Page 89 of Malachi
“Gideon has been under close observation all day. I overheard the Reverend talking about it this morning before our first meeting. So it’s best that he and Naomi stay put for the time being. I’ll call him later tonight and fill him in on everything we discuss tonight, though.” His words held a sadness we all shared. The memory of the boat being burned to the ground was still a fresh wound for all of us. I couldn’t even imagine how Gideon was feeling. Or Naomi, for that matter. To witness such a horrific display had to trigger some trauma in her. How could it not?
“So, what is this meeting about tonight?” I asked again, drawing the attention back to the matter at hand.
“Us girls have some news we’d like to discuss, but that can come second to whatever Zeke needs to share,” Ruth began.
“No, by all means, you have the floor,” Levi stated, gesturing for her to continue.
“We decided, as a group, to press for whatever information we could at the luncheon today,” she stated.
“Honestly, I didn’t think we’d get very far, but these girls were tenacious,” Eden chuckled quietly.
“Don’t sell yourself short, Eden. You were a valuable part of the team. Trust me,” Ruth reassured her.
“So what did you girls uncover?” Zeke asked.
“We had an interesting little chat with Mrs. Rivers,” Ruth began again. At the mention of the Rivers family, my thoughts drifted back to the woman’s husband, the one who played doctor for the Elders of Zion during the inspection ceremony at weddings.
“She wasn’t too happy that all of you were brought into the elite group of Elders, that’s for damn sure,” Ruth explained.
“Yeah, she was quite put off by that fact,” Delilah chuckled.
“But once she had calmed down, she was pretty forthcoming with information,” Ruth continued.
“We started talking about the construction site, asking when they thought it would be finished,” Eden added.
“She told us that it had better be soon, as there were shipments already scheduled and we would need the space soon.” Ruth’s words had the wheels in my head turning.
“How soon?” Ollie asked with interest.
“Next week, apparently, and then only a week or two after that, there would be a large shipment coming in,” Ruth answered.
“Do you think she knew the shipments were children?” Zeke asked, scooting forward to the edge of his seat.
“Oh, she knew alright. She basically came right out and said it,” Delilah added with all the attitude I was coming to expect from the woman.
“Are you sure?” Levi reiterated in a serious tone.
“Positive. We even talked about it being the way we could help connect needy children with good, loving, and, most importantly, Christian homes,” Talia reiterated with disgust.
“That’s disgusting. Going from talking about it as a shipment, and then talking about the importance of the adoptions. How fucked up do you have to be?” Ollie shook his head, the revolting look on his face mirroring my own thoughts.
“No kidding. It made me sick to my stomach,” Delilah agreed readily.
“Is that what happened that had you upset earlier?” I asked Eden quietly. She shook her head.
“No, not that. It was the prayer that hit me hard,” she explained, a certain sadness written on her face.
“What do you mean?” I pressed, my earlier worry rekindling.
“I think everything just hit me all at once. Having all the information we have, knowing just what the inner circle of Zion is up to, and listening to these women talk and pray for God’s plan the way they did. It hit me hard,” she admitted with a sigh. I could feel the frustration and despair rolling off of her in waves. There was nothing I wanted more than to take her into my arms and get her back home, where we could speak in private. I wanted to hear every word she had to say. I longed to be there for her. It wasn’t a thought I was prepared for, but there it was, regardless. This desire to comfort and care, while normal in aftercare, was not normal for me outside of it. Not in the day-to-day.
“What did?” I pressed again, keeping my voice quiet, though I could feel the gazes of everyone in the room. There was no point in keeping this conversation private, apparently.
“There is no God here.” Her words shocked me. The silence in the room that followed struck each of us differently, her words sinking in and hitting home for all of us. Me in particular.
“No, Eden, you’re right. This isn’t God here. It’s crime. It’s blasphemy. And it’s disgusting. That’s why we are going to take it down,” Levi readily agreed. His solemn tone seemed to reiterate her feelings, adding weight to them. I could see her shoulders relax as she realized she wasn’t alone in her emotions. It was difficult. I thought back to my life before Abditory, before I learned the truth of Zion. That was another time, a time of misunderstanding and false hopes. Those days were long gone. That didn’t mean it was any easier to process, even years later.
“Zeke, what about you? What did you discover?” Levi asked, changing the conversation away from Eden and her emotions, and back to Zeke’s news.
