Author's Note: WARNING! CONTAINS MATURE SUBJECT MATTER!
Chapter Two
Dinah sat on the side of the bed in her quarters, holding her head in her hands. He's had plastic surgery, she thought. He's dyed his hair … but I'd know that voice … those eyes … anywhere.
A knocking on the door snapped Dinah out of her reverie. "Who's there?" she asked.
"Barbara," came the reply from outside. "May I come in?"
"Door's open," said Dinah. With that, Barbara opened the door, wheeled herself in, and took a position facing Dinah alongside her bed.
"You're probably wondering why I ran," said Dinah as she clasped her hands behind her neck.
"I would be lying if I said the thought didn't cross my mind," Barbara replied.
"I think I know him…"
"Know who?"
"Mr. Tucker … the man on the TV … or at least I THINK I know him … I don't know his name … not his REAL name, at least."
"You knew him under another name?" Barbara inquired. "Who did YOU know him as?"
"The Reverend Larry Pitts, pastor of First United Methodist Church, Blackwater Creek, Missouri," replied Dinah. "He was my foster father … one of em, anyway."
"So … he's a former Methodist minister…"
Dinah nodded. "He … beat me," she said, tears now forming in her eyes. "He thought I was … demon-possessed. He tried to beat it out of me every chance he got."
"What did he use?"
"Fists, belts, rebar … whatever he could get his hands on."
"REBAR?!", exclaimed Barbara, now outraged. "STEEL rebar?!"
Dinah nodded solemnly. "He broke my shin one time. He told the doctor that I'd 'fallen out of the tree in the backyard'," she said, framing Rev. Pitts's shopworn excuse with her index and middle fingers in the air.
Silently and unnoticed, Helena entered the room. She took up a position just inside the doorway, leaned one shoulder against the wall, and listened in on the conversation.
"I was forbidden to enter the basement," Dinah continued. "He told me it was 'holy ground'."
"Did you do it anyway?"
Dinah nodded. "I was twelve … I had no concept of 'holy ground'."
"What did you see?"
"A big black gym bag sitting on the floor. Oh, and guns. Lotsa guns. Some in holsters … some just lyin' out. Just strewn about everywhere."
"What kind of guns?"
"Mostly revolvers. .45. Couple o' nine-millimeters."
"Did you open the bag?"
Dinah nodded and smiled knowingly. She knows me too well, she thought. "Must've been about several thousand dollars in there."
Helena let out a low whistle from the back, prompting Barbara to glance around and take note of her presence in the room. She then turned her attention back to Dinah. "Please continue," she said.
"I closed the bag and got outta there," said Dinah. "I dunno how the Reverend found out … but he did. Got the beating of my life for it." She then paused. "Bad as he was, his brother was even worse."
"What did HE do?" inquired Barbara.
Dinah glanced away and then cast her eyes downward at the floor. "I don't know if I can talk about it," said Dinah, her voice now choked with fear. "He threatened to kill me if I told anyone."
"Dinah, you're not in Missouri anymore," said Barbara. "He can't hurt you here."
"I dunno if I should talk about it…"
"If he's hurt you, I want to know about it."
"There were three of em: Larry, his brother Darryl, and his other brother … Earl," said Dinah. "One time, Darryl, Earl, and a couple o' their friends came into my room at night." She choked back a sob. "I can't do this. I can't go on."
Barbara gently stroked Dinah's shoulder. "Get it out of your system, Dinah," she murmured. "You'll feel much better for having done so."
"Darryl, Earl, and two of their friends…"
"Which one threatened to kill you if you told?"
"Darryl … Anyway … Darryl, Earl, and two of their friends -- I don't know their names, I never saw them that often -- one night, they came into my room…"
"Where was this? The Reverend's house?"
"Yeah … they came into my room at the Reverend's house, turned on the light, and woke me out of a sound sleep. Next thing I knew, Darryl had a gun pointed at my head."
Helena's jaw dropped in horror as Dinah recounted her tale. "Please continue," said Barbara.
Dinah took a deep breath and then exhaled. "Their friends … held my arms down. Darryl had a gun pointed at my head … told me he'd kill me if I screamed or kicked. Earl…" At this point, Dinah pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Please continue."
"Earl … pulled down my pants. Underwear too," said Dinah, biting her words. "Then … something cold … hard … entered me. Wanted to scream … so painful … but Darryl still had the gun pointed at my head. Then … it was over … for Earl, at least."
"Who did this to you?"
"All of em."
"All four of them?"
"They took turns."
"What happened after that?"
"Earl and his two friends left. It was then that Darryl pointed the gun at me and threatened to kill me if I told anyone."
"Did you tell the police?"
"I was in a small town in the backwoods of Missouri -- the Buckle of the Bible Belt. Think they would've believed me … 'Demon Girl'? It was my word against the brother of a Methodist minister's."
"I can understand your apprehension."
"Besides, it was one of those places where everyone knew everyone else -- the pastor knew the Mayor, the Mayor was drinking buddies with the Sheriff, that sorta thing."
"What kind of gun did Darryl use?"
"What?" said Dinah, confused.
"What kind of gun did Darryl pull on you?"
"Dunno … looked like a .45."
"What color was it?"
"Does it matter?!" exclaimed Dinah in exasperation. "They're back in Missouri. There's nothing I can do about it now."
Barbara leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms across her chest. "Are they?" she said, cocking a quizzical eyebrow at Dinah.
Dinah looked warily at Barbara. "What do you mean?"
Barbara resettled her arms on the armrests of her wheelchair. "If the Reverend Larry Pitts and Roy Tucker are indeed one and the same … and he has his two brothers under his protection … they may well have followed him to New Gotham."
All of the breath suddenly escaped from Dinah's lungs. Her face became a mask of fear, shock, and horror. "No…" she moaned hoarsely. "God, no."
Barbara edged her wheelchair forward and took Dinah's hands in her own. "Dinah, help me … help US," she pleaded. "Help us put em away."
Dinah glanced at Barbara and then cast her eyes downward onto the floor. She then looked up at Barbara once more. "All right…" she said. "For all the good that it will do."
