She was calm a few minutes later and said, “Jericho told me about this place. He was one of us, but he had a rebellious spirit. He liked me. He was forbidden to talk to me but he found ways. He was out of Soledad prison.”
“Big surprise,” Steve said.
“He made this place and told me about it. He said if I ever wanted to run away with him we could hide here. Once he took me here in secret. I liked him.”
“Is that where you got the knife?”
“Everything in here was what he brought. But he got arrested again. And was killed in jail.”
“That seems very convenient.”
“Huh?”
“LaSalle has a way of dealing with people he doesn’t like. Now maybe you can explain to me how you happened to be shooting at a car with me in it?”
“I heard them talking about you. The men all speak freely around the women. No one has ever resisted them or betrayed them. But ever since I have been here I have played this little game in my mind. It helps me to get through bad days. We all have to learn how to use rifles. The Master — I keep calling him that — has told us that they may come someday to try to take us, and we must all be ready to fight. Everyone does what he says. His word is law. He has told everyone he is the prophet of God, just like Muhammad for the Muslims.”
“And people actually believe that?”
“I did. I didn’t think my father would give me to anyone but the prophet of God.”
“Did you ever try to get away before?”
“To what? That life is all I know. He was good to me.”
“Yeah, I saw how good.”
“Before that. The last few years have been hard on him.”
“I’m all broken up about that.”
“You never knew him the way I did.”
“Then why are you running out on him?”
“I don’t know exactly. I just knew I couldn’t let you die.
” Steve reached out and took her hand. “Bethany, thank you.
” She nodded slowly.
“I need to ask you some questions,” Steve said.
“You need to rest.”
“Questions first. Do you know about me?”
“I know that you are Johnny’s brother.”
“How much do you know about Johnny?”
“Much.”
“Do you know a woman named Sienna?”
Bethany nodded. “Johnny’s woman.”
“That’s what I want to hear about.” Steve shifted on the bedroll. Wood creaked underneath him. Or maybe it was his own bones. “Tell me everything you know about her.”
“I know that she helped on Johnny’s parole petition when he was in prison. Over a year ago. She is a law student and was volunteering.”
“She met Johnny while he was in prison?”
“Yes. Johnny brought her to Beth-El.”
Steve shook his head. “She’s the best liar I’ve ever seen. She’ll be a great trial lawyer. I just don’t see how . . .”
“You know Johnny.”
“I thought I did.”
“He has power like his father.”
“Power to use people?”
“He has used me. He has a way. He can get people to do things.”
Steve touched her arm. “I can’t even begin to imagine what you must have been through.”
“You’re right, Mr. Conroy. You can’t.”
“You can call me Steve if you like.”
“All right.”
“And now we need to figure out how we’re going to get out of here.”
“God will show us the way.”
“How can you believe in God after what they did to you?”
She blinked at him, almost as if she didn’t understand the question. “I have always believed in God, even before I believed in Eldon LaSalle. That will not change.”
“I guess I don’t quite get it,” Steve said.
“I saw an angel when I was a girl.”
Steve said nothing.
“You don’t believe me?” Bethany asked.
“Oh sure, I believe you think you did. I once thought I saw Santa’s sleigh.”
Bethany giggled. It was at once girlish and charming.
“Yeah,” Steve said. “My brother, he was Robert then, was telling me how Santa comes at Christmas and lands on your roof and comes down the chimney and all that. It was Christmas Eve and I got so excited I couldn’t get to sleep. Just before I dropped off I looked out my window over at my neighbor’s house, and there it was, Santa’s sleigh, the moonlight behind it. I can still see it.”
“What did you do?”
“I woke up my brother and tried to show him, but it was gone. Robert said Santa moves fast, and told me to go back to sleep.”
“But you didn’t really see it, did you?”
“I thought I did.”
“I know I did.”
“Sure.”
“I was four years old and I had to have a heart operation. The valve in my heart had a hole in it. I remember them putting me to sleep. The doctor and the nurses were there. I was scared. But then I saw two angels. They were all in white and their faces were bright. And they had noses.”
“Noses?”
“That’s something I remembered. I told my mommy about the noses. She believed me. She was the only one to believe me. She died a year later. But I saw them.”
“You were a little girl under anesthesia.”
“I saw them!”
“All right. Who am I to say any different? I saw an angel too.”
“You did?” She sounded four years old again.
“It was you,” Steve said.