GODDESS OF THE MOON (A Diana Racine Psychic Suspense) (39 page)

Maia rose
and
jo
ined Anat. “No, I didn’t.”

“He’s the smartest person here, but they won’t harvest his sperm for fear
the
gay,
as they call it, will be passed on.
They must be pissed to pass on such rich
genetic material.”

Maia chuckled.

“Cal gets a perverse pleasure
knowing
that
,
”
Anat said.

“
How
strange
,
because I’ve never known the group to care if people are gay.”

“No, as long as they’re not part of
our
society.
”

Maia
put her hand on
Anat
’s arm.
“Whose
Chloe’s father
?
Seth says you won’t say.”

“
I won’t
. I don’t want anyone using this baby against the father. There are a few of us with a remnant or two of independence. Please don’t ask, Maia.
Especially if you intend to tell Seth.”

She
’d never tell
, but Anat didn’t know that
.
“I wo
uld
n’t. I understand.”

“Thank you.” Anat offered a loving
glance at
Chloe
.
“
What did you do to
wind up here?
Must have been a beaut.
”

“I almost blew the whole thing wide open, but I don’t want to talk about that now. I should have done
things
differently. Better.” Maia lowered her voice to a whisper. “Do you know about the kidnapped babies?”

“
Yes
. At first it was just gossip, a whisper. I didn’t believe they
’d do something
so stupid. Then someone confirmed it. Cal tells me what’s going on when he visits
, as do others
.
I can’t imagine anything worse
. They’re spitting in the face of the law because they
don’t
think the
law applies to them, that they’re above
it. Whose idea was that? Do you know?”

“Phillip’s,
of course
.
He’s the Grand Master, and he’s getting old.
Time to speed things up.
Dione and I didn’t know anything about it until one of father’s dutiful lapdogs got caught.
Do you know about Deems?”

Anat nodded. “H
e killed himself
rather than face
kidnapping charges
.”

“O
r be forced to tell on the group
. I don’t know how far the
y’d
go to protect themselves these days. They
’ve
lost focus.”

“Isn’t that what happens with megalomaniacs?
” Anat asked.
“
Damn
.
This has to stop. I’d do it, but I’m a little tied up. Even if I weren’t, I
have no idea
where the hell we are.
Someplace in Oklahoma, I think, but I’m not sure.
”

“They’ve done well keeping this place secret.
I’ve tried to figure it out―two
-
hour
plane
trip, no ocean, mount
ains, but that could be a
zillion
places.
When I learned about the babies, I should have gone to the police. You would have
. Unfortunately,
I’m not as brave. Now I won’t have the chance because they
won’t
let me go.”

“Maybe they’ll give you the suite downstairs,” she said. “We could talk from the balconies.”

“It’s not funny, Anat. Our father is involved in something that could put him and the others in prison for life.”

“Good.”

Maia was taken aback by th
e
hatred
in Anat’s voice.

Anat drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Have you seen what he’s doing to Brigid and Nona, with my mother’s blessing? They’re nothing more than genetic material
and wet nurses. And Silas, our…
father, I wouldn’t be surprised if
―
”

“If what?”

Anat clasped her hands around her neck and shook her head.
“Never mind.”

After Maia saw what her two half-sisters were doing, she banished those theories too perverse to give credence.
S
he bet Anat thought the same thing now.

“What about Dione?” Anat said. “
I
s she still the obedient servant
?
”

Anat hadn’t handled her imprisonment as well as
Maia
first thought. Resentment colored
her tone
, not that Maia blame
d
her.
“Don’t be so hard on her.
W
e can’t all have your courage.
Dione’s
coming around. Still,
I don’t think she has the nerve to go to the police
.”

Anat signed.
“
Too bad
.”

“C
e
bele is a bitch,” Maia said with more venom than she intended, “and she spawned a bitch
―f
our bitches
―
all with their husband’s dicks wrapped around their little fingers.
” She paused and caught Anat’s eye.
“
I’ve asked Seth to help get the babies back to their parents.”

Anat snorted. “Don’t count on
him
. He’s their number one soldier and master organizer. He’s sterile except with you.”

One part of her hoped Seth
had
lied
. Then he’d be easier to forget.
But he’d told the truth.
“I
didn’t
believe him.”

“
Yup, h
is little swimmers sank every time.
H
e sure made beautiful children with you. He brings them here often. I hate what they’re doing to them, and I worry about Phillip.”

Maia’s nerve endings pricked to attention.
She found it hard to draw a breath.
“Phillip? Why?”

“He’s withdrawn and shy, complicated. I’m not sure
―
”
Anat
stared out
over the balcony
.
“I’m not sure something hasn’t happened to him.”

“Like what, Anat?
Tell me.
”

Her sister spoke so softly, Maia strained to hear her over the roar of the water
below.
“I
’m not sure. S
omething isn’t right. I’ve asked, but
no one’s
telling.”

Maia paced the balcony.
“
Phillip did seem unnaturally quiet
.”
Peering
over the side, she looked down at the raging rapids scrambling over the
glistening rocks
, splashing foam into the air. For a brief moment the rocks
came
toward her, as if she had plummeted over the side in a feverish attempt to avoid what she didn’t want to face. The vision seemed so real.
Did
her mother s
ee
the pavement coming
toward her
when she threw herself out the window, or did she
close
her eyes until she splattered to her death?
Had her guilt about her retarded son, Maia’s brother, been the cause of her death?

Her own guilt
churned inside her.
How many times had she wanted to steal her children
and run away
?
Except where was the compound?
Each time she came by company jet
, she relinquished her cell phone so the GPS couldn’t reveal the location.
Seth knew
because he flew in and out on occasion, even though this w
as his home
,
and
he
rarely left.

She’d failed
her children
miserably. If they were damaged, she blame
d
herself. She was no better than the others, probably worse.
“We need to get out of here. Send the authorities.
Something, Anat.”

“
Cal and I have
had a plan for years,” Anat said, “but
we
couldn’t
carry it out
alone.
W
e need Seth.
With him on our side, we might have a chance
to stop this madness.
You’re our only hope
.
”

W
ho’s
W
atching
the Children
?

L
ucier pushed aside the papers on his desk to answer the phone.

“You were right, Lieutenant,” Dione Compton said. “My father took my phone and checked the numbers in the data bank. He found nothing, thanks to you. I would never have thought of doing that.”

“Did you find out anything
about your sister
?”

“No. After I asked about Maia, everyone clammed up more than usual.”

“What’s your honest opinion?”

“
I’m almost sure t
hey’ve sent her away
.
”

“Do you know where?”

A long pause hung on the line. “Hmm, yes…and no.”

What the hell did that mean?
“Your father’s group is on the verge of being exposed
.
I’d hate to see you caught in the crossfire.”
Lucier could almost hear Dione
Compton wrestle her conscience.

She remained silent for a long moment before she spoke. “I can’t
.
You don’t understand. I’m afraid.
Terrified.
”

“I
do
understand, Ms. Compton. Without satanic ritual abuse, worshipping Satan
in itself
is not a crime.
F
ive babies, maybe more, have been stolen from their parents. Whatever justifications your father and his friends gave, kidnapping
is
a federal crime.”

Dione didn’t respond. The telephone line crackled with the silence of fear.
Was he getting through to her?

“
Maia and
I
didn’t know
about the babies
until that kidnapper was caught
,” she said softly. “Oh,
G
od, please
, what should I do?
”

“If you believe in God, you’ll make the right decision. It’s not too late.”

She sniffed, and Lucier thought perhaps he’d finally broken through. “
Are
you
familiar with
two young women who call themselves Brigid and Nona Fulceri?”

Dione Compton hung up.

* * * * *

M
aia spent the afternoon
in her quarters
with her children. She was no psychologist, but she agreed with Anat. Her older son Phillip was abnormally withdrawn and remote. He’d suffered something traumatic, and he wouldn’t
confide in her
. In fact,
he only spoke in
one-word answers. Leo, the youngest, clung to her and didn't want to let go. She sensed that he, too, was on the way to having problems. Only the girl, Iris, acted
like
a girl her age should act
―if she were raised
within the confines of the group.

“What happened to Phillip?” she asked Seth
later when they were alone
.

He looked at her quizzically. “What do you mean?”

“
Something’s wrong
. Haven’t you noticed?”

“He’s a quiet kid.”

“How much time do you spend with him?”

“I see him every day,” Seth said. “I see all of them every day.”

“Not see them. Spend time with them.”

“What are you getting at, Maia?”

“Do the boys stay with you at night?”

“You know all the kids stay together.”