Page 16 of The Girl and the Lies

Ander says nothing but nods and steps out of the office, closing the door behind himself. Tracy gestures at a seating arrangement to one side of the office, and I go to it.

“Can I get you something to drink?” she asks.

“No, I’m all right, thank you,” I say.

She pours herself a cup of tea from a set sitting on a table near the window and brings it over to sit in a high-backed leather chair diagonal from the settee I chose.

“What can I do for you?” she asks. “Estelle said you are an FBI agent? I assume this has to do with Gideon Bell’s death.” She is straightforward and to the point, not wanting to dance around the topic at hand. I appreciate that.

“Yes,” I tell her. “I am heading up the investigation into his death and the attack on his roommate, as well as the threats that have been received by employees of your company. I’d like to talk to you about the situation.”

“I’m happy to speak with you, but I’m afraid I don’t have the time right now. I’ve called a company-wide meeting that will be starting in just a few minutes. I’ll actually be addressing this situation there. If you’d like to come to the meeting, you’d be more than welcome. Then we can speak more if you’d like,” she says.

“That would be fine,” I tell her.

She sips her tea and gives an emphatic nod, like we’ve just come to a firm business agreement. With another few sips of the tea down, she stands up, checks the diamond-encrusted watch on her wrist, and returns to the small table to set the teacup down where she got it.

“The meeting is being held in the conference room upstairs,” she says.

Without any further invitation or instruction, she heads for the door. I follow behind her and notice Ander step into place beside her as we pass by him without acknowledgment. He looks back toward me, a motion that isn’t lost on Tracy.

“Agent Griffin will be accompanying us to the meeting, Ander,” she says. “Then we’ll be back in the office.”

He nods again, still not speaking. I wonder if that is a personality trait or a requirement of the position, feeling both are equally possible. We step into an elevator that brings us up to the second floor of the building, and Tracy leads us to a large conference room already filled with people. I stop in the back of the room, and she continues on to stand behind a lectern on a small podium that lifts her up above the rest of those sitting in folding chairs beside a table laid out with refreshments.

“Good morning, everyone,” she says with a heavily rehearsed smile and slow swing of her head so she can make eye contact with as many people in the room as possible. “Thank you for joining me here. I hope you’re enjoying breakfast. Unfortunately, as many of you already know, the reason for this meeting is not a pleasant one. You’ll see we’ve been joined by a guest this morning.” She gestures toward me standing behind everyone at the back of the room. “That is Agent Griffin from the FBI. She’s here under very serious circumstances.” Her expression goes dark, and her hands tighten around the sides of the podium.

“Last night, one of our own, a member of my security team, Gideon Bell, was murdered. His roommate, a former employee of the company, was also attacked but mercifully survived.”

Gasps and whispers ripple through the audience, and Tracy nods along with them. She lets them continue for a few seconds before holding up her hands to get their attention again.

“This death is a shock and a tragedy for all of us. You may know that it follows several weeks of threats that have been received by several people within the company. These threats have been received by members of my security staff as well as others throughout the company and have been very pointed in their declaration that the recipient should turn their back on me and the ministry. We have lost two employees due to these threats, and there have been suggestions that I cancel my upcoming appearances because of them.

“I stand before you this morning to tell you that I have no intention of making any changes to my schedule or letting this situation control me or my work. I will not bow down to the whims of a mere human when those whims are to end my battle against the evils and darkness that have taken over our society and are trying to bring us down. Every day we face more reminders of the degradation of what our world should be, all the ways that society is falling victim to the evils of Satan and all of his temptations. They try to force us to consume their poison and be like them, but I refuse.”

Her voice is getting louder, and I recognize her starting to slip into the persona I saw on the video recording of her talking about Terrence Brooks.

“I will not be seen as weak and malleable. We are in a battle here. A war with darkness and sin. A war for salvation and deliverance. We can’t allow ourselves to be taken down from the rock on which we’ve placed our feet. This is not the time to sink back and be broken. Now is the time to show complete and unshakable faith. I stand before you now saying, ‘Listen to the words we have been taught.’ Do not be afraid. If I am to show fear or hesitation in the face of this, if I am to change my schedule, let down the people who want to hear me speak, bend to the will of this mere human, then I am questioning my faith. I am failing in what I teach, and those who look to me will think that I do not practice and believe what I tell them. I can’t have that happen. This is a test, and I intend to pass it.”

A hand goes up and a woman speaks.

“But doesn’t this show that the threats are real? Gideon got a few of them, and now he’s been murdered. Are we supposed to just pretend that his death doesn’t mean anything?” she asks.

A few people mutter responses and support, and I can see anger building on Tracy’s face. She doesn’t like being questioned.

“I would never ask that the loss of a human life be ignored. Gideon’s life, like all lives, was precious and cherished, and it being ripped away does absolutely matter. But I will not run and hide because of it. I will not show weakness. Not as a Follower. Not as a woman. I will be seen with the strength I speak about, the power that comes to me through my faith and dedication. I am calling on all of you to share that strength. We must create a unified front. Be defiant in the face of these threats and push even harder to spread our message. Again, this is a test. Those who choose to live what has been shared with so many will be rewarded, and we will all have the chance to touch more people. Isn’t that what we want?

“I never said and will never say that being righteous and spreading the truth to the world would be easy and comfortable. In fact, I guarantee it won’t be. The darkness fights hard to stop it. The world is in the clutches of self-indulgence, wrath, and the loss of our true meaning and being. Pushing against that and fighting for what is real and right and true is the hardest battle that will ever be fought, but it is a worthy one. You must be willing to put on the armor of faith, take up your sword, and go into battle, or all is lost. I tell you now, I will not stand by and let this stop me. I will not give in. I will not give pleasure and satisfaction to the one who destroys the light. I will press on, and I tell you, those who will stay with me will do the same. Now I ask that we all take a moment to honor Gideon with a moment of silence.”

She bows her head, and I look around the room at the members of her company gathered in front of her. I can see on their faces that many, if not most, of them do not share the same zeal she’s showing. They aren’t filled with the fiery enthusiasm this has sparked in her. I see fear in their eyes and hesitation in their expressions. I see some lean toward each other, whispering. Suddenly, the same woman who spoke earlier stands up.

“I’m sorry,” she says. “I don’t want to disrespect Gideon, but I can’t do this. I got one of the threats on my car, and I’ve been terrified ever since. This just makes it worse. I can’t let my family be at risk. I need to leave.”

Tracy stands in chilly silence for a few seconds, staring at the woman. It brings the eyes of everyone else in the room toward her, and the woman starts to turn pink, but she doesn’t back down.

“Well, Dawn,” Tracy says in a slower, calmer voice, “if that’s how you feel, I can’t argue with you. I can’t force anyone to do something they don’t believe in. If you are truly ready to walk away, then I can’t stand in your path. If anyone else is ready to make this declaration, please, go with her now.”

Two others stand up, and they all move to the door. One makes eye contact with me as she leaves the room. I dip out of the room as Tracy launches back into her speech, lamenting the loss of faith and the fear that has shaken their foundation.

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