Chapter 16
Andilyn
“Let me get this straight,” Agent Samuels muses, his gaze pinned to the wall behind me as if he’s lost in thought.
“This…organization…believes that heterochromia is indicative of the carrier having two souls?” His incredulity does nothing to ease my frazzled nerves, and before I can think better of it, a scoff escapes me.
“Excuse my forwardness, but is there something about my line of questioning you find amusing, Ms. Adams?”
The frown line denting the young agent’s forehead deepens as he assesses me.
I press my lips together, debating the proper way to answer.
My annoyance has nothing to do with him as a person.
I’m sure he’s only doing what’s been asked of him, but this process is never-ending.
I’ve answered their questions to the best of my ability, and they’re still not satisfied.
It’s been six weeks since the compound was raided, and the twice-weekly interviews have yet to slow.
I understand the need for clarification, and why they’re being as thorough as they are, but when they’ve asked me the same thing a hundred times, it starts to grate.
I can’t help but wonder if the other victims are being questioned in the same manner.
They were moved from the old high school within a few days of being released from the hospital, placed in more suitable accommodations while the interview process is underway.
I’ve seen a few of them in passing, but I always avert my eyes, feeling ashamed that it took as long as it did to get us free.
I know it was never my responsibility, but the brain is a fickle thing, and sometimes it refuses to believe what we know is the truth.
I think about the others at least once a day.
Are they struggling just as much as I am?
Do they grow more frustrated with every interrogation?
They might not call it that, but these conversations are certainly starting to feel that way.
At first they wanted information on Tobias specifically, since he’s being tried separately for the murder of LeAnna Taylor, as well as Hudson’s kidnapping.
Since the other members of Veritas are facing a joint trial and there’s a mountain of evidence to pick apart, the agents spearheading the investigation have locked their sights on the easier of the two, going full steam ahead in their approach to build an airtight case.
The public, as well as the victims they’ve amassed, are chomping at the bit for justice, and rightly so.
Their trail of devastation is miles long, and it seems that no one is immune to the horrors they’ve enacted.
As the prosecution’s main witness, I know the outcome of Tobias’ trial will heavily rely on the testimony I give.
No one else was present to overhear his whispered confession, which leaves us in a he-said, she-said situation, and since there’s no murder weapon to corroborate my claims, the only definitive working in our favor is the fact that Hudson was found on Veritas property.
He can deny his involvement until he’s blue in the face, but that part is irrefutable, and I highly doubt any of the Elders are willing to be his scapegoat.
Knowing all of this, and how crucial my word is to sealing his fate, I’ve obliged their every request and been more than willing to expand upon anything that required further clarification.
Based on how fast things are moving, it’s safe to assume they’re planning to make an example of Tobias.
There isn’t a single person involved in this process who doesn’t think he’s responsible; it’s just a matter of proving it.
The last thing any of us wants is to see him walk free because of a technicality.
Once they’d gleaned everything they could about Tobias, their focus shifted to Veritas as a whole.
And that’s where my frustration comes into play.
I can answer their questions, but what I can’t do is explain a cult-like mentality to people who’ve never experienced the persuasiveness they embody.
How truly distorted their minds are to have crafted something so reprehensible, and yet they truly believe they’re doing the world a service.
I’ve tried valiantly, for nine long years, to find a shred of logic in their warped belief system, but no one of sound mind and reason would amass a following built on such abhorrent teachings and see it as anything but wicked and wrong.
“It wasn’t my intent to offend you, but this is growing tiresome,” I state emphatically.
“You’re searching for answers that don’t exist, and never will.
There’s no plausible explanation for their insanity, so regardless of how far-fetched and bizarre any of you find their reasoning, it doesn’t make it any less true.
You’re the fifth agent I’ve met with, and though the verbiage might change from time to time, the questions are fundamentally the same.
I’m beginning to wonder if it’s explication you seek, or if the repetition is a tactic to catch me in a lie.
” I caught on pretty early, based on the numerous agents I’ve been interviewed by, that ensuring my story remains consistent was of utmost importance.
I can’t fault them for being meticulous, but I’d appreciate some candor.
He gapes at me, his shock apparent by the way he sputters, “No, not at all, Ms. Adams.” It takes concentrated effort to keep my eyes from rolling to the back of my head.
“I assure you, we only want to understand the hows and whys of the case. It’s a lot to wrap the mind around, and when this goes to trial, we need to be absolutely certain our argument can withstand any doubt the defense attempts to plant.
If I’m struggling to unravel the intricate braids of lies that Veritas has woven, it’s likely a panel of jurors is going to have the same issue.
It’s imperative that we find any weak points and weed them out. ”
His explanation makes me deflate. I brace my elbows against the table and close my eyes, taking a second to recalibrate.
Agent Samuels doesn’t deserve to be on the receiving end of my annoyance; he’s just an easy target.
I’m barely keeping my head above water, and this investigation might be the thing that finally pushes me over the edge.
As expected, Tobias and the others were denied bail, so at least there’s comfort in knowing how miserable they must be.
His arraignment was done and over with in a matter of minutes, but hearing him utter not guilty only served to aggravate wounds that had barely begun to scab.
Seth had been beside me, our positions in the back of the courtroom concealed from prying eyes, but the way his body vibrated with rage is something I won’t soon forget.
I can only imagine how difficult it was for him to sit there and listen to Tobias deny any fault in his wife’s death.
That day seemed to fracture the tenuous hold he had on his sanity, and any progress he’d made towards accepting his new reality seemed to dissipate in the blink of an eye.
He’s all but given up at this point, and Hudson’s care has suffered greatly in the midst of his mental break.
I’m exhausted from all the back-and-forth trips that Raiden and I are taking at all hours of the night, but I can’t bring myself to deny Seth the help he so desperately needs.
My hand-me-down clothes are verging on too small, yet I have no way of purchasing bigger sizes or an explanation that would warrant my need for them.
Based on the ultrasound I had at the hospital, I should be thirty weeks by now.
It feels like my stomach grew overnight, and it’s becoming increasingly difficult to hide that I’m pregnant beneath a baggy sweatshirt.
I’m long overdue for a visit with the doctor, but I can’t bring myself to admit the truth to anyone.
I’m a sinking ship, and the stress and secrets I’m shouldering are expediting my demise.
“I’m sorry,” I state matter-of-factly, compacting my emotions so I can focus on the reason I’m here.
“I agree with your assessment, and there does need to be a degree of believability. However, there’s nothing I can add that would help achieve that.
I’ve given you everything I know. Personally, I think the absurdity that Veritas operates under is the inherent reason why this should be the shortest deliberation in history.
Cults aren’t known for their sanity, Agent Samuels.
Their belief system is twisted to cater to the fulfillment they get from acting out their perverse rituals.
The so-called defect they find fault in is irrelevant.
“I could present Veritas with irrefutable evidence, rally the country’s smartest doctors, and they’d still believe that heterochromia is a spiritual affliction.
Never mind that it’s congenital for the vast majority of us, so the ultimate redemption we’re supposed to seek–a child born free of the abnormality–doesn’t account for their flawed ideology.
It’s a vicious cycle that’s designed to see us fail. ”
My rant is met with silence, but I expected nothing less.
I imagine it’s a difficult position to be on the other side of this.
I can explain the cruelty I was subjected to at the hands of Veritas a million times.
I can recount the punishments they meted out in gruesome detail, but unless you were there and experienced what we did, the true extent of their crimes is impossible to grasp.
I have nothing to prove, and if a panel of jurors can sit through our testimonies and still find reasonable doubt in the accusations being made, then they weren’t listening very well.
I’ve done my part, at least until the trial starts, regardless of how taxing it’s been to delve into the past.