by Jeff Altabef
The weight burying Megan lifts. Light comes back into the world. She practically jumps off her bed, giddy at her reprieve. She won’t have to wait after all.
Petal’s response is the opposite. She crosses her arms over her chest and scowls at Buck. “There must be a mistake. The doctor said it would be dangerous for us to go into a chapel. We might have concussions from the...fall.”
“No mistake. Mother herself will meet both of you at the cathedral. Let’s go. We don’t have all night. Tonight’s been long enough for me as it is.”
Megan skips forward and grabs Petal’s arm. She doesn’t understand Petal’s reluctance. She’s never experienced anything as wonderful as the chapel, and this is their chance to go again. So soon. Right now. “Come on.”
Petal shakes her off, her voice desperate. “This isn’t right, Buck. Look at her. They’re pushing her too hard. She’s not…”
Megan doesn’t bother listening. She skips out of the cabin and into the driving rain. She barely notices the cold water as it drenches her. All thoughts about Petal, her mom, friends, and her desire to escape flee from her mind.
Instead, she focuses on one thing, like a child who sees an ice cream truck. I’m going back to chapel. I’m going to talk to God again. I hope I can stay there for... forever!
Kate and I are alone in the hut they call a confessional. At least one guard must be stationed outside, but for now, we’re no threat to anyone. They’ve locked us in chains. Why leave someone inside to watch us?
I turn to Kate. “So how is mommy dearest? Looking well?”
“I didn’t recognize her at first. She looks like a new person. Healthy in a way I’ve never seen before, but her voice is the same and the crazy gave her away. She can’t hide the crazy.”
“It’s nice to know some things haven’t changed.” I glance up at the beam that holds the chains, and it triggers an idea.
“She wouldn’t let me see Megan. She said something about marrying these girls to rich guys. If anyone touches Megan, I’m going to kill her.”
“We’ll see Megan soon. We’re making great progress. We’re together and Megan must be nearby. All we need to do now is grab her and go. Shouldn’t be all that hard.”
“Not so hard?” She shakes her chains. “If you hadn’t noticed, we’re not exactly killing it. I wouldn’t say we’re on track or anything like that.”
“Oh, ye of little faith. The hard part was finding out who took Megan quickly enough for us to get her back. We can check that off the list. Then we had to infiltrate their operation. Another item off the list. Once we free ourselves from these chains, the rest of our plan will be easier.”
I swing from side to side and use the momentum to climb up the chain. With each swing, I slide my hand six inches up the chain. First right, then left, back to right again, and so forth. The strain rips through me. To keep from focusing on the pain, I talk to Kate.
“What are you going to do when you get Megan back?”
“Lock her in the apartment, which will last exactly five minutes before she’ll find a way out.”
I’ve made it up more than three feet. “When I returned to the apartment, I found Tina tied up in Megan’s closet. I thought about leaving her there. The tape over her mouth was the first time she’s ever been quiet. When I took it off…”
“She cursed like a sailor. I can only imagine.”
Five feet up now. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but she’s not so bad. She grows on you.”
“You’ve only known her for twenty-five years.”
“A slow growth, like a cactus maybe. Prickly with all those needles, but if you look at it right, you see the flowers too.”
Six feet. The beam is only three feet above me. The ache in my shoulders sends a shudder down my spine. My right shoulder, the one that dislocated when we fell from the apartment starts to seize up on me.
Kate says, “Your mother is certainly anxious to see you. She said He thinks you’re important, but she didn’t tell me who He is.”
“I’ve been trying to figure that out myself. I’m not positive, but I have the feeling she means the Devil.”
“I’m not surprised. Crazy is crazy.”
I can tell Kate about the demons and Father Paul now. That door is open, but I don’t. She’ll only think I’ve inherited the crazy gene from my mother, and I’d rather lose an arm than have her think that.
The beam is only one foot above me now. With most of my strength drained, I swing a little farther than before and grab the wooden beam with my right hand, pull myself up, and snatch it with my left. I have enough energy left to do one last pull up and sit on the beam. I’m breathing heavily. “At least I didn’t pull my arms out of my sockets.”
“Don’t expect me to climb up there with you. That looked hard.”
“Come on. The view up here is great. You can really see the spider webs.”
“Screw the spiders. I hate them.”
“Everyone hates them. It’s universal.”
Before they chained me to the beam, they searched me and took everything they thought would be problematic, but they didn’t take my belt. No reason to worry about a belt. They didn’t know about the buckle. Attached to the buckle is an expandable needle. It comes in handy as a tool or a weapon. It’ll take an eye out, which isn’t particularly applicable right now, but I can also use it to unlock the chains. A few twists and the cuffs fall off me.
“Neat trick,” says Kate.
“All that training in the Army didn’t go completely to waste.” I climb down from the beam using the chains like a rope. When my feet hit the ground, I unlock the cuffs off Kate’s wrists.
She wraps her arms around me and kisses me hard. It surprises me and steals the wind from my lungs. After a few heart-stopping moments, we separate.
“Just because,” she says. “Don’t read anything else into it.”
“You know me. Reading has never been my strong suit.”
I grab my jacket, which they left in a pile against the wall. They took the guns and anything else that’s useful, but for some reason, they left my knife in the pocket. At least I have that. And my belt buckle.
I study the confessional one last time. There’s only one way in or out. “You stay here, and I’ll go outside and chat with the guard.”
Kate shakes her head. “You’re crazier than your mother if you think I’m staying in here while you go outside. No offense but if that guy who whipped you with the chain is out there, you’ll need my help. He’s a monster. Without me, you’ll get your ass kicked. It’ll be like Tommy Tubs in seventh grade all over again.”
I roll my neck. “A lot has changed since Tommy Tubs, and I would have beaten his ass if you hadn’t stepped in.”
“Right. I’m just saying.”
I can’t really argue with her. Luke is a monster. She only knows a small part of it. “Okay, stay behind me. And don’t do anything stupid. Leave the stupid to me. They have guns, and we don’t.”
“No kidding.”
With any luck, the guard will be looking away from the door. There’s no reason for him to watch the hut. As far as he knows, we’re chained to the beam. The danger would come from outside—an ill-conceived rescue mission by someone.
I turn the latch on the door, and it clicks. Sounds loud like a bullet firing from a gun, and I cringe. I listen but don’t hear anything, so I inch it open so slowly you’d need a time-elapse camera to notice anything. Eventually it’s open enough to see outside.
The rain has stopped. It looks like only one guy stands guard, although I can’t be certain. He’s ten feet in front of the door. He’s not the demon who whipped me with the chains. He’s shorter and heavier. His shoulders are slumped, and the assault rifle hangs limply on the straps. He’s bored. That boredom every guard who thinks he’s on a pointless mission suffers. I know how he feels.
I slip the knife back into my jacket. I need him alive so we can find out where they’re holding Megan. Killing him
too quickly would be a mistake, and I’m done making mistakes.
Kate tugs on my jacket, so I signal that only one guard is outside, slide out of the hut, and move within arm’s length. He shifts on his feet, trying to stay warm and loose.
I tap him on the shoulder. He twists, and I clothesline him, sweeping his legs out from underneath him at the same time. He lands on his back. I don’t give him a chance to stand. I stomp on his head with my boot, then I drop one knee on his chest, pinning him to the ground with my weight, my right hand clutched around his throat. I squeeze hard and he gasps for air.
“Listen up. I need some information.”
The hair on the back of my head stands on end, and I realize someone else is out here with us. I reach for my knife with my left hand and a voice says, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”
Another guard stares down at me. He’s dressed in a red jumpsuit and holds an automatic handgun in a perfect shooter’s stance.
I squeeze the throat of the guard harder and the man whimpers.
“Put down the gun and I won’t kill him,” I say.
“Kill him if you’d like. I don’t care. Are you really with Homeland?”
“Of course I am.”
He lowers his gun.
“You’re the asset on the inside,” I say. “You’re the guy they’ve been trying to reach.”
“My name is Buck.” He nods at the guard underneath me. “You can let him go now. Looks like you’ve already killed him.”
Damn it. I’ve crushed his windpipe.
He holds out a hand and helps me up, then introduces himself to Kate.
“You must be Spring’s mom?” Buck says. “She looks just like you.”
“You’ve seen my Megan?” says Kate. “How is she? Is she okay?”
Buck shrugs. “She’s not hurt physically.”
“Where are they holding her?” I say. “We need to snatch her and go.”
“She’s in the cathedral. Mother wanted to handle her experiences personally.”
“The cathedral,” says Kate. “What is that witch doing to her?”
“The chapels are in the cathedral. That’s where Angels believe they talk with God. It’s really a virtual reality cylinder, using advanced technology to trick them into believing they’re really talking to God. They have the ability to shape the event anyway they want. Usually, they give the girls certain messages to brainwash them. Later, they hook the girls up to rich clients on the outside so they can share experiences. The Angels think they’re doing God’s bidding, but...” He doesn’t finish. He must have thought better of it with Kate hanging onto each word.
“That twisted bitch!” mutters Kate.
“And that’s not the worst part,” says Buck.
“What’s that?” I ask. Someone had to.
“For some reason Mother is pushing things with Megan. They can make the experience addicting, and they’re cranking that up with her. By the time she finishes with Megan tonight, she’ll be completely hooked. I’m afraid it won’t be reversible.”
Megan can’t understand Petal’s frosty mood. Sure, their plan to escape got derailed, and they had to kill Frankie, but Frankie deserved it. She’s tried, but she can’t manufacture any sympathy for the dead pervert. He needed to die, and they were in the cathedral and would soon use the chapels. They’d soon talk to God, and that was the best feeling in the world! She starts sweating in anticipation.
They’ve changed out of their jumpsuits and into simple silk robes while they wait for Ivy to join them. A guard watches them, electric prod in hand. He’s here so they won’t try to escape, which Megan thinks is foolish.
Why would we want to escape? We’re going to talk to God.
Petal touches Megan’s hand, her voice rough and raw. “Try to resist the vision. Remember that it’s not real. It’s…”
Ivy arrives and smiles at Petal. “It’s what, Petal?”
Petal looks at her feet. “It’s better than reality. It’s otherworldly.”
“Yes, exactly. For a minute there, I was worried you were off track, but that’s exactly right. It’s heavenly.” Ivy points to two chambers ready to receive the girls. “I have a surprise in store for both of you. God would like to talk to you together. You might not remember the experience the same way, but you will stay connected throughout. I sense a closeness between you, and this will only serve to deepen it and your connection with God. You want that, don’t you, Petal?”
“Of course, Mother.”
“Good. You will help Spring grow closer with God. It’s your mission. Don’t fail.”
“She won’t,” Megan adds, worried about the threatening tone in Ivy’s voice.
“I’m sure you’re right, Spring.” Ivy touches the screen on her tablet and unclasps both Megan and Petal’s pendants. “Time to begin.”
Megan and Petal slip out of their robes, letting them fall to the floor, and step to the chapels in unison.
Megan grins at Petal, her lips stretched so wide they practically hurt her face. What could be better? She gets to talk to God with Petal. Won’t Petal be surprised when she sees that God looks just like her?
While I change into the dead guard’s black jumpsuit, we work out a plan. At least I have two proper weapons now. The M18 feels good in my hands, and my knife fits snuggly in a pocket on the leg of the jumpsuit.
We head toward the cabins, Buck in the lead, Kate in the middle, and me bringing up the rear. We look like we’re escorting Kate at gunpoint, our cover story if anyone stops us. We pass only one other person, a guy in a red jumpsuit. Buck knows him and tells him we’re bringing the prisoner to the cathedral, so Mother can interrogate her personally. The story works well enough. The guy doesn’t ask too many questions. He has somewhere else he needs to be.
When we reach the edge of the cabins, Kate and I hide in the woods while Buck goes inside to retrieve a yellow jumpsuit. We need Kate dressed like an Angel if all three of us are going to enter the cathedral unchallenged.
According to Buck, the cathedral is mostly empty. They just had a burning and my mother likes to leave some time for contemplation after a gathering like that.
A burning? I don’t ask him what it means. Why bother? The name tells me all I need to know. My mother is even crazier now than when she wanted to cut the demons out of me.
Kate is jittery, fidgeting in place next to me while we wait for Buck. “We need to hurry. Your nutjob mother said Megan will be addicted to her chapels like a heroin addict if she has another one of those virtual reality sessions. A heroin addict! I don’t want to think what something like that can do to a person.”
Of course, that’s exactly what she’s thinking about. It’s natural. Any mother would act the same way.
“Megan is a strong young woman,” I remind her. “My mother doesn’t know her. Megan will surprise her. We can’t blunder ahead without a plan. This is the only way. People see what they expect, and it’s dark. If we’re in these jumpsuits we should get in the cathedral at least. After that, we’ll improvise.”
“Do you trust Buck?” she asks.
It’s a good question. “I know the type. He’s Army trained. He could have shot us back at the huts, and he didn’t. He’ll come in handy when we need him.”
He reminds me a little of myself back when I was young. Capable. Well-trained. Dedicated.
Buck returns and hands a yellow jumpsuit to Kate. She breaks a speed record for changing.
We follow Buck to the cathedral. “We still should have an hour or so before they start visions with the other Angels if we hurry.”
We travel the narrow path to the cathedral in single file, using the same order as before: Buck in the lead, Kate behind him, and me bringing up the rear. We move at a brisk pace, just short of a jog. Running would attract unwanted attention, but it’s hard on Kate. She desperately wants to sprint. Buck slows her down by blocking the path in front and keeping a measured pace.
We emerge from a hemp field to find the cat
hedral in the near distance. The building looks like a church swallowed a warehouse. The front windows resemble a place of worship, but the back stretches on, all warehouse. It’s built from steel. Cheap construction put up quickly, no doubt.
Two guards in black jumpsuits patrol the front glass doors. Buck keeps his pace consistent as we approach, but I sense trouble. The guard on the left has a close-cut, mostly gray beard. He stares at Kate with a sly smile. The one on the right has a long nose and nervous eyes.
Gray Hair whispers something to his younger partner, and they both stand taller and look more alert. They aren’t going to let us inside. Once we get within three strides, Buck is forced to slow down as Gray Hair signals for us to halt with his hand.
His voice sounds weary. “Hey Buck, where are you headed, and who are they? I haven’t seen this Angel around here before, nor the Reaper.”
The younger guard looks at a screen in his hand. “Nothing on the schedule.”
“She’s one of our Angels,” says Buck. “This is her first time here and,” he nods his head toward me, “he’s new. I’m surprised you hadn’t seen him before. Must be a Trevor thing.”
I grunt at Gray Hair, my best impersonation of a new guy who’d like to avoid trouble.
The guy ignores me. Instead, he touches Kate’s chin. “She’s pretty, but isn’t she a tad bit old?” He taps the guard next to him. “I guess we cater to all tastes, but this is a first.”
“Old?” Fire consumes Kate’s voice. She’s strung tightly, and this might be too much for her to take right now.
“Yeah?” says Gray Hair, curious at her response. He’s probably not used to Angels talking back to him.
“Bite me!” Kate kicks him in the nuts. Gray Hair bends at the waist, his hands clutching his groin. Kate connects an elbow to his head that drops him to the ground. Without hesitation, she kicks him in the skull and knocks him out.
If I weren’t already in love with her, I would fall for her at this very moment. She’s fucking awesome.
The younger guy drops the screen he’s holding. Having anticipated Kate’s response, I’m two moves ahead of him. I swing the butt of my assault rifle into the guy’s stomach, knocking the air out of him. Then, I hammer the stock into his forehead. He crumples to the ground.