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“They were perfect this morning. We couldn’t have gotten that many people out without your help. Other updates are positive too. Bailey was able to convince her mother to go to the hospital for what we hope will be lifesaving care. Arnoldo found out one of the men with James has warrants for assaulting a police officer and I called in a tip about it that should hopefully get the cops up here.”
“Really? That’s all amazing. How did you pull that off?”
“It wasn’t really me at all. Everyone else was able to get things done. Now I’m just heading into the camp in the woods to stall and distract them so whatever goes down with the cops happens there and not here in Cinderhill.”
“Wait, that seems…” she trailed off. “If Bailey is safe, maybe you should just leave too. Let everything else go down however it will. You’ve done more than enough. The job is over.”
“I know it is, but I need to make sure Bailey has a place to come home to that’s not marred by another terrible thing. I’ll be fine.”
“This is outside what we discussed originally. I don’t feel comfortable with you taking on the additional risk.”
“It’s not on you. This is something I need to do. Whatever happens, just please make sure Bailey knows that I’m sorry I lied to her. Promise me that.”
“King, I know Bailey well. She won’t need you to die for her in order to make amends. Maybe your past has you twisted up in the idea that the only way to be loyal to someone is to have your life on the line, but that’s not the case.”
“This place, unfortunately, has had me looking damn hard at my past. I didn’t think I had anything in common with people in a cult. But then I started to realize we weren’t so different. I was under the impression everything I’d done in my life for Lou was some act of loyalty and the paying off of a debt. But really I was just a pawn in his game. I’ve learned some things about myself out here.”
“Then take the lessons and find the peace. You don’t have to do this.”
“Thank you for trusting me with Bailey. I know that was a risk. I was an unknown, with lots of baggage, but coming here changed me for the better.”
“King—”
He disconnected the call, knowing they wouldn’t agree on his next move. Carmen was probably right. It was foolish but important. Those two things could be true. He looked back at Arnoldo and Moe, chuckling that this would be his back up. These two old men with shaky hands and their prime well behind them. And yet he couldn’t think of two better people he’d want watching his back right now.
“Let’s roll out,” he called waving for them to gear up. “We’ve got to go be fools for a while.”
CHAPTERTHIRTY-THREE
King
The camp looked even worse in the light of day. There is trash strewn everywhere that the men just step over as if they don’t see it. The structures they use as shelters are barely standing up. Men hustle around packing up bags and grumbling angrily at each other.
“Hey,” King calls as he steps out from the woods with his hands disarmingly high in the air. “I’m looking for James.”
“Who the hell are you?” Multiple unkempt angry looking men ask in unison.
“My name is King. I’m here to talk with James about Cinderhill. I’m obviously outnumbered here. I’m not looking for a fight. I’m looking to make a deal.”
James stepped forward and eyed him nervously. He wore a ragged fur trimmed coat and worn out leather boots that had both seen better days. His beard, like most the other men was unkempt and as wild as his tangled hair. He moved with unease, as if he were in some kind of pain. There was no doubt this was a difficult life and surely, they were tired of living it.
“What do you want?” James had a voice that sounded like gravel crunching under foot.
“I’m here to negotiate. Make a deal. No one in Cinderhill is looking for a fight. They want peace. I’m here to broker it.”
“Peace,” James scoffed. “We were driven from our holy land. Forced to live like dogs out here. Waiting. Waiting. Just hanging on for a sign and it’s finally come. You can’t stop us from reclaiming our destiny.”
“Living out here must be hell,” King began, slowly lowering his hands. “And I talked to Dale. I have to admit, he’s sending a lot of mixed messages.”
“You talked to him?” James lunged forward, narrowing his eyes in disbelief. “We can’t talk to him. It’s just letters. And those hardly come anymore.”
“I had a way to make a phone call to him. There were questions I wanted answered. I know all about what he teaches and what you believe. But then why would he have you creating that poison out in the trailer. You’re risking everything to make drugs when he himself has preached so much about how much of a danger they are. Look at what it’s done to some of your best men. They’re using aren’t they James.”
“I, uh—”
“It’s made them weak and sloppy. But they can get help before it’s too late. Dale wasn’t even making sense when I talked to him.” King was trying to keep his best poker face. He hadn’t talked to Dale but the call Bailey had with him was obviously profound. “Even his wife has found too many holes in what he’s saying. She went to the hospital this morning. Against his directive, she’s getting care for herself. I know it’s hard to believe but sometimes power can corrupt even righteous men. Dale is not immune to that.”
“He’s a savior,” James shouted back. “He is immune.”
