I turn to Mal. “Let’s do it.”
Sure enough, we reach the track and follow it deeper into the woods. It starts to narrow, and I worry once more about the size of the RV. The trees offer us enough cover so we won’t be spotted from the road. If we go much farther and discover it’s open fields up ahead, we’re going to stick out too easily.
We reach a small clearing to one side of the track where the RV will fit.
“I think this looks like a good place to pitch up.”
“Works for me,” Mal says, putting his foot on the brake.
“Rome?” I ask, but when I look behind me, he’s snoozing, his head on Ophelia’s shoulder.
I don’t wake him.
Instead, I call Felix, who is crawling along behind us. “This looks like a good place to set up, and then some of us can go and investigate the compound.”
Felix’s voice comes down the cell. “Yes, I agree. We can even drive the RV into the forest just a little ahead.”
He has the same thoughts as me, clearly.
I turn to Daisy once more. “Do you know who owns the forest?”
She shakes her head.
“It’s definitely not the commune’s land?”
“No.” It’s Ophelia that answers. “They hate these woods.”
“It’s true,” Daisy says.
“Why do they hate them?”
“They say they have bad spiritual energy,” Daisy replies.
“Right.” Fuck me. Okay, well, that at least gives us a great place to hide out.
Once the RV is situated and level, we get set up. Some of Felix’s men begin to unload tents for those of us who need them, and I talk with Mal and Rome, who has woken up.
“So, what’s the plan?” I punch my fist into my palm. “I’d like to go straight to the commune, find that fucking prophet, and put an end to him.”
Malachi purses his lips. “We can’t do that. We have no idea where he’s going to be, for one.”
“But we’ll know in the hour or so before sunrise,” Roman says. “He’ll be at the church, with the rest of the commune.”
Mal agrees. “If everyone is at the church then, no one is going to see us sneaking into town. If we try going now, or anytime soon, someone is bound to spot strangers and tell the Prophet. In the hour before sunrise, he’s going to have his hands full with preparations for the ascension.”
I press my lips into a line. “But it does mean he’ll be surrounded by his people. They’re going to massively outnumber us.”
“Maybe, but we’re armed and trained. These are just simple townspeople.”
“Don’t underestimate the Prophet,” Ophelia says nervously.
I look around. “I think we keep most of our team here. We can just have two of them drive to scope out the commune, andone of us goes, too. I think the more people staying with the girls, the better.”
“Women,” Ophelia corrects haughtily, making me smile.
“Yes, sorry, women.”
“I’ll go,” Mal says. “I’m itching to actually do something.”
