Chapter Six
Jeremy
Making sure my child is well cared for and safe without getting involved with the mother is a line I’m struggling to tread successfully. There’s one realization I’ve come to over the past few weeks that I have to face; I can’t walk away from this.
I thought I could. That as long as I knew she had money for the baby, I could just return to my old life without a glance back. It’s not possible. All I’ve been able to think about is the baby and what kind of life my son or daughter will have.
I still think it’s best if I’m not in it, but I know I can’t just leave. He or she may not know me, but I can at least keep an eye and make sure they have everything they need. I’ll do my best to keep them safe.
My preoccupation with Melissa and the baby hasn’t distracted me from my main goal, though. The True Life bonfire get together is tonight, and I’ve spent the last few days researching as much as possible. I need to fit in if I’m going to infiltrate this group and figure out how to bring them down.
My last days have also been extremely busy since I’ve rented an apartment, and filled it with the normal, bachelor pad type of furniture. It has everything I’d need to stay a few days, and I do what I can to make the place look lived in. It’s just a backup, but I know it’s a necessary precaution. There’s no way I’m leading these cult crazies back to my real home, and I’m sure I won’t make it into their circle without them researching me a bit. If at any point I have to invite them over, that’s the place I’ll use.
The flyer I was given says to show up at eight, and it’s just a couple of minutes shy when I turn down the long, winding driveway. A sign announces I’m entering the property of the True Life Center, and I expect to roll up on a massive compound or at least a large building. The last thing I expect to see is a row of shabby trailers.
It’s seriously dark out here, but little solar lights line the drive, leading the way to a gravel area near the trailers where two four wheelers are parked. The whole place has a creepy post-apocalyptic vibe, mostly because the trailers are obviously occupied, but dark. There are no power lines leading to the area, so they’re totally off the grid.
A figure carrying a flashlight approaches my car, and when I get out, I recognize the girl who gave me the flyer. “Kelly?”
“Hi! Welcome to True Life! I’m so glad you could make it.”
Shrugging into my jacket, I ask, “Am I the only one?”
“Everyone is up by the fire. You’re just in time. The First Men are going to speak tonight.”
“First Men?”
“Anthony and Shaun. They started this community and they keep it thriving.”
If this is thriving, I’d hate to see what they consider suffering. Another car pulls in and a young woman climbs out, her expression cautious. “Hi, am I in the right place?”
“Are you looking for the True Life meeting?”
“Yes, I saw this ad that says you help the environment.”
Kelly smiles and nods. “You’re in the right place. We’re just headed to the bonfire. You’ll learn all about our community and what you can do to help. I’m Kelly. What’s your name?”
“Haddie.” She joins us with a relieved smile.
“Great, well, this is Jeremy. He’s new tonight as well. I’ll take you guys to the bonfire.”
Haddie doesn’t seem concerned when we walk down the path that separates the two rows of trailers, but I can’t understand why anyone would see how these people live and think it’s a good idea.
The trailers are small and run down. Most of them have damaged or no underpinning, so I’m sure wildlife is a problem. Clothes lines criss cross the spaces between them, lined with sheets and clothing that flap in the cool air. Lawn chairs and other broken furniture rests here and there. The most disturbing site is the scattered toys lying in front of the last trailer. There are kids here.
We reach a road that was invisible in the dark, and a large house comes into view in the distance. It’s well lit, and I assume it’s just a neighbor who doesn’t belong to this group until Kelly speaks up. “That’s where the First Men stay and work.”
“They have electricity,” I remark.
“Of course,” Kelly says, as if I’m the dense one here. “They have to have the power to communicate to keep this place running. It’s a necessary evil.”
We approach the top of the hill where about twenty people sit around the fire, laughing and talking. “Hey everyone! This is Jeremy and Haddie. They’re interested in finding out more about True Life.”
Everyone calls out a hello or welcome, and Kelly says, “Have a seat anywhere you like.”
Most of those present are women. There are a couple of young men, maybe not quite out of their teens yet, and two older guys who sit beside each other. Their demeanor and the way they look at me and Haddie makes it clear they’re the leaders. These are the men I’ve come after.
I have to restrain myself from just beating them to death on the spot. I’m here to see how everything works and try to get an inside look so I can shut this shit down for good.
I take a seat beside Haddie. A thin woman with pronounced circles around her eyes is on my other side and she gives me a reluctant smile. “Welcome to True Life.”
I’ve never heard a more insincere statement. “Thank you. I’m glad to be here.”
One of the two leaders gets to his feet, and everyone falls quiet. “I’m happy to announce we have two newcomers tonight. Please, make them feel welcome.” He smiles at Haddie and me. “My name is Anthony. Please, feel free to ask any questions or speak with me afterward if you need more information.”
He rubs his palms together. “Now, we know why we’re here. It’s been a very hard year, and we’ve suffered losses that have devastated us, but it will not stop us from living a True Life and showing others how to do the same.”
His oily smile points toward a woman across from me, who stares at him, rapt. “Jillian, can you tell our new friends what our goal is?”
She jumps on the opportunity, her voice nearly manic with enthusiasm. “Our goal is to save Mother Earth from the damage being inflicted on her every day.”
“Exactly, dear. Well said.”
This woman looks like she’s ready to drop to her knees to kiss his feet, among other things, and it turns my stomach.
“Our landfills are bulging with garbage, our oceans are full of trash, much of it plastic which can be recycled, but doesn’t biodegrade. Corporations have poisoned our water, filled our air with cancer, and our food with harmful hormones. All in worship of the almighty dollar.”
He turns to another in the group, a young man this time. “Garth, can you tell our new friends what the root cause of all this destruction is? Can you name the cancer that’s eating society alive?”
For fuck’s sake. The hyperbole is through the roof.
“Consumerism,” Garth replies instantly.
“That’s right. Plastic wouldn’t be clogging our oceans if we weren’t buying it and eventually throwing it away. The factories wouldn’t be polluting the air if we weren’t buying the products they make, and funding their ability to continue. Humans need very few resources to survive. Water, food, and shelter.”
Everyone nods as he continues. “Do humans need to drink bottled water? Do we need to drive cars that add pollution to the environment? Is it imperative we carry around a personal phone, that must be replaced as soon as a new model is available?”
Heads are shaking back and forth, and Anthony smiles as I join in.
“Of course not, but that’s what the masses have been led to believe. We have to show them there’s a better way. A way to live with the Earth, not in spite of it.”
He walks around, the fire throwing shadows across his face. “Just like all of you, most people don’t realize the damage they’re doing. They’re being brainwashed into believing that you have to have the biggest house, the shiniest car, the newest gadgets to be happy. They are bombarded with it from the time they’re children. Child targeted advertising gets in their impressionable little brains and insists they need that new toy or game right now. As you age, it gets worse. They track your spending to see what you buy so they can target you through ads and spam. They convince you that these are the building blocks you need to live a wonderful life. If you just had that new car, everything would be great.”
“But what happens? The more you get, the more you want. So you buy and buy, never giving a second thought to where those items are going to end up once they’re discarded. It’s all a trick to get what matters the most to them. Money.”
“The main responsibility of a corporation is to answer only to shareholders, giving human rights and other issues almost no consideration. They’re just trying to make another billion. It’s true that money is the root of all evil. But consumerism is the result and will be the downfall of our society if we let it.
“I know it sometimes seems hopeless, but there are things we can do, and that’s why we gather here, to work toward a better world. We’re about action, not talk. Let the others complain while they do nothing. We will not scream uselessly into the abyss. We will save ourselves, and the beautiful earth for the generations to come. We’ll show them how to live a true life.”
Applause fills the air, and I join in clapping with all the others. The man can talk. I can see how desperate people looking for an answer could fall prey to his bullshit. Haddie was absolutely entranced throughout his speech. I’m watching someone begin the path to being brainwashed and it’s infuriating.
Anthony nods toward Kelly, and she takes the hint, approaching Haddie and offering to give her a tour of the place. Anthony takes her now empty seat beside me, and introduces himself. After we shake hands, he says, “Kelly tells me you’re very health and environmentally conscious. So, be honest with me. Did you lead her to believe that because it’s true or because she’s a pretty blond with big blue eyes?”
His question catches me off guard, and I stare into his scrutinizing eyes for a moment before answering him. “I didn’t lie, but, you know, if it’d been some dude handing out flyers, I probably wouldn’t have stopped.”
Anthony throws back his head and laughs, slapping me on my shoulder. “That’s why she’s our public face. You’re honest. I like you. So, tell me, what do you think of True Life’s message?”
I rub my chin like I’m considering it. “It’s right on the mark, but I’d like to know more about what would be expected of me if I join.”
There’s no way I’m moving into one of those grungy trailers. He must catch my glance in that direction because he laughs and gets to his feet. “We don’t expect you to move right in. And those quarters are for the women and children. Why don’t you come with me? I’ll show you the big house where you’d be spending time if you decide to join us.”
So, only the women live without power. Good to know.
“Sure, sounds good.” I follow him back to a golf cart parked nearby. He hops into the driver’s seat and flips on a flood light attached to the front. We travel over the empty field until we hit a paved drive that leads to the house.
It’s bigger than it looked from a distance, and the difference between how the members live and the leaders live is clear the moment we walk through the door. Warm air, fragrant with the smell of cooking meat, smacks us in the face as we enter.
An older lady with wide hips and a wider smile greets us. An apron hangs around her neck, so I assume she’s the reason for the wonderful smell. “Harriet, this is Jeremy. He’s interested in joining us.”
A flash of pity crosses her face, but she quickly covers it with a smile. “Welcome to the big house.”
Anthony grins and leads me into a game room. “We call this the big house and the trailers are called the little village. Do you play pool?”
“Not especially well, but I’ll play a game.”
He spends the next few minutes running through a lot of the information I already know about the cult. The protests they lead, their drive to spread the word, the basic rules they live by. It boils down to this: no electricity, no cars, no purchases of any kind that aren’t approved by the First Men. At least, that’s what’s expected of the full time, live in members. Apparently, there is also an option to start as a Friend of True Life.
Chuckling, I play along. “How do you keep women from shopping?”
Anthony grins and knocks a colored ball into the pocket. “Part of the agreement they sign when they move in here is to hand over all access to their financials. If they need something, they come to us. At least for the first few months, until they adapt to living here.”
“And what does becoming a Friend entail?”
Anthony takes another shot, which scratches, then hands me the cue ball. “We understand not everyone wants to leave the outside world behind, at least not right away, so if you’re interested, you could instead volunteer here, and pay a monthly donation to support our cause. What do you do for a living?”
“I don’t have a job. My parents were wealthy and left me a hefty trust fund.” His reaction to my response gives me the first peek behind his mask. The words trust fund bring an instant smile to his face that he doesn’t reign in quite quickly enough. “Before I moved here, I volunteered at various agencies. I’m pretty new to town, so I’ve been looking for something to fill my time, and I have to say, I like what I’m hearing here.”
He studies me for a moment. “Do you have a criminal record?”
Shrugging, I step aside after missing my shot. “I’ve been charged for trespassing a couple of times. A few friends joined me to protest an oil pipeline they were running through our town. We chained ourselves together, destroyed some of their equipment. They couldn’t prove we caused the damage though, so the only charge was criminal trespass.”
“So, you understand we sometimes have to step outside of the law to get things accomplished from time to time.”
He’s testing me, feeling out my limits. If I want to know what really goes on here, he needs to think I have no qualms about breaking the law. Which, technically is true anyway. While In Safe Hands works more with the police now, we used to take matters into our own hands when a particularly bad child predator beat the system. He isn’t the only one who has killed. The difference is the men who are dead because of ISH deserved what they got. We didn’t shoot innocent people in a damn shopping mall.
“Yeah, I have no problem with that. Do you have any idea how many laws the corporations break? Environmental laws and too many others to name. You can’t fight fair when the other side isn’t.”
A wide smile crawls across his face. “Exactly. You know, Jeremy, I hope you decide to join us. I think you’d do very well here. We need more men for leadership positions. At one time, we had two residential villages, but we ran into some hard times and had a little setback. We’d like to expand again. I’m not promising anything, but if you’d like to start as a Friend, you can learn more about us and see if you’re interested.”
Wow. He actually described the killing of three of their leaders during a planned massacre as a little setback.
He knocks the eight ball in, and I place my cue on the table. “I’m interested. I can write you a check for the first monthly donation tonight if you’d like.”
Anthony nods, and leads me toward the front hall. “Actually, we prefer cash, if you can manage it. Helps us keep the government out of our business.”
“Understandable. I can bring it back by. Tomorrow okay?”
“Sure is. And I’ll have Shaun show you around, find you a project to get involved in.”
“Sounds good.” I shake his offered hand, swallowing back the urge to crush it and beat him until there’s nothing left but a bloody pile.
“We’ll see you tomorrow then. Shaun will take you back to your car.”
My blood is boiling by the time I climb into my car and head back home. I think I held up pretty well, considering all I wanted to do was murder them like they did Frannie and twenty-one other innocent people.
He’s looking to resurrect his other residential village. After the shooting was traced back to their cult, the other village fell apart. The leaders were dead, and the rest were questioned to no end about their possible involvement in the plan. Those who didn’t go to jail, distanced themselves or just plain disappeared. As far as I can tell, the authorities were never aware that this place existed for years before the shooting so they just never made the connection.
I’m angry, but I’m also torn on what to do. My initial plan was just to take them out, maybe just blow the place up, but I didn’t expect to find children living there. I’m also not sure if the women in those trailers are really there of their own free will or not. I need to know more if I’m going to figure out how to make them pay, and shut the place down without harming any innocent people.
My stomach growls, so I make a pit stop at a local barbecue place for take out on my way home. It reminds me that Anthony wasn’t the only person to invite me to dinner. As tempting as it would be to take Melissa up on that offer, I just can’t. I need to keep my distance, which is harder than I anticipated.
Of course, I should be concerned for the baby, and I am, but if I’m being honest, the baby isn’t what keeps invading my thoughts. For some reason, she just won’t get out of my head.