1
Vicksburg, Mississippi
March 1955
“If we have to kill all of the men to take the women, so be it,” Gabriel whispered to Jeremiah,
as a guard secured the doors of Room 1.
Gabriel’s gaze swept the length of the place, and he made a mental count of the men and
women in attendance. The uninvited men far outnumbered his own, and that presented a major
problem. “Are all the guards armed?” he asked Jeremiah.
“We’re not killing anyone.”
“You will if it becomes necessary,” Gabriel shot back.
“It won’t come to that. I promise,” Jeremiah said in a low tone that belied the anxiety
Gabriel saw flickering in his dark brown eyes.
Gabriel glanced at the nearly three hundred women and tried to gauge who would go along
with the plans for The Heaven Project—the same plans that had almost landed him in a not-
so-shallow grave a year prior. Even his supporters had serious concerns with his attempt to
cultivate a strong class of women and create a society ruled by them. All he needed was thirty
women. Only thirty.
Jeremiah shifted uneasily. He grabbed Gabriel by the shoulders and looked him in the eyes.
“What possessed you to bring so many women in at one time? And why didn’t you choose
women who were strong enough to come alone? All it will take is one man to rile them up—
just one—and this is over.” Jeremiah’s hands fell by his side as he turned to the audience,
whose faces were showing signs of curiosity mixed with a heavy dose of apprehension. None
were more anxious than the men stationed throughout the building to protect Gabriel, Jean, and
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