Stealing Flowers

by Edward St Amant

  He laughed. “Well, I don’t work alone anymore. Many kids whom I’ve deprogrammed are now deprogramming others. Some outside of my organization I understand, are even making a good living at it, but all we charge are expenses. To this point in my life, I have personally deprogrammed over two thousand kids, but with my network, the numbers are reaching twenty thousand. It’s a war you see, one which we are unfortunately losing.”

  Una nodded. “It’s bad magic, and unthinkable!”

  “We have three cars,” Rick said, “and a quiet place to stay. I’ll tell you what I need done tomorrow. Stan and Mary are going to go into the commune in one; Peter will be hidden in the back seat under Sally’s things. Una will drive the lead car in with Christian, carrying most of the suitcases and more of Sally’s clothes. I’ll be hidden under the clothes in the back seat of this car. Andy will be in the third car with two of Mr. Burgess’ crew, however, they’ll pull up, out of sight and wait just in case events go awry.”

  “Awry?” I said.

  “Some of the most darned things can happen in these situations. Let me tell you, this is a one shot deal. Tomorrow is our only chance. If you have made up your mind not to leave without Sally, then we have the manpower to do it. If we fail, you will never see Sally again. So we can’t fail!”

  Flabbergasted, Una pointed her large index finger at Rick. “You are making me wonder if we will succeed.”

  He looked at her and then to Mary and Stan. I understood his fascination with the fact that a plump black housekeeper spoke as an equal to two wealthy industrialists. This always amused me and I knew it remained one of her favorite undercover parts of being involved with the Tappets.

  “We’ll succeed,” he said softly and turned his attention to Stan. “Now, you’ll get Sally over to me by asking her to help with the suitcases. When Christian opens the door to help, Una will push her into my arms and close the door. The tricky part, of course, is timing in our execution of the abduction.” He reached for his bottle of juice and took a drink. “We want to get in there and get out in under three minutes, but if anything happens, Peter will use force. Stan and Una have to get into the driver’s seat as quick as possible after we have Sally.” He paused. “Sally won’t be left alone for a second either. There’ll be at least five or six other members hovering around. Stan, Mary, and Una will be armed with mace. We must be forceful and quick, and like all of life, we’ll need some luck.”

  “How much luck?” Stan asked.

  Rick chuckled softly. “Well, God is on our side–”

  “That’s what the German’s said in the Second World War,” I interjected to a few frowns.

  “I guess they were wrong,” Rick said matter-of-factly. “We’ll have three or four minutes. After the shock value is gone, the cult-members will swarm. They can get violent when they think they’re dealing with Satan. I’m their number one candidate for that position.”

  I saw that Una caught his eyes. “We will go get them, we have just to. We’ll play some of it on the wing?”

  “You’ll have to act natural. I’m leery of arousing suspicion before the final push. All those kids are spaced out and act without any original thinking, but they have also been repeatedly programmed to suspect parents.

  “If we brought Andy with us inside the compound or the third car, they might not allow Sally out to even see you. Hell, I’m worried about even two cars.”

  “This keeps sounding more and more difficult,” Mary said.

  “As I’ve said, Sally will not be alone. You’ll have mace and you may have to fend the other members off. There’ll be three of you and we need only two drivers. Don’t get caught up on each other.” He laughed. “Sometimes in life, despite planning, we just have to take what comes. The cult members scare easily, but you never know who’ll be there. The other thing which I should brace you for is Sally’s appearance. She’ll have lost weight and will be suffering from exhaustion, so you may barely recognize her.”

  “Dear me, it sounds pretty gruesome,” Una said, “look at me, I’m as excited as young Andy, here.” She reached over and gave Andy a little hug and there followed soft laughter.

  “It’s no science,” Rick said. “There’s a home in Denver which we have for the next four days. It’s east of City Park in a nice part of town. Friends and supporters of mine are out of town. I deprogrammed their son sometime back. He’ll be joining us to help, as well as one other associate of mine from the Denver area. She is also an ex-cult member.”

  So slowly we went over Rick’s instructions again, until I began to feel like a member of a military team. Mulligan Shirer excused herself and headed for her room for the night. I would have love to spend the night with her or Ashe.

  “Peter Ray and Ashe are packing,” Una said to Rick Edwards, “Did you know?”

  “I’ve never allowed the use of guns in abduction, but to fail here would set my work back years. Tappets is an important name and people might think that if we botched this attempt, then what normally happens with less-powerful folks. Do you see what I mean? No offense, and remember, we don’t want Mulligan to know about the guns.”

  “Mary’s the powerful one,” Una said, looking as though sadly at Stan and affecting pity for him, “you know, Stan’s just a nice guy who invents things, underneath she’s an iron lady, but they’re both quite mad.”

  We all laughed. “I represent many people who rely on me to lead them in this issue,” Rick said intensely. “Fear of cults in America has subsided lately, but the cults’ recruiting practices have not. Many people in America view the problem the same way as Senator Al Stevens does. He’s pretty famous. You may not know that this same cult swallowed up his son and the Senator’s response to this turned out to be sadly predictable. He said that his son being an adult, had made a lawful choice. Stevens gives legitimacy to the cults, and his son has seen a rapid promotion inside the family and is now the head elder at Ashbury Farms, New Jersey.”

  “When we were trying to get Sally off the bus, the bus people mentioned about the Senator’s son,” I said.

  “I’ve never met the man,” Una said. “But I heard about him. Stan has met him.”

  “One other thing is bothering me,” Rick said. “I’ve seen three pictures of Sally, now, and unless those photos lied, she’s young and beautiful, I mean uncommonly so. I’m sorry to say that by now she may be in the Elder’s hands.”

  “What does that mean?” I said and looked at him in alarm, and then to Mary and Stan, who exchanged dismayed glances.

  Una trembled and caught her breath. “If they touch our Sally, those boys will regret it.”

  “The Elders of the family are sometimes possessive of women who are so attractive,” Rick said, “and we may have to arrange another way of getting her out; they may not let us see her.”

  “Isn’t Rick Edwards the plainest black man you’ve ever laid your eyes on?” Una said when he left for the night. We laughed, especially Andy. “Then there’s Peter, my goodness, he’s some island dish.” Stan gave her one of his classic, ‘You’re just plain crazy’ looks. “Of course,” she said, immediately taking the bait, “Stan would be striding and paying everywhere, and who’d ever be guessing they let him run things?”

  “Who’d ever imagine we’d have a half-mad Jamaican front for us,” he retorted with a smile.

  The next morning, we met at the restaurant to have breakfast, and later, Stan phoned the Woodlands Farm from the restaurant asking for Patience Hosanna. At first, they denied she was there, a standard practice we’d been told by Rick, so Stan persisted, acting friendly, telling about the money he had for her and about her belongings. At length, she came to the phone and Una and Mary leaned into the phone.

  “Sally, is that you?” I heard him asking as my heart went out to her. “Someone’s listening on the line now,” Stan whispered to us, covering the receiver. “But she’s there!”

  Rick Edwards looked visibly relieved. Una nodded over and over. “Go ahead,” she whispered s
oftly, “do it just as you practiced.”

  “How are you, Sally?” He paused. “We’re here in Denver and we wonder if we could come over to see you? We’ve brought some of your clothes and things. As well, I’ll make out a check for you, you know, to help you with things in your new life.” A longer pause followed. “No, we know the way, bye.”

  I could tell Una was as excited as she ever got. Rick gathered us up outside the diner. “Okay, let’s go get Sally.”

  “With about a half mile to go, the third car signaled and pulled over, then Rick and Peter were completely hidden underneath Sally’s clothes in the back seats of the first and second cars.

  When we drove off, Andy stepped out of the third car and waved at us with his thumb up in the air for encouragement. Una smiled and waved back from the driver’s seat of the lead car. We arrived at the gates of the Woodland’s Compound fifteen minutes later and were met by a pair of young boys with good-natured smiles. “God bless you,” they said. “Welcome to The Family of Truth.”

  Una drove ahead of us and I heard the guard-dogs long before we reached the main house. She brought the car up to the house with a full-turn around, positioning it just right; ready to speed off after the abduction.

  Stan and Mary got out of the first car, then Una and I. I watched in total shock as Sally stepped out on the open porch of the house. She’d lost a good twenty pounds and had her hair very long, her breasts had disappeared and all the color of her face was gone. I knew something horrible had happened to her. Immediately, she spotted Una.

  “What’s this?” she asked rather naturally and smiling at Una and I. I was emotional and could feel the tears on my face, but did not wipe them, in fact I did nothing so hungry was I for my old Sally and shocked at seeing a new woman in front of me.

  Una stepped up and hugged her, but I noticed that Sally didn’t really return her embrace. Sally radiated listlessness, and also, as I drew up to hug her, she stunk of body-odor and had bad breath, but she smiled and kissed my cheek.

  “Come down and say hello to your Mom and Dad,” Una urged.

  Sally turned back and looked at the silent group of onlookers of five men and three women, who’d come timidly out to the porch just behind her. They dressed in a similar manner, t-shirts and blue jeans. My pity swelled as my glance drifted to them. They were so young and had Sally’s silly smile fixed to their faces, it made me want to cry and give them hugs. Una nodded and put on her best smile. Her great broad frame stood steady and cool in the sun. She looked like a goddess; she took Sally’s hand and led her nearer to her old life. Mary embraced her, following Rick’s instructions on what to say. “God bless you. We’re so happy to see you.”

  “Yes,” Stan said, “we’re sure happy to see that you are okay.”

  Stan hugged her and pointed to the porch. “These are your new friends?”

  He was perfectly calm, and only I looked nervous, but my tears hid it all very well. “They’ve been tremendous,” Sally said, getting choked up herself and holding my hand. She waved for them to come down and I realized we really didn’t want that. “This is Sure Isaiah, Divine Love, Love Israel, Leviticus Logic, Joshua Dedication and Faith Renewal,” she said. I realized that Love Israel was the blond girl from the bus who had the Marilyn Monroe-type build and Divine Love was the tall pretty one from whom I’d copped a feel. I shook their hands. Every single one of them gave me a handshake that was limp. One of them had remained on the porch, a heavy set man, slightly older than the others, and Sally pointed to him. “That’s our team’s Elder, Holy Truth.”

  I saw fear in her eyes when she looked at him and I realized he’d somehow hurt her. He was a brawny guy and I didn’t know if I could take him. Una watched Holy Truth and nodded; he nodded back but without friendliness. It all sounded like a cartoon, and the vacant smiles became a real worry. They looked as looney as their wacky names. My attention returned to Sally.

  “Bless you,” Stan said and slowly edged her over to the car. “I’ll write you out a check and you can get your stuff out.” Then Stan stopped and turned around pretending to write a check. I looked at the German Shepherds who were just then coming up the road with the guards. I watched as Stan opened the door, then I took a run at Sally from behind and pushed her forward with a violent thrust into the car.

  “Kidnapping,” Sally shouted, physically resisting me and trying to break free of my grip, but Rick’s hands shot out of the back seat and seized her with a strong pull. She hit her forehead as I gave one last push and followed her in. Stan slammed the door behind me and Una jumped into the driver’s seat; we were off.

  I watched out the back window as Stan rushed to the other side of the second car; cult members surrounded him. He raised his mace toward their eyes, but it seemed to me that his weapon didn’t work. I was worried. Peter jumped out of the back seat of the car, I could see him as we sped away, clothes went flying in every direction. He took one member out with a kick to the stomach, and hit another in the face with his fist. I so admired him and Stan at that moment.

  “Faster,” Rick urged.

  A huge angry German Shepherd lunged at Peter and he shot it point-blank; everyone backed off and this made a clear path for Stan. I lost sight of them as we sped out of the compound and past the gates. Sally swirled and thrashed beside me.

  “You black Satan!” she screamed at Rick.

  She punched, scratched and tried to bite him. I looked through the back window again. Stan and Mary followed us in the second car and relief washed over me. We’d done it, and when we reached the third car, Una pulled over and allowed Rick into the driver’s seat, getting into the other car. Mary and Stan got in the backseat on either side of Sally; I rode shotgun.

  “You’re not my mother and father,” Sally shouted upon seeing them, “you are demons sent by Satan.” Mary and Stan didn’t respond to this taunting, just as Rick had instructed them. Sally pointed at Rick “I know him. He’s the black Satan who beats you until you renounce the Lord.”

  Rick laughed. “I’m glad to see my reputation still scares David Moses. When it precedes me, then it’s easier to perform a deprogramming.”

  “What are you talking about?” Sally asked.

  “I think you’re afraid.”

  Sally spit at him. I could tell, she was, indeed afraid. She fell silent after this and we sped straight to the donated home in Denver, and every minute or so, I would sneak a glance back at her. What had happened to her? How had they changed her so completely? We pulled into the driveway of a house in a well-treed residential neighborhood of Denver. The double garage had a basketball-hoop above the door and the landscape was strictly middle-class, shabby compared to the Tappet mansion, but excellent compared to the downtown residences of Jersey.

  Rick rang the front doorbell and everyone else remained in the cars, but I’d a good vantage point. A tall clean-shaven young man with a defined upper body answered the door. He wore a tight fitting white t-shirt with the logo, Broncos, and dark dress-pants. His short wavy brown hair looked conformist. I could tell that he wanted to hug Rick but settled for an enthusiastic handshake; Rick waved us all in. Una held Sally’s arm in a vice grip, pulling her forward. “Mom and Dad are gone,” the young man said, “but they were delayed and I haven’t had time yet to nail down all the windows and gather the telephones.”

  Sally stared at him with outright resentment and I could see the pity in his eyes for her. “Let’s get everybody inside,” Rick returned, “and I’ll introduce you, then, you can continue.”

  We stood in a large foyer which broke into a living room on one side and a dining room on the other, and after a little confusion, we gathered in a large kitchen where a few other people joined us. Una still clutched Sally. “You’re hurting me,” she said in a childish voice.

  She patted Sally on the head like she was a puppy dog. Stan’s eyes had lost their alarm and I knew that the worse was over, or at least I thought so at the time.

  “I’m Rick Edwards,” R
ick said to Sally, “this is Mike Yardly. I met Mike sometime ago in the same manner that I met you this afternoon. From the same place, from The Family of Truth, although back then, they were known as The Children of Moses.”

  Sally looked angrily away. “Was there any trouble?” Mike asked.

  “This is Christian,” he said by way of introduction, “and he practically picked his sister up and delivered her into my hands in the backseat. This is his dad, Stan Tappet, and Mary, his mother, and Una, a close adviser and friend of the family. He introduced Peter Burgess, his daughter, Ashe, his partner, Ray Veld, and Andy. Sally avoided looking at all of us, but I could tell she was particularly embarrassed by Ashe being there. They were nearly the same age and of course knew one another quite well; and for the first time I understood, why indeed, Ashe was there at all. Sally must have suddenly felt like a criminal. “This is Mulligan Shirer,” Rick continued. “She works for The Catholic National Review, and they’re doing a story on deprogramming and cults.”

  Ashe, Ray, and Peter Burgess shook hands with Rick Edwards. Peter rubbed the top of Sally’s head. “Good luck,” he whispered to her, catching my eyes.

  It looked like Sally would have like to spit at him as well; perhaps her mouth was too dry. Una kept her close. I caught the odors of lavender and other air fresheners; the house was characteristic of a middle-class home and exuded comfort. Everywhere hung pictures of Mike’s relatives. I could see his mother collected Royal Doulton figurines and other useless junk. I appreciated that Una and Mary had foregone collecting stuff like that. The distinct wallpaper looked new, but I thought it ugly. The muted light made the place unappealing.

  “She needs a shower desperately,” Una said to Rick, speaking about Sally and waving her hand under her nose as though to ward an odor away. Sally frowned. “I wonder what the house would look like with the curtains opened,” Una added.

  Everyone laughed except Sally who Una hugged. I saw that Sally didn’t push her away. “Despite my excitement about seeing you,” she whispered to her, “you make me sad. Please, cheer up, and I’ll try too. It will be fun for you to be away from those funny people. It’ll be quite exciting. If you hurry up and get well, we can go out and have a Jamaican style party and then we’ll have a holiday together.”