Wyoming Undercover

by Karen Whiddon

  “I guess you’ll have to wait and see.” Chin up, she strode over to the gate. He braced himself, wondering what would happen once she’d pressed the buzzer.

  * * *

  Hoping she appeared to have a lot more bravado than she actually did, Sophia hesitated before pressing the buzzer. Though her heart hammered so hard it made her feel dizzy, she knew she needed to sound carefree and confident. Or at least moderately unaffected.

  An instant after she pushed the buzzer, the guard, sounding bored, answered. When she identified herself and told him she had something for Cassandra, he pushed the unlock button and the gate swung open.

  So far so good. Turning around, she motioned for Jack to follow her. From the expression on his handsome face, she knew he thought they were going straight into the lion’s den. In a way, he was right. But he didn’t know there were a lot of lionesses willing to fight with her.

  Or at least two, she amended silently. Cassandra and Enalia. Hopefully they’d had time to speak to some of the others.

  Cassandra appeared, moving like a graceful wraith out of the shadows. Silently she gestured that they were to follow her. She took off toward the garden, striding down the winding path as Sophia hurried along after her.

  Jack caught up, limping slightly. “Damn leg hurts,” he muttered. “Sorry. I can’t move as fast as I’d like.”

  Immediately she felt terrible. But they’d reached Deirdre’s little private house, so she gave his arm a quick squeeze instead.

  At the door, Cassandra turned to face them. Her gaze slid over Jack dismissively before settling on Sophia. “Are you sure you want to do this?” she asked quietly. “Because a lot of people’s lives are going to be irrevocably changed. I need you to be certain.”

  “Are you?” Sophia asked back. “Because I am. There’s no way I want to live my life the way—” She stopped, horrified at what she’d almost said.

  But Cassandra got it anyway. “You’re right,” she said. “We should have put an end to this a long time ago. This is no way to live.”

  And she turned the knob and opened the door and stepped inside. Swallowing hard, Sophia squared her shoulders and followed.

  Inside she saw more than half of the women who’d been there before. Cassandra, of course. And Enalia. Hallie, her red hair flowing down past her shoulders. And seven others, most of whose names Sophia didn’t know.

  She didn’t see Deirdre, which shouldn’t have surprised her, though she felt disappointment rise up in her like a lump in her throat. In fact, all of the women in attendance were among the younger wives. Other than Cassandra, none of the older ones had come.

  Had Cassandra invited them? Or decided not to, out of an abundance of precaution. She turned to Cassandra to ask, but before she could, more women came through the door. Deirdre led them in.

  Despite everything, Sophia’s eyes filled with tears. “You came,” she said. And then she saw how all the others stared at the first wife with shock and horror.

  “I came,” Deirdre answered. “Not to turn you in, like some of you seem to think.” She let her gaze drift around the room. “But because I, too, have had enough. None of us, myself included, deserves to be treated this way.”

  Murmuring came from the assembled women. Some of the voices sounded welcoming. Others, not so much.

  Cassandra moved toward her. “You’re the first. And you gave him a son. Because of that, you’ve been treated differently than those of us who came after.”

  “Have I?” Deirdre shook her head. Giving them her back, she asked Cassandra to help with the buttons. Then, she parted the dress, revealing her back. Welts, some old, some newer, crisscrossed her skin. “He was just learning when I married him. He used whips then, instead of brands. Yes, he hasn’t touched me in years, but I’ve never forgotten. I want out.”

  At that, Cassandra moved forward, holding out her arms. As she enveloped the older woman in a hug, she recited the words Sophia remembered from earlier.

  “Sisters we are, united in hope. True to each other, until our last breath. Vowing to fight, stay strong and stay true. Keeping hold of our hearts, united together until our death.”

  “Which is what this might come to,” another woman put in, “if we don’t get a move on. The longer we’re here, the greater the likelihood of being discovered.”

  “She’s right,” Jack said. Every single woman eyed him with varying degrees of suspicion. “Sophia mentioned one of you might have access to a vehicle.”

  “I do,” Deirdre said. “I’m one of the few he trusts enough to let go into town.” She looked around, counting heads. “But nothing big enough to fit all of us at once.”

  “If you have access to more than one, I can drive,” Jack said. “But we need to go. Now. Last time I saw him, Ezekiel was at the medical clinic intending to torture me. Once he finds out I’ve escaped, he’s going to up the intensity of his search.”

  “Let me see what I can do.” Deirdre headed toward the door. “Wait here. I’ll be back in a minute.”

  The instant the door closed behind her, women started talking. Several of them were worried Deirdre had left to turn them all in.

  Meanwhile, Sophia moved closer to Jack. “What about Dr. Drew?” she asked. “We can’t just leave him there at Ezekiel’s mercy.”

  He groaned. “You’re right. But I think we need to get these women to freedom first. Then we can come back for him.”

  “No. He could be dead by then. We’ll just swing by the clinic and pick him up.”

  “Sophia.” He pulled her close and wrapped her in his arms. “We can’t save everyone, at least not this instant. We’ve got to get outside and notify the authorities. When we come back, it’ll be with reinforcements.”

  “But...” She started to protest and fell silent, breathing in the beloved scent of him. “You’re right,” she said. “Except Dr. Drew put himself at risk for us. Ezekiel could kill him before we get back.”

  Jack’s silence was in its own way an acknowledgment.

  “I don’t want him to die for us,” she protested, her face pressed against his chest.

  “I don’t, either. But we have all these people to think about now,” Jack told her, the deep rumble of his voice against her ear making her shiver. “Every single one of these women is risking her life to help us. We have to get them out. You know this. Plus, I have a feeling that Dr. Drew can take care of himself.”

  He had a point. The doctor appeared resourceful. When she and Jack had run, Dr. Drew had known he’d have to do something with Ezekiel or risk being found out.

  “You’re right,” she said, reluctantly pulling out of his arms.

  The door opened and Deirdre came back inside. She hurried over to Sophia and Jack. “We’re all set. I’ve snagged the keys to two of the transport vans. I don’t usually drive them, so there might be a few questions, but I don’t anticipate any problems. Here.” She handed Jack a set of keys and a rectangular plastic card. “Just stay right behind me and if we’re stopped, let me do the talking. Use that card to get through the outside gate.”

  Jack nodded.

  Clearly used to taking charge, Deirdre then turned to face the others. “Everyone listen up. I need you to split into two groups. Half of you will go with me and the other half with Jack. We’ve got to get moving, right now.”

  While Sophia watched, amazingly the women quickly divided. All without arguing or debate. Once that was done, they all headed outside.

  Even once they were safely inside the large white vans, her nerves made Sophia jumpy. Despite the darkness beyond the outdoor lighting, she kept expecting armed guards to show up at any moment and demand they exit the vehicles.

  But nothing happened.

  When they reached the iron gates, which were always kept locked, Deirdre inserted her card into the box and th
e gates swung open. She smiled and gave a nonchalant wave toward the manned guardhouse, put the van in Drive and pulled through. Right behind her, Jack did the same, without incident or question.

  “Apparently the guards only come out if there’s some sort of problem,” he mused. “I admit, I kind of thought they might confront us, but apparently as long as we have a pass card, we’re good to go.”

  Sophia turned around in her seat to watch the gate—and the compound—fade into the distance. Her nerves made her so jumpy, she could hardly sit still.

  All of the women in the two rows of seats behind her apparently felt the same. Until now, they’d been absolutely silent. But once the gate could no longer be seen, they began to talk.

  Deirdre pulled over to the shoulder, sticking her arm out her window and motioning that Jack should pass her. From this point on, she would be following him.

  “Do you think they want to press charges?” Jack asked her quietly. “Because they can. No one has the right to treat another human being that way. No one.”

  Cassandra, who’d chosen to ride with them, overheard. “I think we should,” she said. “Quite honestly, that man needs to be punished for what he’s done to us.”

  “And what he’s done to others, as well,” another woman, whom Sophia didn’t know, chimed in. “One or two wives attempted to defy him. They disappeared and were never seen again. We all know he killed them and buried their bodies in the forest where they’ll never be found.”

  “Do you have proof?” Jack asked. He frowned when they all began to laugh nervously.

  “You don’t understand,” Cassandra told him. “There is no proof. Ezekiel makes sure of that. Sometimes knowing is enough.”

  When they reached the outskirts of Landon, Jack drove straight to the Fremont County sheriff’s office on Railroad Street.

  The brick building had few windows and looked an awful lot like a prison. Or, Sophia thought grimly, like one of the structures inside the compound. As they pulled up and parked, everyone fell silent.

  “What is this place?” Cassandra asked.

  “This is where we can find local law enforcement,” Jack said. “They’re the ones who can help you press charges against Ezekiel and his crew.”

  Cassandra nodded. “And then what?” Her steady gaze and quiet voice told Sophia how Jack answered this next question was important. “What will happen to us after that? What will we do? Where will we go?”

  Jack shot Sophia a quick, panicked glance and she realized he hadn’t thought that far ahead. “Jack will help us figure out something,” she said. “Won’t you?”

  He nodded, rapidly regaining his composure. “Yes. We’ll figure something out. I live in Texas, so maybe you all can come there with me.”

  No one reacted. Again, Jack turned to Sophia, his brows raised in obvious question. She sighed. “None of us has any idea what you mean by Texas, but I’m sure that will be fine. We’ll do whatever we have to in order to start our new lives.”

  “You don’t learn geography in school?” he asked.

  She shook her head. “All of our teachings are centered around the teachings of the Volumes of Choice and what it means to be Chosen. The children are also taught math skills and some science, and reading, of course. If Rachel were here, she could give you a lot more details, but...”

  Deirdre tapped on the driver’s-side window. Jack rolled it down.

  “The sheriff’s office?” she asked impatiently, rolling her eyes. “Why’d you chose them over the Landon police department?”

  “This was the first one we came across. If you’d feel better with the police, then by all means lead the way there.”

  Eyeing him, she considered. “We’ll start with them. Since the compound is in Fremont County, it’s probably their jurisdiction anyway.” She peered around him, checking on the other wives in the van behind him. “Is everyone all right?”

  The choruses of yeses made Deirdre smile. “Okay, let’s do this. Everyone out. We’re going in.”

  The receptionist stared as Jack, Sophia and Deidre entered, followed by all the women in their long dresses. Sophia noticed the receptionist, though she was female, wore men’s trousers. She tried not to look at her too long, afraid she might offend her.

  Jack introduced himself and asked to speak to the sheriff. Wide-eyed, the woman nodded before she rushed off to the back. She returned a second later with a wiry, older man wearing a uniform. He quickly took in the scene, his eyes narrowing. “Are you people from the cult?” he asked.

  “COE is not a cult,” Deirdre proclaimed, then grimaced sheepishly. “Sorry. I’m guessing to outsiders it must seem that way.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “I have a question.” Now Sophia found her voice. “What about us looks so different that you could immediately identify us?”

  The sheriff—Sheriff Jones, his name tag said—exchanged a quick glance with Jack before facing Sophia. “You’re kidding, right?”

  “I can assure you, she’s not.” Jack intervened. “Sophia, it’s because of your long dresses. Women outside of your compound don’t dress that way.”

  This was news to Sophia—and all the other women, as well. Deirdre alone nodded agreement, but then Sophia guessed the first wife was the only one who’d ever really been outside the compound.

  “What can I help you folks with?” the sheriff asked. He perked up a bit when Deirdre told him they wanted to press charges. His interest quickly changed to righteous outrage when he saw Cassandra’s and Enalia’s scars and Hallie’s missing tongue. “Someone did this to you?”

  As soon as they answered in the affirmative, he asked them to follow him into the back. Uncertain now, most of the women huddled together like frightened schoolchildren. Sophia gripped Jack’s hand hard. Only Deirdre and Cassandra walked with a kind of quiet confidence.

  He took them into a room with a long, rectangular table and numerous chairs. “Have a seat, ladies,” he said. Then, while they all found chairs, he turned to Jack. “What’s your part in all this?”

  When Jack explained he was a PI, the sheriff interrupted and asked to see his license. To Sophia’s surprise, Jack informed him he’d left it in his hotel room when he’d attended a Narcotics Anonymous meeting. He went on to talk about Thomas abducting him. Sophia was glad to confirm that part of the story.

  The sheriff left for a minute and returned with several others who wore uniforms. “My staff,” he explained. “They need to hear this, too.”

  As Jack explained how he’d come to be at COE’s compound, the sheriff’s staff streamed in. A recording device was set up and Sheriff Jones went from person to person getting their permission to record what they said. Everyone nervously agreed.

  “We’ve got to hurry,” Sophia put in, unable to contain her impatience. “I want to go back for Dr. Drew. I truly believe his life may be in danger.”

  This statement stopped the sheriff dead in his tracks. “Do you mind explaining exactly what you mean?”

  “Dr. Drew helped us escape. Jack was shot and the doctor patched up his leg. When Ezekiel came back to check on us, we ran. I know Ezekiel will punish Dr. Drew for helping us.”

  Jack stepped forward. “Can you just send a deputy out there to do a welfare check?”

  “We could,” Sheriff Jones drawled. “But the cult won’t let us on their land. Since—at least until now—they weren’t breaking any laws, we’ve had no choice but to leave them alone.”

  “What about now?” Sophia asked. “Surely now you have enough reason to force them to let you in.”

  The sheriff considered her. “Maybe. But, quite honestly, I’m afraid we’d need more proof. That cult takes a hard line and it could get ugly.”

  “Why does he keep calling us a cult?” Deirdre muttered. “I don’t like it. That word has extremely
unpleasant connotations. I know, because I’m one of the few who joined COE willingly, right when it first began. I used to live outside, just like the rest of you people.”

  More shocking news, at least to the other women. Then, while everyone gaped, Deirdre rolled back her shoulders and lifted her head. “My name from before is Deirdre Sanders. I helped Ezekiel establish COE fifty-five years ago. We both believed in it then. I had no idea he would become the monster that he is now, or that he’d turn something beautiful into a dark and repressive organization.”

  Sheriff Jones glanced from her to Jack in some sort of wordless communication. It was Jack who spoke what must have been their thoughts out loud. “Deirdre, I believe you’re saying you know a lot more than you’re letting on, aren’t you?”

  The older woman sighed. “Unfortunately, yes. But before I divulge anything, you must know that I had no control over what that man and his henchmen chose to do. So I cannot be charged or implicated in any way, correct? Because I was as much a prisoner as these other women.”

  The sheriff sighed. “I imagine that will be the case.”

  “Not good enough,” Deirdre snapped. “I’ll need some sort of guarantee—in writing—before I say another word.”

  “You really did live outside,” Jack commented.

  Sophia wondered if that was approval she heard in his voice.

  Deirdre nodded. “I know how these things work. Get me an agreement and I’ll tell you everything.”

  Sheriff Jones grimaced and gestured to Jack to follow him. The two men went into an office and shut the door. Watching them go, Sophia thought she had never felt so alone.

  All the women huddled together, wearing various expressions of exhaustion, fear or, in a few cases, determination on their faces. Sophia stood apart from them, wishing she could have gone with Jack but understanding why she couldn’t.

  She bowed her head and clasped her hands together. Events were being set in motion from which there would be no return. Everything about this terrified her. She wanted justice, true. But then what? What would happen to all of them after all this was over? She knew Jack had promised to help her, to be with her, and she couldn’t help but hope for a future with him. She loved him, and while she wasn’t sure he felt the same way toward her, she knew how easily such a spark could blossom into something more.