Cult recruiters hang out in places where you might find people in a period of extreme stress or possessing certain personality traits like dependency, unassertiveness, gullibility, disillusionment with the status quo and desire for spiritual meaning -- which is pretty much anywhere. Some particularly fruitful recruiting locations might include college campuses, religious gatherings, self-help and support groups, seminars related to spirituality or social change and the unemployment office. The main methods of cult recruitment revolve around deception and manipulation. Potential recruits are not told the true nature or intentions of the group. Instead, recruiters portray it as something mainstream, low-pressure and benign.

Recruiters identity the specific needs or desires of their targets and play to them. They learn to pick up on a person's fears and vulnerabilities and portray the cult accordingly. It might seem strange that someone would accept these types of invitations, but there are a couple of factors that make it seem more palatable. First, the recruiter might be someone these people know. And someone who is sad, lonely or desperate might be more inclined to trust someone who claims to know the path back to happiness.

From day one, it's a process of manipulation and deception. And for those who stay on, the recruiting process culminates in the submission of their own personalities to the "will of the group."

From the start, they knew this job was going to take a while, as trust had to be established. Not knowing how paranoid this particular cult, the People's Church of Today, was, Nate decided to dangle Eliot and Parker out in front of the recruiters, figuring one if not both of them would be snapped up. Parker's cover was as a confused young woman, unsure of her place in the world and prone to visiting self help groups. Eliot was playing the part of a disaffected veteran, cast adrift after returning home from the Middle East.

Both proved tempting to recruiters, and soon Parker then Eliot were invited to a prayer meeting at the compound. They sat in a small room with a group of other men and women, listening to one of the groups 'elders' ramble. Knowing this was how these groups lulled gullible people into believing that they were perfectly reasonable, Eliot and Parker played along. At the end of the three hour prayer circle, they joined several people who approached the 'elder', a man named Michael, asking about the next circle.

It was easy for Eliot to spot the undercover cop in the group, a young man who was simply a bit too pushy. That, combined with the regulation hair cut, marked him to Michael as well and the young cop was not present at any of the future meetings. Over the next several weeks, they attended many circles and discussion groups. Parker found the singing and hand holding a bit strange, but did a good job maintaining her cover persona as being taken in by the whole set up. Eliot held it together as well, simply internalizing his irritation over the increasingly manipulative rhetoric and taking solace in Hardison's running commentary over the comm in his ear. I'm gonna break someone's hand the next time they start up one of those touchy feely, hippy crunchy hand holding Kumbaya song circles, Eliot thought every single time the directed song groups began.

After nearly a month of this, their initial prayer circle of fifteen had dwindled down to four, Eliot, Parker and two other young women, Allison and Sonja. That was when Michael told them they were going to be meeting the 'prophet' Zachariah Stone. Finally. Both of them were relieved, as they'd had enough of the whole cult experience.

"You getting this?" Eliot breathed, almost inaudibly knowing the comm would pick up his words by the vibration and transmit them to the rest of the team. His glasses, not his usual wire frames or the thick black plastic pair he used for different covers, had a tiny camera built in to the frame, so the others could see everything he saw.

"In full crazy magic Kool-aid surround sound," Hardison said and Eliot could hear him eating something, probably chips from the crunching crackle, "You finally gonna meet the Grand PooBah."

Eliot gave a non-committal grunt and beside him, Parker smiled. She missed growly Eliot, who never said a word if a look or a meaningful punch would do. For the sake of his cover, the specialist had been oddly verbal as of late and she found she missed her Eliot who could say so many things with a variety of inarticulate grunts and grumbles.

The arrival of Stone drew Parker's attention. He definitely had presence, seemed to be somehow bigger than he really was. That, Nate had informed them, was a common trait among cult figures. The ex-insurance man said there are no cults without powerful, charismatic head. A cult leader has the uncanny ability to get people to follow him unquestioningly. Nate hadn't thought it funny when Parker asked, "So you're like our cult leader?"

But he turned practically purple when Sophie chuckled, "Come now, Parker, Nate's not a fronting a cult. We question him all the time."

Thinking of that exchange, Parker smiled as Stone made his way into the room stopping to speak with Michael and then Allison, who seemed to bask in the attention. Parker watched intently, hoping she'd be able to use the other woman's reactions to enhance her performance.

When he reached her, Stone spread his hands and said, "Welcome to our family, Sydney."

Then he took her face in his hands and kissed her cheeks then her forehead. Forcing herself to hold her smile, internally Parker was a lot less composed. Her inner voice was screaming Get the creepy man away! Look! There's a whole bunch of cutlery available right there on the table. Go on! Grab a Fork! Or a Knife! Or call Eliot, he'll yank the bastard's arm off and beat him to death with it! I bet he wants to!

But Sydney Vaughn, her cover, would not react like that so she simply said, "Thank you, Prophet."

Still gripping her face, he said, "Please, sister, call me Zachariah. We are all equal in God's eyes. I merely speak for him."

Oh gag me! Parker managed to choke out a giggle, hoping to sound overwhelmed. Stone seemed to buy it, giving her face a last gentle squeeze before moving over to Eliot.

"Welcome to our family, Will," he repeated his opening line, then the kisses on Eliot's cheeks. Parker held her breath, but he the specialist refrained from killing or even maiming the violator of people's personal space bubbles.

"Thanks Prophet Zachariah," Eliot simply breathed and Parker knew he wanted the man to LET GO NOW. But Stone continued to stare into Eliot's eyes, finger's still pressing lightly into his jaw.

In their ears, Parker heard Nate whisper, "Steady."

The stare seemed to continue for a long time, until Stone smiled beatifically and pressed the final kiss to the specialists brow. "Brother," he murmured, before moving off to make a visit to Sonja.

As Michael waved them over to stand by Allison, Hardison's voice echoed in their ears. "Oh, man, this is not a nice dude. Zachariah Stone aka Sylvester Morris, ex-con, beefs for fraud, assault, assault with a deadly weapon, indecent exposure and a whole boat load of other charges. Last time he got sent up, says he found God. Got ordained, but couldn't find a niche in an established congregation outside the pen. Then the People's Church of Today appeared on the scene. Watch your backs."

After Stone, aka Morris, finished chatting with Sonja, he led her over to the group. "Come now," he said, motioning them to the door. "Let me introduce you to our brothers and sisters."

TBC

*********************************************************************

Reviews please!