16
Donna
Since Clara had business in Chicago and had asked her to join, they were six and a half hours into a seven-hour trip. The ride was long but pleasant. They talked the whole way, mostly about Clara’s upbringing and the family she left behind when she joined BOC. She said the prophet encouraged them to cut their families by quoting John 3:16…
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”
According to Clara, he went on to say, “If the heavenly father could sacrifice his son, surely we, as his servants, can turn away from our families in worship of our Lord.”
For the life of her, Donna couldn’t understand how a woman so sweet and intelligent could get sucked in by a charlatan. In her former life, she owned and ran a successful party planning business. For the cult, she walked away from the business she had built from the ground up, along with her husband and three children.
As they pulled onto the exit ramp, Clara turned to Donna with a big smile.
“What?”
“I was just thinking. How about, after my meeting, we treat ourselves to a fancy dinner downtown?”
“Really? We can do that?”
Donna wasn’t feigning shock. The Blood of the Chosen was all about the cooperative. Everything, every single dollar earned, was deposited into their commune. Clara was one of the most faithful members, and Donna was truly surprised that she would splurge on something as frivolous as a night out on the town.
“I don’t see why not. Anybody that can stop us is seven hours away,” she said with a chuckle. “The merciful Lord knows that we deserve a treat. At least I do.”
“Sounds good to me,” Donna said with glee.
She couldn’t deny that she was excited. She so desperately wanted something better to eat than the bland survival food served in the commune.
“Alrighty then, I’m gonna get us a room,” she said with a beaming smile. “After my meeting with Robert’s attorneys, we can decide on a restaurant. We’ll just turn this into a little mini-vacation.”
* * *
Clara usedthe magnetic key card to open the door. To Donna’s utter shock, they’d checked into a suite at the Four Seasons, one of, if not the most expensive hotels in Chicago. When they stepped inside, she did her very best not to gag. The luxurious suite almost took her breath away. It was bathed in gold and warm reds, depictive of the Victorian era.
“Beautiful, yes?”
“Oh, yes,” Donna confirmed through a breath.
Clara crossed the room and placed two briefcases on the desk. She took a credit card out of her purse and held it up.
“There’s a boutique downstairs. Use this to get something to wear.”
“Okay,” Donna agreed.
Clara narrowed her eyes, glaring at her. “You understand that you are not to tell anyone about this?”
Donna nodded. “I understand.”
Clara smiled. “Good.”
When her focus turned to the contents in the briefcase, Donna explored the suite. From ceiling to floor, it was beautiful. She walked over to the large picture window and looked down at the most amazing view of her city. Chicago had to be one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Anytime she was able to view it from a different angle, she discovered something even more beautiful about it. Which made it easy to keep her cover as a woman from a dilapidated area in St. Louis who’d never been to Chicago.
“I gotta go. I’ll meet you at RPM Steak. I wrote the address down. Use that card to take a cab.”
“Okay,” Donna said with a girlish smile. “Have a good meeting.”
Clara slipped a few papers from the briefcase into a smaller attaché case and headed toward the door.
“Enjoy the room. Take a hot bath and relax. You know you won’t be able to enjoy this when we get back home.”
