Apocalypse Cult (Gray Spear Society) Read Online Free PDF Page B

behind him. Brittany was with a group of men and women who seemed intent on staying together. Separating her from the others was going to be a challenge.
    "Do you have a plan?" Ethel said.
    "Hang back and be patient," Aaron said.
    As the group penetrated deep into the forest, the air cleared, and they slowed down. A man with blue stripes on his robes led the way, and when he stopped, so did everybody else. The cult members huddled together under the dense canopy of green leaves, their voices timid and quiet. Brittany stood in the center of the group, and her eyes were wide with fear.
    Aaron and Ethel took cover behind some trees and removed their gas masks.
    "I count six men, eight women, and two children," she whispered. "I don't see any weapons."
    "If we could just scatter them, I could get to Brittany."
    He studied the group, which was surprisingly subdued. Most of them seemed content just to stand in place and wait for orders, even the young ones. Their long green robes and green tattoos acted like camouflage against the forest background. Aaron was glad to see that nobody appeared injured.
    "I'll draw some of them off," Ethel said.
    "What if you get caught?"
    "Ha! Not a chance."
    "You have a lot of spunk for a woman as old as my mother," Aaron said.
    "Ouch. Watch this."
    She sprinted towards the group, and he couldn't believe his eyes. She was impossibly fast! She leapt at one of the men, landed both feet squarely on his chest, kicked off, and continued in a different direction like a rubber ball bouncing off a wall. The man fell backwards with an expression of pain and astonishment.
    "Holy shit!" Aaron muttered.
    All the other men chased Ethel, while the women and children remained behind, as docile as sheep.
    As soon as Ethel and her pursuers were out of sight, Aaron stepped out and bellowed like an enraged bear. He charged the women with his arms outstretched, trying to be as big and scary as possible. The group scattered in all directions, just as he had hoped. When the man on the ground tried to stand up, Aaron put him back down with a punch to the face.
    Brittany ran off alone, and Aaron went after her, determined that she wouldn't get away. They went deeper into the forest and quickly left everybody else behind. The chase became a simple contest between pursuer and pursued. The only sounds were their feet pounding on dirt and crashing through leaves.
    He imagined what an outsider might think of this scene. He was running down a young woman who was alone in the woods and desperate to escape. Attempted rape or murder would be the obvious conclusion. No jury would ever believe he was actually doing his best to rescue her from a life of virtual slavery.
    The chase ended suddenly when Brittany tripped over a root, and he was on her at once. He grabbed both her wrists roughly.
    "Who are you?" she cried.
    "Your parents sent me," he said. "You're going home."
    "No!"
    He ignored her loud complaints and insults as he pulled her through the woods. Then she babbled for a while about Simon and his teachings, perhaps hoping to convert him, but her breath was wasted. Finally, she just sobbed pitifully.
    Aaron had brought a portable GPS system, and it guided him to a pre-determined rendezvous point. He entered a small clearing that had a blue van with heavily tinted windows parked in the middle. Ethel stood beside it, calm and rested.
    "You got her," she said. "Nice work."
    "And they didn't get you," he said.
    "Of course not."
    "You moved so fast. Was it some kind of trick? Stimulants?"
    She winked. "Trade secret. Put the girl in the van."
    Aaron opened the door and pushed Brittany into one of the middle seats. Using coils of rope that he found in the van, he tied her arms and legs to the chair and pulled her seatbelt tight. Satisfied she was secure, he closed the door. Perhaps the precautions were excessive, but he had to make sure she couldn't escape or injure herself.
    "The poor kid is brainwashed," he said.
    Ethel nodded.