by Rusty Ellis
“The ‘Stare and Get Fired’ policy.”
It took a second for Martin’s comment to land. Chase laughed and followed Martin as he made his way around toward the backside of the Garden. The woods thickened right up to the edge of the residence. Chase fell in line with Martin and watched the ground as he walked. to avoid the fallen trees and bushes. Martin did his best to stay just inside the line of trees and out of sight from the Garden.
Chase glanced at the back of the cabin as they trudged by, semi-concealed by the trees and brush. The back of the cabin had only one window. It was the size of a bedroom window and was right next to a white metal door. The door opened onto a small deck that had two chairs with a small round table between them.
Chase’s toe caught a log and he stumbled before catching himself on a tree branch. He stopped and pretended to inspect the scrapes from the branch, using the time to look back at the porch. He began to step forward when the door popped open. His first instinct was to stop and drop his center of gravity. He could see Martin a few feet ahead, frozen and in the same stance.
A bushy-bearded man stepped through the open door, looking like an odd version of a mountain man who’d forgotten to take off his hiking gear before putting on his bathrobe. A woman appeared right behind him, about five-feet-seven-inches with dark hair just beyond her shoulders. She was wearing jeans and a t-shirt and not dressed for hiking.
The man walked to one of the chairs on the porch and sat down, a book in his left hand. The woman stepped to the middle of the porch and looked out into the woods, directly at them, but unable to see him and Martin as they held their positions. Chase stared intently at the woman and pushed a branch slowly out of his line of sight to see her clearer. His eyes widened and a shot of adrenaline screamed through his body.
Megan!
35
Much to Megan’s surprise, Adam had kept his word. She expected him to push the envelope and find a way to speed things up. Instead, he had left the room after an hour with her to spend time with the girls in the other room—with Haley.
Megan took the time to run through scenarios in her mind. It would have been easy for her to slip out the back door of the bedroom and continue across the porch and into the woods. Gone. Done. Free. But Haley was on the other side of the door, near him, fawning over him with the rest of the girls.
Why?
Megan tried to make sense of the weeks leading up to Haley’s disappearance.
Gavin.
Haley met him at school and was smitten; as smitten as a 20-year-old college student could be. Instead of hurrying home after class let out, Haley would stay later and later in Boise, finally showing up at home in the wee-hours of the morning. Haley wanted Megan to meet him, “Gavin’s so amazing, Mom. He’s so in touch with things around him. He’s so much more mature than the other guys up at school.”
Whatever that meant.
The explanation turned into an announcement, “Gavin and I are going to a retreat this weekend. We should only be two to three days, tops.”
Tops, Megan recalled.
If Megan knew what the ‘retreat’ was and the people behind it she would have intervened. Which meant there would have been an argument, with Haley abandoning logic and clinging to a handful of youthful emotion. She would have claimed that Megan just didn’t understand her. That she was following her own path. The fight would have escalated around Gavin. With Haley’s back against the wall, she would have used Megan’s failed marriage to Brett as a reason for not listening to her advice. A cheap, easy shot.
She had followed Gavin to this “amazing place” and “opportunity” to grow as an individual and a couple. Gavin was so amazing he had the world spinning on the tip of his finger—it seemed. And now, Megan learned Haley ended up trading Gavin for Adam. Adam was the Community Alpha, leaving no room for second place and Gavin.
The long version explains how Haley ended up in the living room of the Garden. The short version still puts her on the other side of the wall but adds an urgency to find a way to grab her and run, and run, then run some more, until they hit civilization and she could find a way to snap Haley out of her delirium. Find a place to put her back against the wall and fight off the Community’s attempts to get them back, especially given Haley’s status.
Adam returned to the bedroom and looked rejuvenated. The time spent with the younger girls appeared to energize him, giving him his familiar self-imposed rockstar glow.
“How are the girls?” she asked.
Adam touched her on the forearm as he passed and lowered himself into an overstuffed chair in the corner. A two-foot stack of books rose on each side of the chair, from the ground to knee level, standing as mini-columns. Adam crossed his legs and intertwined his fingers, leaving his forefingers to come to a point in front of him.
“They are doing wonderful. They are so committed. It is truly humbling,” he said.
His comments sparked a pit of acid in Megan’s stomach. The thought of Haley being “committed” to Adam twisted her at the core.
“Is there something wrong, Megan?”
Megan tried to compose herself. Adam was watching her and had picked up on her outward ticks. She couldn’t afford to make those mistakes. She couldn’t afford to be returned to the Community while Haley remained in the Garden.
“No, I’m fine. I’m just struggling a bit to clear my head. To get to where I promised you.”
Adam smiled, “It’s okay to feel jealous, Megan. It’s a normal emotion. One we should conquer and lay to rest, but normal none-the-less.”
Megan battled two choices. Yell at Adam and tell him how delusional he was or furrow her brow and pretend to need more instruction and clarification from him. The latter fed into his unsatiated ego—she furrowed her brow.
“It’s normal to compare ourselves to others. To want what they have, especially when we can’t have what they possess. In this case, it’s youth and beauty.”
Did he just say I’m old and ugly?
“Why do you think I chose the eleven women on the other side of that door? For their youth? For their beauty?”
Megan continued to listen. A sincere curiosity in how Adam would twist the obvious, his choice of filling his home with beautiful, young girls, all at his disposal.
“Purity,” Adam said, his hands still clasped into a steeple in front of him.
He said the word with a sober, emotionless stare. No hint of a smile. No grin or attempts to sell the self-serving greed of his belief.
“Purity?” Megan felt obligated ask.
Feed the ego, feed his ego.
“What is the one thing we can offer to come closer to our Maker? The one thing we all possess inside ourselves? Something we can gain, no matter how dark the days or the choices we make?” Adam asked. “Purity. We have the ability to cleanse the inner-vessel. We have all sinned and are therefore unworthy, unclean. No unclean thing shall enter the kingdom of our Father.”
Megan walked from the middle of the room to the window. She could see him watching her out of the corner of her eye, could feel him tracing her every step. She stopped at the window and placed her hands on the sill and stared outside. She turned to face him and leaned against warm glass. Adam smiled as she tilted her head for him to continue. A rockstar in front of his fans.
“The purity of the eleven comes from their youth. From having been in the world a shorter time. The world has not fouled them. It has not had the opportunity to take hold of them and stain their vessels. It’s a purity in its most raw and sacred form. And when they offer that purity, freely, of their own volition, they are one step closer to perfection. Be ye therefore perfect. This is a step in their rise to perfection. Giving of the three core elements of themselves standing between all of us and perfection; the mind, the body, and the spirit.”
“But how do you know to choose them? To choose them specifically, from the rest of the Community? They’re all so willing to come to the Garden. Willing to submit themselves. How do
you choose?”
“Inspiration. Revelation. And sometimes, Perspiration. It’s no easy task to choose those worthy of ascending to the Garden.”
“Why twelve?” Megan couldn’t help but be curiously drawn into Adam’s twisted logic and view of the world. Explanations as to how Haley made the cut—was chosen, beyond youth and beauty.
“I’m surprised, Megan. That’s a Sunday school question.”
Megan shrugged.
“The Twelve Tribes of Israel. Each represent the original Hebrew tribes. Ten were considered lost, assimilated into the other tribes. Ten of you represent those tribes. I hold apart two, recognized by the others and held in a higher esteem. They are ordained and held apart until a special day marks their full arrival. Their arrival into the Holy Garden. The next day is Lammas, or the feast of the first fruits.”
Megan struggled to keep track of Adam’s philosophies. It was like trying to figure out which side of the road to drive on, with no markings on the street and no clear posted speed limit. Only Adam knew the rules of the road in his world. And his followers were content to climb into his proverbial bus as he drove, with the front rows reserved for his twelve.
Adam stood and walked toward Megan, “Why do you think I chose you today?”
Megan truly didn’t have the answer. There was no good reason she could see, especially since Adam had the choice of Anna right in front of him.
“Your eagerness to come to the Garden, to the Holy Garden, to offer yourself and fill your vessel with the water of eternal life and hope. It was the hope, Megan. It was your willingness to stand in front of the Community and give hope. I chose you for the Community. Choosing you gives eternal hope to those in the Community struggling with their own demons. Struggling to find a way through the eye of the needle to reach perfection and gain eternal life. Making the impossible possible, through hope, belief, complete committal and giving yourself over to perfection.”
Adam stopped in front of Megan and took her hand. He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb and leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek.
“That’s the reason I’m willing to wait. To let you cleanse yourself. To let you prepare yourself. Mind, body and soul. I will offer you the best of me, and in return, your committal to offering me and the Community the best of you.”
Adam released her hand and walked to the stack of books by his chair. He pulled several off the stack and thumbed through their covers. Selecting one, he returned the rest.
He walked back toward Megan and said, “That’s all I ask of you.”
He stepped around her and grabbed the handle to the door leading out to a porch connected off the back of his room. He pulled the door inward and stepped through, leaving the door open for Megan to follow.
She took the hint and stepped from the room to the wooden deck after him.
She wasn’t sure what was more dangerous: Adam serving his Kool-aid to the Community, or the fact he was drinking from his own pitcher.
36
“Harper this is James.”
“Go ahead, James.”
“What’s you’re twenty?”
“Rounding Gate One and headed to HQ,” Chase said.
“Roger that,” James answered.
“What’s that about,” Martin asked.
“Got me,” Chase answered. “Paperwork, maybe?”
“Maybe,” Martin said.
“Only one way to find out,” Chase picked up the pace back to HQ.
Chase reached the bottom of the steps leading up to HQ first. Martin had straggled about 100-feet behind. Chase turned to face him as Martin struggled to keep from showing he was out of breath.
“Where you at Marine?” Chase laughed.
“Next time Army, next time,” Martin gave in and took several deep breaths.
The door at the top of the stairs whipped open and James stepped out.
“You two in a race?” James said.
“No. Just stretching our legs,” Chase offered.
James looked directly at Martin, “Well?”
Martin caught his breath and answered, “He did okay, seeings he’s Army and all.”
James didn’t smile at the reply. Martin straightened up and squared his shoulders toward James.
“He handled the layout and perimeter just fine. I think he’s got the hang of it, sir.”
James was satisfied with Martin’s response this time. He turned toward Chase.
“Do you think you could handle the perimeter tomorrow?”
“Sure, shouldn’t be a problem,” Chase said.
“I’m down a man tomorrow on Team One. It’s seven to seven. I’m going to cut you loose to run into town in time to buy some new boots while that store’s still open.”
“Boots are that important?” Chase asked.
“They are to Popov. He let today slip, but won’t let tomorrow slip.”
“He knows about my boots?”
“He saw them as you circled the Garden. And make sure and shave, too,” James said.
Chase hadn’t seen Popov at or around the cabin.
“Will do, sir,” Chase said.
James walked down the stairs and slipped around the side of the building and disappeared into the woods.
“You saw Casa del Adam. Welcome to Popov-land,” Martin laughed and clapped Chase on the shoulder. “Let’s check in your gear and I’ll give you a ride back to the gate.”
Chase nodded and followed Martin up the steps. Going to Boise to buy boots was low on his priority list. He knew where Megan was, though she didn’t look like much of a captive. He could only assume that it had something to do with Haley. She wasn’t there on holiday with the guy. He was the opposite of her type, and no amount of money could sway her in Adam’s direction. The other problem was Henry. What was he doing glassing the cabin? And worse, pointing his 30-30 at the cabin?
Chase needed to get to town and back and get out to Henry’s as quick as possible. At least from there, he could deal with Henry and be close to Megan as well.
“Hello?” Martin said.
“Sorry.”
Chase pulled the walkie-talkie from his belt and snapped it back into the charger. He signed the log showing he returned it and then followed Martin back to where the rest of the gear was stored.
Martin pointed, “There’s a row of lockers around the corner. Just pick an empty one and we’ll slap a piece of tape with your name on it later. You can hang your duty belt in there. We’re allowed to wear our BDUs and polos to and from work. It’s up to you if you want to wear your civvies and change here or not. Most of us just show up in our work gear.”
Chase changed back into his jeans and t-shirt and tucked the work shirts and pants under his arm. He hung his outer belt and inner belt on a hook in the locker and closed the door with a clang.
“Ready?” Martin asked.
“As I’ll ever be.”
Martin handed him a slip of paper with the name of the surplus store in Boise.
“Tell the owner you’re with HLC. He usually gives a ten percent discount for military and law enforcement. James made a deal so the guy gives us fifteen percent off. It’s not a lot, but the guy has more than just boots there.”
“Thanks.”
Chase led the way out of HQ and down the stairs. He tried not to act in too much of a hurry, but he had some ground to cover before it got too late. Henry being high on his list.
“Did you get it done?” Popov asked.
“Yes, sir. We put the bird-dog toward the back of his truck, just inside the fender of the bed. He’d have to be actively looking for it to find it,” James answered.
“Good, good.”
The practice was SOP, Standard Operating Procedure. All new hires had their vehicles tagged with a GPS unit for the first week of their employment. James was just glad he didn’t have to commit further resources to following the new hires. Just seeing where they stayed and the places they frequented on the GPS was enough to make a decision about
whether to keep them.
“You’ll advise me if anything looks odd,” Popov ordered.
“Yes, sir. Will do.”
37
Chase punched the buttons on his cellphone as he pulled away from Gate One, frantically trying to reach Henry to warn him to stay home, in his house, until Chase got there. Every call went straight to voicemail.
“Leave a message, you know who I am, if not, why’d you call me?”
Chase couldn’t help but smile at Henry’s matter-of-fact tone and message.
“Henry, it’s Chase. Call me as soon as you get this. The polo shirts saw you glassing the cabin with your spotting scope. They got close enough to verify it was you. They said something about a rifle. If you get this, grab your gear and head home, and stay home… and call me!”
Chase stopped to top off his gas tank at the Jone’s so he could get to town and up to Henry’s as soon as possible. Frank stepped out of the store and met him at the pump.
“How did everything go?” Frank asked.
“Good, bad, worse…,” Chase flipped the handle on the pump and clanked the nozzle back into its holster. He turned back and grabbed the gas cap and screwed it back into place until he heard it clack several times.
“Got the job and saw Megan,” he began, “but they spotted Henry glassing the cabin and pointing a rifle at it, and now I have to run to town to buy some boots, don’t ask, and I can’t reach Henry.”
Frank took in the information and looked dazed. He shook his head and asked, “You saw Megan? And what about Henry and his rifle?”
Chase began to reach for his wallet to pay for the gas. Frank stopped him and asked, “What can I do?”
“Get ahold of Henry. Don’t go out to his place. For all I know they’re still watching him and I’d rather not put you into play.”
“I’m not worried about them,” Frank said.
Chase locked eyes with Frank and said, “I appreciate that. But these guys aren’t playing games. The further you go up the ranks, the more they’re willing to protect the HLC and Adam. Just how far, I’m not sure. I don’t want to find out with you and Alice or Henry.”
