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“No one should live like you have out here. And Cinderhill isn’t some place to just move the mess you have created here. You have to know it will be a poison that destroys the land you think is holy. I’m asking you, if anyone here has doubts about Dale please come with me. You’ve given your time, your lives, you’re risking your freedom for him. He doesn’t care what happens to you. If you are ready to stop this madness, then come with me.”
“Where?” A curious voice shouted from the back of the camp. “What is there for us if we leave here?”
“Help,” King called back loudly. “You’re in something very deep but there is a way out. I know people who can help you get your lives back. Break free of the garbage Dale has been making you do all these years. There is a better life than this.”
James boomed. “Our better life is at Cinderhill, waiting for us.”
“It’s all going to follow you.” King shook his head. “Do you think Dale is going to stop asking you to risk your lives and your freedom? No. He’s going to want you to use Cinderhill to do more things that put you at risk. It’s not over until he’s free from jail and wealthy with drug money. All of that is going to come at the cost of your lives, and he doesn’t care.”
“We can’t get him out of prison,” someone said, sounding confused.
“It’s part of his master plan,” King explained. “At some point, he’ll call on all of you to risk your lives to get him out. There will be no peace for any of you until that happens.”
“Where will we go?” A muscular man with tired looking eyes dropped the pack from his shoulder and shuffled forward. “If we leave here, where can we go?”
“I can work all that out for you, but you have to be ready to leave this behind. You have to be open to breaking the spell. Bailey did. She grew up under Dale’s control. Many of you likely saw what he did to her over the years. She survived that, stood up to him, and broke the spell. Her life is better for it and yours can be too.”
James spat at King’s feet. “She’s a non-believer.”
“She’s a survivor,” King corrected, knowing he was risking a lot to make this distinction. “And everyone here has the chance at living a better life if they want to.”
“I want to,” a voice called. Then another in agreement until there were five or six men coming forward.
“Stay where you are,” James said, pulling his holstered gun out and pointing it at the men. “You cowards. You’re not leaving.”
“James,” King said gently. “If they don’t truly believe then you don’t want them here anyway, right? Let them go.”
James hit the butt of the gun to his head as if he were struggling to make sense of it all. “We are faithful,” he grunted through clenched teeth.
“Then stay here, but these men are leaving with me.” King gestured for the men to head up the hill where Arnoldo and Moe were perched. “Anyone else who is ready to put this chaos and pain behind them can come.”
“No,” James said turning toward the rest of the men and waving the gun around. “No one else wants to go. We are faithful.”
Shifting eyes and worried looks passed between the remaining men as the five deserters fled cautiously yet quickly up the hill.
“There’s nothing waiting for you but more trouble. It won’t come from Cinderhill. You know they aren’t strong enough to keep you out. But it is coming. Now is your last chance to pick a better life and get help.”
Three more men skittered wildly by James and up the hill. The rest looked either resigned to stay or as committed as James was. One of those men was Buck. He looked just as hapless and dumb as his reputation indicated.
“You’re not leaving,” James said, pointing the gun at King. “You’re staying until we go to Cinderhill. You’re their hero, right? Then we’ll march you in there and shoot you down right in front of them.”
“James, I’m telling you, this is all going to end terribly.”
“For you,” James bit back.
“For all of us,” King agreed. “And it doesn’t have to.”
King felt his phone vibrate in his pocket twice. That was the sign. Arnoldo was alerting him that the cops were coming. Shit was about to go down.
“I’m walking out of here,” King said firmly.
“No,” James screamed, his hand shaking with adrenaline and fear. “You’re not going anywhere.”
The next ten seconds were a blur. A swarm of police with guns drawn descended wildly on the camp. They barked orders and demanded the men put their hands up and lay on the ground. All complied accept James who still had the gun raised and pointed directly at King.
“Drop the weapon,” an officer shouted but James had a look of revolution on his face. As though this were going to be his big moment. Judging by the look in his eyes, shooting King would be worth the bullet he’d catch from the cop’s gun.
“Don’t do this James,” King demanded. “Dale is not worth dying for.”
