Clara kept one hand on Sonia’s shoulder and turned to the rest of the group. “Ladies, please stand and disrobe.”
Donna wasn’t sure she’d heard correctly. Maybe she was using disrobe as a metaphor. Surely, this chick wasn’t telling them to strip.
“Quickly, please,” Clara insisted.
Donna had an inner debate about whether or not she was going to get naked on demand. She’d worked undercover for years, and had to do plenty of strange things to keep her cover. She’d posed as an exotic dancer, a prostitute, hell…even a dominatrix. But she’d never, ever had to get completely naked.
She could refuse and call it quits, but she wasn’t squeamish about nudity, and there was no way she was leaving without witnessing Bobby Lee in cuffs. So, like the rest of them, she took off her clothes and waited for further instructions.
Once they were all naked, Clara walked over to the same door that Bobby Lee went through. “Follow me, ladies.”
Like puppies, they did.
They followed her down a hallway with wood paneling until they reached a door. Donna heard gasps coming from the women who entered first. And when she entered, she understood why. Inside the room was a huge indoor swimming pool under a greenroom roof. Donna was amazed at how well Bobby Lee was living in comparison to everyone else.
Bobby Lee, still in his robe, was standing in the shallow end of the pool with his arms raised as if he was John the Baptist.
“‘And now why thou tarriest now? Arise and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’ Come, wives! Be baptized.”
Clara gestured toward the pool steps. One by one, everyone entered the pool. Yes, the baptism was a sham, but at least the water was warm.
Bobby Lee called Sonia over, placed his hand in the small of her back. “I baptize thee in the name of the Lord,” he declared as he dipped her into the water.
Surprisingly, it appeared as if he barely noticed her naked body. He seemed focused and, dare Donna say…professional. Maybe he really and truly believed he was the Messiah. Maybe in his mind, the Messiah was supposed to con, steal, deceive, and degrade.
After the fourth baptism, it was finally Donna’s turn. She stepped closer and waited for him to dip her in the water. When he didn’t, she looked up and found him studying the tattoos that covered most of her torso. His lips parted as if he was about to speak, but he quickly pressed them shut. When he placed his hand at the small of her back, Donna noticed the swollen package beneath his saintly robe. She did her best not to cringe when he pressed his wet fingers to her naked flesh.
“I baptize thee in the name of the Lord.”
Donna held her breath as he dipped her in the pool. She came up mad as hell that there were no decent hair products anywhere on the compound.
He pulled her upright and stood her in front of him. “Now, you are clean,” he affirmed while pushing her wet hair out of her face.
Donna blinked the water out of her eyes and smiled. She was waiting for him to take his hands off of her, but he was in no hurry. When he finally released her, he said, “Take your place with the rest.”
She nodded and shuffled over to the women who had already been baptized.
She watched as he repeated the process with the rest of the women. After yet another small sermon about marriage, sin, and baptism, they were finally dismissed. Clara passed out towels as they climbed out of the pool. Once they were dry, she escorted them back to the living room. There, they dressed in silence.
After they were dismissed, Donna was more determined than ever to rid society of the freak show that was the BOC.
