by Gerald Lopez
“Will you give George the movie you took of him?”
“He sent his friend to get it from me a long time ago.”
“That’s funny, because George still seems concerned about it,” Bart said.
“Well, I no longer have it,” Mr. Orion said. “Either George is lying to you, or his friend lied to him. It could be either one of them. George isn’t above doing things he finds immoral to get what he needs.”
“A lot of us aren’t,” Bart said.
“But some of us don’t pretend we’re above it all,” Mr. Orion said. “You knew the boys were legal age when you came to my place that night. But I suspect you’re doing what you’re doing for all the right reasons.”
Bart was about to speak, but Mr. Orion hadn’t noticed and continued to talk. “I know you were the one who convinced my godson Gabriel to forgive me. Thank you.”
“I didn’t do it for you,” Bart said.
“I know,” Mr. Orion said. “But I’m still grateful. They made me do to him what was done to me… and it was horrible. I’m his godfather, but I couldn’t protect him. If I hadn’t done it, someone else would’ve been found to do it.”
“Probably, but I still don’t know how you could’ve done such a thing,” Bart said. “I think I would’ve rather been shot.”
“You think you would’ve preferred to die,” Mr. Orion said. “But you don’t know. You’ve never been in that situation… surrounded by armed soldiers who’d kill you with just one word from their commanding officer. I knew I would be killed, or permanently maimed like Marcus, if I didn’t do what I was told to do. You can’t ever really know what you’d do until you’re placed in that situation. In my mind, I justified it by saying someone else would be forced to do it, if I didn’t. And they wouldn’t love him and try to be gentle like I would. I loved him, and still do. He’s my godson, and that is sacred. I never would’ve touched him, if I hadn’t been forced to. And I’ve never touched him since.”
“Lucky him,” Bart said. “It’s a damn shame about the other boys you’ve ruined.”
“Yes,” Mr. Orion said. “There weren’t that many, but one is too many, and I won’t excuse what I did. I was forced to do it at first. My soldier made me do it to prove my love and loyalty to him. I should’ve let him kill me then. I hoped and prayed that someone would find out what I did and punish me… beat me… castrate me—do something to me!”
“That’s why you let Lorena attack you,” Bart said.
Mr. Orion looked at Bart with a face twisted in agony and desperation, his hands reaching out to him for something. Maybe he was seeking absolution, or maybe something else.
“Everyone knew what we were doing back home,” Mr. Orion said. “They knew, and did nothing! They could’ve banded together against us! Some would’ve died, but they would’ve outnumbered us. But no one did anything until that woman… Lorena. Oh, well. I couldn’t stop myself from becoming a monster, so how can I blame them for not stopping me?”
“And not helping you,” Bart said.
“I’ve seen so much, and I know so much… but what do I do now, Jeremy?”
“I don’t know. Maybe you need to face your demons until you’re face down in front of this altar begging God for forgiveness, so you can try and save your soul. I think you’re way past being able to absolve your flesh.”
“I can’t help you in your quest in Maynard Shores, except to go along with your plan,” Mr. Orion said. “My little faux grandson playmates have been sent on their way, along with a healthy amount of cash for the ills that were done to them. I’m alone and waiting for tomorrow night.”
“You really do know a lot of things, don’t you, Ernesto?”
“I don’t know who’s making the chupa cocktails, but I do know how to follow up on sick or injured people, who are taken to the hospital. Most people wouldn’t even care to follow up on someone who had their drink spiked and was hit by a car.”
“You’re not most people,” Bart said, leaning back against the altar mentally exhausted. “Why am I talking to you? A part of me is disgusted by you, but a part of me still wants to help you. I don’t understand why that is.”
“Good people help those in need,” Mr. Orion said. “Both things are right for you to feel. At first, I was disgusted by what I did… then I grew numb to it all. I helped those boys afterward by getting them jobs, or land and houses. It was my way of doing penance for what I’d done to them, I suppose.”
“I guess you did really believe in a God, after all,” Bart said.
“I was trying to barter with him,” Mr. Orion said. “Yes, God, I know what I did was wrong, but look, I gave him a house.” He chuckled.
Bart chuckled, then the two men laughed in an almost insane way for several minutes, until Mr. Orion started clutching his stomach and stopped.
“Why were we laughing?” Mr. Orion said. “It wasn’t funny.”
“Nerves,” Bart said.
Mr. Orion turned to him and clutched his arm. “Help me.”
The sound of ringing filled the air, and Bart reached into his pocket, took out his cell phone, and looked at it. There was a text message from Jenna asking him to meet her on the beach in ten minutes. He put his cell back in his pocket and turned to Mr. Orion. Firmly putting his hands on Mr. Orion’s shoulders, Bart looked at him and spoke strongly.
“My suggestion to you is that you lock yourself in this chapel, and don’t come out until you’ve spent some quality time with your savior.”
“Make this place my Gethsemane, huh,” Mr. Orion said.
“Get on your knees and pray until you come face to face with who you are and what you’ve done. Look at the reality of your life, and try to find a way to atone.”
“How?” Mr. Orion said.
“Start by realizing that the guy you refer to as “your soldier” was a disgusting child molester, who didn’t save you from anything. Not the other soldiers, not death… nothing. He wasn’t saving you. He was keeping you for himself. A man like that only thinks about himself; and he kept you around in order to create a mini him to continue his sick legacy.” Bart stood, and Mr. Orion reached for him and spoke in a trembling voice.
“Don’t leave me alone… please.”
“Some alone time with God is what you need right now,” Bart said. “I know you’re scared, and you should be… but I would make the best of this time, if I were you.” He walked toward the doors, then turned back. “I’ll check on you again later tonight. If you’re smart, you’ll still be here, and you’ll be shedding tears and sweating blood like Christ was in that garden you mentioned.”
Bart shivered as he locked and closed the chapel doors behind him, but he didn’t have time to deal with what had just happened.
BART WALKED barefoot down the beach and to the water’s edge, where Jenna was waiting. She was barefoot, wearing shorts, and a yellow Maynard Shores Beach Resort Polo shirt.
“What’s up?” Bart said.
“We’re going to Rachel’s tomorrow at seven in the evening,” Jenna said. “Her New York guests will get a better invitation, thanks to some new friends of mine, and won’t show up. Simon will be dealing with the Mr. Orion plan, and I know Julia has an appointment to do a bride’s hair somewhere else at that time.”
“You’ve been busy. So, what’s the plan?”
“The plan is to do what it takes to get those ingredients from Rachel, or a blood sample,” Jenna said. “Jeremy, there are two plans. If we have to do the second one, I need you to do as I say without question.”
Bart’s heart started racing, for some reason. “You’re scaring me, Jenna.”
“Don’t be scared, just be prepared. We can’t afford mistakes. The authorities are prepared to look the other way regarding whatever happens tomorrow night. We just need to get results—it’s endgame, and we have no more time left.”
“Exactly whose daughter is our latest victim?” Bart said.
“She’s the daughter of a very powerful man in Flori
da, who plans to run for office soon. And she’s dying. They’re all dying, Jeremy. They’ve got a few days at most, unless we find what else is in that cocktail.”
“But I thought finding that toad helped,” Bart said.
“It did, then the patients had some sort of reaction,” Jenna said. “It’s not my field of expertise, but eliminating the effects of the toad venom caused other reactions.”
“You told me last night that the patients were stable.”
“And they were,” Jenna said. “Something’s changed, but I haven’t gotten details. Like I told you, dealing with the toad venom caused something else to happen, but I don’t know what.”
“Alright,” Bart said. “Tomorrow I’ll follow your instructions completely. But are you sure you know what you’re doing?”
“Yes,” Jenna said. “I’ve been given very detailed instructions of what to do—no matter what happens. And I’ve been given instructions for you as well.”
“And what are they?” Bart said.
“In the refrigerator in your apartment, there’s a small brown bottle with a special knockout drug in it—”
“Are we going to use that on Rachel?”
“We can’t use anything on Rachel,” Jenna said. “We can’t have anything interacting with what she’s already on. You’re going to invite Reese over for an early dinner, slip some of the drug into his drink, and get into bed. It’ll take a while for the drug to react, then he’ll be out for the night.”
“But why would I give him something to knock him out?” Bart said.
“Because when he wakes up, he’ll be able to say that he spent the entire night with you; especially, after you suggest to him that he did… once you see he’s going under. The drug will make him highly susceptible to suggestion. He’s your alibi, should you need one, so don’t screw things up.”
“And what about your alibi… ‘should you need one’?”
“Frank has a tape that will show I was sitting on a secluded bench in the garden reading all night.”
“They’ve thought of everything, haven’t they?”
“Be grateful they have, because we need the help,” Jenna said. “They could easily storm in here and dash any hope we have of finding the ingredients of that drug cocktail. Instead, they’re giving us one last chance, and we have no choice but to take it.” She kissed Bart’s cheek. “This is no easy thing, but we have to do what we have to do. And I need to get back to teach a tennis lesson.”
“Jenna,” Bart said, wanting to ask her advice about Mr. Orion.
“Yes,” She said, smiling.
Bart could see her smile was shaky. She was trying hard to remain in control, and didn’t need to worry about anything else. “Thanks for everything. I’m glad not to be doing this alone.”
“Ditto,” Jenna said. “Oh, and Frank said he’s looking through camera footage still, but it looks like Joe had a thing going with George’s wife Lorena.”
“Did he find any evidence to suggest anything between George and Joe… or maybe a threesome between George, Joe, and Lorena?”
“No,” Jenna said. “Not everyone’s gay, you know.” She smiled.
“I know, but then, why did Lorena refer to Joe as George’s ‘lover boy’?”
“I have no idea, but there’s one important thing to remember, Jeremy. People lie. Anyway, I’ve really got to go.”
As Jenna walked away, Bart opened his cell phone and made a call.
Chapter 50
Much Needed Rest
BART MADE a call to James as he walked to his car. He informed James that Mr. Orion was in the chapel, and briefly told him why. Before hanging up, he asked James to make sure Mr. Orion would be left in peace, and not bothered by any of the staff. James agreed, and Bart ended the call. While driving to Judge Haymond’s house, Bart had another thought and called Frank. After telling him about Mr. Orion, he asked Frank to keep a camera focused on the outer doors of the chapel, so he could inform him if Mr. Orion decided to leave.
After parking, exiting the car, and knocking on the door of the Haymonds’ house, Bart was led into the airy kitchen which was all white with white cabinets, and had a nice eat in area surrounded by large picture windows. The judge, who was sitting at the counter having a piece of pie, greeted Bart with a handshake and pat on the back.
“What can I do for you today?” Judge Haymond said.
“Lend me your ears for a few minutes, and maybe give me some advice,” Bart said.
“Why don’t you sit next to the judge while I get you a piece of pie and something to drink,” Mrs. Haymond said. “You look tired.”
“You look like hell,” Judge Haymond said. “Don’t wait for the pie. It’s a heavy burden you’re carrying, so go ahead and speak your mind.”
Bart told them about Mr. Orion in the chapel, and about what Mr. Orion had done to Gabriel when he went back to his homeland. He also told them about him and Gabriel, while leaving out the sexual details.
“If I thought I’d get away with it, I’d kill Mr. Orion myself for doing that to Gabriel!” Judge Haymond said, slamming his fist on the counter. His wife walked toward him with a concerned look on her face, but he put a hand up. “I’ll be alright, Marian.”
“Mr. Orion knows a lot of things,” Bart said. “I want to find out how he knows them. and I’m also curious as to his comments about the hospital and finding out—”
“He knows about you, and he’s letting you know that, for some reason,” Judge Haymond said. “It sounds like he’s been onto you since day one.”
“And onto what Lisa Kristoff and Simon are doing too,” Bart said. “But why is he going along with everything?”
“He’s a dying man, which means he’s probably been sick for a while now,” Mrs. Haymond said. “I think maybe’s he’s been sitting back observing, and trying to decide what to do about things.”
“Even though he knows our plans regarding him, he said he’s still willing to play along,” Bart said. “Do we take him at his word about that, or do we come up with a contingency plan?”
“It’s too late for a contingency plan, and he knows it,” Judge Haymond said, standing and pacing the room for a few minutes while Bart picked at the pie in front of him. “A man like Mr. Orion would never give up control to someone else. Not unless he has something to gain by doing so. What has Mr. Orion got to gain? Does bringing the brothers back together get him anything?”
“Maybe he’s looking for salvation,” Mrs. Haymond said. “Knowing you’re about to die can change a man. It can make a man who’s never known fear, suddenly fearful. And it can bring a powerful man to his knees.”
“He’s definitely afraid,” Bart said. “But is that enough of a reason for him to help us, or at least go along with our plans?”
“It might be,” Judge Haymond said. “Especially, if said man has always been thinking of himself first. Nobody’s ever gained salvation by putting himself above others. That I can assure you.”
“Lester, don’t put yourself in the place of God,” Mrs. Haymond said. “You’re a retired judge, not God. But having said that, I don’t think you’re wrong.”
“So what do I do, then?” Bart said.
“What do you want to do?” Judge Haymond said.
“And what do you feel led to do?” Mrs. Haymond said.
“Feelings don’t play into this,” Bart said. “I have to go back and find out everything he knows while there’s still time for him to tell me. I also suppose it’s my duty, as a Christian, to try to help the pig obtain salvation. And, I’m sorry, but the man is a pig.”
“Jesus didn’t come to earth to help those who are already righteous,” Mrs. Haymond said. “He came to save the sinners like Mr. Orion. God only knows what that man went through as a child, seeing some of his friends killed and eaten, the others being raped and… and just the horror of it all. We can sit here and talk about these things, and judge, and think ‘what if’, but even Lester and I would be lying if we said we could
understand what that man has suffered in his life.”
“But it’s no excuse to inflict what he did onto others,” Bart said. “That’s what I can’t understand and get past. Even when I feel sorry for what happened to him as a kid, I get mad at myself. It’s hard to even look at the man sometimes when he talks about what he did in the past. I couldn’t excuse what he did if I was on a jury and had to judge him.”
“Thank God you don’t have to,” Mrs. Haymond said. “You help that man by guiding him back to Jesus. Remember the things I used to teach you kids in Sunday school.”
“In my time as a judge, I’ve heard worse cases of child abuse,” Judge Haymond said. “You couldn’t imagine the things I’ve had to deal with back then. There were worse things than even what Mr. Orion has done. Abuse of a child, is abuse no matter what. It’s all bad… but what do we do about such things? As a judge, I had to keep my emotions out of it, the same way the lawyers did. Emotions and feelings cloud judgment, and that’s when you make mistakes. Don’t feel sympathy for Mr. Orion, or you won’t be able to help him. He’s already going to die, so there’s no use of putting that burden on the taxpayers by trying to bring the man to justice.”
“I hadn’t thought about that,” Bart said. “Our plans didn’t include keeping him locked up for long, just time enough to rattle some cages.”
“OK,” Judge Haymond said. “Now, saving souls is something I don’t know much about. Marian, here, was the Sunday school teacher and soul saving specialist.”
“You’ve got to reconcile the child Mr. Orion was back in his country with the man he is today in order to transform him,” Mrs. Haymond said. “The day he was raped and saw his friends killed, the child in him disappeared, and he became a creature of ‘his’ soldier’s making. That creature has to be the one to disappear in order for the man to be saved.”
“I’m no psychologist, but that makes sense, Mrs. Haymond,” Bart said. “I do feel tired right now, though.”
“Frank’s watching the chapel doors on camera, right?” Judge Haymond said.