Say Goodbye (Romantic Suspense #25) by Karen Rose

            Liza sighed. “Will you bring charges against Hayley and Graham’s mom?”

            “I don’t know. Molina is making notes of all the infractions. Which reminds me of why I’m here. Gideon and Mercy arrived, along with several agents. Things are getting tense. Rebecca was yelling that Molina is denying her rights.”

            “Molina can charge her with kidnapping. She stole Tamar’s baby.”

            Tom was floored. “What the hell is wrong with these people?”

            “I wish I knew.”

            “Well, at least Joshua isn’t carrying his shotgun anymore,” Tom said. “I convinced him to put it away. It was confiscated by the ATF agent who arrived in the second wave.”

            “That’s good. Oh, and Tamar is really Tiffany and I promised her that she could leave and we’d take her baby and pending DNA testing she’d get him back.”

            “I’ll make sure Molina knows.”

            “Thank you. Did you say there was hot water?”

            “Yes. We’ve had two helicopter drops—both included tanks of water and a gas-powered water heater. Does Jellybean need a bath? We’re going to need baby seats, too, for the transport vehicles.” The logistics of this transport were daunting. “Oh, I also need you to come with me. There are a number of people who need medical attention.”

            “Why didn’t you say that right off?”

            “Because you were holding the baby and my brain circuits fried.”

            She patted his cheek gently, then turned to Tiffany. “I’m going to take the baby with me,” she said. “Can you stay with Hayley in case she wakes up? Until Rebecca is confined, I don’t want to leave Jellybean here, and I don’t want Hayley thinking the baby’s been stolen.”

            They heard the shouting as they drew close to the entrance. Tom gave the baby to Liza and rushed to help. As expected, Joshua was in Gideon’s face, calling him a liar and a fraud, sent by the government to take away their First, Second, and Fourth Amendment rights. Molina stood next to Gideon and there were four federal agents behind her.

            Mercy stood to the side, looking anxious. She’d known that coming back here would resurrect a lot of bad ghosts, but she’d done it anyway because she’d wanted to help.

            Graham sidled up to Liza. “I’m clean. And sanitized. Can I hold my niece now?”

            Tom rejoined them, watching the gathered crowd from the sidelines as Liza put the baby in Graham’s arms. The boy began to cry, the sight sweet and at stark odds with the angry Joshua.

            Gideon remained calm, ignoring Joshua’s rant and talking to the members of Eden who stood silently gawking at him. “If you want to leave, we will transport you. My sister Mercy and I came back to let you know that there is life after Eden. We will help you find a place to live and integrate back into the community at whatever level you wish. If you’ve suffered at the hands of a husband or as an apprentice like we did, there are resources to help.”

            That seemed to strike a chord. Many of the members nodded and whispered to each other.

            “And if we don’t want to leave?” Joshua demanded.

            “Do you really want to stay?” Gideon countered. “You don’t have fresh water or food. You don’t have sanitary toilet facilities or real medical help. Sister Coleen did her best, but many of you need trained doctors, not merely a person who wants to be helpful but gets all of her medical know-how from books and the computer.”

            “When is she coming back?” Joshua demanded.

            Tom thought they should tell the truth, but Molina had been afraid of a riot. Apparently, she had changed her mind. Probably because of the agents standing behind her.

            “She’s not,” Molina said, and the murmurs grew to irate cries.

            “You’ve arrested her?” Joshua shouted, and the tension ratcheted up tenfold.

            Many of these people had been brainwashed as to the evils of the government for thirty years. Tom marveled that Amos had adjusted so well.

            “No,” Molina said, holding up a hand for order. “She was killed by DJ Belmont.”