Read Apocalypse Cult (Gray Spear Society) for Free Online

"She'll need lots of counseling. It will be a long road to recovery."
    "Any word from Marina or Victor?"
    "They'll be here shortly."
    Aaron was still amazed at her performance earlier, and curiosity consumed him. Could she actually move that fast? He decided to perform a little experiment. Without warning, he tried to slap her face. She dodged aside easily, and his hand passed through empty air.
    "You like to play games?" she asked.
    "Well, I was just..."
    "Testing me? Of course. Let's make it fun! I'll stand here and let you punch me in the face."
    "I don't know." He furrowed his brow.
    "Go on. I want you to." She clenched her hands into fists and waved them around in an annoying manner. "Let's see those black-belt skills. Hit me now, wimp! Come on!"
    He had a rule against striking women, but she was literally begging for it. He used about a quarter of his strength to throw an uppercut at her jaw. She grabbed his arm in mid-flight, twisted it around, and shoved him hard into the side of the van. The move was so quick and efficient he never had a chance to protect himself.
    "By the way," she said, "I don't like games."
    He rubbed a sore spot on his forehead. "That was a slick move. What martial arts style is your specialty? Kung fu? Aikido?"
    "The Ethel-style."
    Marina and Victor arrived at the clearing. Both carried large, clear plastic bags containing many smaller plastic bags. The little bags held a variety of odd items including small rocks, metal screws, jewelry, a light bulb, a candelabrum, broken glass, a kitchen knife, sand, a book, and many other things. Aaron couldn't make any sense of the collection. It seemed as if Marina and Victor had taken anything and everything that would fit into a bag, like a couple of pack rats, but both were smiling with their heads held high as if they had discovered a chest full of gold.
    "What is that stuff?" Aaron said.
    "Evidence," Marina said.
    "Of a crime?"
    She didn't answer. She and Victor just put the bags into the back of the van.
    "Let's go," Ethel said. "Victor, would you drive?"
    Everybody climbed into the van. Aaron sat in the middle beside Brittany. Marina and Victor were in front, and Ethel sat in the far back.
    Victor drove along a dirt path that barely qualified as a road, but his skillful handling kept the van from getting stuck. Eventually, they reached a real highway and headed towards Chicago.
    When he grew restless, Aaron looked at Marina and said, "Hi."
    She ignored him.
    "I noticed your black fingernails," he said. "I think a different color might look better on you. Red would match your hair and green would match your eyes. Is there a reason you make them so pointed?"
    She turned and glared at him. "Shh. We're not allowed to talk about anything."
    "Everything about you is a secret?"
    "Absolutely."
    Nobody else seemed in the mood for conversation either, so Aaron sat back. The only sounds were road noise and the air conditioner.
    It was a long journey home, but he was getting paid for his time, so it didn't bother him. He kept looking at Marina because her beauty made it impossible for him to ignore her. He really wanted to talk to her, and the unbroken silence between them was frustrating. Her expression was unreadable.
    The van stopped in front of Brittany's home. After he and Brittany were let out, Aaron turned to say goodbye to his new acquaintances. Victor drove off before Aaron had a chance to speak.
    That was rude, Aaron thought. He wondered if he would ever see them again. Of course, the person he was really interested in seeing was Marina. Unfortunately, he had no way of finding her. He would have to hope she found him instead.
    He held Brittany firmly by the shoulders and marched her to the house. Weeds sprouted between cracks in the narrow sidewalk. Even before he reached the door, Caroline Waters came running out, squealing with joy. She wore a dirty apron over a dress printed with yellow petunias.
    Caroline grabbed her daughter and hugged her very