Page 36 of Rush

“And, of course, those goods would be their own,” said Sniff.

“That’s right. They’re part of a small society that believes that only the purest should provide food, clothing, shelter, anything really to the masses. These men are all part of an odd religion that combines Muslim beliefs with Judaism, Christianity, Taoism, Fascism, all of it. It’s like they took the worst parts of all religions and made it their own. They call it Elitism, of which they are the heads.

“I went to Grigoryan on the premise of interviewing him about Elitism, but he refused to speak of it, saying I wasn’t worthy of learning about the religion. He spoke of everything except that. He talked about how they will build thousands of manufacturing sites in different parts of the world, employing millions of people.”

“Yes, but they’ll be putting millions out of work by closing other plants,” said Rush.

“I said the same thing, but he said as long as those workers converted to Elitism, they would be welcomed into their organization. The trick is you must pledge fifty percent of your salary back to the religion.”

“And he honestly believes that these young boys, young men, will help him to conquer the world?” asked Rush.

“He sees it as sending in the innocent to convert the devil. I don’t think he believes in any religion. I think this is a bunch of bullshit to make him appear as some sort of savior. Those kids just see opportunities for money and food, that’s all.”

“So, how do we stop him?” asked Rush.

“You have to get his backers to back off,” said Ece. “So far, nothing seems to faze them, including boutiques and department stores saying they will no longer carry their brands. To them, it won’t matter if Grigoryan creates a society where we’re forced to wear certain labels.”

“This feels very stepford-wife-like,” frowned Sniff. They all looked at him. “You know, a community where men and women are forced to behave a certain way, dress a certain way, act a certain way.”

“I think that’s exactly what he’s trying to do. If he can make it happen, one country at a time, as his power grows, he’ll be unstoppable.”

“It would never happen,” said Moose. “I mean, think about it. In every age throughout history, someone has tried to dictate what we should wear, how we should speak, how we should live. They created classes to ensure that those who were in upper levels didn’t mix with those in lower levels. For shit’s sake, look at the damn Titanic. Lower class was pushed to the lower, smaller berths, and they all were the first to die. First class was on the upper decks and were able to get into the lifeboats.”

“Yes, but have we learned from any of that?’ asked Ece. “I see stories like this all the time. Crazy religious leaders starting sects that force people to do unbelievable things. And people follow them! I started this to avenge my brother, my whole family. Now, I’m just trying to stop him, period.”

“Ece,” said Rush, walking toward the young woman, “with your injury, you can’t be out there with us, and it’s not safe for you to be here alone. He knows who you are and what you’ve seen. You’re a threat to him. I think you should allow us to get you somewhere safe.”

“And where is that?” she asked, tears filling her eyes. “I’ve only felt safe since being around all of you. My apartment in London was trashed recently. My family is gone. I have nothing else. Even GNN doesn’t want me to continue with this, but I feel as though I have to. Not just for my family but all those other families. I have nothing. Nothing.” Moose rolled his eyes, shaking his head. He was going to regret this.

“Yes, you do.”

CHAPTER TWENTY

“I’m not sure who she is,” said Caroline. “All I know is that Moose is supposed to bring her back here to keep her safe. Aunt Claudette is getting a cottage ready for her now. She has a broken leg, so she can’t get around very well.”

“Interesting,” smiled Maggie. “And Moose is coming back with her?”

“Yes,” said Caroline. “Why is that interesting?”

“Oh, I was just thinking, out of all those men, they chose one of the younger, most recently retired ones to bring her back here. Why not send one of the older men home?” asked Maggie.

“That is interesting,” smiled Mattie.

“Agreed,” nodded Skylar. “I wonder if maybe we shouldn’t help to prepare the cottage for two?”

“Don’t you think that’s assuming a lot?” asked Caroline.

“Nope,” laughed Maggie, “I think that’s smart planning.”

“Are you sure this is going to be okay?” asked Ece. “I mean, a strange woman gets dumped into their laps. What will your teammates and their wives think?”

“It’s not a big deal, Ece,” said Moose, setting the soda and cheese platter on the table between them. “We are a safe haven for a lot of people. But we have some rules.”

“Rules?”

“Yes. No photos, no reporting, no contacting anyone to let them know where we are, who we are, or where you are.”

“Who you are? I don’t know who you are!” she yelled.

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