Chapter Twenty Five

Bella

Luke wasn't back yet and I'd seen Timothy go out of the village towards the farm as I made my way cautiously back so I took the opportunity afforded me to visit Ashley. Of course, I had forgotten all about Martha and Norah both of whom were home along with the children.

Martha was initially reluctant even to allow me inside.

"I'm not sure Timothy would approve of you visiting while he's absent."

"I'm sorry? I just want to see my friend, what's the problem?"

As Norah appeared at her side the two women exchanged a glance and then Norah shrugged.

"She's in the garden reading her bible. I'll take you to her."

Norah preceded me into the garden and when I saw Ashley I was taken aback. She was dressed in a long shapeless shift, something I hadn't seen anyone else wear and which made her look younger than she really was and fatter. It was most unflattering and not something I would ever have imagined her wearing by choice.

She sat on a wooden bench in the shade of a tree reading a black covered bible. It was one of those I had seen in Luke's house, not quite the same as a standard bible. These were specially printed for the community and various books from the version I was familiar with had been omitted or altered while new ones had been inserted in their place.

She looked up as Norah called her name and smiled as she saw me, putting the book down carefully and standing up, stretching out her arms to greet me. She didn't seem quite her usual self, but she appeared pleased to see me.

"Bella, it's been ages. You're looking healthy. Are you still helping with the children? I'm sorry you missed Timothy, he had to help with some barn repairs. He'll be sorry he wasn't here to greet you."

I stepped back from her over enthusiastic hug and managed a smile of my own.

"That's OK. It was you I came to see."

"Right, well. Let's go into the house. I'll make you tea."

That was the last place I wanted to go, there were too many ears in there.

"Oh, couldn't we stay out here? It's so hot inside."

Ash glanced at Norah then relaxed, "Of course."

I took my place beside her on the bench and noticed that Norah didn't go back inside. Instead, she busied herself weeding the small vegetable patch close by. Close enough to make private conversation difficult.

I tried to keep my voice low without appearing to be whispering.

"So, how are you?"

"Wonderful. I can't wait for Saturday, I'm to be welcomed into the community formally and then soon Timothy and I will be married. Did you agree to Luke's proposal? I wish we could have been married together."

Annoyed that it was impossible to speak without being overheard even now I took my friend's arm and pulled her to her feet.

"Let's walk. You can show me the orchard."

She looked startled but put her arm in mine and we walked slowly away from Norah, who couldn't exactly follow us without making it obvious she was eavesdropping.

Once out of her earshot, I spoke again quickly because I had no idea how long we had before she found some excuse to wander closer.

"Ash, who are Martha and Norah?"

She frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, who are they? They live here with Timothy, are they family?"

She smiled at me as if I was a small and extremely naive child.

"Oh, I see what you mean. Don't worry, Bella. I understand how the community works. Martha and Norah are under Timothy's protection. There are so many men in the community and so few women that all the women who want to can be married to more than one man. Timothy is their husband, they have his protection and only have to live with their other husbands if they choose to do so. Norah sleeps with Samson most nights, although she thinks I don't know."

I stared at her thunderstruck, she knew? And she was happy with the situation?

"And you're OK with this?"

She shrugged.

"Why not? I have already stated that I will be exclusively Timothy's wife. You only have more than one husband if you choose to. Timothy is happy with this, he knows I love him and he loves me. Besides…"

She stopped there and I wondered what she had been about to say, but I didn't have time to waste waiting for her to go on.

"Well, I don't like it and I'm not going to stay, Ash. I don't think you should either. Have you left the settlement since we got here? Do any of the others leave the community? We've never even been to the closest town or seen anyone outside the community. This place is like a prison."

She frowned, looking both confused and slightly angry now.

"I don't see your problem, Bella. No one forced you to come here and no one is forcing you to stay. If you want to leave I'm sure no one will try to stop you, but I think you're mad if you do. Why would you want to go back to parental rule? The selfishness and violence of the outside world? I'm happy and safe here. Why would I want to leave?"

"Listen to yourself, Ashley. You sound like one of them. They're brainwashing you and once you marry Timothy that's it, you'll never be allowed to leave."

I heard a laugh behind me and realized that Norah had moved closer so she could hear our conversation.

"Bella, you sound paranoid. Has anyone tried to stop you leaving? If you wish to leave I'll take you into town myself right now. We don't want anyone here who doesn't wish to be. Apphia can leave too if she so wishes."

She turned to Ash.

"Would you like to leave Apphia? I'll take you now if you do. You can leave Timothy a note. I'll make sure he gets it."

Ashley turned on her angrily.

"No, I have no wish to leave, Norah, but take Bella by all means."

Then she turned to me and I could see I had really upset her.

"You should go, Bella, you obviously don't understand the community and your suspicions will only upset others. I'd like you to leave this house, now."

I stared at her, shocked at how angry my friend had suddenly become, but nodded my agreement.

"Yes, you're right. I should go."

I turned to Norah, eager to escape from this place as quickly as possible with, or without, Ash. I could always come back for her later.

"Thank you, Norah, I'll collect my things and we can go. Will you make sure Luke gets a note if I write one?"

Norah smiled coldly.

"Of course, but it might be better if we leave right away. If you go back to the house you'll only upset the little ones, Jude especially. He was so excited at the thought you were going to be his new sister. I'll send your things on in the next few days, Apphia knows your address."

I turned to say goodbye to Ashley only to find she had picked up her bible and was walking back to the house without saying goodbye, her back ramrod straight.

I sighed, I hadn't wanted us to part on bad terms, but there was nothing I could do about it now.

I followed Norah in silence to the small battered truck that stood on the earthen track leading towards the farm.

"Get in. Do you have money for a phone call? I assume you will be ringing your parents to collect you?"

I nodded, as unwilling as she was to get into a lengthy conversation.

"Yes, I have enough money in my pocket for a room and a call, but thank you."

She stared at me coldly for a moment.

"Don't thank me. I just don't want you complaining that the community dumped you with no way of contacting your parents for help. You have a poor enough view of us as it is, and after all Luke did for you. He could have gotten in trouble with the authorities for helping you run away, but I don't suppose you care about that."

"Of course I do. I won't tell anyone who helped me."

"I don't think you'll need to, who else lives around here who could have done? Maybe I should take you further than the town. Away from the area altogether."

I just wanted to get out of here, I would have agreed to just about anything in my haste.

"Fine, whatever."

She started the engine and grated the gears as she took off down the track, her lips a tight, angry line.

Jasper

We eventually landed at Lake Charles airport in southwest Louisiana. It was as close as I could get and even now I wasn't entirely sure we weren't chasing smoke. Somehow every time I thought I got a fix on Bella, she slipped away from me. It was driving me crazy and I knew Peter was only biting his lip for fear of losing my help. Did he not know me at all? I would never turn and walk away from him, or Charlotte for that matter, not when they needed my help and especially not while Bella might be in trouble.

"You've got nothing more, Major? This is a huge state with lots of wilderness areas, especially down here in the south."

I slumped in my seat, defeated.

"That's it, Darius. It's down to you now. We can show Bella's photo around, see if anyone has seen her or Ashley in the past week or so. If she's been through here someone must have seen something surely? Any luck with CCTV?"

"Hardly, I'm combing every CCTV system in southern Louisiana, it's gonna take some time and yes, I know how important and urgent this is. Just stay off my back, Major. You too, Peter."

We rented an RV in Lake Charles and found a campsite to use as a base, then leaving Charlotte with Darius to set up, Peter and I used the thickly wooded surroundings as cover to run into the closest town, Moss Bluff.

Once here we split up to cover the gas stations, diners, and stores on the main drag showing Bella's photograph to everyone we met. Unfortunately, no one recognized her or remembered having seen any strange young girls, either alone, or in company.

The old guy at the gas station suggested I try the police station.

"Chief Snow keeps patrols out looking for illegal hunters, so if they were hitchhiking, they might have been seen."

I thanked him and decided, risky though it might be, to take his advice. I would alter the story slightly, they didn't need to know the girls were underage runaways.

The cop behind the desk listened as I told him the story I had decided on. That my sister and her friend, both eighteen, had left home after a huge row and I was just looking for them to put my parent's mind at rest. He was very helpful, even calling the patrols out on the road, but had nothing helpful to tell me.

"We'll keep our eyes open, but to be honest, I doubt the girls would hang around an area like this. They're more likely to head for the bright lights of a big town. You should maybe try Lake Charles if you think they headed this way."

He was right, of course, under normal circumstances runaways headed for big towns or cities, but this wasn't normal circumstances and I knew Bella was in this general area, just not how close we were and that was frustrating the hell out of me.

When I met up with Peter I could see he had nothing either and we split up again. He stayed around town to hunt and I went back into the woods to find a meal of my own, although I really didn't have the heart to hunt. I just knew I might need my strength to free Bella if, as Darius feared, she was being held against her will. Besides which, I didn't want to be a danger to her, after all, she was human.

Peter and I returned about the same time to find Charlotte waiting anxiously.

"Darius has a lead, quick."

We followed her into the RV to find Darius studying a grainy, almost unwatchable, piece of film.

"You found her?"

Peter sounded desperate with hope.

"Not exactly, but I have traced the smaller R V owned by the religious movement and seen leaving the parking lot in Ogallala the night the two girls disappeared. It stopped for gas at a small mom and pop station about two hundred and fifty miles north of here. As you can see there is CCTV but it's antiquated and only covers the exit from the forecourt. I used a special program to beef up the picture and got enough of the rear of the RV to recognize it. If I were headed to a spot in southern Louisiana and didn't want to be spotted it's the kind of place I'd choose to fill up. Quiet, out of the way with poor surveillance."

Peter and I peered at the screen. Even with vampire enhanced sight, it was almost impossible to make out the images as they flickered in and out of focus.

Peter peered closer, then turned to Darius frowning.

"Are you sure? I can't see crap."

"I'm sure. This is the same RV and is it just a coincidence the Major led us in the same general direction? I'm searching for a settlement in the deep south of the state, somewhere you might hear Creole spoken."

We stood over him as he tapped away, saying nothing, but with each new search I could see the area was getting narrower then finally he sat back smiling.

"Got you, you sneaky little fucker. Thought you could hide from me did you?"

He looked up at us with a self-satisfied smirk.

"There's a small religious community, more of a cult really from the rumors about it I can find. It's very secretive at home, but it does send out missions supposedly to drum up support and help those in need in the wider community. I mean wide as in nowhere near home. The leader is a guy called Pastor Daniel and he is supported by his two sons Timothy and Luke. There are only rumors of what happens within the community as no one other than the pastor or his two sons ever visit the nearby towns and then only infrequently, but hunters and fishermen who have used the area close to the settlement on Pecan island say they've only ever seen youngsters who refuse to speak to them, no women at all."

"Pecan Island? Where the fuck is that? It has to be the place. I heard the only female at the park call the leader Pastor Daniel. He only introduced himself as the Pastor to us. No women, though? Is it an all-male group? If so, then why would they take Bella and Ashley? Two teenage girls?"

Darius and I stared at each other in surprise at Peter's seeming naivety, personally, I was more concerned with this news, not less.

"I didn't say it was all male, Peter. Just that the females are never seen outside their settlement."

"Right, OK. Well, if they are holding my daughter there I'm going in to get her out. You two coming?"

"Of course, but we have to find them first. The settlement isn't marked on any map. I can only get a general idea of the location from the odd reports I found."

"That'll do for starters, let's go. Now, Darius."

We packed up and were back on the road headed further south into the marshlands of southern Louisiana looking for a rumored community where Bella and her friend might possibly be held. It was nebulous, but it was also the only tangible lead we had.

Hi there readers. Just to let you know I'm on my travels again so posting may be a little sporadic for the next couple of weeks. I'll do my best to post every day but I can't promise. Thanks for all the reviews, I have kept up to date with them and appreciate every one. Love Jules xx