The Church (The Cloister Trilogy 3)

“F-B-I.”

“That’s right, Ezekiel. You got it. Go on, now, and watch for the other kids.” I shoo him out the door and he runs over the grass and into the woods, then disappears behind a tree.

Chapter 33

Adam

Zion yanks me up and walks me to the outside of the church. Davis hustles Noah out behind me. Protectors and guards are lined up against the wall, all of them cuffed, all of them scowling. Church members stand next to their cars or sit inside them with the engines running, warming their children. No one has been allowed to leave.

I limp alongside Zion who shoves me into a black SUV. Davis does the same with Noah on the other side. They get into the front, and Davis grabs the radio handset off the dash.

“Once the wagon gets here for the assholes in cuffs, I want everyone to form up on the front entrance. Our warrant is good for the whole compound, but we need to be careful not to destroy any evidence. A controlled sweep.” He replaces the radio and turns around to look at me. “It’s all going down, fellas. Your little empire is crumbling.”

Noah tries to pull his cuffed hands around to his side. “There are women and children inside. You know that, right? If your men go in guns blazing—”

“We know how to handle ourselves.” Zion shoots him a nasty glare.

“All I’ve ever seen you do is kick a man while he’s down and assault Maidens.” Noah shrugs. “But what do I know?”

Zion slaps the metal cage that separates us. “I’ve been undercover in this fucking pit for years, asshole. Shut your fucking mouth.”

“Oh, but I think you enjoyed it.” Noah grins.

“Motherfucker, I’ll—”

“Keep it cool,” Davis intercedes.

“Where’s Emily?” I keep my hands behind my back and pick at the stitches on my right palm.

“On her way to the hospital by now.” Davis points to the modified bus approaching on the main road. “Paddy wagon is almost here.”

“Agent Davis?” A voice comes through the radio.

He picks it up. “Speaking.”

“We’ve got a problem, sir. The woman escaped from the ambulance and ran onto the property.”

My heart leaps. Emily’s run back to the compound. I pick harder at the stitches, gratified when the blood starts to ooze. I pull my hands as far around as possible, trying to get the blood to my wrists.

“The woman?” Davis slams his fist on the dash. “You mean our star fucking witness?” He starts the engine and pops the nearest curb, riding over landscaping toward the ambulance near the front gate of the restricted compound area. A paramedic stands outside the back doors and stares at the road leading to the Prophet’s house.

Davis parks next to the ambulance and hops out, slamming his door behind him.

“You boys better get yourselves ready.” Zion opens his door. “Because federal prison won’t be a picnic for assholes like you.” Another slam and Noah and I are alone.

“What’s the plan?” He rattles his cuffs.

“Emily’s gone to find Mom. We need to find her first.”

“Mom?” He clears his throat. “What are we going to do when we find her?”

“I can’t let Emily kill her. The guilt will eventually crush her. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but it’ll come crashing down one day.” I bow my back and bring my injured foot up to the bench seat. With a contortionist move, I slide my cuffed hands around my foot and up my leg.

“I can do that.” Noah scoffs and pulls his leg up to the seat. His foot slides off when he tries to slide his hands beneath it.

“Yeah, good going.” I bend my good leg and slide the cuffs around it. With my hands in front of me, I’m able to hold them up and pick more at the stitches. Every moment that passes is another moment Emily is in danger. I harbor no illusions that Mom won’t kill her if she gets the chance. She’s too far gone, too mired in the lies and delusions of Heavenly.

“The fuck are you doing?” He tries again and gets stuck with the cuffs wedged under his foot.

“What am I doing?” I shoot him a wry look. “If you can get your shit together, we’re escaping.”

“I got this.” He arches and shakes the entire SUV with his efforts as I use my fingertip to spread blood along my wrist and the back of my hand.

With a grunt, he gets the cuffs looped over one leg. “Easy, see?”

“Do the second leg and get back to me.”

The whine of a firetruck starts up, and I peer out the window toward the compound. Smoke rises from the Prophet’s house, the dark tendrils blowing away in the cold breeze. The fire’s just started.

Noah finally gets his hands in front of him, his red, sweaty face smiling. “Like I said, easy.”