Rescue

till it turned into an obsession, like you said.“
    “And you all went along with it.“
    “Fr the money, honey. The root of all evil, but we did need Royel for that.“
    “You let him just ‘inquisition’ innocent boys to death.“
    “Well, not exactly.“
    “What do you mean?“
    “Royel, he got it into his head after that first one that just asking them questions and so on in that chair wasn’t really enough.“
    “Enough for what?“
    “Enough for purifying them, to release their Immortal Souls from the bonds of Satan.“
    I shook my head. “What the hell are you talking about, Lutrice? What happens to the boys?“
    She opened the door and walked through it, turning back with just her head in the opening. “Haven’t you guessed? The same thing that purified Our Savior. The Mercy Tree.“
    As the door closed, I said, “Sweet Jesus, no.“

    I’m not sure how much later it was when Cody and Severn came to get me. First they stuffed a handkerchief in my mouth and taped it closed with adhesive. Then they strapped my hands behind my back and marched me into the corridor.
    The Reverend and Lutrice, in long black robes, were outside the door to the bunk room. They carried black books like members of an adult choir, reading softly from them, almost a chant. Then Clark came out of the bunk room, his hands on the shoulders of the older boy whose face had been lit by Wyeth’s flash beam.
    The older boy wore just a wrapped towel as loincloth. His mouth was taped like mine, his eyes dull rather than wide with terror. He was struggling to walk.
    Royel Wyeth interrupted his chant, turning to me. “They are too weak to actually carry the Cross, and our mod- e st platform in the courtyard is a poor Calvary , but it serves us and the way of the Lord well.“
    I broke away from Cody and knocked Severn against the wall, trying to reach Clark and free the boy. At least give him a chance to run for the courtyard and maybe through the infirmary to the main part of the Compound. But somebody tripped me, and my hands bound, I went down hard, somebody else clubbing at the back of my head. Feeling my self slipping under, I prayed that the older boy would soon find a kinder place than Little Mercy Key.

25

    When my eyes opened, it was nighttime. I was lying on my right side, the smell of motor oil and salt air in my nose. Through the headache, I didn’t remember anything after the scene in the corridor outside the bunk room.
    Now there was vibration everywhere, rattling my right elbow, hip, and kneecap. From where I was, in some bilge water back near the engine, I could see Axel Severn standing at the helm of the boat, maybe a twenty-footer. Cody stood next to him, seeming tense, watching where we were going at what felt like thirty miles an hour. The M-16s were stowed in racks for fishing rods under the portside gunwale.
    Someone had removed the tape and gag from my mouth, which I took to be a sign that nobody would hear any noise I made. I was in some kind of dark jumpsuit, like an airplane mechanic might wear, but it felt as though they’d just pulled it on over the white church outfit. My ankles were strapped together, my hands tied the same way, but in front of me, not behind my back. At first, it didn’t register.
    Over the motor whine, I heard Cody say, “He’s coming around.“
    Severn called to me. “What we’re gonna do, Samaritan, we’re gonna tie a tow rope to that strap there on your hands then we’re gonna slit a couple of your foot veins. We toss you over the side, you’ll stand out real nice against the water and sky in those black overalls. No telling what’ll come in on the blood trail, start nibbling at your bottom end till your top end tells me what I want to know.“
    “Maybe I can save you the trouble. What’s on your mind?“
    “Where’s my brother at?“
    “Who’s your brother?“
    Axel shouted over his shoulder. “You know goddam well who he is! Lonnie give me a call down here a week ago, left a message on my telephone machine saying somebody from Massachusetts broke into his trailer. Said he’d call me back, but he never did. You was with the girl and the little retard on the highway north of Boston, then I see you sneaking around the Compound. Now, where’s Lonnie at?“
    “I couldn’t tell you.“
    Cody said, “Might be you will.“ He nudged Severn. “Let’s try him over by Steamboat Key. I caught me a real nice black-tip just south of her.“
    Axel yelled to me,