bikers who do not abide by AMA rules name themselves ‘one-percenters’ (the remaining non law-abiding 1%). The vast majority of ‘one-percenters’ belong to Outlaw MC’s.
Cut: Leather vest worn by outlaw bikers. Adorned with patches and artwork displaying the club’s unique colors.
Patched in: When a new member
is approved for full membership.
Church: Club meetings for full patch members. Led by President of the club.
Old Lady: Woman with wife status. Protected by her partner. Status held to be sacrosanct by club members.
Club Slut: A woman who comes to the clubhouse to engage in casual sexual acts with the club members.
Bitch: Woman in Biker culture. Term of endearment.
Gone/Going to Hades: Slang. Referring to the dying/dead.
Meeting/Gone/Going to the Boatman: Slang. Dying/dead. Referring to ‘Charon’ in Greek mythology. Charon was the ferryman of the dead, an underworld daimon (Spirit). Transported departed souls to Hades. The fee for the crossing over the rivers Styx and Acheron to Hades were coins placed on either the dead’s eyes or mouth at burial. Those who did not pay the fee were left to wander the shores of Styx for one hundred years.
Snow: Cocaine.
Ice: Crystal Meth.
The Organizational Structure of Hades Hangmen
President (Prez): Leader of the club. Holder of the Gavel, which is symbolic of the absolute power that the President wields. The Gavel is used to keep order in Church. The word of the President is law within the club. He takes advice from senior club members. No one challenges the decisions of the President.
Vice President (VP): Second-in-Command. Executes the orders of the President. Principal communicator with other chapters of the club. Assumes all responsibilities and duties of the President in his absence.
Road Captain: Responsible for all club runs. Researches, plans and organizes club runs and ride outs. Ranking club officer, answering only to President or VP.
Sergeant-at-Arms: Responsible for club security, policing and keeping order at club events. Reports unseemly behavior to President and VP. Responsible for the safety and protection of the club, its members and its Prospects.
Treasurer: Keeps records of all income and expenses. Keeps records of all club patches and colors issued and taken away.
Secretary: Responsible for making and keeping all club records. Must notify members of emergency meetings.
Prospect: Probationary member of the MC. Goes on runs, but banned from attending Church.
Prologue
Cain
Five years ago . . .
Hades’ soulless black eyes stared down at me. My hands were tucked into the pockets of my jeans as I studied the mural before me—a huge painting of Satan on the Hangmen MC’s clubhouse wall. His grinning face smirked at me as I waited for one of the brothers to come and get me. The brother’s name was Smiler. He was older than me, but not by much. I had met him at an ex-forces biker bar just outside of Austin.
My uncle’s plan had worked like a charm. Smiler and I had talked. I’d mentioned serving as a marine and I’d gained his favor. Now he was introducing me to the precious motorcycle club that he loved more than anything.
But it was all lies. I had never been a marine. I didn’t even know what one was until last year. It was just the perfect cover, a perfect way in.
As I waited for Smiler, I cast a look around the yard. My eyes flared at what I saw. Women, dressed with the sole intent of seduction, hung around the compound in small, fragmented groups. Some were brushing their sinful bodies against the men. All were intoxicated with alcohol and I didn’t know what else. The men were loud, raucous, savage. Most tossed back their drink of choice while groping the women in intimate, forbidden places.
My stomach lurched when I saw one of the men throw a woman wearing a tiny red garment against his chest and push her down to the ground to face his crotch. My face burned, flaming with rage, as he undid his zipper and pulled out his hardness for everyone to see. Gripping the back of her hair, he forced her lips open and made her take him in her mouth.
The woman didn’t resist . . . in fact, she moaned, as her friend dropped to the floor to join her. I was frozen on the spot as I watched the depraved, sickening act. My hands shook at the immoral lives these men and women lived.
This was a cesspool of sin. A place worthy of the devil they wore proudly on their patches.
“You like what you see?” My head snapped back toward the clubhouse door. Smiler was standing in the doorway, staring at me with amusement in his eyes.
I forced myself to play the role I had spent the past year preparing for. “It’s different, that’s for sure.”
“You ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” Smiler said dryly and waved me through the door.
I entered what looked like a bar. I could barely take everything in. Loud rock music filled every inch of the smoky air. Men of all ages—clearly members of the Hangmen—were littered around the room. Some were with women, conducting salacious acts like the one I’d seen outside. Some were sitting around tables drinking, some were shooting pool.
I hadn’t realized I’d stopped, glaring at the vile, impure scene before me, until Smiler waved his hand in front of my face. I blinked, focusing back on him, and ran my hand down my face. “What?” I asked, unsure if I’d missed anything he’d said.
Smiler shook his head. “Don’t worry, man. You get used to it in time.”
I flicked my chin and smiled at him. As he led me toward a door at the back of the room, I schooled my features and focused on keeping my cool. A loud whistle came from behind me. I looked around and saw a naked woman dancing on the bar—a temptress. My top lip turned up in disgust as she shook her hips. A giant, redheaded man walked up behind her, gripping onto her thighs. “Crouch down, sugar-tits! I want a taste of that drippin’ sweet cunt!”
I stood rooted in place as she did as he said. The man leaned forward and buried his head between her thighs. The men around him hollered and cheered.
All I felt was disgust.
I wanted to turn round, leave this veritable hell on earth and go back to The Pasture. I wanted to go back to my studies, our scriptures and our sacred books. I wanted to go back to my brother. He would never believe the level of depravity I was seeing.
The sound of Smiler knocking on a door broke through my thoughts.
Someone called for him to enter, and he pointed forward. I followed him, knowing that this moment was it. In that room was the man who would decide if I would be taken on as the newest Hangmen prospect. The man that ran this sinful club . . . the man I had to impress, whose trust I had to earn.
The infamous president of the Hangmen MC.
Shade Nash.
My heart beat like a drum. “Rider!” Smiler called. “Get in here!”
I tightened my hands into fists to stop them shaking. I took a deep breath and sent up a prayer to the Lord. Please give me the strength I will need for this mission. Please give me the courage to see this deed through.
I entered the room. Smiler stood near a large wooden table. Four other men sat around that table. Well, two men—the other two looked not much older than me.
The two younger Hangmen stared at me as I moved to stand beside Smiler. One was dark-haired with assessing hazel eyes. The other had long blond hair and a bright blue gaze.
“So this is him?” The gruff voice came from the mountain of a man who sat at the head seat. With his dark hair and hazel eyes, he looked just like the younger man to his right.
“Shade, this is Rider, the guy I was tellin’ you ‘bout.” Shade ran his hard eyes over me.
“You ride?” he asked, his voice sounding almost bored. It was deep and graveled, and suited how he looked—dark and menacing.
“Yes, sir,” I replied, “a chopper.”
“Sir? What the fuck? Where the hell are you from?” the younger blond man said, smirking.
“He’s an ex-marine,” Smiler said in my defense.
“A little young to be a marine, ain’t ya?” Shade asked.
I shrugged. “My folks let me sign up at seventeen.”
“And why’d you get out?”
“Kinda personal. A lot of shit happened over there.” I made sure my voice sounded cracked, sad.
Shade nodded his head. “Say no mor
e, kid. A lotta guys that have walked through these doors have felt the same thing. From ‘Nam to Whateverthefuckistan. One good thing ‘bout this MC—no one will give you shit for the things you’ve done or seen.”
The older blond man beside Shade slammed his foot into the younger blond man’s leg. “So shut the fuck up with your wisecracks, Ky, before I cut out your smart tongue. This kid’s already served his country. All you’ve done is beer pong and pussy.” The younger blond—Ky—sat back on his seat, scowling.
The younger dark guy turned to Ky, lifted his hands and made a series of rapid movements with them. Ky nodded his head as though he was answering a question . . .
He had spoken to Ky in sign language.
“Don’t mind these two dumbfucks,” said Shade. “One’s so obsessed with pussy and jerkin’ off that he’s got no ’ brain cells left in his head. And this one’s a fuckin’ mute who don’t say shit to no one but his little pissant friend here.”
Shade pointed to the man beside him. “This one’s Arch, my VP and Ky’s old man. This”—he pointed to the silent young man—“is my boy, Styx. The future of this fuckin’ club—Hades help us all.”
I nodded my head at them all then faced the prez once again. His eyes narrowed. “You got family?”