Darkness at the Edge of Town (Iris Ballard #2)(60)

“I-I don’t understand.”

“After you left last night, I brought him your request. Apparently he meditated about it all night and the universe told him we should welcome you with open arms. That Billy needs closure before committing himself totally to his true path. He realized you are the universe’s instrument in doing that.”

Yeah. Right. And my threats had nothing to do with it, I thought. “And he’s just going to let me walk onto the farm?”

“Of course. We have nothing to hide,” she said, toeing the company line. “Really the only condition is that you respect Billy’s wishes. If he chooses to stay, you respect the decision. And since it is a sanctuary, you and only you are welcome. No police, no FBI or anyone else.”

“I told you, no one else is involved. No one else cares,” I lied.

“Forgive me, Carol, if we don’t trust much of what you say,” Megan said. “And know that when Billy does decide to stay, if you do persist in bothering us, we will have to get a restraining order. I’m sure the press would love to hear about the manipulation, the stalking, even the threesome you and I had with Paul yesterday afternoon all while you were lying about who you really were.”

“We didn’t—”

“Paul and I will swear you did. What will that do to the great hero’s reputation, I wonder?”

She was bluffing. The group would be thrust into the spotlight, and with the spotlight came attention and scrutiny. They didn’t want that. I hoped. “Dial it back, Megan. There’s no need for threats.”



“It’s not a threat. It’s a promise, Carol. Twenty-six seventy-nine Chariot Road, Niagaraville. Nine A.M. You alone.” She hung up.

I quickly found a pen and wrote the address down. My breath was unsteady as I did. That whole conversation had gotten my adrenaline pumping. I’d done it. I was going to see my brother. Talk to him. Hug him. The happiness proved fleeting as I realized what I’d just agreed to. I was going to a desolate farm full of zealots with a leader I’d threatened. There was a real chance it was all a trap. That I’d arrive at the address to an ambush. I could be raped. Murdered. Buried in a field, never to be seen again. The chance was small, but there was still a chance. Was Billy worth it?

I instantly hated myself for even thinking of backing out.

I was being ridiculous. There were easy safety measures I could implement. Not to mention they’d be absolute morons to harm me. Of course, one should never underestimate the stupidity of human beings. But I was going. I had to go. For Gia. For Mom. For my grandparents. For Billy.

God, some days it really sucked being a good person.





Chapter 10


My hands wouldn’t stop shaking as I drove to The Apex. I had to focus on keeping them steady as I steered. I considered turning the car around several times but never acted on the impulse. I was being ridiculous; I was in no more danger than when I went to The Temple. And I had taken every precaution. I’d borrowed Grandpa’s gun and holster, making sure to wear baggy pants to hide the fact that I sported a gun on my ankle. I’d left a message for the sheriff with the address and instructions that if he hadn’t heard from me by noon, he should send in the cavalry. I even downloaded a program on my laptop that showed and recorded where the GPS on my phone was so there’d be a record just in case. I considered scheduling an email to Luke to go out at noon with everything I’d learned and information about the meet, but decided it should go to Hancock instead. If the shit did go down, I didn’t want Luke’s name in any way tied to my mess. And to be extra safe, I called the number Megan had used that morning and laid out some of my safety measures on a voicemail. She didn’t call back.

About ten minutes away from the farm, as I was trying to enjoy the rolling hills of farmland and grazing cows in the fields—okay, I was really concentrating on not shitting my pants—my phone rang. Not even the tranquil view did much to assuage my nerves. I gasped with the first ring. “Jesus,” I muttered after a sigh.

It was Hancock. Finally. “Hello, Sheriff.”

“Have you lost your fucking mind?”

“And good morning to you too.”



“You are not actually going to that farm alone, are you?”

“I absolutely am. In fact I’m almost there.”

“Iris…have you lost your fucking mind?”

“Not recently, no.”

“Now is not the time for sarcasm, Iris.”

“It’s always time for sarcasm.” That quip met with dead air. I sighed. “Look, I’ve taken every precaution. I know this is a risk, but it’s a calculated risk. They have far too much to lose if they harm me.”

“Yeah, cults are often known for their logic,” Hancock said.

He got me there. “This is what I came here to do, sir, and this is probably my one opportunity to do it.”

“And what, Iris? You think Mathias is just going to let you poke around? Interrogate his people? Waltz out with Billy? He doesn’t have some ulterior motive?”

“Of course I don’t think that. I’m not a moron, sir. He’s doing this to size me up. He probably thinks he can con me like the others. He has dozens of followers a little over a year in. He’s probably gotten cocky. He’s going to show me heaven on Earth and shiny, happy people, my brother included. But I’m going to see him too. Face-to-face. I may even find a way to get his fingerprints. Besides, I let his little henchwoman know that if they do harm me, they’re going to have the police and FBI on their doorstep within hours.”