Chapter 6: Was Blind, But Now I See

“Now there is a final reason I think that Jesus says, "Love your enemies." It is this: that love has within it a redemptive power. And there is a power there that eventually transforms individuals. Just keep being friendly to that person. Just keep loving them, and they can’t stand it too long. Oh, they react in many ways in the beginning. They react with guilt feelings, and sometimes they’ll hate you a little more at that transition period, but just keep loving them. And by the power of your love they will break down under the load. That’s love, you see. It is redemptive, and this is why Jesus says love. There’s something about love that builds up and is creative. There is something about hate that tears down and is destructive. So love your enemies.” — Martin Luther King, Jr.

“You know, it occurred to me to burn this hate-filled house of horror down with all of you in it. You deserve no less. Burn the camp down, too. Shoot the guards, shoot that hate-filled broken bitch there, and blow Hayes away. But, that is the kind of thing that you people do. I am not like you. I don’t want to be like you. I come from a different place, you see. I believe in love, honor, and doing unto others as you’d like them to do unto you.”

She heard several whispered comments and caught the word “fag” several times. Grace frowned, raised the AK up to the ceiling and fired a three-round burst. Things got very quiet again after the shrieks from the women. Mrs. Watson was glaring at her with a face full of pure hatred.

“Kindly shut the fuck up while I am talking or I will be quite happy to shoot some of you losers. I’m quite good with guns; I worked at a shooting range once, you know.”

Grace smiled and nodded as the room went dead silent. “That’s better. Now, where was I? Oh, yes, your despicable hate-filled existence. You hate gays, lesbians, and transgendered people. You don’t even know why! You fear us, loathe us, wish us dead, even murder us! All because we are different from you.”

She paused and lit a cigarette, smirking at the audible sniffs and glares from her audience, and then continued. “My best friend in the world was dragged in here and turned into a slave by you people. When she wouldn’t conform, what did you do? You murdered her. You didn’t just shoot her, oh no, you fucking crucified her!“

She bit back a sob and took a deep breath, then glared at the entire congregation and had to mentally calm herself before continuing. They had no idea how close to just blowing every one of them away she really was.

“Most of you people knew what was going on, I am sure!” She pointed at Mrs. Owen. “And some of you deserve to be riding a cross a lot more than Maddy did. Like Mrs. Owen here. You are filled with hatred and not an ounce of compassion. You deserve death far more than my friend did!” Mrs. Owen glared at Grace but didn't respond.

“You are all worthless scum! You knew what was going on in that Camp-From-Hell, and yet you turned a blind eye to it. You are no better than the Germans who lived near the concentration camps and ignored the horrible things going on. No better!” She slapped the podium hard, making the people jump.

“I’ve heard of the ‘banality of evil’, where your average person will embrace doing despicable things to other human beings just because some figure in authority told them to do it. The Nazis who slaughtered eleven million people said that they were merely following orders. You are no different! You let this fat hypocritical fuck that calls himself a ‘reverend’ order your life as he pleased and murder people just for being different!” She kicked Hayes in the crotch and smirked at his wheeze and moaning.

“You all came together under this pig for one reason: hate! Have any of you ever actually READ A BIBLE?! Jesus was all about love and caring for other people and doing unto others. This slime-ball laying here perverted the word of Jesus! And you all followed him! If the Bible is true, don’t you think that Hayes and those of you who followed him are in for it with the Big Guy?”

“Let me share something with you pathetic cretins. Gay, lesbian, and transgendered people are just that: people. None of us asked to be as we are. We just are. But Hayes cherry-picks a few phrases from the Bible and suddenly we deserve death?! I can’t heap enough condemnation upon this pile of shit here. But you people! You should have known better. What is the matter with you all?”

“I wish I could just mow your pathetic bodies down as you deserve; but as I said before, I am not like you. I cherish human life, dignity, and love, and I cannot lower myself down to your level.”

Her eyes bored a hole into each and every one of them. “Ignorance can be fixed, you know. But stupidity is terminal! And you are some of the stupidest people I’ve ever had the misfortune to interact with!”

“So, I am going to do the worst thing that I can do to you worthless hate-filled idiots. I am going to leave you to live your shitty lives. Live with the knowledge of all the murders you were a part of. The lives you helped ruin through your hate and your bigotry. Keep wallowing in your self-righteous bullshit. Waste your lives on hate and idiocy all that you wish. Karma is a bitch, and I hope that each and every one of you finds that out. The rest of our country will move on without you.”

She looked around at the people in the room and didn’t see much in the way of contrition or even sadness over what they’d condoned and been part of. They mostly stared at her with either fear or hatred. She wasn’t particularly surprised to not find any remorse in this bunch. Hayes chose his flock well.

Grace started to step away from the podium but leaned back to the microphone one last time. “Oh, I’d advise all of you very strongly to not show your face outside the door of this place until we are long gone. If any of us sees your ass outside, we will shoot to kill. Fuck you all, and goodbye.”

She flicked her cigarette butt at Hayes and marched down the aisle with Jay right behind her. The Sheriff started to rise when she reached his pew but her rifle swung towards him and he sat back down. He said “You know you won’t get away for long. You’ll be tracked down and go to prison or end up shot. You’re armed and dangerous. You already shot the Reverend.”

Grace didn’t trust herself to respond, fearing she’d become violent. And while holding this rifle that would be a bad thing so she just walked on.

They reached the doors and went out, and she pointed Jay at the old F-150. He nodded, and as they had discussed, he started it and ran it up the steps tight against the doors, barricading the congregation inside.

Luckily for Grace, Hayes had decided that windows would let ‘worldly distractions’ into his church and mess with his captive audience. So, there were no windows. Just the front double-doors and the back door she’d entered by. That door was barricaded shut now, as well.

“That should hold them for a while!”

Emily, Jimbo, and Pete walked away from the church entrance and over to Grace and Jay. Emily smiled. “We heard every word, dear. That was inspiring!”

Jimbo grinned and nodded. “I hope I was just ignorant and not stupid, Grace. I can’t make up for my hate and for…”

Grace shook her head. “Jimbo, the worst you did to me pales beside their overall hatred and bigotry. You changed once you got to know me. You tried to make up for it. That counts a lot, with me.”

Pete asked “What now, Grace?”

“Now, we wait a little while.”

Hours passed, and Grace amused herself by plunking a shot into the roof of the church anytime she heard sounds of someone trying to open the doors. Things always got quiet after that.

Eventually a helicopter appeared and circled down in a field near the church and landed. It was a State Police helicopter. Three men hopped out and walked over to Grace and her motley crew.

“Grace Carson?” the man in aviator sunglasses, suit and tie, and a badge in hand said. Grace nodded. “I’m Special Agent Roy Jackson.” He gestured to the black man at his right. “This is Agent Cal Stevens, ATF.” He gestured left. “This is John Calhoun, Deputy Attorney General.”

They all shook hands with Grace. “So, where are our problem children that you told us about, Grace?”

She smiled and gestured at the church. “They’re in there, just waiting for you guys!”

Grace introduced her group and then said “Emily, give Agent Jackson the tape, please.” Emily pulled out the videotape that Emily had been holding for her.

“That’s the tape I told you of on the phone. I recorded their leaders crucifying my best friend. There’s a clearing deep in the woods where you will find the crosses, a few corpses, and unless I am much mistaken several dozen graves.”

“We’ll make sure justice is served here, Grace. Would all of you be willing to testify in court as to the events here?”

“Damned right we will,” Jimbo answered. Pete nodded, Jay said “Try and stop me.”

Emily said “I have a duty to testify. You just tell me when and where.”

Grace grinned. “I don’t think you will have any problems getting us to talk about this mess, Agent.”

“I am so glad to see you guys!” Grace said. “I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to get anyone to come. The local Sheriff was up to his ears in it, as was his deputies.”

“That’s one of our functions, Grace,” Stevens spoke up. “When the local LEOs are knee-deep in the conspiracy and are in there committing crimes hand-in-hand with the bad guys; the Feds are here to come in and clean house.”

Jackson added “Grace, camps like this have sprung up all over the Midwest and South. In most cases, they stay on the edge of the law and we can’t do anything about it. I am sorry for the loss of your friend. But let me assure you that this particular camp and the crazies who were running it are toast.”

Police and ATF cars and vans began pulling in and discharging officers armed and in full gear. The agents left Grace and her friends and began directing their new arrivals to the church. One agent moved the pickup truck and agents moved in, pistols drawn. Soon, Hayes was led out by two agents. Mrs. Watson and the Sheriff followed.

Grace was pleased to see handcuffs on the unholy trio.

The agents in charge had vanished into an FBI van but soon Agent Stevens came back to Grace. “We watched the tape you provided, Grace. These are some sick people. We’ll get a forensics team into those woods and recover the bodies. I’ll need everyone’s contact information. We will set up a debriefing in a few days with each of you at your convenience.”

Grace nodded and the agent headed back to his team.

“Emily, I am exhausted. I guess I could go to the motel if you’d give me a ride?”

Emily snorted. “You’re coming to my house, Grace Carson. Where you will be pampered and fussed over within an inch of your life!”

Grace looked at Jimbo and Pete and Jay. “What about you guys?”

Jimbo answered, “They can hang out with me at my uncle’s house if they want. He has spare bedrooms.”

The two men looked happy with that arrangement, so Grace smiled and thanked Jimbo.

“I’ll see you all later I am sure. Thank you for helping put an end to this madness.”

Epilogue

It is not tolerable, it is not possible, that from so much death, so much sacrifice and ruin, so much heroism, a greater and better humanity shall not emerge. - Charles de Gaulle

The day was gorgeous with blue skies and bright sunshine. Flowers decorated many of the plots. It truly was a beautiful cemetery.

Grace walked up to the headstone and stood looking at it. It was simple and brought her to tears as she read it.

In her hand was a canvas shopping bag. She pulled a quilt out and spread it by the headstone. She then pulled out a bottle of Chardonnay and a wine glass. She grabbed the corkscrew from her purse and opened the wine, then poured herself a glass. Lastly, she lit one of her cigarettes, the 120mm version of Virginia Slims that Maddy always preferred. She sat down on the quilt, tailor-fashion.

“I won’t ever forget you. Every time I smoke one of these I’ll remember you — which will be often! And I will always keep a bottle of this stuff around in your memory as well.”

She took a sip and continued. “You always encouraged me to get my surgery, something you never managed to save up for but wanted to? Well, I am going to do it, Maddy. I hope that you will be proud of me!”

She took the bottle of wine and turned it upside down over Maddy’s grave. “You’d say I just wasted good wine, but I feel that somehow, somewhere, you know that I am sharing your favorite wine with you.”

She sat silently for a while, smoking and sipping the wine. Her thoughts touched on many happy times with Maddy.

“I’ve been busy since getting out of that hellhole. I was accepted at a job out in California, in Silicon Valley! With a good income, and they will help pay for my GRS. I just wish you could be here to share all this with me, honey.”

Grace grimaced and said softly, “You were always a leader, Maddy. I was always the one who stayed in the background and never ever called attention to myself. I had to become a leader, of sorts, to get through this. I had to step forward and make things happen. I’d like to think I followed your examples.”

“All of the inner circle from that horrible place are in jail, now. Hayes will never walk well again. I can’t say I am sorry for that. The Sheriff and Judge are doing time, as well. I hope you can rest in peace, knowing that the evil people who did this to you are in jail. I suppose you could call it justice.”

“I wanted to shoot them Maddy! I wanted to kill them so badly for what they did to you! But, I just couldn’t bring myself to murder. I know that you’d understand and agree with me. We aren’t like them, and we never wanted to become like them, either.”

“I could have killed them, yes. And yes I hate them with every fiber of my being. But, I couldn’t kill them for that hate.”

“I owe so much to you. I am the person I am today because of your love and support. I hope that you knew.”

She tipped the glass and drained the wine inside, then set the glass on Maddy’s headstone.

“I’m going to be leaving now, hon. I’ve got to finish packing and get started moving. I will miss you so much! Goodbye, and know that I loved you, my dearest friend!”

She stood, picked up the quilt and put it away. She decided to leave the wine bottle, standing beside the glass.

The End.

Afterword

I appreciate all comments made and any yet to be made, and of course the Kudos you’ve awarded this story. I hope this story was not too much of a “downer” for this site. I certainly know that it would be a poor fit at some of the other TG sites!

I wrote this story because I felt it needed to be written. Grace’s story is not at all fanciful, magical, or unbelievable. I love fantasy, but Grace’s story just popped out. It is the 21st Century, and we still have people around like Reverend Hayes, Mrs. Watson, et al. Sad, isn’t it?

But, that IS balanced with people like Emily, Pete, Maddy, and Grace herself. In the end, I do believe that love, honor, and respect will win out against hatred.

J.S.