Desert Guardian Read Online Free Page A

a cynical half-grin. "I
left on my own. My mother was the one smitten by the cult's belief in a utopian
planet that's supposedly their true home. I guess I believed in it when I was a
kid, but that changed after I got to know them better."
    She
studied his profile and watched for a shift in his stony expression. There was
a subtle hint of emotion stirring just below the surface. An emotion he
obviously wanted to keep to himself. Her curiosity got the better of her, so
she asked, "What's Star Mother really like?"
    He
cleared his throat, his Adam's apple making a deep bob as he appeared to
consider his next words. "For one thing, families are always separated
until the parents' conditioning is complete. Adults and children are
manipulated through guilt, intimidation, an appeal to their ego, fear,
curiosity, and their natural desire to be liked. It's emotional torture, pure and
simple. The cult's abusive ways interfere with a member's ability to digest
facts because their emotions get in the way of objective thinking."
    "Wow."
Kelly fell silent as she considered what he'd just said. Guilt, intimidation,
fear...that sounded a lot like how her father had kept his own children in
line. And Jake was no stranger to being victimized by such tactics. Their dad
had been a master at it. Jake had made a lateral move from one emotionally
abusive parent to another. "While I was at the camp, I didn't see any
fences keeping people in, and the sentries didn't stand guard over anyone.
Folks could easily walk away whenever they wanted. So if it's so awful, why
does everyone stay?"
    Sam
stared at the ribbon of highway ahead, his neck muscles tightening as he
swallowed. She studied his face, his frown tempting her to reach out and smooth
away the disturbing memories that seemed to torture his thoughts. "They
have no choice," he said. "Star Mother, or I should say Star Mother's
leaders, took that ability away from them."
    "How?"
    "By
depersonalizing them." He gave her a quick look, his eyes so sad it broke
her heart. "Their individuality was wiped away so they would no longer
have to think for themselves. You have to understand that the majority of Star Mother's
members had been so unhappy with their lives that they welcomed someone who
would do their thinking for them. They yearned to belong somewhere, to be
accepted and cared for, regardless of the cost. So Star Mother gave them what
they wanted."
    A
disturbing chill made her wrap her arms more tightly around herself. "What
does Star Mother get in return?"
    "Their
souls."
    Sam
didn't come across as the type of person to be so easily manipulated, to give
up his mind and body without a fight. It was obvious to Kelly from what he’d
just described that he'd witnessed his own mother's mindless transformation.
Something desperate must have happened to him to make him leave his mother
behind.
    "You
said you left when you were sixteen. Why then? If life was so horrible with
Star Mother, why did you wait so long to leave?"
    His
hands gripped the steering wheel even tighter, the skin over his knuckles
turning fish-belly white.
    "I'm
sorry," she said. "Really, I didn't mean to pry—"
    He
held up a hand, the corner of his mouth twisted in a half-grin. "It's
okay. I need you to understand how harmful the Star Mother cult can be to
someone unprepared to deal with its cruelty. So don't be shocked by what I'm
about to tell you." He inhaled deeply. "The cult's young people are
encouraged to shed all sexual repression on their sixteenth birthday. Ritual
orgies are used to break down inhibitions. Star Mother believes that if you don't
feel comfortable with group sex, it's a psychological hang-up that prohibits
you from unifying with the group."
    That
was child abuse. It amazed her that he was willing to share so much personal
information, but if he wanted her to understand the danger her brother was in,
he'd taken the right course. "So you were subjected to—"
    "No,"
he said calmly, though she thought she saw a