Robbie's Scheme

by Justin Haines

  “I don’t comply to your orders, Teddy,” she says, putting special emphasis on his name, knowing it irritates him.

  “I don’t believe you comply with anyone. Your spirit is far too rebellious. It’s part of why you’re bad for him, for his success plan, and for his spirit. Rob seems to think your pessimism is cute, but I certainly do not.”

  “Who says I’m pessimistic? I prefer to think of myself as a realist.”

  “I’ve read some of your work, Maya. You don’t have a nice word to say about anyone. Everything is negative in your eyes. It’s clear to me, you and your spirit have already been vanquished by this world. I won’t let you vanquish him.”

  “Vanquish him? Is that what you say to people who don’t believe in your cult?”

  “It’s how we refer to people who are already past the point of redemption. Your spiritual journey has taken you off a cliff. No success plan can alter your course. Perhaps your soul will have better luck in your next life. But in this life, Maya, all you’re doing is dragging Rob down with you.”

  She’s heard enough of Teddy’s editorializing. She resumes her shuffle over to the closet. Slow enough to avoid provoking or startling him, but fast enough for her to feel confident she’ll have an opportunity to spray him.

  “Is this what you guys decided on your little weekend retreat on your campus? It must be fun for you, having a place where you can rob your followers blind and imagine how my death could benefit Robbie.”

  “Maya, you serve no benefit to Rob whether you are alive or dead.”

  “Wow, you really know how to talk to the ladies,” Maya snorts, unable to believe Teddy’s audacity.

  “A lady supports her man. I fear you’re only vanquishing his success and spirit.”

  “What kind of religion cares so much about success?”

  In the heat of the moment, Maya impresses herself by working in this question. She’s long been wondering and thinks it’s an important part of the background to whatever story she writes on Robbie. She hates him, but she’s also sure Teddy and his nonsense will be entertaining for her readers.

  “One that wants its members to be happy and to change the world. We recognize change doesn’t come from preaching on street corners. We coach our members to reach positions of wealth and power and begin improving the world from there. You like our results with Rob, no?”

  “Who’s definition of improving? Yours, Teddy?”

  “Rob tells me you believe in our cause, but this conversation is not reassuring me. Do you not consider equality an improvement? Do you enjoy poverty and suffering running rampant in the world’s wealthiest cities? Remember, I’ve read your work, Maya. I believe the greed and gluttony of the men you cover is rubbing off on you.”

  Maya swings the closet door open and lunges for her pepper spray. Her muscle memory finds the canister in her purse almost instantly. She regains her feet with a smile on her face, happy to take control of this interaction.

  Hearing the commotion, Teddy stands from the couch and finally faces Maya. He doesn’t flinch as she points the pepper spray at his face, only a few feet away.

  “Get out.”

  “Maya, I’m here to talk.”

  “People talk on the phone, they don’t break into apartments and make women feel alone and vulnerable in their own home.”

  “All I’m trying to do is talk. If you feel alone and vulnerable, you should look inward to your soul, not the world around you. This is yet another example of you choosing to be a victim. I don’t want Rob around this mindset.”

  Maya takes a step forward, still out of Teddy’s arms reach so he can’t take the canister from her, but close enough to guarantee she won’t miss.

  “I said, get out.”

  “Fine.” Teddy raises his arms and steps back from the couch.

  Maya’s happy he at least has the common sense to avoid pepper spray in his eyes. While he walks backward through her apartment, she follows him step by step toward the door, her index finger ready to spray without hesitation. She wants to make sure he leaves without doing anything else to her home and that the door is securely looked behind him. But can she count on any security against this man? She questions it as he fumbles behind his back for the doorknob. After all, he already got in once.

  Finally finding the knob to open the door, Teddy swings it open behind him. But rather than stepping out of her home, he takes a deep breath and stares into her eyes. Maya fights the thought that he’s looking into her soul and forces her body to take another step forward, the pepper spray still threatening him in the air between them.

  “I hope you take my words to heart. I’m leaving now with the hope that we both stay out of where we don’t belong. Otherwise, I’m afraid I’ll be forced to spread the word that you’re vanquished and forbid any Church followers from any interactions with you.”

  “You’ve got me quaking in my boots, Teddy.”

  “I don’t want to take it that far, Maya. I would prefer if you resolve this situation through your own actions. Stay away from where you’re not wanted.”

  As soon as Teddy steps back through the threshold, Maya jumps forward and slams the door in his face. She quickly locks the deadbolt and chain on her door, praying it’s enough to keep him and his lunatic followers out.

  Collapsing against the door, she lets her head fall in between her knees. Tears are already streaming down her cheeks. She doesn’t watch him leave down the hallway. She just wants this to be over.

  After a minute of rocking back and forth, she chuckles to herself. She knows a restful sleep is an impossible fantasy now.

  Chapter Fourteen

  A search of the New York Star’s archives results in only one article ever written about POTCH. Ralph Fitzpatrick is responsible for the work. Luckily, he’s a reporter Maya’s familiar with. He covers current events around the rest of New York State and writes about what’s happening away from the city.

  Thankfully, he’s in the city for a few meetings with the Star’s bosses. It doesn’t take him long to answer a text from Maya and agree to hold off on going home for the day. He waits in the newsroom until she arrives.

  Finally, something’s breaking her way.

  “You look like hell,” Ralph says at the sight of Maya.

  “It’s nice to see you too.” Maya pulls a chair up beside the desk Ralph’s borrowing. “It’s been a few days since I’ve had a proper sleep.”

  “Never could have guessed,” Ralph says sarcastically.

  He grabs an empty coffee cup off the desk and offers out his large metallic thermos. Maya waves him off, not wanting to turn this into a casual social affair. She’s here to learn what she’s going up against and doesn’t think she can stay awake through small talk.

  “Anyways, I need to talk to you.”

  “Here I am. What’s on your mind that can’t wait until a phone call tomorrow morning?”

  Maya ignores the animosity in his voice. She can’t blame him for being annoyed if he isn’t staying in the city overnight and she’s delaying his long drive home. She knows firsthand how crappy the drive is after her trip to New Hampshire.

  “Two years ago, you wrote a story about a religious group called POTCH. What do you remember about them?”

  Ralph snorts and raises his eyebrows in response. This obviously wasn’t what he expected out of the meeting. Looking around the half-empty newsroom, he makes sure no one’s listening to their conversation before answering.

  Even then, he hunches over and leans in toward Maya, speaking barely above a whisper. “Why? Are they inserting themselves into a political scandal? Redman or Clark?”

  “No,” Maya shakes her head. “I just need some background information on them for something I’m working on. I take it you remember them?”

  “No way. POTCH isn’t the background of anything. They’re headline material. Not that the Star will ever let you publish that headline.”

  “What do you mean? They let you publish an article on t
hem two years ago.”

  Again, Ralph looks around the newsroom, wary of eavesdroppers. He pushes his chair forward, close enough that his knees are touching Maya’s.

  His paranoia is sucking her in. Already on edge from Teddy’s intrusion, she doesn’t find Ralph’s suspicions to be uncalled for. She wonders if Teddy’s ever paid Ralph an unwelcome visit.

  “Yeah, one article two years ago. You need to be careful with whatever information you’re looking around for. Asking questions about POTCH can attract the wrong kind of attention from the wrong kind of people, and our editors won’t let you print much of it.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Let’s just say, the number of stories I hear about POTCH could fill a weekly column. Everyone’s scared of them and everyone gossips because the rumors are so hard to believe. But people do believe them because anything’s possible with those crazies. Godspeed if you’re trying to enter those stories into the record.”

  Changing her mind on Ralph’s offer, Maya picks up the empty coffee mug and snatches his thermos. He seems to know a lot more than she expected and she’s happy to settle in if it means learning everything she can about Teddy and his people.

  “Has the Star shut down your reporting into them?”

  “Oh, they’re happy to let me waste as much time as I want investigating POTCH, they just refuse to print any of it. They claim they can never verify it and don’t believe it. I think they’re either scared of POTCH lawsuits or want me to waste the hours in the day so they can fire me when I don’t produce enough print worthy columns.”

  “Are they litigious?”

  “You’d think you were dealing with a law firm, not a religious group.”

  “Do you really consider them a religious group?”

  “Who knows. They refer to themselves as ‘the Church’ so it’s taken for granted at this point. All I know for sure is they have some powerful friends and high-priced lawyers.”

  “Have they sued you personally?”

  “No, plenty of threats though. But the Star won’t let me do anything that pisses them off enough to wind up in a courtroom. I’ve covered a few of their trials though. It’s usually frivolous lawsuits meant for intimidation and to bury their opponents in legal costs.”

  “I didn’t see any reports on these lawsuits.”

  “Aren’t you listening?” Ralph interrupts. “They threaten to sue if I try to report on their current court cases. And the Star always backs down.”

  Taking a big gulp from her cup of coffee, Maya’s happy to feel it warm her body. The drink’s good, but the information she’s hearing isn’t. Without realizing it, she’s mimicked Ralph’s pose, hunched down below the computer monitor, leaning forward, and speaking barely above a whisper.

  “What kind of stories have been suppressed?”

  “Look, these guys are bad news. We’re using terms like religious group and church, but you understand they’re a cult, right? They convince people that thinking the right way and hard work are what they’re all about, and joining them can lead to success and happiness. Once you join, they say you can’t think the right way without attending their courses and retreats. A weekend away at their compound can run members over ten grand, but they feel like there’s no choice. Then, once you’re set up with them, they impose strict fines and penalties for breaking your success plan. Something as simple as skipping a trip to the gym can cost their members thousands of dollars.”

  “Like eating meat or drinking alcohol,” Maya says as she thinks about Robbie’s brief mentions of the costs.

  “No, those are strictly forbidden by their mission statement. A member caught indulging can be kicked out. I’ve also heard stories from families of victims that members are essentially kidnapped and imprisoned on POTCH’s campus for breaking the rules. POTCH says they’re undergoing intensive classes for their spiritual journey, but God knows what they’re really suffering through.”

  “What if I’ve seen a member eat meat and drink alcohol?”

  “POTCH probably doesn’t know about it. That guy’s days are numbered.”

  “No, they’re aware,” Maya shakes her head and thinks back on the conversations with Robbie over dinner. “He mentioned the ridiculous fines it cost him.”

  “This guy must be a high-ranking member. The entire organization is completely hypocritical. Their low-ranking followers who are heavy believers are practically treated like slaves. Whenever a higher rank enters a room everyone else must stand up, like it’s the damn President walking in. You should see the freaking birthday celebration they throw every year. It’s just expensive spiritual classes for thirteen hours a day then partying at night.”

  “They party for a week but don’t drink?”

  “No drugs, just vibes,” Ralph says, rolling his eyes. “Everyone dances the night away.”

  “Whose birthday are they celebrating?”

  “Their leader, Theo Tucker. He’s a complete nutjob.”

  Maya tenses up at the mention of Teddy.

  Paranoid, she does another quick scan to make sure no one’s watching or listening to them. The thought of him sitting on her couch, drinking her tea, makes her skin crawl. She threw the cup he drank from down the garbage chute on her way out.

  Ralph gives her a quizzical look before continuing, “how serious are you about investigating POTCH?”

  “Why?”

  Maya wants to say that she’s all in, but she’s already scared of them and has a feeling they’re only scratching the surface. Her article about Robbie would probably be a lot easier to report if she didn’t mention his spiritual beliefs.

  “The week-long birthday celebration is at the end of the month. It always starts on November 23rd and wraps up on November 30th. Theo’s birthday is November 30th, so the week always ends with a massive celebration. This year it’ll be Tuesday to Tuesday.”

  “That’s next week.”

  Taking another sip of the warm coffee to stay alert, Maya tells herself that she wants to report the truth and POTCH is an important part of Robbie’s story, no matter what type of article she writes. In her head, she keeps repeating that she wants to uncover the truth, but she’s not sure she believes herself.

  “Yeah, I usually can’t get anywhere near them, but I try to watch as members come and go. You’d be surprised by some of the powerful people they trick into believing this crap. I try to interview locals and see how they feel about a cult visiting and talk to any resort or catering employees who get to peek inside the celebration. You’re welcome to tag along with me if it could help your story.”

  “Do people ever leave POTCH?” Maya asks as she avoids the invitation.

  She knows her preference is to either attend it with Robbie and get an inside look or stay as far away from POTCH as possible. She thinks Ralph will be helpful to her investigation, but she has no interest in cramming into a car with him to watch the front door of a hotel.

  “Rarely. It’s a cult, remember? Plus, one of their core beliefs is reincarnation and they convince their members that they were someone awful in a past life. Thus, they spend this life making up for their sins. The best way to do this is by attaining positions of power and prestige and trying to change the world. They say it’s for the better, but who knows what they’re doing behind the scenes.”

  “So they tell people they’re the reincarnation of Hitler?” Maya asks as she pulls some of the brochures out of her purse. It doesn’t take long to find the one with Hitler and the devil on the cover.

  “I haven’t met anyone taking it that far, but I have talked to families whose loved ones are convinced they were murderers in a past life. A few serial killers but no dictators yet,” Ralph mumbles as he flips through the pamphlets Maya lays out on the desk. “So now, they spend this life trying to bring as much positive change to the world as possible in hopes of either ending the cycle of reincarnation or coming back in their perfect scenario.”

  “Perfect scenario?”

>   “POTCH believes the best reincarnation is in the eye of the beholder. Some people want to come back as a cute puppy or a horse. Others prefer to stay human but want to be born into a rich family or as a different race in a different country, maybe a different gender. POTCH likes to leave a lot up to interpretation. I think it’s easier to keep members from smelling the bullshit if they’re filling in the grey areas themselves.”

  “Like the ‘C’ in POTCH?”

  “Exactly, what have you heard it stands for?”

  “Caring or care. Something about both caring for yourself and how you’re presented to the world, and caring about the people around you and how they can be helped.”

  “Huh, that’s actually a new one for me.”

  Ralph turns back to his computer and opens a document tucked away behind a half dozen folders in his hard drive. Watching as he types a quick note about caring, Maya tries to read the rest of the document over his shoulder. Unfortunately, he closes it before she can make sense of what she’s looking at.

  “What else could it stand for?”

  “Whatever followers want to believe it stands for. Some have told me it’s the power of thinking on your career and hard work, but those people are usually workaholics. Community, compassion, club, choice, and change are a few I hear from members who are more selfless and join the Church because they want to help the world from their improved positions. They usually think the purpose is helping others and believe in positive thinking more than most followers. But many POTCH followers are more selfish and join for the success plans to help their ambitions. Those people tell me it stands for competition, challenge, cheat, conquest, and control.”

  “Control sounds pretty accurate to me, but not for the followers.”

  Ralph chuckles and leans back in his chair as he thinks of other theories. He appears to finally be calming down and pushing his paranoia away as they reminisce on individual POTCH believers. Following his lead, Maya sits up in her chair, but she still doesn’t feel comfortable. This entire subject makes her feel distinctly uncomfortable, especially after Teddy’s intrusion. Who knows what kind of crap he brainwashes Robbie with on their retreats.