I think about his question. Right now, though, all my mind can focus on is the here and now.
And making sure Ophelia is safe from the Prophet forever.
CHAPTER 11
Ophelia
While the guysare out talking to the Vipers and Devils, I go back upstairs to Daisy. She’s taken a few items of clothing and placed them neatly on the bed. The items are folded so carefully, it reminds me that she used to work in the laundry a lot at the commune.
Malachi is downstairs, and the sound of the guitar strings being strummed floats up to us. I smile to myself. Guitars will always remind me of him now.
“Do you have enough there for a few days?” I ask.
She frowns. “I think so. I ought to take my dress, too. Just in case.”
“In case what?” I shake my head. “You’re not going back there, Daisy. I won’t let them take you back.”
“My family is there,” she whispers. “If we stop the ascension, I might end up back with them.”
I don’t think she’s seeing this situation clearly. If we stop the ascension, the Prophet and his men will surely be dead, and there won’t be anyone to lead. Most cults fall apart when the leaders are taken out. What will happen to the victims? Deprogramming? Maybe, or perhaps they’ll drift and join other groups with a similar ethos.
I realize with a jolt that I’m beginning to be able to call that place what it is, a cult, and to analyze it more dispassionately than at any other time since I escaped. Is it the influence of my men, or is the Prophet’s hold on me finally loosening?
Grabbing a large weekend bag, I help Daisy fill it with the clothes. “You’ve got toiletries you can take, too, downstairs.”
She nods, but she’s so quiet, it worries me. “Daisy, it will be okay. We’ll save your family.”
“He scares me. Sometimes, I feel as if he can see right inside my head.”
Anger flares with those words, not at her, but at him. I won’t let her go through what I did, if I can help it.
“No, he can’t, Daisy. That’s just something he says to make us all scared and compliant. He’s not as powerful as we make him out to be in our minds.” I feel like a hypocrite. I still hear his voice, after all.
She nods but doesn’t really look convinced.
We take the bag downstairs to the spare room Daisy sleeps in. I leave her to pack up the toiletries I gave her and have some privacy. I wander back into the living area to see Malachi at the door. He’s speaking with Cain’s men, or I should say Cain’s father’s men. The leader, Felix, is standing to one side of the door, with a younger man by his side.
“So, you have tents we can use?” Malachi is saying.
“Yes, we’ve got more in the RV than we need. Food packs, too. Water. Got it all.”
The man’s accent is nice, I think. Soft with a really pleasant way of saying certain vowels. I wonder where he’s from.
Movement comes from behind the men. Cain and Roman are back. The guards move to one side to allow them through, and Cain pauses to shake the hand of the leader.
“I was just coming to see you next,” Cain says. “We need to plan when to leave, and what time to aim to arrive.”
The leader gives a curt nod. “Your father has been in touch and says we’re to give you whatever support you need.”
“I appreciate it. The drive could take anywhere from ten to fourteen hours, depending on traffic, driving conditions, and how far this place is. We don’t have an exact location.”
My stomach flips with nerves at the idea of being anywhere in the vicinity of the commune. Even though I’ve made the decision to go, it fills me with anxiety. I never thought I’d go back there. I’d always planned to do the exact opposite and stay far away. But this isn’t just about me anymore. There’s a whole commune of innocent people who need our help. Maybe others will look in on this situation and tell themselves they deserved it if they’re crazy enough to follow the Prophet’s commands and take their own lives, but they don’t understand the level of brainwashing that has happened to these people because they were vulnerable and desperate, and wanted more than anything to believe that something better is waiting out there for them. We need to step in. We can’t just stand by and let them die.
“Can we be sure Daisy will know how to find it?” I ask. “I wish I could help more, but I was so traumatized when I escaped that I couldn’t remember how to get back there.”
“Let’s hope so,” Cain says. “We’re relying on her.”
Roman looks at his phone. “I think we should aim to leave by six in the morning. It’s an early start, but depending on exactly how long it takes us to get up there and to find a place near the commune, it means we’ll be there in daylight, hopefully.”
