The Vater nods, encouraging Mateo to go on, while I never look away from David. I have a bad feeling about him.
While I keep an eye on the biggest threat in the room, Mateo lays everything on the table. “Vater, I’m going to hope you aren’t aware, but there are members of your church that are selling young girls to a sect on the west coast. We have direct knowledge of this, in fact, we have proof.”
Wait, what? What proof? I gave Vater Henry all the proof we had the night of my placement ceremony. We didn’t discuss any proof. So what are you up to Mateo?
I’m no longer interested in keeping my eye on David. Mateo has my undivided attention. And it’s apparent he has Vater Henry’s as well.
“Lord Mateo,” the Vater pauses to ensure he has everyone’s attention. “I realize Anna can be very convincing, and since you haven’t known her long, I would assume you don’t know she suffers from mental illness. She hardly constitutes as proof.”
Before he can go on, Luke slams his fist on the table as he jumps to his feet. David has his hands on the two knives stored on each hip, and his right hand is looking very twitchy.
Before Luke can climb across the table and rip the Vater’s face off, Mateo stands, placing a calming hand on his shoulder. “Let me handle this, friend.”
Luke looks from Mateo, to the Vater, and then to me. I nod and smile, letting him know there’s no need to defend my honor. I don’t care what they think of me, or what they say. Luke nods, and takes his seat once again, although his face is still beet red. I can practically feel the heat coming off him.
Mateo takes his seat as well, and then addresses the Vater. “Anna is not the proof I speak of, Vater.”
Mateo leans back nodding to Easton before Easton makes his way to the kitchen door to my right. Only a minute passes before the door reopens, and out walk three women. The woman leading the others is none other than Rose. Beautiful, sweet Rose. I hope she smoked her grass today because if not, and they make fun of her voice, I will lose it on everyone.
Oh my Gawd! Getting a better look at the last girl, I realize I recognize her too. America Wheaton. I know her, but I had no idea she would be someone that could prove the elders were selling girls. The story on her disappearance from the compound was that she had left on her own. Rumor had it that she’d spit in the Vater’s face, cursed God, and then the next day just walked out the front gate. But now that I know they don’t just let you leave, I happen to be living proof of that, the rumor seems implausible. Was she actually sold? Knowing that she’s here with Rose as proof, it seems likely.
All the possibilities are put to a stop when Mateo speaks again. “They are my proof, Vater. Each of these girls was sold to a Vater on the west coast, and I won’t tell you what was done to them, but I think you know.”
Shaking his head, the Vater argues, “That’s not possible, only one of these girls is even from my compound, and that’s America Wheaton. And I know for a fact she wasn’t sold. She refused to complete her placement ceremony; she refused to be judged by God. She wasn’t sold, she left.”
The Vater is still shaking his head as I look to Elder Thompson, his left eye twitching. Elder Thompson knows that isn’t true, and I would bet my life that’s just the story he gave the Vater. Which means the Vater really hasn’t been involved in the selling of girls. He truly believes I made it all up because I’m mentally ill, or he doesn’t want to believe.
Looking back to the Vater, I open my mouth to speak, but I don’t get a word out as America steps forward addressing the Vater.
“Vater Henry, I know you didn’t know. I know Elder Thompson lied to you. And he did, lie to you I mean. I didn’t want to go through with my placement, and I voiced that to you and others. I wasn’t ready, but I wasn’t allowed to take time, instead I was drug from my room in the middle of the night, bound and gagged, and then tossed in the back of a wagon before they slipped a needle into my arm. I was drugged Vater, and then when I woke up, I was in a different compound with a different Vater. Lord Mateo might not tell you what was done to us in that compound, but I will. Vater Roger is sick, and he’s surrounded himself with equally sick men.”
She takes a deep breath and tries to continue, but Elder Thompson attempts to interrupt her. Before he can speak, the General stands, grinding his fists together in front of his chest as he stares down the elder.
Well, that shut him right up. Ha. Chicken shit.
America looks to the General seeming to convey her appreciation, and then returns to her story. “When he purchases a new girl, she is kept drugged for weeks until she becomes compliant. Then she is traded around from one man to the next, raped over and over and over. That is until she gets pregnant. Girls prayed they would get pregnant because that meant the men
