Her Anchor
Authors: Viva Fox
Tags: #Literature & Fiction, #Women's Fiction, #Contemporary Women, #Romance, #Contemporary, #Multicultural, #Romantic Comedy, #Contemporary Fiction, #Christian, #Historical, #Psychological, #Lgbt, #Bisexual Romance, #Multicultural & Interracial
Copyright 2016 by Viva Fox- All rights reserved.
In no way is it legal to reproduce, duplicate, or transmit any part of this document in either electronic means or in printed format. Recording of this publication is strictly prohibited and any storage of this document is not allowed unless with written permission from the publisher. All rights reserved.
Respective authors own all copyrights not held by the publisher.
Her Anchor
By: Viva Fox
She was going to do it. This time, she was really going to do it.
Since leaving college two years ago, Julie Parker was not getting particularly far. She’d set her goals high her entire undergraduate life. She was going to graduate and go directly into the journalism field. Once there, she was going to be the fastest rising reporter. She would be known for getting the major story, always chasing down the truth, the reporter that no one could hide from no matter what their crimes.
Unfortunately absolutely nothing had gone that way. She’d graduated, that was for sure, and she’d immediately learned that everything she’d been taught in undergrad didn’t hold a candle to the real world. There were other girls out there who were better at networking. Julie had always been on the quiet side. She assumed once she’d gotten out of college that would change. But it didn’t. At networking events, she was always overlooked for other girls.
Partially, she blamed her looks. She was petite, always had been, with big blue eyes and white blonde hair. She was delicate and angelic. None of those were things that made her taken seriously in the news industry.
She’d finally managed to land herself a job at a newspaper, but her articles were silly. She wrote stories on humane society fundraisers, and senior citizens centers. She wanted something bigger…better.
And now she may have just got it. At their morning staff meeting her editor had brought up a story on a cult leader up in California. She’d have to leave Houston to get up there immediately. She’d said right away she could do it. She could. She knew that she could. She could write this story.
Her editor had looked doubtful. Julie knew she really wanted someone else to take the story-someone else who had more experience on lead stories. Her eyes were already going to Brandon, her pet. She wanted him to cover the story. Brandon was going places. He’d be a lead writer somewhere huge like the L.A. Times someday. But Julie knew that she could do it.
So she’d volunteered first. And unfortunately for her, Monica hadn’t had a reason to say no-or been fast enough to come up with a reason why she couldn’t assign the story to Julie. So she’d had to.
And now Julie was on a plane to Los Angeles. She had to ask herself just what she was doing here. To try and calm her nerves, Julie pulled out her iPad. She pulled up her documents to view her notes.
Billy Johns claimed that he was a prophet straight from God. Julie knew as well as anyone else that these types of crazies came up every so often, but the problem was Billy’s cult was suddenly producing dead children. However they couldn’t exactly pin anything on him-or anyone else in the group for that matter.
It had started just a few months before. His group had settled on a farm outside of L.A. They’d been established there for some time when a child’s body had ended up on the side of the road. The local police were keeping it quiet how the boy had died, but he’d been one of the children from the commune. It was also common knowledge that there hadn’t been any arrests in the case.
Johns was keeping his people close. Julie knew that if she had any chance of finding out what was going on, she was going to have to talk to some of the group’s members. How she was going to do that, she just wasn’t sure.
******
After renting a car, Julie drove out to the edge of town where the group was staying. It was settled in what appeared to be a peaceful potion of the hills. She knew not far from here were million dollar homes. So that raised the question, how did this particular group afford such an elaborate piece of property? She had her suspicions, but she needed more than those to write an established story.
Julie pulled her rental car up to the front gate of the compound. She could see nothing beyond it but green field. She vaguely wondered if this was what the Manson family compound had been like back in the 70s.
Two guards stood along the gate which blocked her way. Julie made sure that her doors were locked before rolling her window down just a few inches.
“Hi there!” She was trying to use the bubbly charming personality she knew that she had. “I’m Julie Parker from the Houston Chronicle. I was wondering if I could speak with someone in charge?”
Her hand was already groping the passenger seat for her press ID. One of the guards had approached her car and was now looking in at her.
“You aren’t going in there, honey.” Julie was momentarily taken aback, but she batted her blue eyes and forced a brighter smile. She hated to get anywhere like this, but she was out of options.
“I just want to ask a few questions about the little boy who was found earlier.” That appeared to be the worst question that she could have asked. She watched the guard narrow his eyes at her.
“Christ’s Community and its members has nothing to say on that matter. We’ve told the police that and we’ll tell the press that. So you just turn your car right around, missy, and head on out of here.”
He was already turning and walking back to his post at the gate. Julie frowned. She’d have to get in another way. But first she’d have to think of another way. Sighing, she began to back the rental car down the driveway.
******
Julie had been checking her email at Panera Bread for the last hour when she heard the phone call.
“Ok, so tomorrow I’ll meet you at the gates at 9. Right. We’ll surprise Billy that way.”
Billy could only be Billy Johns. Julie looked around for the source of the voice. It belonged to a man about her age only two tables away. He was large built but not really heavy. He had straw gold hair and white enough skin that she could not imagine he was from California. This was her chance-and she had to take it.
Pushing herself up, Julie crossed the short distance to where the man sat.
“Hi. I’m Julie Parker.” She never did things like introducing herself to strange men. He was going to think that she was crazy.
The man looked up at her with gray eyes. Julie smiled. She’d never seen eyes that gray before. She had to admit, he was attractive-even if she wasn’t supposed to be thinking like this.
“Well hello Julie Parker. I’m Jason Manes.” He held out his hand to her. His voice was strong, like he was used to projecting it. Maybe she’d misread him. Maybe he was an actor and the call was on something else entirely. She felt herself begin to blush.
“It’s nice to meet you.” Julie motioned over her shoulder to where she’d been sitting. “Um, I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation. You weren’t talking about Billy Johns from Christ’s Community, were you?”
“Actually I was.” Jason looked in the direction she’d motioned. “Do you want to get your stuff and join me?”
She did. Agreeing, Julie wasted no time in getting her things and relocating to the table.
“So, you don’t strike me as the curious onlooker type.” Jason closed his laptop. “What’s got you questioning?”
“Actually,” Julie thought about playing some coy card, but decided that it was probably just to be honest, “I’m with the Houston Chronicle.”
“Really?” Jason looked even more interested. “Well then it’s especially good to meet you.”
“Are you a reporter too?” Julie asked. She wasn’t sure if he was one of those types who wouldn’t want the competition in his territory.
“Actually I’m with a news network. WCJB out of Seattle. They sent me down here so I could do an in-depth story next week.”
Well that made sense. And it explained his projecting voice. He was a news caster, of course.
“So, forgive me, but did I hear you say you’re getting into the compound?” Julie asked hesitantly. Jason nodded.
“Yep. One of our cameramen’s sister is in there. He got the group to agree that he and someone else could go in and check on her-so long as we didn’t bring a camera in.”
“And you agreed?” Julie would die for a recorded interview with Billy Johns.
“We’re going to try and do it as subtly as possible.” Jason smiled. “Do you want to join us? I can’t imagine Billy Johns would turn down talking to a pretty girl.”
Julie could hardly believe her ears. That was exactly what she had hoped he would say. She nodded.
“Would you mind?”
“Not at all. We’ll have to be careful about citing sources and the like, but we can get it worked out.” Julie was thrilled. She couldn’t have imagined this working out better.
“Well all right then. Thank you. Really, thank you so much.”
“Of course. We all do what we have to get the story, right?” Jason was smiling at her. Julie smiled back.
“I guess we do. I’m kind of hoping that this will be my break in the paper, you know. Lead into bigger things.”
“I’m hoping the same thing.” Jason nodded. “I don’t detect an accent. Are you from Texas originally?”
“Oh no, I’m from Ohio. I just ended up in school in Texas.”
“University of Texas?” Julie curled her fingers into the proper horned position.
“Hook em horns.” Jason laughed out loud.
“I figured. I’m not a fan, but I follow enough college football to appreciate it.”
“Where did you go?” Julie found she was enjoying his conversation. And his looks were not bad either.
“I went to Stanford. I’d never left California until I went up to Seattle.” He gave her an almost apologetic shrug. Julie laughed softly.
“I think that sounds fun. California’s big enough there’s a lot to see, right?”
“It does have that advantage.” Jason sighed. From the table, his phone flashed. He glanced down at it, sighed. “Sorry, I actually have to run back to my hotel room and jump on a call.”
“Of course!” Julie didn’t want to keep him-not when he was doing her a huge favor. Jason picked up his phone. He unlocked the screen and clicked around for a few minutes.
“Now, what’s your number?” Julie felt herself blush again. But he had to keep in touch. How else were they going to get back with each other about their stories?
Instead, she took his phone from his hand and punched it in. After he’d read it, he clicked a few more times. Julie saw a text flash on her phone from an unknown number.
“And now we’re set.” He smiled at her again. Julie smiled back. She felt herself awkwardly staring as he packed up his laptop. “It was great meeting you, Julie Parker.”
“You too.” Julie got up, figuring she’d head back to her own room. “Where are you staying?”
“The Hampton Inn right down the street.”
“Me too.” It was the perfect coincidence. Julie didn’t want to say that. She’d look desperate-not only for the story but for the man himself.
“Then I’ll have to meet you for breakfast in the morning so that we can plan our attack.” Jason pocketed his phone. “I’ll text you tonight.”
Julie nodded as he waved and walked away. She couldn’t believe her luck! In all of its forms.
******
True to his word, Jason had texted her to meet him at seven the next morning. When she came into the lobby, he was already getting himself a cup of coffee.
“My cameraman, Tim, is going to be joining us. It’s his sister that’s getting us into the compound.”
“How is Billy letting any media into the compound?” Julie focused on her own cup of coffee.
“I think in this case he wants the family to come in so that they can report back how well everyone’s doing and that they’re happy.” Jason frowned into his coffee cup. “I know Tim’s worried. His whole family is.” Jason suddenly stopped talking, his eyes moving across the room. “There he is now. Hey! Tim!”
Tim was a heavyset balding man. Julie guessed that he was probably slightly older than the two of them. Julie waited until he’d got his food and they’d had their typical morning chatter before she brought up the topic.
“So your sister…?” She began hesitantly. Tim nodded.
“Yeah. Her name is Chelsea. But who knows what she’s going by now that she’s in with Johns.” Jason seemed to know the story, but he didn’t stop Julie from asking.
“How did she end up there?” She wasn’t sure she’d be quoting him later, but she certainly wanted the points for her notes. Tim seemed to be searching for this thoughts, and then he shrugged.
“Chelsea was always a bit of a loner. No matter what my parents and I did, we couldn’t get her to fit in with everyone else. She didn’t want to hang out with other kids in high school, she just sat at home. So naturally my parents were thrilled when she made some friends. They just didn’t know who they were.”
Tim wove a tale that Julie had read many cult members told: people who didn’t feel that they felt like they fit in suddenly accepted with a promise of a brighter future. His sister was no different.
“So she just up and left?” Julie felt bad for him. Tim sighed.
“I wish it had been that simple. She was in and out with them for years. My parents thought she was attending some sort of church group. They didn’t realize how bad it was. Since she was only 16 when she got into it, my parents could have stopped her.” He looked angry, and Julie could only imagine how his parents felt.