“There is something evil happening in that building,” Wade stated.
“I gather as much. But I think you are wrong.” Lil Joe exhaled. “You said it was evil. I think it’s more sinister.”
“Is there a difference?” Rachel raised an eyebrow.
“Yes,” Lil Joe replied. “One, you are fighting against unexplainable evil forces. Here you are dealing with evil people. One is about life beyond, the other is about greed right here on earth.”
“Then you understand why we have to go back,” Wade explained. “People, evil or not, can be brought down. If they are sinister, as you say, they are using people to get what they want. They do not care about the impact to others’ lives. That has to stop.”
“Okay,” Rachel stood. “If we are going to do this, we have to document everything. Plans have to be made, and law enforcement has to be brought in. At the very least, we have to share what we suspect.” She turned to Wade. “What is it we suspect these people are doing?”
“I think they are creating their own little society,” Winston stated.
“You might have something there,” Drake chimed in. “In one of the documents I was reading downstairs, it discusses the marriage between Bradford Sr. and his wife Helena.”
“Marriage?” Dane asked.
“Hear me out,” Drake continued. “The marriage was not a love match. The two married because they both had extremely high IQs. They believe their offspring would be the same. According to the article, in their own words, Bradford Sr. stated, ‘The original plan was to raise the child who would think logically rather than emotionally.’”
“And how did that work out for them?” Rachel raised an eyebrow.
“Dr. Chambers was the result,” Monty responded. “He was the intellectual outcome.”
“What if they are using the in vitro fertilization program to create offspring like their son?” Wade asked. “It would definitely explained why Star was targeted.”
“Your father said they raped her,” Monty stated. “He wasn’t referring to the physical act. He was talking about taking her eggs.”
“Do you believe the Chambers are that far gone?” Lil Joe asked.
“I do,” Winston replied. “I did not mention this before, but my daughter, Nannette, is adopted. She was at the Roanoke Social Services facility when we took her in. At the time we did not know it, but as she grew, we discovered she had an exceptionally high IQ.”
Monty, Ross, Drake and Dane looked from one to the other, then Lil Joe interrupted the silence.
“If what you say is true, then I agree. We have to go back in,” Lil Joe advised. “But keep in mind, we have no jurisdiction over there. The Chambers’ estate is in Tennessee, not Virginia. You will need to advise them of your suspicions before going inside.”
“We can’t,” Ross shook his head. “With the kind of money and influence the Chambers have, you better believe the authorities in the area are in their pocket.”
“He has a point,” Monty stated. “The way I see it, I am one of their victims. I need to know what in the hell they are doing. If the local authorities are hesitant to move on them, Agent Anderson of the FBI would be the better avenue.”
Wade looked at Monty. “Are you certain that is the best course of action? We are not going in the traditional way.”
“After what took place today, they are going to anticipate you returning,” Lil Joe explained. “They are going to be ready for you.”
“They are going to expect us to come back with the authorities,” Wade explained. “I don’t think they expect us to break in. We are going to do both.”
“As an officer of the court, I have to warn you of the consequences of your actions,” Monty commented.
“Your warning is duly noted,” Wade replied, then looked at Drake. “What’s the best way to break in?”
“You expect me to have an answer because?” Drake frowned.
“You were always breaking into things growing up,” Dane smirked. “This is no different.”
“Your expertise is needed,” Wade clarified.
“Well, in that case, I would tell you to use a scrambler to distort their camera systems. If they have the top of the line, it will only give you a few minutes to get in, do what you need to do, then get out.”
“Do we have a scrambler?” Rachel glanced around the room.
“No, but you can get what you need from any Radio Shack,” Drake replied.
“The closest Radio Shack is at the mall,” Lil Joe stated. “I can pick up what you need.”
“Cool,” Drake nodded, then replied, “I need a 555 Timer IC, resistors, capacitors, antenna, a transistor and an on/off switch, and/or coils.”
Lil Joe stared at him.
Drake chuckled. “You want me to write that down?”
“I’ll get something to write all of this down.” Rachel walked to the door. “I don’t know if it’s a good plan, but we have to map out everything, including who is in this room and who we contact. I’m going to grab my computer. I’ll be right back.”
Rachel left the room, reeling from all that had occurred since they came to this little town. Excitement was building as she ran downstairs to get her laptop.
“Hey, I was just looking for you,” Redbone called out from across the hall at the diner. “SuzieMae is planning dinner for tonight. She was wondering if you guys wanted anything special?”
“Hell yeah,” Rachel turned towards her. “Those chops were mouth-watering good, but I want the chicken tonight.”
Redbone beamed. “I will tell SuzieMae you said that. Any ideas what the guys want?”
“Whatever you put on the table, they will eat.”
The women laughed. “Now you know, SuzieMae makes a mean apple cobbler. She gets the apples shipped in from the Shenandoah area. You think the guys might enjoy a cobbler?”
“Yes,” Rachel laughed. “I know I will.”
“Cool, I’ll tell SuzieMae to add it to the menu.”
“I appreciate that, Redbone.”
“Anytime, see you later.”
Rachel waved at the young woman, thinking, She would fit right in with my sisters. She walked into the lounge to get her laptop, then noticed they had left the documents they were reviewing out. She packed up everything as neatly as she could. The pile of folders was high, leaving little room to carry her laptop. But she wanted to make one trip back upstairs. She placed her laptop on top, then picked up the pile and headed up the staircase to their room. Surprisingly, she made it to the room without seeing her feet or dropping anything. Getting the door open was going to be a challenge. Her arms were filled with the folders, so she had to maneuver a little to reach the knob. She got a good grip and it turned with little effort. Walking into the room, the folders were blocking her view. Hoping not to drop her laptop on the floor, she walked over to the bed and dropped it and all the folders onto the mattress. When she turned, two men were in the room behind her.