control room. Gleaming, modern equipment surrounded Marina, and she turned it on. Monitors lit up, showing her views from hidden cameras all over the farm. Some of the cameras operated in the thermal band, and the ghostly images looked surreal.
"Cool," Olivia said.
" El Toro's gang had to look out for cops and enemy gangs." Marina pointed to one monitor. "That's where they kept prisoners."
The view showed four cells with steel doors. She knew they were buried underneath the barn and were as secure as any real prison. The surrounding foundation had concrete walls two feet thick.
Marina made sure Olivia didn't see the interrogation room. She was too young to witness such horrors. The equipment was medieval, and many men had come to horrible ends in that place.
"What happened to the prisoners?" Olivia said. "Were they killed?"
"Eventually," Marina said.
"Where are the bodies?"
Marina grinned. "That's a very smart question. One of the nice things about a farm is there is plenty of room for unmarked graves. Some are in the woods and some are in the fields. The gang kept a backhoe in the barn to make the digging easier."
"Oh."
Marina checked all the cameras to make sure there were no intruders on the property. One couldn't be too cautious where Olivia's safety was concerned. God's enemies were still trying to kill her.
Eventually, a blue sedan drove into the farm and parked next to Marina's car. She saw Hanley and Katie's faces through the front windshield.
Marina's phone rang.
She put it to her ear. "Yes?"
"We're here, ma'am," Hanley said.
"I see that. Just stay in the car for ten minutes while I make sure nobody followed you."
Marina continued to cycle through cameras. She checked the perimeter of the farm and all the surrounding roads. El Toro's gang had invested in top-grade surveillance equipment. She could see every inch of the property.
When she was satisfied, she turned everything off and climbed out of the hole. Olivia followed Marina back through the empty house. Some of the floorboards creaked despite Marina's efforts to tread lightly.
She opened the front door and beckoned her legionnaires to come inside. While they did so, she looked around to reconfirm nobody else was in the area.
Hanley, Katie, and Brian Kelly entered the house. Kelly was in even rougher shape than Marina had expected. Holes in his clothes revealed soiled skin. His beard and mustache looked like they had been last trimmed with hedge clippers. He shuffled his feet like an old, crippled man.
Olivia held her nose. "Eww! He stinks!"
Marina agreed but was trying to be nice about it.
"You want to buy my figurines?" Kelly said.
"What?" Marina looked at Hanley.
He nodded. "Five thousand dollars."
She turned back to Kelly. "Sure. I'd love to buy them, but first, I have a few questions. And before that, this girl wants to touch your head."
"Why?" he said.
"Because you're a holy man, and she wants your blessing."
Kelly smiled. "OK. No problem."
He knelt down. Olivia had an expression of disgust and obviously didn't want to touch his filthy forehead, so Marina gave her a nudge. Finally, Olivia went forward.
As soon as she touched Kelly, he became visibly relaxed. Marina knew the girl was putting him into an extremely cooperative mood. He would answer any question truthfully and do anything she asked. Olivia was more effective than any torture device or truth serum. Marina knew only one person who was even better at making people tell the truth. That was Wesley, the Voice of Truth, the Beacon of Light, the Child of Destiny, and Olivia's future husband.
"Do you feel good?" Marina said.
"I feel wonderful," Kelly replied in a sleepy voice. He sat down abruptly on the dusty floor.
"Great. Let's start at the very beginning. Where did you get your inspiration for your book? Can you remember the exact moment? Describe what happened."
He furrowed his brow and kept quiet. With a frown, Olivia touched his forehead again. His head rolled on
"Cool," Olivia said.
" El Toro's gang had to look out for cops and enemy gangs." Marina pointed to one monitor. "That's where they kept prisoners."
The view showed four cells with steel doors. She knew they were buried underneath the barn and were as secure as any real prison. The surrounding foundation had concrete walls two feet thick.
Marina made sure Olivia didn't see the interrogation room. She was too young to witness such horrors. The equipment was medieval, and many men had come to horrible ends in that place.
"What happened to the prisoners?" Olivia said. "Were they killed?"
"Eventually," Marina said.
"Where are the bodies?"
Marina grinned. "That's a very smart question. One of the nice things about a farm is there is plenty of room for unmarked graves. Some are in the woods and some are in the fields. The gang kept a backhoe in the barn to make the digging easier."
"Oh."
Marina checked all the cameras to make sure there were no intruders on the property. One couldn't be too cautious where Olivia's safety was concerned. God's enemies were still trying to kill her.
Eventually, a blue sedan drove into the farm and parked next to Marina's car. She saw Hanley and Katie's faces through the front windshield.
Marina's phone rang.
She put it to her ear. "Yes?"
"We're here, ma'am," Hanley said.
"I see that. Just stay in the car for ten minutes while I make sure nobody followed you."
Marina continued to cycle through cameras. She checked the perimeter of the farm and all the surrounding roads. El Toro's gang had invested in top-grade surveillance equipment. She could see every inch of the property.
When she was satisfied, she turned everything off and climbed out of the hole. Olivia followed Marina back through the empty house. Some of the floorboards creaked despite Marina's efforts to tread lightly.
She opened the front door and beckoned her legionnaires to come inside. While they did so, she looked around to reconfirm nobody else was in the area.
Hanley, Katie, and Brian Kelly entered the house. Kelly was in even rougher shape than Marina had expected. Holes in his clothes revealed soiled skin. His beard and mustache looked like they had been last trimmed with hedge clippers. He shuffled his feet like an old, crippled man.
Olivia held her nose. "Eww! He stinks!"
Marina agreed but was trying to be nice about it.
"You want to buy my figurines?" Kelly said.
"What?" Marina looked at Hanley.
He nodded. "Five thousand dollars."
She turned back to Kelly. "Sure. I'd love to buy them, but first, I have a few questions. And before that, this girl wants to touch your head."
"Why?" he said.
"Because you're a holy man, and she wants your blessing."
Kelly smiled. "OK. No problem."
He knelt down. Olivia had an expression of disgust and obviously didn't want to touch his filthy forehead, so Marina gave her a nudge. Finally, Olivia went forward.
As soon as she touched Kelly, he became visibly relaxed. Marina knew the girl was putting him into an extremely cooperative mood. He would answer any question truthfully and do anything she asked. Olivia was more effective than any torture device or truth serum. Marina knew only one person who was even better at making people tell the truth. That was Wesley, the Voice of Truth, the Beacon of Light, the Child of Destiny, and Olivia's future husband.
"Do you feel good?" Marina said.
"I feel wonderful," Kelly replied in a sleepy voice. He sat down abruptly on the dusty floor.
"Great. Let's start at the very beginning. Where did you get your inspiration for your book? Can you remember the exact moment? Describe what happened."
He furrowed his brow and kept quiet. With a frown, Olivia touched his forehead again. His head rolled on
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