Chapter 5: But Now Am Found

And I'm telling you son,
Well, it ain't no fun
Staring straight down a forty-four.
- Gimme Three Steps, Lynyrd Skynyrd

After their ‘session’, Jimbo waited while Grace retrieved her cigarettes and shocked the hell out of her by offering her a light.

He’d been getting friendlier by the day and while she suspected that he was starting to see her as a woman now, what he said nearly made her faint.

“Listen, Grace. We need to talk.”

Grace nodded, quite beyond words already. What he said next took things further into unreality.
“I… I want to apologize to you. I’m sorry. Sorry for calling you names, sorry for hitting you, and sorry for... well, for raping you.”

What the hell do I say to that? ‘Oh, forget the rape, dear. No biggie!’

Grace stood holding her cigarette and looking down at Jimbo, who had sunk to the floor. “Well, Jimbo, umm, I appreciate you saying that.”

Jimbo started crying!

“Reverend Hayes and Phelps and all the rest… they’ve taught me that you are a freak. Everyone’s told me you’re sick and perverted and filthy. But, you’re not. You’re just a… woman. A woman that’s kinda weird, what with the cock and balls and ..”

Grace held up her hand. “You were doing fine, let’s go with that and not get into my weirdness, ok? I have a birth defect.”

Jimbo looked mortified and nodded.

She thought and smoked for a few while Jimbo sat there. Finally she said “Jimbo, I don’t know if I can forgive you right now. But, I will tell you this. I WILL bring this place down, one way or another. I hope you don’t get caught up in whatever happens.”

Jimbo nodded sadly. “I don’t demand it of you, Grace. I just wanted to apologize, and hope you can forgive me one day. My life has been a train wreck since…”

He fell silent.

“Since the fire?” Grace said softly.

“You heard about it, huh? Yeah, lost my wife and my little boy at the same time. Started drinking after that, drifting around doing odd jobs. Ended up here. I thought the Reverend was the answer but lately I been doubting that he is.”

Grace prompted him with “Why?”

“Well, it’s a lot of little things. The beatings. The people who just up and vanish. Oh, I asked ‘bout it and all I get from the Reverend on that was to hush up and not worry about it. He said if I ‘toe the line’ and ‘stay right with God’ I will be more involved in this place and will participate as a ‘Cleansing Scourge of God’ — whatever that means.”

Grace frowned, as this sounded like some kind of bizarre conspiracy that Jimbo was hovering on the edge of.
Jimbo went on. “See, I am supposed to hate you, Grace. Hate anyone who is like you or is a fag, or lezbo or whatever. And I’ve been taught it and soaked it up like a sponge. But it takes a lot out of me to hate all the time. And I keep thinking of Joanie, she never hated anybody. She would be plumb disgusted to see me now!”

Grace nodded, figuring Joanie was his deceased wife. She left and went back to her barracks and off to sleep.

~o~O~o~

Grace was coming back from the garden when she heard sobbing. She looked around but couldn’t find the source at first. Finally, she figured out where it was coming from: The Box.

She’d heard of it but never really looked closely or came near it. She had been told that the Box was where inmates were sometimes put in solitary confinement. She looked at it closely, disgust on her face. It was an aluminum cage, a four foot square cube with a padlocked door on one end and a few air-holes drilled randomly on all sides.

She glanced around to make sure the guards were not looking and then darted around to the back and crouched down. She tapped in the metal wall and someone inside whispered “Who’s there?”

“It’s Grace Carson. Who are you? Why did they put you in here?”

The voice replied, “Carla Finch — though they call me ‘Carl’. And I am in here for arguing with the Reverend in class, Grace.”

“Can I help you somehow, Carla? Do you know who has the key?”

Carla laughed. “No, no, Grace. I get out tomorrow. One of the guards has the key, and I don’t want you getting into any trouble on my account. You’re really becoming a legend around here, Grace. We all look up to you. Don’t mess up and end up in here like me, honey.”

~o~O~o~

The next few days passed uneventfully, with Grace dedicated to mostly surviving, keeping herself off the radar of Mrs. Watson, and collecting information. She really didn’t know what information she should be looking for, but she tried to make sure and see every square inch of the camp. She learned where the guards like to hang out at night. She noted every single camera in the camp and took pains to figure out the field of vision for each one.

She hoped that, one day, all of this data would be useful to her.

~o~O~o~

She’d just left the garage, after an almost tender session with Jimbo. I think he is getting a crush on me! She shuddered at that, but had to admit that with Jimbo, Pete, and Emily’s help this place was not getting to her as badly as it was before.

She was about to head back to her barracks when she saw a flash of light in the woods. She stopped and watched and saw it again, in two places. It looked like bobbing flashlights.

Throwing caution to the wind, she quietly followed the lights. It turned out to be a very long hike through a meandering path in the woods. After a long walk the lights ahead stopped and she heard muffled conversation. She’d never been this far from the camp proper before.

She came upon a forest clearing and noticed there were five people huddle around someone on the ground, spread out. She couldn’t identify the person, as their head was covered by a black bag. Two guards were on either side, each with a foot pressing down on the person’s left and right arms. Both guards had what looked like AK47 rifles. She spotted Hayes and Mrs. Watson and then noted Ray down at the foot of the unknown person. The last one she spotted should have been a surprise but wasn’t: the Sheriff.

She gasped and held her hand over her mouth in total horror as she saw what the person was laying on. It was a cross! Are they crucifying somebody! Oh no, surely that can’t be what is going on!

Hayes was ranting so she made a snap decision. She crept away, and then ran as fast as she could back to the Garage. She entered, saw no sign of Jimbo or anyone else, and retrieved the video camera. She checked the battery then hurried back as fast as she could quietly move.

I’ll get a recording of this. I can’t do anything about it, with them armed… but if I can get a video out I will bring this place down!

She slowly worked her way back in and found a good vantage point. Luckily someone had brought one of those electric lanterns with movable shades on each side, and had only opened the shade on the side facing the group. The glade would hide her — she hoped. And the light might be enough to record a decent video.

Hayes had stopped ranting and was holding a hammer in one hand and a metal spike in the other. He roared, “In the name of Jesus!” and set the spike at the wrist of his victim and began driving it in. Grace recorded it and zoomed in as much as possible, making sure to get Hayes, Watson, the Sheriff, and the faces of the guards as well in her recording.

His victim made muffled screams and his or her body jerked and thrashed while the guards held on tight. Under the hood, he or she must be gagged, she thought.

He drove the spike in the person’s other arm then handed the hammer to the Sheriff, who drove one into their feet. Grace fought nausea watching through the viewfinder of the camera. She zoomed in on the delighted grin of Mrs. Watson.

Hayes started spouting some more bible verses so she panned the camera around and saw that there were four other crosses in the clearing, all upright. One held a decomposing body. She recorded that then moved back to Hayes.

Hayes, Robinson, and the two guards drug the cross over to a certain spot and tilted it into the hole there. The victim was wearing the same clothes that Grace had on so she knew it was either a gay man or a transgendered woman like herself. She could hear the muffled screams of agony but couldn’t tell anything more.

Hayes and his flock stood there watching, and Hayes started preaching about damnation for all fags, eternity in Hell, and the usual things he spouted. Grace didn’t pay much attention; she just silently recorded it all.
The two guards who had helped secure the prisoner pulled out sleeping bags and looked to be getting ready to sleep here at the clearing, while Hayes and the rest were getting ready to go.

Grace had been planning to wait them out, then go over and try to help but with the guards and their automatic weapons remaining behind, this was going to be impossible.

Grace stopped recording, and made her way back to camp as fast as she could. On reaching the garage she hid the small video cassette in her hiding place where she kept her cigarettes. She then put the camera away inside the toolbox where she had been keeping it. She knew Mrs. Watson was a slow walker, so she lit a cigarette and tried to calm herself down.

Her hands were shaking but she was also thinking about getting that tape out to the world. Perhaps Emily could help? And, was there some way to get word out before that poor person died out there? She knew the office phones were not in service at night. She’d tried them.

What can I do? I can’t take on two people armed with automatic rifles! Jimbo and Pete, maybe? I don’t know if they’d help or not?

She walked back to the barracks, alternating between feeling horror and anger — and mind working furiously on some way to save that person on the cross.

~o~O~o~

“Mrs. Watson?” she asked, timidly.

“What do you want, Carson?” the woman snapped at her.

“I just wanted to ask where Maddy Seaver is? Her bunk was not slept in and she’s not anywhere around that I can find? Is she in solitary?”

Mrs. Watson replied “Marcus Seaver was paroled. He’s gone. And it’s none of your business anyway, Carson. Get to breakfast before you earn another demerit.”

“Another demerit?” Grace said.

The woman smiled hatefully as she wrote in her book. "You earned one by putting your nose where it don’t belong. Now, get out of here!”

Grace walked out of the building, numb. She knew who that unknown person being crucified was, now. She knew where people vanished to. She knew exactly what a ‘Scourge of God’ did. Tears rolled down her face as she stumbled along towards the Mess Hall. She ran into Pete, while even more furiously trying to think of a way to rescue Maddy.

“Grace, umm, Carson. What’s wrong? Why are you crying? What is it?”

Grace shook her head and continued crying as they entered. She was spotted by Emily and the woman rushed out and escorted Grace back into the rear of the kitchen.

“Grace, honey, what is wrong?”

Grace began sobbing. “They… they c-crucified her! Those sons of bitches are m-murdering my best friend!”

Emily was lost for what to say or do. “Grace, what do you mean? Are you talking about Maddy?”

“Y-yes. I saw them do it. I saw the whole thing. Those murdering b-bastards!”

“Oh honey!” Emily grabbed Grace into her arms as Grace bawled her eyes out.

After Grace had cried herself out, Emily said “Honey we have to get you out of here, somehow. This has to be ended. Maybe I could drive to the nearest State Police and bring them back here?”

Grace stopped crying. “No, Emily, we have to rescue Maddy before it is too late.”

Emily nodded. “How can I help?”

Grace told her. Emily nodded and they both headed out.

Grace and Emily marched into Jimbo’s quarters, surprising him. Jimbo was holding a picture of a beautiful woman with a grinning boy in her arms. She was herself surprised to see a half-empty bottled of vodka sitting beside him and an empty glass. He was not drunk but was not far from it.

“Jimbo! You have a key to most everything here, don’t you?”

“Well, yeah, I’m in charge of Maintenance and-“

“Give me the key to the basement of the Mess Hall, please.”

“Uh, Grace, you could get in a lot of trouble going down there, cause I think that is where they keep -“

“I am pretty sure they keep weapons there. Please. Give me the key, now.”

Jimbo looked troubled. “Grace... murder is a sin. I mean, it’s just wrong. I know they are hurting you and I’ve hurt you but I can’t let you go on some shooting rampage, ya know?”

Grace took a deep breath. “Jimbo, I do not plan to murder anyone. But... you have to understand something. I know where the people who vanish go, now.”

Jimbo looked surprised. “Where?”

“These sick fucks are crucifying them in the woods!” Grace nearly screamed it out.

“W-what? Surely you must be mistaken, Reverend Hayes would never-“

“I SAW IT HAPPEN!”

“Who… who was there, doing it?”

“My favorite people from here in camp, of course! Hayes. Mrs. Watson. Some of the guards. Oh, and yeah, your fine Sheriff as well!”

“The Reverend was there?”

“That sick son of a bitch was driving the nails into Maddy’s wrists!”

Jimbo sat in horror as his world unraveled.

Finally, he reached into his jean pocket and pulled out a keyring. He held it out to Grace. “Here. I’ll come along. This ain’t right.”

Grace took the key and squeezed Jimbo’s shoulder with her free hand. “I promise you, I won’t murder anyone, Jimbo. I will defend myself. But, this shit ends right now, one way or another. And we are going to save my best friend.”

~o~O~o~

Grace had noticed, in the two months she’d been here, that the lower level of the kitchen-slash-mess hall was inaccessible during her prowling. There was a door in the kitchen that presumably led downstairs but it had a deadbolt and she’d never seen it opened even once. A trash can was kept in front of it and she doubted that it was very much trafficked at all.

Outside the building, to the rear, was a door that led directly into the basement but it, too, was dead bolted. Grace had been in every building in the camp, with and without official approval — save for this one.

She slipped up to the outside door and tried the key. It worked! Grace opened the door carefully and went inside, followed by Jimbo, and Emily. She found a light switch and, not noting any windows, risked flipping it on.

What she found didn’t surprise her, after what she’d seen in the hands of the guards in the clearing. There were racks of rifles, shotguns, and pistols. Metal tins and cardboard boxes lined a shelving unit, labeled in various calibers of ammunition. Jimbo whistled in shock at how much was stockpiled.

Grace sat down to think for a moment. After spotting a hand truck, she knew just what to do. She pulled aside several boxes of 7.62 mm ammunition and then got Jimbo to help load all of the rest onto the hand truck. She also went down the racks, making sure that none of the weapons were loaded.

She shut off the light, peeked outside, then rolled her load of ammo to the woods. A quick search found a good hiding place and soon she and Emily had it buried under brush and leaves. The empty hand truck was returned to the weapons storage. She returned to the room to find Jimbo had picked out two AK-47s and a 9MM pistol. He handed the pistol to Emily and raised an eyebrow at Grace and offered an AK. “Do you know how to shoot this, Grace?”

Grace smiled grimly and nodded, and took the rifle.

Together, the three of them followed the trail back to the clearing. Jimbo told Emily to hang back as their backup, and she agreed and slid behind a tree.

Grace and Jimbo slowly crept up on the guards. Both seemed to be asleep. Jimbo signaled and moved on one guard while Grace snuck up to the other one. Within minutes both guards were tied up tightly and gagged.
Jimbo whistled for Emily and they all three rushed to the cross. After much straining they pulled it down and laid it flat and Grace untied the black cloth bag that was over the victim’s head.

It was indeed Maddy.

Grace wanted to break down crying but she forced herself to remain calm. Maddy’s face was bone white and she was not conscious. Her skin was icy to the touch, and when Grace found her pulse it was weak and rapid.
Jimbo pointed to Maddy’s feet and the blood staining the base of the cross. “She’s lost a lot of blood, Grace. I’m sorry but I don’t think-“

“NO! We are going to save her, Jimbo!”

Jimbo looked troubled but nodded in agreement. He worked on one side, Grace the other, removing the nails from Maddy’s wrists. Her lack of reaction to the operation told Grace that she was nearly gone. Emily ripped one of the guard’s shirts and bandaged both of Maddy’s wrists while Jimbo and Grace got the nail out of her feet. “Guttering nails,” Jimbo remarked.

Maddy began to hyperventilate and convulse. Grace and Emily held her tightly while Jimbo stood and shook his head sadly. He’d seen death before, and he knew it was here. Within a minute, she was gone.

~o~O~o~

Grace held her AK in shaky hands, barrel pressed against the forehead of a crying guard. He was still gagged, but begging for mercy, tears pouring from his eyes.

Emily spoke softly. “Grace, don’t do it, honey. It would be murder.”

Her hands kept shaking as Grace answered, “Emily I am doing all that I can not to pull this trigger, and then go back to camp and fill quite a few people with bullets. These murdering, twisted fucks killed Maddy!”

“You’re not like that, Grace, neither am I. We’d both shoot them in the act of something this vile, but in cold blood like this? No.” Emily laid a hand on Grace’s shoulder.

Grace pulled away from the guard and dropped to the ground sobbing. Emily held her and made soothing sounds and rocked her gently back and forth. Jimbo kept an eye on the guards and said nothing.

After a while, Grace rose and walked over to Jimbo. “Jimbo, would you do me a favor?”

“Sure, Grace. What do you want me to do?”

“March these two back to your garage, and tie them up there. I’ll let the police handle them, I suppose.” Grace didn’t look happy about it, but she knew this was the right thing to do.

“I’ll do it, Grace. I’m sorry about your friend. What are you going to do now?”

She glanced at Emily, then back at Jimbo. “I am bringing these sorry fucks to justice.”

~o~O~o~

Grace snuck back in to the barracks and headed straight for Jay’s cot. Looking around, she gently nudged him awake. He let out a soft cry — nobody in this hellhole slept soundly — and asked her what was wrong.

Whispering furiously, she pointed at the floor to her stolen firearms, told him what went on in the woods, and asked if he would join her in taking this place down. He smiled at her and nodded. “I was hoping this day would come, Grace. I’ll be glad to help in any way I can.”

“Thank you, Jay. Have you ever fired an AK-47?”

“No, but I’ve fired AR-15s, shotguns, and other types of rifle. I’ll do fine. What about you?”

Grace grinned. “In my previous gender I worked one summer at a rifle range. Don’t worry about me!”

She started to outline her plan when a flashlight snapped on in her face. She couldn’t see who it was until she heard a pleased voice say “Caught you, you miserable fag. Running around at night after curfew! Where did you steal the flashlight? You are getting twenty demerits this time! I can’t wait to see the whipping you are gonna get for this!” Mrs. Watson was ecstatic to finally bust Grace.

Grace didn’t look scared, or even particularly worried. She scooped up one of the rifles and stood, swinging the barrel around to point right between Mrs. Watson’s eyes.

The woman looked horror-struck. “Where... where did you get that gun?”

“It’s a rifle, not a gun, you retarded hateful bat. Now, let’s head to your office. One word or wrong move and I WILL shoot you. Count on that.”

Jay giggled and picked up his own AK, checked the change-lever, and looked at Grace.

“Set it all the way down, to semi-auto. I couldn’t bring a lot of ammo.”

He nodded and they marched Mrs. Watson into her office, Jay bringing up the rear and closing the door.
Mrs. Watson started to speak and received the butt of Grace’s AK upside her head. “I told you, no talking! You are a despicable excuse for a human being. By all rights you should be the one crucified, not Maddy.”

Mrs. Watson’s eyes got bigger.

“Oh, yes, I know. I was there, you piece of shit. I saw what you and that fat fuck Hayes did to my friend.”
The woman looked terrified. Grace looked around and her eyes settling on a roll of duct tape. “Perfect! Jay, let’s tape her to her chair, and be liberal with the tape. I don’t want her going anywhere tonight.”

Soon they had her completely immobilized. Jay looked at Grace. “Now what, Grace?”

Grace smiled grimly. “Now, we get the head of this serpent.”

Grace led Jay across the compound, flitting from building to building in the shadows. She really did not want to shoot anyone or start a fire-fight. They went on past the Admin building to a small gate with one guard. She pantomimed what she wanted and Jay nodded and headed toward the guard. He walked up slowly and asked the guard a question while Grace slipped behind.

Just as the guard started to answer, Grace’s AK crashed into his head and he went down like a sack of flour. She pulled the keys off his belt and after a few false tries they had the little gate open.

They walked up the path to the ‘parsonage’, as Hayes called it. It was a palatial mansion, in reality. It was set back nearly a half-mile from the camp. That played into Grace’s plans well. If things got chaotic and there was shooting she didn’t want the guards alarmed.

She motioned Jay to head to the back while she went to the front door. She tried the door but it was locked, so she rang the doorbell.

She kept ringing it until she heard motion in the house and moved to the side of the door, so she wouldn’t be seen. She wanted him to open the door and come out.

Hayes opened the door and looked out, a puzzled expression on his face. Unfortunately he had a pistol in his hand, but Grace didn’t see it until she’d already stepped into his sight. His eyes widened and he started to raise the pistol.

Without hesitation, Grace fired three rounds into his legs, shattering one of his kneecaps. He dropped the pistol and screamed, and she scooped it up and put it in her pocket. She then dragged the howling Hayes inside and shut the door.

Thirty minutes later found Grace relaxing in a recliner, smoking a cigarette and watching Hayes, who sat on the sofa, tied up in rope they’d found in his garage. She had hastily bandaged his legs to stop the bleeding.
Jay stood beside her, cradling the AK he’d brought. “Now what, Grace? I have to admit, you throw a hell of a party, girl!”

Grace giggled. “Oh, but there’s other guests coming to this party, Jay. I need you to go back to camp and bring them, if you wouldn’t mind?”

“Anything for you, doll! Who did you have in mind?”

Grace told him, and he nodded thoughtfully. “Okay, I’ll be back with them as quick as I can!”

“Be careful and watch out for the guards, Jay. I don’t want you hurt.”

She ground her finished cigarette out in the rich pile carpet with her foot while Hayes just glared at her.

“Bet that knees hurts, doesn’t it, Jonny-Boy?” She pulled out a fresh cigarette and lit up, actually enjoying the moment.

“You will PAY for this, you Satan-worshiping fag! I’ll see you BURN for this!”

He would have gone on but Grace slapped a strip of duct tape over his mouth. “Ya know, Jonny, this stuff is just too handy! Ah, so much better. They say that silence is golden, don’t they? And I have heard enough of your sick sermonizing to last me a lifetime!”

She sat back down and looked at him. “So, Jon-Boy, crucified anyone lately?” She said it lightly but her face was anything but light. His eyes grew wide.

“Ah, yes. You have, haven’t you? Yeah, I saw it all you know. Your fat ass is going to prison, Jonny. Probably for life. If there’s any justice at all in this world, you will have a huge well-hung cellmate named Tyrone who will introduce you to the joy of sodomy! You like to talk about it so much; it is high time you did some… research… on the subject.”

Grace was enjoying watching his eyes as she talked. He looked terrified, then angry, then terrified again.

~o~O~o~

She managed to smoke three more cigarettes before Jay reappeared with her guest list in tow. Emily took the scene in, then rushed over to Grace and hugged her tightly. “Oh, Grace, thank God you are alright! And look what you’ve done! You’re amazing!” Grace grinned at her friend and offered her a cigarette, which Emily eagerly took.

Pete looked dumbstruck. “Grace… you shot the Reverend? You tied him up? And Mrs. Watson? I don’t… I don’t understand?”

The aforementioned Mrs. Watson was shoved onto the sofa beside Hayes.

“Petey… they’ve been murdering people in the woods. Crucifying them, to be precise. They killed Maddy, and they should consider themselves lucky they are still breathing. I am ending the murdering, and this terrible death camp, now.”

Pete’s eyes became huge and his mouth formed an ‘O’ of horror. “They were KILLING people?! Oh My God!” He sat down in a chair, stunned.

Her fourth guest lumbered into the room, not drunk but not feeling too much pain either. Jimbo looked around and started laughing. “Grace. You’re a crazy bitch, ya know that? Can’t believe you got Hayes!”

Grace grinned and said “Oh, I am not done, yet. How are your two guests?”

Jimbo kept laughing and sat down on the arm of the sofa, away from Hayes and his glaring flunky. “Oh, they are a bit tied up. Well, more than a bit. They won’t be going anywhere for a long time. So, what now? You’ve got the Bad Guys, don’t you?”

Jay spoke up “Yeah, Grace, what now? Do we make our getaway?”

Grace shook her head. “Nope. We would just end up chased by the Sheriff and even the State Cops. He’d put out an APB on us as murderers or drug dealers or who knows what. No, my plan hasn’t come to fruition, yet.”

They all stared at her, waiting. She paused dramatically, lit a cigarette, and blew smoke into Mrs. Watson’s face. “Kids, we’re all going to church!”

Emily said “What, you mean right now?”

Grace giggled. “No, silly, we are going in the morning. Right now, I think we should enjoy the good Reverend’s hospitality. We can whip up a nice breakfast and have some fun before the sermon.”

Pete looked puzzled. “You’re going to let him preach?”

That set Grace giggling even more. “Oh, Petey you are a trip. No, tomorrow’s sermon will be delivered by Reverend Grace Carson.”

~o~O~o~

Grace and Emily went in the huge kitchen to work on a meal for them all. She had a thought and asked Emily “Did you get Sarah to cover for you?”

Emily nodded. “Yes, she usually fills in for me at least two Sundays a month, and this happens to be one of them. So, nobody should notice a thing wrong.”

Emily and Grace cooked a large meal and served it just before sunrise. Emily had wanted Grace to rest and let her cook alone but Grace insisted on helping. “It takes my mind off things. I need to stay busy.”

The food was delicious, and they all enjoyed the meal. Grace became melancholy a few times thinking about Maddy, but Emily stayed close and kept an eye on her. After eating, the women enjoyed cigarettes and blowing smoke into Watson and Hayes faces while chatting.

“Emily, when I am done here this camp is history. I hope that you can find a new job.”

“Don’t worry about that, Grace dear. Let’s just get through this and come out safe and I will be fine.”

After resting, Grace went prowling until she found the treasure she was after: Hayes cell phone. She’d seen him talking on it while roaring into camp in his SUV many times. And, wonder of wonders, it had service here at his home! She made herself comfortable at his desk and dialed ‘Long Distance Information’.

She ended up making many phone calls until she tracked down the people she was looking for. She smoked and talked for almost an hour, and when she was done, she hung up with a smile.

~o~O~o~

In the spacious garage was the 2004 Cadillac Escalade Platinum SUV that Hayes used for day-to-day running about. Next to it was a Porsche. Grace rolled her eyes.

“It seems the Lord takes good care of murdering douchebags, doesn’t He? Or, maybe, just maybe, someone has been living it up on the donations of people who ought to know better?”

Hayes was still groaning but he shot her a venomous look. “You… filthy… fag. You won’t get away with this. The Sheriff works… for me! He will take you down and send you to Hell where you belong!”

“Yeah, yeah. Heard all of your shit way too many times, Jon-Boy. I’m done with you, you know. So kindly shut the fuck up. On second thought, I don’t want to chance hearing any more of your hate, so…” She slapped a fresh strip of tape over his mouth. She'd tried to be nice and let him be free of the tape. Shows me what good impulses will do for me with this particular idiot!

They pushed Hayes and Mrs. Watson into the rear of the Escalade. Jimbo taped their wrists behind their backs as a final touch.

They all got in the car, and Jimbo drove. Grace and Emily smoked while Pete and Jay kept an eye on their ‘guests’ in the rear from the second row of seats.

Services started at 10:30 AM sharp, so Grace timed it so that they would arrive about five minutes late to the church. She had Jimbo pull up to the front of the church, first. She, Emily, and Jimbo got out. Jay and Pete remained in the car with their cargo.

~o~O~o~

“Ok, Emily, do your song and dance, honey. Just get him out here and we’ll do the rest.”

Emily nodded and headed into the church. After a few minutes she came back out, leading the Sheriff. At the sight of two rifles pointed at him he meekly surrendered his gun.

Grace addressed her group. “All right, Emily didn’t see anyone else armed, and you all are certain the Sheriff is usually the only armed person at church?”

Everyone agreed and Grace decided it was time for the sermon. They all piled in the Escalade, save for Jimbo and Emily, who remained at the entrance. Grace drove around to the back entrance and parked in the Reverend’s parking space. She and Jay entered by the back door, rifles in hand.

Grace had taken the opportunity to put on makeup and lipstick at the Parsonage before they headed out. She’d fluffed her hair out somewhat, though it was still much too short to suit her. She figured she looked the best she could, considering the circumstances.

Emily shocked her by pulling out a dress, one of several she found in a guest room. It fit decently, so Grace decided to wear it. After all, she was going to church, shouldn’t she dress up?

~o~O~o~

She walked through a short hallway and came to the door that opened to the side of the pulpit area. After a glance at Jay, who had Hayes in hand, she grabbed Mrs. Watson and propelled her forward. “Put all the slime in the same bucket” she had said.

There were gasps and people began to stand up as the little procession walked out the door and into sight. Grace lifted her AK and fired a few rounds into the ceiling and yelled “Quiet! And SIT DOWN!”

The congregation all dropped back into their seats.

Jay dumped Hayes beside the podium and Grace shoved Mrs. Watson towards the crowd. The inmates on the front four rows were in total shock. Grace eyed them all and winked at them, trying to reassure them.

She stepped up to the podium and flipped the microphone amplifier to “ON.”

Her first words were direct and to the point. “I have a few things to say. I’d appreciate not being interrupted, and no, you can’t leave. You’re a captive audience, indeed!”

She addressed her fellow inmates first. “As of today you are all free men and women. You don’t have to put up with this garbage any longer.” She looked back out to the rest and delivered her sermon.