“Not yet. I wanted to talk to you and Annie first. I’m not sure how to approach it, especially if Gabby is in some kind of danger.”
Myra started stroking her pearls, a habit she had developed many years ago. “Why don’t the both of you come over for dinner? I’m sure Charles can whip up something for all of us.” She glanced over at Charles, who nodded his approval. “Annie, bring Fergus, too.” Charles gave Myra a look. “I mean send Fergus over to give Charles a hand.” She chuckled. Charles smiled. Charles and Fergus were a good team in the kitchen, as well as the Sisterhood’s counterintelligence division.
“Sounds like a plan.” Maggie was relieved. Two of the fiercest women she had ever met had her back. And Gabby’s.
“Six thirty work for you?” Myra asked casually.
“Perfect. We’ll see you then.” Annie clicked off the phone. “We have a couple of hours. See if you can dig up any more information on The Haven. Who runs that place, do we know yet?”
“No, but I’ll find out.” Maggie turned to her computer as Annie stepped over another pile of clippings.
“Thanks, Annie.”
“No worries. We’ll get to the bottom of this. I’ll swing by around five thirty. You can drive. I’ll leave my car here and get a lift back tomorrow.”
Maggie gave her a thumbs-up and dived back into the search engine, looking for more clues.
Chapter Six
Present Day
The Haven
When the two men picked up Gabby at the florist’s, they spoke briefly. She knew not to ask questions. Her encounter with Noah a few weeks before had sent a chill up her spine. How odd. The chill had made her sweat.
She sat quietly in the back seat of the SUV. The dark-tinted windows made it hard for people to see inside the vehicle. Florida laws varied as to what windows could be tinted and at what percentage of light. Back-seat passengers could be completely hidden from onlookers. Gabby knew she was shielded by one of those. Even if anyone were looking for her, they would never see her through the dark-tinted window glass.
The traffic on the forty-five-minute drive back to The Haven was very light. During the trip, Gabby wondered what was going to happen to her. She didn’t fear for her life, but she was baffled as to why her trip had been sabotaged. I guess I’ll soon find out.
The SUV pulled in front of one of the garage doors. One of the men opened the passenger door and motioned for Gabby to go into the main house. The garage housed several vehicles, including an airboat on a trailer hitch. No one was supposed to know about the boat, but Rachel, a friend of Gabby’s, had first spotted it when she was wheeling the laundry carts to the parking lot. The shuttle van that took the group into town was pulling out of the garage. She pretended to look the other way and went back to the dormitory where the women slept.
One evening, when Rachel and Gabby were taking a walk around the center garden of the compound, Rachel mentioned it to Gabby.
“Why do you suppose there’s an airboat in the garage?” Rachel whispered.
“Maybe it was owned by one of the members and they donated it when they joined,” Gabby suggested.
But before they could continue speculating, they came upon another member and quickly clammed up. Maybe it was better to ignore its presence.
*
Gabby sat in the foyer of the main house. The living quarters and offices were located on the second floor. The main level held a room large enough to accommodate just under two hundred people seated in rows of chairs. There was a kitchen in the main house for Liam and guests, but the other residents took their meals in the dining hall, which had a large kitchen in the back where their meals were prepared. One side of the kitchen held a large pantry for dry goods, and the other side opened to a small garden for fresh vegetables. If nothing else, the food was nutritious, even if it was bland.
Gabby felt as if she had been sitting for an hour before Noah approached her. Gabby stood immediately.
“I don’t suppose you know why you’re here?” He gave her a menacing look.
Gabby gulped. “No. Not really.”
“You were seen trying to board a plane. We don’t allow Pledges to travel unaccompanied.” Noah was cool and direct.
“Yes, but Liam gave me permission to visit my mother. She’s in the hospital.” Gabby could not hide her confusion.
“I’m sorry to hear about your mother, but as I explained to you when I caught you upstairs, the rules are the rules.” Noah was almost mechanical in his explanation.
“I really don’t know what to say. I apologize for any infringement.” The word infringement made Gabby shudder. She had never thought she would be accused of such a thing. The Haven had very rigid rules for an organization dedicated to spiritual enlightenment. “But you can check with Liam. He said it was all right. My sister bought the ticket for me.” She was almost pleading at this point.
“And that, too, created a problem. We had to track her down to let her know that you weren’t going to be arriving on schedule.” Noah seemed unusually peeved.
“What did you tell her?” Gabby was becoming agitated. Why would they stop me from visiting my mother?
“We sent her a text.”
“With what?” Gabby was trying to remain calm.
Noah handed her the burner phone they had used and showed her: It’s Gab. Sprained my ankle on the way to airport. I’m OK but on crutches. Phone broke. This one is temporary. Sorry. Give Mom my love, Love you guys.
“I don’t understand. Why?” Gabby was almost pleading at this point.
“I told you. It’s the rules,” Noah reiterated.
“But this is a lie. I didn’t sprain my ankle. Why would you lie? What is this all about?” Gabby was distraught. Then Liam walked into the room.
“What seems to be the problem? Gabby, I thought you were going to visit your mother.” Liam looked perplexed.
“She broke the rules, Liam,” Noah admonished both of them.
“But her mother is in the hospital.” Liam was irritated at what had happened. This was not the kind of refuge he envisioned for his followers.
“Liam, we’ll discuss this privately. Meanwhile, Gabby, you go back to the dorm. And put on the appropriate clothes. Bring those to me later.” He pointed at the jeans and hoodie she was wearing.
Gabby looked at Liam as if begging for help. Liam gave her a slight nod, but it wasn’t much comfort. To either of them. She left the room, shaking like a leaf.
The walk from the main house to the dorm was slightly over a hundred yards. Not a terrible hike, but that day it seemed particularly long. The air was typical South Florida steam, with the mercury rising to ninety-four degrees. Gabby felt as if she had gone through the spin cycle of the washing machine.