was just too much sun,” Phoenix protested. “I’m fine.” She looked to Metwater. “Jake always did have a hot temper, but he doesn’t mean anything by it. He’s a good boy. He was just worried about me, that’s all.”
Metwater kept his gaze fixed on Carmen. He had dark, piercing eyes that dared you to blink first. “I don’t want you associating with him,” he said. “He strikes me as dangerous.”
Carmen nodded. Not that she was agreeing with Metwater, but she was anxious to get out of the motor home and find Jake before he caused any more trouble.
“You may go now,” Metwater said.
She ground her teeth together. Reminding him she didn’t need his permission to walk away wouldn’t fit with her cover of the new, meek disciple. She kept her head down until she was out of the RV, then looked around for Jake.
She spotted him with Starfall and another woman, Sarah, outside a lean-to that served as the camp’s communal kitchen. “We were just telling Soldier Boy here that we could use a man like him around,” Starfall said. She gave Jake an appreciative once-over.
“Your Prophet doesn’t agree,” Jake said.
“He doesn’t like people who disagree with him,” Sarah said. When the others looked at her, she flushed. “But it’s his camp, so I guess he gets to make the rules.”
“Phoenix never let on she had a good-looking son like you,” Starfall said, looking Jake up and down.
“She doesn’t talk about her past,” Sarah said. “Most people here don’t.”
“They don’t,” Starfall agreed. She turned to Carmen. “For instance, we don’t know anything about Carmen here, except that she heard the Prophet at a rally in Grand Junction and fell in love with his teachings.”
“There’s nothing to know,” Carmen said. She touched Jake’s arm. “Where is Sophie?”
“I don’t know.” He frowned. “I need to find her.”
“She’s probably at Phoenix’s trailer,” Starfall said. “You know teenagers. They’re always in a snit about something.”
“I’ll take you there,” Carmen said.
Jake followed her away from the two women. When they were out of earshot, Carmen said, “We have to hurry. Metwater will send someone to make sure you left camp, and Starfall will probably tell them where you went.”
“Does everyone here do what Metwater tells them to do?” he asked.
“That’s part of the deal when you join up with his Family,” she said. “You turn over all your worldly goods to him and agree to live by his rules.”
“You did that?” he asked.
“No. I’m still on probation. I get to hang around for a couple of weeks and decide if this is what I really want.”
Jake looked around them. Women and children were everywhere, along with a handful of men. Everyone was young and attractive. “I don’t get it,” he said. “What do people see in this kind of life?”
“They’re unhappy and looking for something,” she said. “Some meaning or purpose. They want to be part of a special group and feel special themselves. Metwater promises that.”
His eyes, as intense as the Prophet’s, met hers, but with a warmth she had never found in Metwater’s gaze. “What does he get out of it?” he asked.
“All their property, for one thing, though for most of them that’s just a little cash and maybe a vehicle. A lot of adoration and ego strokes. Power.”
“And nothing he’s doing is against the law?”
She shrugged. “As long as the people involved are competent adults and they hand over everything willingly, there’s not a lot we can do.”
“Which brings me back to my original question,” he said. “Why are you here?”
She glanced around, as much to buy time to formulate her answer as to make sure they couldn’t be overheard. “There are a lot of women and children here. We want to make sure there’s no abuse involved.”
He stiffened. “Have there been reports of abuse? Rumors?”
“No.” She pressed her lips together. “It just seems the potential is there. We wanted to be sure.”
“We being what organization? Child Protective Services?”
“No. The CPS is satisfied that everything is fine here.” He had already pegged her as a cop—her refusal to acknowledge that hadn’t changed his mind. Maybe it was better to let him know she had real authority behind her. “I work for the Ranger Brigade.”
He considered this. “That’s a federal group, right? Multi-agency take force working on public lands? I think I read something in the paper about you. But there can’t be many people out here. Is there much crime?”
“You might be surprised. People think they can get away with a lot when there aren’t many people around to watch.”
“But you’re watching,” he said. “What crimes do you think Daniel Metwater and his bunch are committing?”
“Why should I tell you? I don’t know anything about you.”
“You know my name. You know I’m a veteran.”
“What have you been doing since you were discharged from the Army?” she asked.
“I’ve been looking for my mother and my sister. And I just want to protect them. If you know something about Daniel Metwater that bears on that, please tell me.”
The man was either an Emmy-worthy actor, or he was being straight with her. He had already had the chance to blow her cover and hadn’t done so, and his concern for his mother and sister was genuine. Maybe he could even help her in some way, if she gave him a little more information.
“He hasn’t done anything that we can link directly to him,” she said. “But he attracts the kind of people who bring trouble. A couple of weeks ago, we arrested a serial killer who was one of his hangers-on. Not a follower, exactly, but someone who visited the camp often and was close to Metwater. There have been other incidents around the camp.” She shook her head. “I shouldn’t even be talking about this. I’m on really thin legal ground here. The local DA has asked us to back off. Metwater’s lawyers have accused us of targeting the group and harassing Metwater and his followers.”
“But you’re federal, right? You don’t have to comply with the DA’s orders?”
“Right. But we’re trying to keep things low-key. I’m here to compile a census of the group and to make sure everything is above-board.” Not exactly a dangerous undercover mission.
“And he was really harboring a serial killer?” He shook his head. “All the more reason to get Sophie and my mother out of here.”
They had
