She looked at him then.
“Yes, I went looking for you, of course I did,” he gasped at seeing her surprise. “I was a fucking wreck when you left and he told me that this town has a story to tell that it’s been telling it for years and that the answers are with the asylum and the grave yard and some other crazy shit I didn’t get.” He grabbed her hands and held them, leaning in to kiss her softly. “Beautiful, look at me.”
She stared at him but the shadows in her gaze held her in its fear and secrets.
“Hey, listen,” he said, sitting on the bed now. “I have a place in Oklahoma that I know you’d love. It needs a little fixing up and I was thinking me and you could live there and make it our home?”
She was shaking her head.
“Why not? You’d love it there.”
“I can’t leave,” she shook her head harder. “You can’t leave either,” she gasped. “We have to stay, we have to finish what we started.”
“What did we start, Chaos? I don’t want this.”
“Yes you do,” she gasped, her eyes serious as can be. “You were chosen for this. Master had the dream.”
He nearly lost his shit and shot up to pace before the bed. “What about my dreams Chaos, what about mine? I heard you calling me.”
“And you answered,” she said, like that proved her point.
He froze then. “Is that… why you think I’m the chosen one?”
She nodded. “What else could it mean?”
“It could mean I was supposed to help you.”
“Or help the town,” she said, passion in her gaze. “Why did you even come here? Think about it.”
“I came to help an old woman.”
“Really? Who called you to do that?”
“The church,” he said.
“I live at the church.”
Again Solomon was dumbfounded with dread while trying not to say or do anything that would shut her down. “You live at The Good Shepard Church?”
“At the church farm, yes.”
He laughed in confusion. “There is no church farm.”
She became slightly offended. “Yes there is. It’s right there in town, right behind the Luna Asylum.”
He stared at her, trying to discern a lie or anything like it. “Really?” he said fascinated, then asked nobody in particular, “Wonder how come I was never told about the church having a farm?” Then he remembered what Miss Mary said about the crazy preacher buying up the asylum. Holy shit.
She shrugged. “You’ve been gone a while.”
He tried to remember everything he’d told her about himself. Probably more than he should have while rambling when he first met her. “How long has the church farm existed?”
“Since…” she angled her gaze up a moment and mumbled calculations with the words desecration along with numbers. “For about twenty years. Master opened it when I was around five.”
“Master,” he said, confused.
“Master is Deacon Jones.”
Solomon lost it at that news and flew off the bed, holding his head. “I knew it, I fucking knew it.”
“You did?” she asked.
“I knew this was a Jim Jones outfit, holy shit,” he mumbled. But the whole town? How the fuck and why the fuck is all he could wonder. “We need to leave,” he said to her.
“I can’t leave,” she gasped.
“You are my wife,” he yelled pointing at her now. “You must listen to what I’m saying, do you understand me!”
She covered her ears again and shook her head mumbling about a test, just a test.
“I can’t even call the cops, I hear they’re in on all of this? Huh Chaos? And what is your real name, I want to know your real goddamn name, not this bullshit that Master made up. Who are you? And what story is the town telling, Chaos? What is the horrible secret the town is telling?”
“I told you,” she yelled at him. “Blaspheming the holy spirit! I don’t want to fight with you,” she suddenly said, her mouth crimping with a stifled sob.
Solomon hurried to her and pulled her into his arms. “Fuck, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” He stroked her head softly. “I’m scared, that’s all.”
“Why?” she wailed. “This is supposed to be a special occasion.”
Holy fuck that delusion was just a tad panic worthy. “Okay, okay,” he cooed, realigning his strategy. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. Look at me.” She did and he petted her face. “Am I not here?” She nodded and he nodded back. “Who brought me here?”
“God,” she whispered, but sounded unsure.
“That’s right, God did. How long have you been trained for this, Beautiful?”
“All my life.”
He nodded. “And my training is really just starting. So, I’m going to need you to help me with that. Can you do that?”
She nodded quickly and he kissed her softly.
“Of course you can, because you’re my angel. And the first thing you need to do to help me in this, is tell me what I’m supposed to do to help the town. Tell me so I can make sure I don’t screw up.”
“Okay,” she gasped, sounding happy.
“What is your job with me, Beautiful, how about you start there so I can make sure you do it perfectly.” He kissed her more, petting her face. “God, I love you,” he whispered, meaning it with all he was. “Of course I’ll help you accomplish whatever your beautiful heart desires. I’m your husband, that’s what husbands do for their wives, they do whatever it takes to make sure they’re happy and safe. And me helping you will give me that, right?”
She nodded a lot. “The whole town.”
He made sounds of amazement. “You’re an angel, see? So you were sent to retrieve me?”
She nodded.
“And you did, I’m here. I’m ready. What do we do now?”
“We go back to the farm.”
He nodded. “Okay. Then what?”
“Then there is going to be a preparation.”
“Of course,” he said, “Very important to be prepared for something like this. What do I get to do, what is my role?”
She gave him a small smile and Solomon held his breath. “You get to be the sacrifice.”
She gasped the announcement in reverent joy. “Wow,” Solomon managed in awe. “That’s a very heavy role.”
“But very important,” she whispered. “You get to save so many people.”
“I do? Me?”
She nodded.
“How, how do I save them?”
“Kinda like… the way my mother saved me and… Jesus saved the world.”
All the air left Solomon in a single gasp. “Wow,” he whispered. “I get to do that? Like Christ?”
She nodded like he was seeing the true light now. “And guess what?”
He stared at her, unable to get his mouth to work with his brain.
“I get to do it with you.”
Oh fuck no. No, no. “You do?”
More nodding and smiles while Solomon fought to unclamp the dread from his body to ask the question how or why. “Because I failed,” she said, only a little sadly. “But I’m feeling like this was actually God’s plan.”
“How?” he couldn’t keep from asking.
She smiled this secret smile, like he wasn’t supposed to know and certainly should want to. “We are one,” she whispered, her face lit up. “Like you said. And what God joined together, no man can tear apart?” She nodded, waiting for him to catch on. “This is His way of keeping us together.”
Solomon fought his own panic needing to play the game perfectly. He was sure of one thing. He was certainly there to help her. Just not the way she intended. His mission as far as he was concerned, was get on that crazy horse she was on, and steer that sick fuck right out of the town.
Chapter Twenty Two
He hugged her tightly, mostly because he was beyond able to hide the sick that contorted his face. She laughed in joy, thinking he was elated. Solomon stroked her back, flashes of ideas shooting
through him as to how they might escape. Clobbering her over the head and dragging her out came because she wouldn’t come willingly, this much he knew. She’d only do what he said if it fit the game somehow.
“Do you think we have time to visit a few friends before we go back?”
“Miss Mary?” she asked.
“That would be one, yes,” he cooed.
“She’s beyond saving,” she told him, like that was his intention for visiting. “A couple people in the town aren’t going to make it,” she said, sounding sad.
Solomon realized he needed a lot more answers before he continued with his game. “Oh no,” he said, sounding sad with her. “What’d she do? She’s a stubborn woman, this doesn’t surprise me.”
“Master doesn’t believe in forcing anybody to salvation, that’s not how it works,” she said.
Solomon quickly held his jaw tightly shut before managing, “Who else is not getting saved?”
She named off several people and he took careful mental notes while waiting for Jimmy’s name.
When she didn’t list him, he said with a smile, “What about old Jimmy Ray, the crazy man?”
She shook her head. “He doesn’t think he needs saving, he thinks we’re all crazy.” She gave a small laugh. “Says the man who talks to trees.”
Solomon laughed a little in agreement. “I only met him once, and you’re right, he did seem a little off the rocker,” he muttered. “Talking about the ground drinking my blood.”
She gave him a sharp look. “Stay away from him, he’s bad news.”
“Yeah,” Solomon nodded. “I was glad to leave his woods.”
“Still can’t believe you went to see him. How’d you know about him?”
“Miss Mary,” he said, nodding with a ‘figures’ look that Chaos agreed with.
“They’re from the same cloth, that’s why,” Chaos informed. “You don’t need to be visiting them.”
Panic hit him. “Well, Miss Mary is old, and I need to let her know I’m having somebody else take my place. What should I do with her animals?” he asked in the most casual way to include them into the equation. “Set them free is what I’m thinking. So they don’t starve.”
She chewed on her lip, staring into the air before her in contemplation. “Probably,” she said. “Guess it can’t hurt to go do that. But no Jimmy,” she said quickly.
“Definitely no Jimmy, he’s the last person I want to see again.”
Solomon quickly debated who to call just as Champ howled outside the door, followed by several barks.
“It might be Master,” she whispered, seeming suddenly terrified.
Panic shot Solomon to the window. “He’s supposed to come?”
“Yes, to get both of us.”
Fuck, God no. He peeked out of the curtain.
“What do you see?” she asked, digging through his bag of clothes.
“A car,” he whispered.
“What kind?” she shot back, stumbling into clothes.
The car door opened and Solomon’s breath held. Oh holy fuck, it was Uncle Joe! “Looks like a Buick.” Solomon’s mind raced to figure out the best way to use this. “The guy looks… like he might be FBI.”
Chaos gasped. “We can’t have anybody knowing.”
“I know I know,” he hurried. “Just… get in the bathroom and let me do the talking. I’ll tell him we’re newlyweds having our honeymoon, what do you think? That’s honest too.”
She looked worried then nodded.
Solomon hurried her to the bathroom. “I’ll get rid of him, don’t worry.” He leaned and gave her a hungry kiss, holding her jaw firmly. “Say a prayer, Beautiful. God will protect us, don’t you worry. He’ll see this through.”
He shut her in and hurried to the front door, hope flooding him. The second he was out, he eyed the perimeter while signaling for his uncle to be quiet. Meeting him at the car, he stuck his hand out, “Solomon Gorge, sir, how can I help you? Play along,” he barely whispered. “You’re with the FBI.”
His uncle shifted, and he glanced around. “Stan Cornwall,” his uncle played along, his voice booming as he shook his hand. “FBI. I got a really strange phone call earlier and was given this address. I was here checking it out.”
“FBI?” Solomon repeated loudly before whispering, “She’s in the house. They want me for a human fucking sacrifice,” he hurried. “I want to run with her, she’s extremely brainwashed and she won’t come willingly.”
“Dear God,” his uncle mumbled. “What do you wanna do?”
“Come down for questions?” Solomon said louder. “You can ask me anything right here.” Then he whispered, “Insist I come in to look at pictures. Something.”
“I’m afraid I need you to come down. I have a warrant right here.” His uncle opened the car door and fished out some papers and flashed them, before folding them up and tossing them back in.
The front door opened and Chaos stepped out. “You need to leave from here, Mister,” she said loudly with the shotgun leveled at his uncle. “We don’t want any trouble, we didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Holy shit,” his uncle gasped, ducking down next to the car.
Solomon put his hands up to her with wide eyes. “He just wants to ask questions, that’s all.” He shook his head at Chaos, who regarded him with a non-compliance set to her jaw.
“He needs to get in his car and get out before he finds himself in more trouble than he wants to be in. He has no right on this land.”
“This is Mr. Cornwall with the FBI—”
“I don’t care who he’s with, he’s trespassing on private property.”
“He’s got a warrant,” Solomon said.
“Don’t believe him,” she muttered, holding the weapon like somebody who knew how.
His uncle yanked on his pant leg and made his hand like a gun, then mouthed in the car.
“I will use this gun, Solomon,” she warned. “If he has a problem, he needs to take it up with the local authorities, don’t you think?”
“I think we don’t want to shoot anybody, Beautiful. I think that’s not going to help our cause, if you know what I mean? That will bring many cameras from many big cities asking nosy questions.”
The look she flashed him said she’d not thought of that one.
He gave her another wide pair of eyes with, “But I’m sure this man understands the importance of private property and will forgive you for aiming a shotgun at him.”
She faltered a little more, then lowered it.
“I understand,” his uncle called out with a wave of his hand. “No offense taken here. That’s a good woman you got there.”
“She is very good and very protective,” Solomon agreed with a vigorous nod. “Come here and show this man some of West Virginia’s hospitality.” He held an arm out to her and she hesitated briefly before finally walking over, clutching the shotgun to her chest with one hand and holding up her pants with the other as she came. He realized at that point she had on his clothes.
When she got in arms reach, Solomon leaned and kissed her while taking the shotgun from her. “This is Chaos, she’s my wife,” he said to his uncle, raising his brows extra high as he did.
“Nice to meet you madam,” his uncle said in a brisk tone, nodding with a tight smile, eyes lit up like he were having the time of his life. “Sorry for the intrusion.”
She openly stared in blunt suspicion but it was a step up from aiming a gun at him.
“There’s been some cattle thieving in the area,” his uncle said in a brisk business tone.
“Sounds like a job for the local authorities,” Chaos suggested again, only a tad nicer.
“Well it would be,” his uncle said with the confidence of an avid CSI fan. “Except there’s been some ritualistic abuse involved. Nasty stuff,” he waved a hand, before hooking his thumbs in his old fashioned utility jeans. “I was just looking for clues, that’s all.” He angled his head at her, bracing a hand on the car. “You hear anyth
ing about this?”
Ease up detective Joe.
Chaos shook her head, seeming troubled. “What kind of abuse?”
“Aside from cruelty to animals and killing what isn’t theirs, they’re cutting off all the hoofs and horns of the bulls. They’re also taking the udders of the females. That a practice you ever hear of?”
Solomon was relieved at seeing her upset over the crazy story as she shook her head.
“Thought not,” he sighed, turning to look all around.
“Hey,” Solomon said to him. “I’ve got some trouble with my truck and need a ride into town. You think you can give us a ride?” He put his arm around Chaos. “We have family we need to go see and I’m stranded.”
“Don’t see why not,” he said. “Nearly got lost getting up here. You can show me the fastest way out of town for when I’m done here.”
Solomon looked at Chaos while embracing her a little tighter. “We’ll get a ride into town and get a rental?” he whispered. “Go tend to Miss Mary and head on to the farm? Sound good to you?”
She looked suddenly very fidgety and Solomon shot his hand out to the man. “Thank you so much for helping me out. We were going to have to walk and that’s a long way.”
“I could call,” Chaos whispered. “For a ride?”
He looked at her now. “What about Miss Mary? I’d rather stick to our plan,” he said, feigning concern.
She looked around and then at his uncle’s car before giving barely a nod. “Okay.”
“We’ll get our things,” Solomon announced, quickly turning with Chaos and heading to the cabin.
“Take your time,” his uncle called. “Beautiful place you have here.”
Once in the cabin, Solomon shut the door and turned a heavy look on Chaos. “You pulled a shotgun on him?” he exclaimed quietly. “Are you trying to bring the entire FBI down here? Do you realize what that would do to our mission?”
His aggression threw her as he’d hoped and she flustered. “I was worried, I don’t like him.”
“You don’t even know him,” he said exasperated, pulling her to him to hopefully scatter her mind with a passionate kiss. “But I think you’re sexy with a shotgun,” he whispered against her lips. “Do you think we can stop somewhere before we go back to the farm and… maybe….” He squeezed her ass and she gasped in his mouth. “One more time, please. For me?”