Page 35 of Before the Storm
“I know I don’t have to say this, but it needs to stay within the family group,” he said. “But Janelle was once a member. And not just any member. Her father is Adam Weiss.”
“Of all the things going through my mind, that was not one of them,” his mom said.
“It was bad for her, Mom. I mean, worse than anything I’ve ever seen or dealt with in all my years of volunteering, and I don’t think she told me half of it.”
“Well, I’m glad she felt comfortable telling you anything and even more happy that she got out.”
“You and me both,” he said. “So, what did you find out?”
“The FCR has been on the FBI’s radar for a few years now, but they haven’t had anyone come forward or had enough evidence to issue a search warrant. The church is well protected with their religious freedoms. For the most part, they don’t bother anyone. They don’t go around recruiting people.”
“According to Janelle, they marry off teenagers to old men.”
“That’s one of the rumors, but no one has been able to prove it. This latest allegation is about a husband abusing one of his wives. She’s of legal age, though she’s only twenty-one.”
“Does she have any children?”
“Two,” his mom said. “One of the kids got sick and she was able to leave with the help of some guy by the name of Jason Wilcox and his wife, Anne Marie. At first, she was willing to press charges, but my friend told me she went back to the compound and is now recanting her story.”
“What about the other woman?”
“Her husband was arrested for assault and battery. She’s going through with the charges but isn’t speaking out against the church. She has no sister wives. Both she and her husband are twenty-two. No children. She wasn’t raised in the church and neither was her husband. They joined when they were eighteen. She stated they both were addicted to drugs and FCR saved their lives. But her husband changed and when he wanted to take on a second wife, which she wasn’t into, he flipped and beat the shit out of her.”
“How old was the second wife?”
“That’s where things get vague. The accuser doesn’t say. She said it was a concept and not a given. My friend at the FBI doesn’t believe it. Either way, there’s insufficient information to get a search warrant. The domestic dispute will be dealt with. It will make waves because of the secrecy that swarms around FCR, but the Feds have nothing.”
“Janelle could give them a ton of shit, but I wouldn’t want to pressure her. When she started telling her story, she was strong. Confident even. And then she broke down and bawled for hours.”
“Where is she now?”
“Asleep,” he said, leaving it at that.
“In the main house?” His mother probed further, which he shouldn’t have been surprised, but he didn’t really want to get into it. However, he wasn’t going to lie.
“Yes.”
“Is there something going on between the two of you?”
“Not like that.” He lifted his mug and took a long sip. “Although, things were heading in that direction before I kind of pushed her into telling me about her past.”
“I can imagine that would make you pull back.”
“Her having been abused isn’t why,” he said. “It’s because she’s never experienced what things should be like. She’s never been with anyone else but her asshole perverted old man of a husband.” He raked a hand over the top of his head. “And what honestly creeped me out is he’s not much older than me.”
“Honey, you’re comparing apples to oranges. First, age is just a number and if you care about this woman, don’t let those ten or twelve years get in the way of that.”
“Hard not to considering what she’s been through.”
“Perhaps, but have you asked her how she feels about your age difference? Or you, for that matter?”
“Nope,” he said. “All we’ve shared is some great conversation and a few kisses. It’s not a great romance or anything.”
“Phoenix. I know you. And I’m not blind,” his mom said. “I’ve never seen you this attached to a woman before. Ever.”
“This is confusing.” He leaned against the railing. “I’ve spent my entire adult life void of emotional ties. It’s not that I avoided them; it’s that they never presented themselves. The first time I have real feelings for a lady, she’s not only from a cult and was in an abusive past relationship, but that’s all the experience she has?”
“Sounds like you’re feeling responsible and utterly terrified at the same time.”
