Rob and Clint were restless. He usually took them to Miss Maxine’s after Saturday evening services to let off steam. Since he’d handpicked them to work for him, they enjoyed perks the others knew nothing about. They even had phones to communicate with each other, but kept them hidden from their wives and the other members of the cult. Because Elijah wanted to dig into Henry and Tina’s background last night, he feigned illness so he could get to his computer and do some research. The men hadn’t been happy, but they did as they were told.
Elijah spun around as the door opened. Rob entered, followed closely by Clint. “That was fast. Where did they go?”
“Drove that flashy red car to the valet stand of the Four Seasons. Strutted inside like they owned the place.”
The Four Seasons. It was one of the nicest hotels in Denver. Ritzy. Expensive. Everything told him they were the couple he was looking for, even more of a catch than Margaret Conrad, Rob’s wife. If he could get them on board today, they could move in tonight and he could shut down the church. Then all he had to do was encourage them into having a baby and all his plans would fall into place.
Chapter Eight
Hunter had just changed into comfortable clothes when the phone on the table beside the couch jingled.
“What the heck is that sound?” Sawyer’s eyes darted around in mock confusion.
“I didn’t even know there were landlines anymore,” Mason joked.
Hunter chuckled and picked up the receiver. “Hello?”
“Mr. McKay, this is Sierra from the front desk. You have a visitor.” He spied Talia and raised his brows. “A visitor? Can you tell me who it is?”
There was a pause and then she came back on the line. “He said to tell you Elijah.”
Hunter’s heartbeat picked up speed. If Elijah was here, it could only mean that they passed his tests. “Please, send Elijah up.” He hung up the phone.
Talia’s eyes widened. “Elijah is here?”
“He’s on his way now.”
“That’s our cue,” Sawyer said, as he and Mason gathered their equipment and disappeared. Hunter and Talia made sure it looked as if only two people were staying in the suite. Talia placed a few items in plain sight like her ten-thousand-dollar Hermès purse and her Manolo Blahnik pumps. He added his Louis Vuitton shoes that fit like a glove but he couldn’t wait to ditch. Give him a pair of Nikes or hiking boots any day.
Three loud raps sounded. He glanced at Talia and nodded. She nodded back and took a seat while he went to answer. Gordon gave a slight bow and announced Elijah.
Hunter stepped aside and waved a hand. “Please, come in.” He thanked Gordon, whose brows were quirked with interest, and closed the door. He ushered the robed one to a chair and took a seat next to Talia on the sofa. Hunter bet Elijah made quite a show walking through the lobby of one of the nicest hotels in Denver in his flowing purple garb.
“Elijah, it is so good to see you again. Would you like something to drink?” Talia asked.
“Water, please.”
She stood to fetch a bottle from the fridge. Hunter’s eyes narrowed as Elijah tracked Talia’s movements. Oh, he really wanted to pound the guy, but he tamped down the urge. He waited until Talia returned before he asked, “Is there something we can do for you, Elijah?”
The man took a sip of water and openly checked out the suite. “This is a very nice room.”
“It is,” Hunter agreed.
Elijah replaced the cap and deposited the bottle on a side table before leaning back to study them intently. Hunter was about to break the uncomfortable silence when Elijah began, “I have a community of devout followers.” Hunter’s adrenaline started pumping. “The Lightkeepers. We live together and pray together, and we exist in an area where we can sustain ourselves and grow in faith while fighting against the evil forces that are out to get us.”
Hunter played stupid. “You mean like a commune?”
“Something like that,” Elijah murmured. “We are pacifists and we don’t believe in war, but we do believe in protecting ourselves and what is ours. We feel we should be allowed to pray to God without fear of censure or government involvement. Crime and drugs are rampant in the streets. Our home is protected from all outside harm.”
He eyed their current surroundings again. “It would require a significant change in your lifestyle,” Elijah warned. “I’ve hand-picked every couple who has joined with me in this pursuit. I select people who have the same beliefs and ideals that I have and who are willing to devote their lives to our joined family and God. My flock is almost complete. I only have room for one more couple and, Henry, Tina, I believe you are that couple.”
Hunter placed his arm over Talia’s shoulder and hugged her closer. “Tell us more.”
“In order to stay secluded in our community, my people don’t have contact with the outside world in any form. No internet. No cell phones. No television. All ties are severed so that family, friends and the media can’t poison our minds. God speaks to me and I in turn, pass his messages on to my flock.”
Hunter wanted to gag. This guy was truly demented. Or truly genius. He spouted pure nonsense and gave himself an idiotic moniker, yet he talked wealthy people into blindly handing over all their money and following him. He hated to admit Elijah might be more Albert Einstein than Albert DeSalvo, aka the Boston Strangler.
“If we have no contact with the outside, does that mean we would not be allowed to attend church?” Talia asked. “That is important to me.”
“As it is to me,” Elijah assured her, with a pat to her hand. “I have a church inside the compound and hold services there, as well as gatherings each night. Once the final family is complete, my search will be over, and I will close the church in Denver so I can devote my time to the family.”
“Where would we live?” Hunter questioned.
“Our compound is located east of Denver. You’ll be provided with your own home so that you’ll have time alone with each other. The cabins are rustic, nothing like you are used to, but they’re nicely furnished and include an attached bathroom.”
“That is all we need,” Talia assured him.
“What about food and supplies?” Hunter asked.
“We grow much of our own food but once this church is closed, I’ll have my two assistants make a trip once a week to pick up supplies. You’ll be provided everything you need. You won’t go without. We all pitch in to keep the community up and running. Everyone has a talent or skill they use to contribute. We would ask the same of you. But you must sign over all of your possessions to the Lightkeepers.”
Talia rounded her eyes and sent Hunter a panicked look. “But we do not have much to sign over until I can access my trust fund. My father cut me off.”
“That’s not a problem. We’ll handle the trust when the time comes.”
Hunter just bet he would. Elijah was probably salivating over the thought of so much money.
“We will not be allowed to contact our families?” Talia asked.
“Not at first. Once you’re established in the community, you’ll be free to contact them if you choose. You won’t be prisoners. But we must take steps to protect ourselves for everyone’s benefit.” He looked from Hunter to Talia. “Would that be a problem for you? Not contacting your family for a few months?”
“Not for me,” Hunter claimed. “I have none. And Tina’s family disowned her. It’s just been the two of us since we married.”
“Tina, would that be a problem for you?”
She shook her head sadly. “No. I miss my family, but they want nothing to do with me. It will not be a problem.”
“Excellent. Well, Henry, Tina, would you like to add your luminescence to our community of light?”
Hunter faced Talia and tried not to burst out laughing. This guy was a riot and not on purpose. “What do you think, darling?”
She looked in his eyes and then turned to Elijah. “I think it sounds wonderful.” She put enough awe into the statement that if
Hunter didn’t know better, he might think she meant it.
Chapter Nine
“Careful not to walk too close to me, lest your luminescence scorch my tender skin,” Mason warned after Elijah left the hotel room.
“I know, right?” Hunter laughed. “What the hell’s wrong with the guy?”
“I think he’s an evil genius,” Sawyer surmised, echoing Hunter’s earlier thoughts.
“I just think he is creepy,” Talia said with a shudder. “I do not like being the subject of his attention.” His eyes were too intent, probing.
“But we did it. We’re in,” Hunter crowed, fist-bumping with the other agents. He dialed their bosses on speaker and waited for Logan to conference Luke in. It was Sunday, but their bosses would want to know the latest development. Hunter filled them in on the meeting and the details on their next steps.
Elijah wanted them to move in as soon as possible and he even offered to help them sell the Ferrari. Talia tried not to smile at the look on Elijah’s face when he found out the car was a rental. He was sending his two men to pick them up later this afternoon and escort them to the compound.
They ran to a department store and purchased clothes that were more suited for life inside a cult. The Rolex, Manolo’s and other expensive pieces were returned, and they were armed with fifty thousand dollars cash, which the Conrads had provided. Talia hoped there would be a way to get the money back to them, as well as Margaret’s contribution, but she didn’t see how that was possible.
Sawyer and Mason moved to a motel closer to the compound, taking the Ferrari with them to return to the dealer. She and Hunter headed down to the lobby to wait for the van that would pick them up. Right on time, it rolled up to a stop. Two men got out and shook their hands. “Welcome to the Lightkeepers. We met yesterday. My name’s Clint.” He slapped a hand against the other man’s chest, who glared at him. “This is Rob.”
They shook hands and Talia studied them. Hunter thought this man might be Margaret’s husband, Robert Tobin, and he went by Rob. It had to be him. She checked his hand and he wore no ring, but some men didn’t.
Once Hunter and Talia were seated inside and belted in, they motored away. She was thinking up ways to bring up Rob’s wife when suddenly, he whipped into an empty parking lot and killed the engine. She shared a worried glance with Hunter.
“Please step out of the van,” Clint ordered.
Talia’s instincts were on high alert. What was this about? She scanned the area. It wasn’t deserted, but neither was it a hotbed of activity. Once she and Hunter were standing outside, she had to fight the urge to shove Hunter out of the way. He was standing between her and the men, shielding her.
“What is this about?” he asked.
“The Keeper of the Light does not allow weapons of any kind to be brought inside the compound and no cell phones or computers. We need to search both of you and your luggage.
Hunter shoved her further behind him and she couldn’t help it, she pinched his muscular ass for being so alpha, taking perverse satisfaction when he jumped. “You aren’t touching my wife,” he growled.
“Relax,” Rob said, holding up a wand and wiggling it. “This will do the job.”
Hunter acquiesced and stepped forward. “I have a cell phone.” He pulled it out of his pocket and Clint swiped it from his hand. It was a fake one with contact information for Henry McKay. His real one was hidden in a compartment of the luggage that would not be detected. Rob waved the wand over Hunter’s head, arms and torso. When he passed over his stomach, the machine beeped. Hunter lifted his shirt to reveal his belt.
“Take it off,” Rob instructed.
Hunter sighed but removed the strap and placed it on the ground. Rob continued the scan and when he finished, he ran it over the buckle again, setting off the beeper. Rob nodded, satisfied it held no threat. Hunter picked it up and slid it through the loops on his jeans. Little did the men know, the wand did its job…Hunter’s buckle slid out to reveal a wicked serrated blade. Hers did, too. She hated going inside without a weapon. She felt naked without a firearm. She knew Hunter felt the same way. She also wore a cross necklace that concealed a tiny dose of a knockout drug. It was fast-acting and potent, and the recipient would suffer short-term memory loss. She’d brought it in case she needed to use it on Margaret’s husband in order to get her away…assuming she even wanted to leave. That was something the parents hadn’t even wanted to consider: that their daughter was happy and content, that it was her choice to cut them from her life.
Talia and Hunter had discussed the scenario and decided that if they both concluded that Margaret was indeed happy and wanted to stay, they would simply pass on the message from her parents. The Conrads reluctantly agreed that if Margaret were truly happy—and they wanted Hunter and Talia’s confirmation on that—they would leave her alone. It would no doubt devastate them losing their only daughter, but they would abide by her wishes.
Talia removed her belt and placed it on the concrete before Rob started the scan on her. She did not like the lecherous look in his eye, paired with the smarmy grin, so she didn’t want to give him any reason to pat her down. Rob waved the wand over her head, arms and legs, standing too close for comfort, invading her personal space. She wanted to tell him to step back, to shove him away, but stood still. The hand holding the wand brushed against her breast and it was all she could do to refrain from slamming the heel of her palm into his nose, shattering his nasal bone, leaving him gasping for breath.
She could practically feel Hunter vibrating with rage. He didn’t like how close Rob was standing either. She met his gaze, silently conveying the message to stand down. His fists clenched and unclenched, but he stayed his ground.
After determining they posed no threat, Rob and Clint moved on to the luggage, scanning it first and then opening the bags to rifle through the contents. Talia hated them touching her clothes, her undergarments, but she bit her tongue. When they were finished, they zipped the luggage, packed it away and then instructed them to return to the vehicle.
Hunter helped her inside and then climbed in behind her. Once they were buckled in and Rob started the van, Clint spouted a spiel that sounded like an overzealous tourism bureau worker extolling on the virtues of the Keepers of the Light. He painted a rosy picture of a grand life of camaraderie and kinship. God was praised daily and the Lightkeeper was revered.
Talia had heard enough by the time the van rattled over a cattle guard and motored down a dusty path. They stopped at a gate and Rob punched in a code. Zero-two-seven-four-eight-eight. She committed it to memory, just in case. A ten-foot fence surrounded the property, with razor wire along the top. They drove for another mile or so when a large structure came into view. She’d seen pictures of the compound, but they didn’t do it justice. The stone wall was massive, with a moat—a moat!—encircling the entire perimeter. Clint pushed a button on a device attached to the sun visor and a large drawbridge lowered. Dramatic. Rob motored inside and the gate closed, sealing them inside the compound of the Church of Light.
#
Hunter stepped down from the van and assessed the area inside the walls. Aside from the massive church, he spotted several buildings scattered about through the trees. Many of the structures were cabins. He assumed these were the accommodations Elijah told them about.
Speaking of the devil, Elijah himself walked over to greet them, his purple and gold robes billowing behind him as he raised his hands in greeting. “Welcome, Henry and Tina, newest Keepers of the Light! We are so happy to have you here. Come, let me introduce you to the flock.”
Hunter took Talia’s hand and followed Elijah down a manicured path to an opening in the trees that housed what looked to be an outdoor amphitheater of some sort. Several rows of curved benches were positioned in front of a raised dais with a podium. Most of the benches were full and the people stood and clapped when they walked down the aisle. Elijah guided them to the platform and then he stepped up to the microphone. Hunter scanne
d the faces. The people looked normal. Sane even. So why did they give up their lives to follow a madman? The one face he did not see was Margaret Conrad, their target. Something clicked in his brain and he scanned the crowd again. There was no diversity among the ranks, no members of color or ethnicity. And at least three-fourths of the women were pregnant.
“Brothers and sisters, I am so happy to introduce you to the last two members of our flock. Keepers of the Light, this is Henry McKay and his lovely wife, Tina.” Elijah had his hand on Talia’s shoulder and it was all he could do to refrain from knocking it off…and breaking his wrist in the process. He pasted on a smile and lifted his hand to the crowd as they called out greetings of welcome.
“I have spoken at length with Henry and Tina and I’ve determined that their beliefs and ideals are the same as ours. They hail from Texas and are recently married. I ask you to welcome them with open arms into our family. I have no doubt they will contribute greatly to the continued success of our community.” He gestured for Hunter and Talia to join him at the podium. “We’ll have a formal ceremony tonight, but while we’re all gathered here, let us make it official. Henry, Tina, repeat after me. I pledge my devotion to the God, the Father Almighty.” They repeated the sentence. “I willingly offer my mind, body and soul to the Church of Light.” They parroted the phrase. “Everything I own, all of my possessions, I relinquish with total surrender.” Total surrender? Good grief. It galled him to repeat that one, but he did.
“Wonderful! You are now officially members of the family.” The way he said it made Hunter think of a mafia don. He pictured Elijah with dark sunglasses, a black suit and a fat stogie polluting the air with noxious smoke, welcoming them with a throaty drawl. “Welcome to the family.” Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. “Here’s a horse’s head—”
Total Surrender (COBRA Securities Book 11) Page 7
