7. The Sinner
Chapter seven
The Sinner
Dinah
I throw the lamp in David’s direction, only to miss him when the slimy fucker darts out of the way, but I at least get some satisfaction when it hits the other jackass behind him, and he releases a pained growl. “This behavior is uncivilized. I demand that you cease acting like a spoiled three-year-old brat throwing a tantrum immediately!” David stalks forward, his hands clenched in tight fists, ready to strike me. “ Tantrum? I’ll show you a fucking tantrum. Unshackle me, and I’ll beat you to within an inch of your life, asshole! Then I’ll piss on your grave!“ I search frantically for something else to throw, and rip a heavy piece of artwork off the wall, heaving the ornate gold frame in his direction. “Those are priceless works of art, you damn heathen!” David jumps across the mattress, escaping my projectile, and attempting to wrap his hand around my neck. I punch, kick, and bite every inch of him I can, until we are both exhausted, breathing heavily, bleeding, and our limbs are intertwined, as we land on the floor next to the bed with a bang.
“What is the meaning of this?” A deep voice questions, and both David and I dart our heads in that direction, smacking them together in the process. “Fuck!” I groan as my aching head pounds, and the room swims before my eyes. Immediately, the desire to wreak more violence flows through me, as I glance at my father, dressed as the Holy Father with his ostentatious feathered mask in place. Now that I know it’s him, I can’t believe I didn’t see the telltale signs before in the tone of his voice, the way his body stands filled with righteousness, and the most telling part of all, the blue-gray eyes that we both share. As my adrenaline comes down, my head sways and searing pain ricochets through my head, forcing me to release my grip on David and grab for my skull. “What... have you... done to me?” My words sound garbled to my own ears.
“That would be the concussion you suffered when you tried to murder me, daughter,” I can hear the hint of amusement in his voice. He thinks it’s funny that I want to kill him. Let’s see how funny it is when he’s taking his last breath, with one of my blades protruding from his eye socket. “I’m sure you’re not doing yourself any favors rolling around on the floor with David.” David scrambles to his feet and backs away from me quickly, but never takes his eyes off of me. I guess the bastard is smarter than he looks. “Holy Father,” he bows his head in reverence, as does the other robed man in the room. “May the Lord bless and praise you. The Brotherhood, honor you and keep you sacred.”
“It is right to give thanks to the Lord, my God, and to the Brotherhood which keeps its order,” David and the other man reply, and I roll my eyes and snort, at the production they are putting on. Come on, none of this is real; they are all faking. They don’t believe that he’s an emissary of God, any more than I believe that I’ll sprout wings and fly like a butterfly.
“What am I doing here? Why am I still alive, and where are Abe and Zeke?” Each question rolls off my tongue, causing further anxiety to escalate within me. I’m ready to crawl out of my skin with fear and dread, at what these demented fools have done to my men. David motions to the lackey behind him, and he moves an ornate gold accent chair forward for my father to sit in, like a king on a throne. I’m momentarily at a loss for words at the pretentious behavior I’m witnessing. Does my father really see himself as some king or, worse, as God? His ringed fingers clasp neatly and tightly in his lap, as he organizes his robes elegantly over his legs. He scrutinizes me through the stupid mask, and oppressive silence fills the air around us, but I notice the lack of his parlor tricks. Thank fuck for small mercies.
“Your men are alive, well, mostly alive. Abraham and Ezekiel are here within the compound, currently serving your punishment for your attempt on my life. I don’t know how much longer they will survive as my guests, so I urge you to curb your need for violence against me, and my men. Be respectful, daughter, every action will have a consequence paid in blood by one of them.“ He crosses his legs, as if this is just some peaceful chat between a daughter and her long-lost psychotic father, instead of a woman hell-bent on destroying everything he stands for, and a man risen from the dead like Lazarus.
“As for why you are still alive, you continue to breathe at my holy discretion. I will not allow you to so readily thwart the plans I have, just because you can’t see the larger picture. You are a child, Dinah, and your thoughts are too self-centered and ill-mannered. There are larger forces at work here, more significant than your own selfish need for vengeance. The world needs a heavy-handed cleansing, and you will do my will, or I will keep you alive indefinitely, while you watch as everything you love and cherish dies around you.” Oh my fucking God, this delusional idiot is back to rambling again about his need for cleansing, as if he is some damn prophet with the powers of a God he clearly doesn’t believe in. “Listen here, fake messiah. I’m not buying what you’re trying to sell me. You don’t give a shit about the world around you, and especially women. I was there, remember, I saw what you subjected my mother to. I heard first-hand accounts from Sarah too. Don’t attempt to forget your sins while you cast mine about. At least I’m honest and direct about what I want.”
“What is it that you think you want, Dinah?” David questions, his features reserved behind the mask he uses to deal with the Brotherhood and its cronies.
“Death to all of you. I will scorch the earth of Brotherhood men, and leave the ground soaking in their blood. You want a cleansing, I seek nothing but destruction. I’m not here to save anyone except the three men I love.” I steel my spine and hold my head high, even though pain lances behind my eyes. I will not cower, no matter how precarious my current situation, or the threats levied my way. I can’t even trust that they are telling me the truth about Abe and Zeke, and for all I know, they could have killed them instantly and are bluffing. “Will you murder Ezekiel, Abraham, and Samuel, along with the rest of the Brotherhood? All three have been, at one point, Brotherhood men, who have followed our rules and teaching. Abraham and Ezekiel are still princes of the Order. How will you differentiate who gets to live and die, Dinah?” My father leans forward in his chair, the feathers of his mask swaying and causing my vision to tremble.
His words are shards of glass embedding below the surface of my skin, and slicing me open one sharp cut at a time. There is truth behind what he says; all three of my men have belonged to the Brotherhood of the Sacrament, in one way or another. The difference is that Sammy never chose to follow the Brotherhood. He was forced into being an unwilling soldier in their army at a young age. The circumstances of his birth, born into poverty, without a male relative as head of his household, provided no other option. As for Zeke and Abe, they, like me, were born into this world. A world of privilege and depravity, where they were never taught to care about anyone else, besides their own needs and wants. Does that excuse all the harm they have committed over the years? No, but I refuse to contemplate murdering them for it. It makes me a hypocrite, I know, and if they were to continue with their heinous treatment of women, I might change my mind, but for now, they are mine , and I will protect them with every breath that enters my body.
“I am not the one pretending to be the bigger person, Father . I am not the one hiding behind a mask, elaborate robes, and a gilded throne. You want someone to do your dirty work, use that cunt,“ I point my chin towards David. “He looks like he’s more than willing to bow at your feet and lick your boots.” David seethes with rage at my disparaging comment, and the other man gives him an appraising look. Oh, what’s this, they don’t all know that David and my father are lovers? Of course not; in this grotesque world, two men loving each other is punishable by death. “Leave us,” my father commands, and the other man bows low before hastily making his exit, with one last look in my direction, that I reward by giving the asshole the finger.
“Tread lightly, daughter . I have warned you that my patience is limited.“ My father lifts the ornate mask over his head and gently hands it to David, who places it on the dresser next to him. I can’t get over the feeling of despair at looking at his aged features. Now that I am not so shocked that it’s him, I can see the scars on his face and neck, from the torture the Brotherhood inflicted on him. I have no sympathy for him, however, this man has caused so much harm to his family. He left us all to suffer, while he lived a lavish lifestyle for years, hidden in the shadows.
The image of my mother’s face, as she pulled the trigger next to my brother’s casket, and begged me to avenge them, will forever live in my mind. Like cancer, it spreads through me, blackening my soul and mind further, and this man is the cause of all of it. I force myself to hold my tongue, to see where this is going to lead. I need to confirm that Zeke and Abe are still alive, and I know that David is aware of Sammy’s whereabouts. If I have to swallow my pride to ultimately save my men, it is a small price to pay. “I will not allow your vile tongue to taint all the good David has done. You will hold it, or I will have it cut off.” The small smile that breaks across David’s face, at my father’s appraising words, has my lip curling in utter disdain in his direction. “In one week’s time, you will appear before an assembly of the Brotherhood, where high-ranking men and their wives will be attending a celebration of life. You will be blessed as a Sacred Wife and daughter, doing her duty as the world watches. At that celebration, you will behead the Holy Father, with the support of the rebels, and take control of the Brotherhood. David will be at your side, ready to end your life, and that of your men, in case you try to sway from my plans. Your actions will throw the Brotherhood into chaos, and cause civil unrest, but it will be necessary for the changes that need to transpire. We will make modifications, and give this world a chance to heal, Dinah. Your brother would have wanted that.”
He had me until his last words, and then all I see is nothing but red. I lunge forward, the chain rattling behind me and yanking on my leg. My teeth snap in his direction, and my fist makes contact with his chin, causing his head to smack backward into the chair, and David to lunge at my back like a damn orangutan, and throw me to the floor. “You keep my brother out of your disgusting mouth. You’re not worthy of speaking about him.” David forces my face to the carpet, his knee firmly lodged in the middle of my back, and wrenches my arms backward into his tight grip. Out of the corner of my eye, I watch my father scramble from the chair and put distance between us. Does he know that I would tear his beating heart out with my teeth, if only given the chance? “Stupid bitch, you really don’t care about them, do you? They will suffer for what you have just done,” David hisses in my ear.
“Sedate her, David, and bring her to where her lovers are. Perhaps watching them pay for her misdeeds will alter her perception of her reality.” I feel a prick at the back of my neck before my body begins to feel numb, and my limbs lose all sensation. This time, I don’t black out as David releases his hold on me, but when I attempt to strike at him, it’s as if I’m frozen, and my body doesn’t obey my mind’s commands. “You better hope they don’t die this time. He warned you that your actions have consequences, and you’re about to watch them pay for them in blood, stupid girl.”