Out of her peripheral vision, she caught the animated exchange taking place between
Jeremiah and Gabriel. She knew it meant that only a few more minutes remained. “As my
husband has told you, there is no turning back. Go or stay. We don’t have time to keep
pointing out the obvious. I know the consequences more than you ever will.”
Gabriel was already on the FBI’s newly created “watch list.” That was one of the reasons
Jean had been forced to endure a nomadic life whenever they came to the States. And after
this night, they would have little reason to grace the ground of America ever again.
Only a few of Gabriel’s men remained inside on guard duty. The rest were outside with
another bus that had just pulled up. The men standing guard encountered another surge of
violent activity—shouting and screams, men throwing their bodies at the sturdy oak doors of
Room 2, trying to weaken its structure. The doors and walls had all been reinforced against
that very thing. Jean had no doubt that soon they would be forced to let the men in all three
rooms leave or there would be a riot, followed by a wave of unnecessary killings.
v v v
Given the insecurity Gabriel felt emanating from the group, he had to allow them another
opportunity to leave or he’d have more dead bodies on his hands than he could live with.
Because Lucille and Luke were still in the room, he could not say as much as he wanted.
They were family and could cause more harm than anyone else.
“We’ve said all we’re going to say at this point.” Gabriel signaled Jeremiah to stand ready
to open the door to the previous room. “The door will open to the anteroom. If you wish to
leave, the guards will escort you around the building and back into the foyer.”
“From what I’m hearing,” Lucille began, a smirk gracing her red lips, “you weren’t trying
to take any of these men with you anyway.”
“Not especially,” Gabriel replied, ignoring his wife’s warning glance.
“What the hell.” Luke glanced possessively at Lucille, whose gaze was locked on Gabriel
with such lust, it made Jean and Gabriel cast a speaking glance between them. Lucille had no
self-control, let alone the moral aptitude to uphold the integrity, honesty, and trust that would
help the women of The Heaven Project bond like true sisters. They would have to find a way
to keep her from marching into the anteroom.
“As I said before,” Gabriel told the few men who stood watching the women line up behind
Jean, “if you have a problem putting a woman in a position of power, don’t bother staying.”
Cleopha, Pearl, and Ivy, all church-going women from the heart of Alabama, weaved
through the maze of people until they stood next to Gabriel, who waited near the door leading
to the anteroom.
Next to line up beside Gabriel and Jean were Ruby and Susannah, two sisters from Natchez.
Deborah, Gloria, and Sarah from Chicago joined them, and more followed.
52 | NKLC Magazine