Carrie Weaver - Count on a Cop

by Secrets in Texas

  Eleanor was so different from Angel’s mother, yet in some ways very similar. Angel hadn’t thought to find a strong woman here at Zion’s Gate. Only weak, pathetic women. The thought made her pause. Maybe she’d overgeneralized? It was something to consider while she gardened.

  Angel hummed while she washed dishes in record time. Eleanor dried. When the last utensil was in the drawer, Eleanor removed her apron. “I’ll tell Ruth, then we’ll be on our way.”

  She was back in a jiff, carrying two large brimmed hats. Contemporary sun hats, by the looks of them.

  She accepted the hat, commenting, “I would have expected bonnets.”

  “Oh, no.” Eleanor placed hers on her head. “We haven’t worn bonnets in at least five years.”

  “Really?” Angel squeaked.

  “Of course.” Eleanor’s smile was wide, her eyes glinting with mischief.

  “You’re teasing me.”

  “Yes, I guess I am.”

  Angel chuckled as she followed the older woman out the door. Today certainly seemed a whole lot brighter than yesterday. What a difference twenty-four hours could make.

  Eleanor set a brisk pace as they hiked through the compound. Angel figured there were at least two groupings of houses she hadn’t yet seen.

  Though the homes were generic Mexican structures, she studied the details as they went by, imagining the families who lived there. Wondering if the women were happy, if they were well treated.

  Perspiration trickled down her sides. Her face was warm due to the now-unaccustomed cardio work. Yet Eleanor seemed unfazed.

  “I’d swear you were a distance runner, Eleanor. Do you have a StairMaster hidden away somewhere.”

  “StairMaster?”

  “Exercise machine.”

  The woman chuckled. “No. I walk every morning before breakfast. I used to walk in the evenings before it was prohibited by curfew.”

  “You should be able to walk when you want.”

  “Curfew encourages the young people to stay in with their families instead of out getting into trouble.”

  “As if they could find trouble here.”

  Eleanor glanced sideways at her. “You’d be surprised. High-spirited youth can find trouble in the most unlikely places.”

  “Were you high-spirited in your youth?”

  Her smile was wistful. “At times. I fancied myself in love with a neighbor boy.”

  “This neighbor boy wasn’t Jonathon, I take it?”

  “No. My love for the boy was childish and never meant to be. I accepted it when my father chose Jonathon.”

  “Did you know Jonathon well?”

  “Well enough to know my parents were right. We would suit.”

  “What happened to the neighbor boy?”

  Eleanor frowned. “He left our group shortly after I married. It was difficult for him to see me with Jonathon.”

  “What about you? Was it difficult seeing him? Did you want something you couldn’t have?”

  “I made peace with my destiny.”

  “That’s a pretty cryptic statement.”

  “Yes, it is. We’re almost there.”

  Angel glanced up. “That’s the biggest garden I’ve ever seen.” There was a blanket of green bordered by the tan of the desert.

  “We grow the majority of our own produce. We also plant additional to sell at market.”

  “Yes, Matthew mentioned he might be going in to town for the farmer’s market. This is going to sound like a nosy question, but what else do you do for income?”

  “Our needs are simple. Many of the younger women transcribe medical records. The men pick up the tapes when they’re in town. And some of the men have jobs.”

  “What about government assistance?” Angel had heard tales of widespread abuse among some of the polygamist families.

  Eleanor’s mouth tightened. “A few of the needier families receive government aid.”

  “You don’t approve, though?”

  “No. We should care for our own. Taking anything from the government is dangerous. I told Jonathon it would come back to haunt us someday.”

  “Not if it’s legitimate.”

  “Our people have been persecuted for centuries. If the outside world wants to harm us, they will use any means at their disposal.”

  Angel swallowed hard. What would Eleanor think if she knew Angel was with the government? She had the sinking feeling her friendship with Eleanor would be short-lived.

  “Here we go.”

  Angel inhaled deeply, reveling in the sweet aroma of soil and sun. “It seems cooler.”

  “The plants and the moisture in the soil reduce the temperature. It’s my favorite place to be in the hotter months, when it’s difficult to be outside otherwise.”

  “I can see why. It’s peaceful.”

  “Yes. And when there are many of us here with the children, it’s festive. Much laughter, much sharing.”

  Angel felt a stab of envy. The company of a group of women wasn’t something she’d ever enjoyed. She’d had one or two close friends but never felt the solidarity of a group. And as an only child, she’d missed the companionship of brothers and sisters.

  Eleanor walked the rows, eyeing the plants carefully. “It looks like the tomato plants could use attention. We’ll pinch off the suckers and look for hornworms.”

  “Suckers? Hornworms?” Angel hated to sound ignorant, but she didn’t have a clue what the woman was talking about.

  “Here, I’ll show you what the suckers are.” Eleanor knelt down next to a bushy plant containing loads of green tomatoes. “See, here, where the stem makes a V?”

  Angel nodded.

  “This shoot emerging is called a sucker. You just pinch it like this.” She demonstrated, with the poor little shoot euthanized in seconds.

  “Isn’t the whole point to grow plants that are big and strong?”

  “Yes. But if we allow the plant to keep producing unlimited stems, then it will use valuable energy that should be directed toward bearing tomatoes.”

  “Ah. Conserving energy.”

  “Yes, in a way. You go ahead and start at that end and we’ll meet in the middle. If you see any green caterpillars, pull them off the plant and step on them.”

  Angel shuddered. “And I thought gardening was a peaceful pastime.”

  “It’s like anything else—you take the good with the bad. Go ahead and start, we don’t have all day.”

  Trudging to the end of the row, she hoped the caterpillars were heading out of town. Funny, she could kill a man if she had to, but the thought of crushing a worm made her slightly nauseous.

  Fortunately she didn’t run into any. Angel hummed as she found suckers and pinched them off. There was something surprisingly satisfying in the action. As if she was really nurturing the plant, coaxing it to grow in a healthy manner.

  The repetitive motion combined with the warmth of the sun on her back lulled her into an almost hypnotic state.

  So much so that Eleanor’s voice startled her when she asked, “How did you meet Matthew?”

  Angel was so relaxed she found it hard to remember the scripted story. “I was in Phoenix on business. We literally ran into each other at a deli near his condo. My soda spilled, he tried to help. We ended up eating lunch together, and the rest is history.”

  “Matthew saw a vision telling him you were to be his wife?”

  “Yes. At first, I didn’t buy it. But Matthew can be persuasive.”

  Eleanor smiled. “Yes, he can.”

  “It was a whirlwind courtship, but I feel like I’ve known him for years.” Either the lie rolled off her tongue way too easily or it was the truth.

  “He was a special boy. Now he’s an extraordinary man.”

  “Yes, he is.”

  “Matthew has a soft heart that he tries to hide. I’m glad you decided to stay and devote yourself to creating a home under the guidance of the principle. I’m afraid his heart would have been broken if you’d left.”
<
br />   Matt must’ve been laying it on thick with his aunt. “I would never intentionally hurt Matthew.”

  “But if you stay, you must know there’s no going back for Matthew. You must be totally committed.”

  “I know what I’m getting into.”

  “I hope so. For your sake. And for Matthew’s.”

  “When did Ruth move into your house? Isn’t that unusual?”

  “A few months ago. I’ve always been responsible for schooling Jonathon’s children, but it had gotten to be too much for me. Jonathon felt it would be helpful if Ruth lived in my home, having easier access to the children and allowing them to bond with her. He felt she could help with chores.”

  “None of your sister wives share your home?”

  “No. When Jonathon brought us to Zion’s Gate, he had housing built so each of us could have our own home.”

  “Darn nice of him.”

  “It’s better than some. I enjoy having my own home.”

  “Except when you have to share it with Ruth, Matt and me.”

  Eleanor shrugged. “Now that my seven boys are gone, it’s rather quiet. I don’t mind having you and Matthew stay—Matthew was always one of my favorites. And you keep me on my toes.”

  Angel laughed. “My mom says the same thing.”

  “She doesn’t mind you coming to live here?”

  “She’d rather I didn’t, but she understands the need for me to live my own life. Are all your children here at Zion’s Gate?” Angel vaguely remembered meeting a few of the sons.

  “All but Austin, my youngest. He’s in Salt Lake City.” The wistfulness in her voice touched Angel.

  She cleared her throat. “I didn’t know. That must be hard.”

  “Very. He was asked to leave.”

  “Jonathon’s son was asked to leave? I didn’t think that happened.”

  “Austin is a very handsome young man. And full of himself, as boys his age often are.”

  “So what did he do that was so bad?”

  “Defied curfew. Sneaked out to meet a girl.”

  Angel chose her words carefully. “I can understand Jonathon being ticked off about the teenage-rebellion stuff. But casting him out? Isn’t that a little harsh?”

  Eleanor nodded, swiping the back of her hand across her eyes. “I begged Jonathon to give him another chance. But he was adamant. Austin made the mistake of sneaking out to meet a girl one of the elders intended to take to wife.”

  “I see. I never thought Jonathon would allow that to happen to his own son.”

  “Neither did I. But the elders demanded he leave. And since Austin had been caught defying the curfew, there was no defense for him. Jonathon is very strict about honoring the curfew. For good reason.”

  “You didn’t have the curfew in Arizona?”

  “It was more reasonable. Nine o’clock instead of dark.”

  “I wonder what changed?”

  “Jonathon says it’s because we’re on the border. There are all sorts of unsavory characters who prey on the unsuspecting.”

  “That’s probably the truth. Coyotes smuggling Mexican citizens into the U.S. to work. Drug dealers protecting their turf…”

  Eleanor’s eyes narrowed. “You are very well informed on the happenings along the border.”

  “It’s in the papers almost every day. Unfortunately a lot of crime spills over into the U.S.”

  “Yes, I suppose so.”

  “Do you ever talk to Austin?”

  “At first, he called. Jonathon has limited his calls to special occasions like Mother’s Day. Once in a while I’ll get a letter he’s managed to pass through another member.”

  “He can’t mail it to you through the post office?”

  “No, it’s better this way.”

  Angel touched the other woman’s shoulder. “Is Jonathon keeping him from writing to you?”

  “I don’t know.” Eleanor’s fingers were nimble as she plucked suckers from the plant. “I never received any letters through the mail from him, though Austin swears he wrote.”

  Fury welled up in Angel. She remembered the helplessness of being cut off from loved ones. “You can’t allow him to do that, Eleanor. You have to take a stand or Jonathon will continue to control every aspect of your life. Soon you won’t have anyone but Jonathon.”

  “That’s silly, Angel. I have my other children. And my sister wives’ children. That’s enough.”

  “What about that hole in your heart where Austin should be?”

  “Sometimes a woman has to sacrifice her individual needs for the good of the family. The good of the group.”

  Bullshit.

  Angel took a deep breath and remembered her purpose. Her cover was of primary importance. She would sacrifice her personal need to help Eleanor in order to fulfill her mission for the good of the whole. Was she really any more evolved? Or simply serving a different master?

  Closing her eyes, Angel wished she’d never agreed to this mission. Because she was becoming emotionally involved. Not only could it be disastrous for the mission, she suspected it could end up tearing her heart out. Or getting them killed. Angel pushed away the disturbing thoughts. She raised her face to the sun, absorbing the rays through her closed eyelids. Breathing deeply, she tried to remember what was right with the world. Some days it was very hard.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  ANGEL WAS RAVENOUS at lunch. Good thing Eleanor had suggested she pack two sandwiches for each of them. The fresh air and manual labor had been good for her.

  She stretched and sighed, reclining on the blanket. “That was good. Now I could use a nap.”

  “You didn’t get enough rest yesterday? Or did I wear you out?” Matthew grinned.

  “It was working in the garden this morning. Very therapeutic. Although I flunked Caterpillar Squishing 101.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah. We tended the tomato plants this morning. Pinched back the suckers, disposed of the hornworms….”

  “I’m impressed. We’ll make a country girl out of you yet.”

  “Not so fast. I could not step on those poor caterpillars. Eleanor had to squish the ones I found.”

  He laughed. “You, the woman with nerves of steel, couldn’t put a poor invertebrate out of its misery?”

  “No.” She hung her head in shame. “I was a wuss.”

  “Not everyone’s cut out for the gory stuff. It’s not a sign of weakness. Just an overdeveloped case of compassion, if I don’t miss my guess.”

  “It’s starting to worry me, Matt. I’m getting too emotionally involved. My objectivity is slipping.”

  “I don’t think hornworms care about objectivity. They just want to eat as much as they can.”

  She swatted him on the shoulder. “No, I mean with Eleanor.”

  “Oh, I see. Just Eleanor?”

  “Yes. Isn’t that enough?” There was no way she’d admit to caring about him, even a tiny bit.

  Disappointment flashed in his eyes and was gone. “You don’t ever care about your subjects?”

  “Sometimes it’s hard to stay detached. But I can still do it. With Eleanor I’m not so sure. It breaks my heart when I hear her talk about how much she misses Austin.”

  “The town?”

  “No. Her youngest son, goofball.”

  “He must’ve been born after I left. It’s hard to keep track of all the kids. What’s the deal with Austin?”

  Angel recounted the story, getting a lump in her throat as she thought about Eleanor’s fatalistic acceptance. “How can I help her, Matt?”

  He took her hand in his, caressing her palm with his thumb. “You can’t. It’s not within your power. And, as you pointed out, it’s not good for you to lose your objectivity. I would imagine that’s one of the cardinal rules of undercover work.”

  “Yes, it is. But I’m human, damn it. How can I not be affected? She’s starting to seem like a second mother to me. I’d rather die than allow someone to hurt my mother the way Jonathon is hurtin
g Eleanor.”

  “You’ve forgotten one thing, Angelina. Eleanor has a free will, too. She’s apparently decided to abide by the elders’ decision.”

  “How can she do that?”

  He cupped his hand under her chin. “You of all people shouldn’t need to ask. There’s a fine line between allowing someone to influence you and someone blocking the choices until you can no longer think for yourself.”

  “Do you think Jonathon’s…physically abusing her?”

  “My guess is no. He’s more into mental manipulation—and he’s a master at it.”

  “She’s your aunt. She loves you. How can you be so unmoved by this?”

  He sighed. “I’m not unmoved. I’ve simply learned I can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved. Eleanor hasn’t reached the point where it’s more painful to stay than to go. Maybe she never will.”

  “What if her life was in danger?”

  “Then I might feel I needed to intercede on her behalf until she could think clearly. It’s a dangerous position. And who are we to say her lifestyle is unacceptable? It’s all she’s ever known.”

  “I need to do something proactive. I’m not used to passively waiting for a situation to develop. I want to explore the compound tonight.” And get this mission moving. Because if she didn’t, she’d become a danger to herself and everyone else.

  “We need to bide our time.”

  “I can’t, Matt. I’ll go by myself so if anything happens you won’t be involved. But I have to do something.”

  He hesitated. “All right. We’ll make a short scouting trip tonight after everyone’s asleep. Maybe we can get a fix on the patrol habits of the guards.”

  THEY WAITED TILL almost midnight, well after their nightly bed-rocking routine. Fortunately the erotic overtones had faded and it had become downright monotonous. But the purpose was to convince Ruth they were trying to make a baby, and that’s what counted.

  Matthew peered at Angel in the gloom. They’d turned off the lights so no one would suspect they were still awake.

  “What about Jonathon’s study? Don’t you think we should start there?” Matthew whispered.

  “My first priority is having an escape route plotted and a plan if things go bad. The study will have to wait till tomorrow night or when the elders go to town.”