The Madness at Koresh Manor­ Part 5

A knock woke Raphael from a deep sleep he didn’t know he was in went he shot awake. He looked around the room trying to remember where he was at and feeling the bitter cold. The knock came again and this time harder. He yelled for the person or persons to give him a moment. He slipped his boots back on garb his winter coat and open the door to find Jimmy with a few of his armed friend beside him.

                He wasn’t smiling as he said, “Good morning, how did you sleep?”

                “Good,” Raphael nodded and before he could say anything more Jimmy told him Cyrus wanted to see him inside sweet Ida’s house. Raphael knew it was more of an order than a request, so he did as he was asked and followed the men inside. Jimmy walked beside him through the snow as two men stayed behind him and in front.

                “Jimmy, can I ask why here?”

                “What do you mean?”

                “Why all the way up here in the snow?” Raphael asked. “Why start a church here.”

                “It’s where God called Cyrus,” Jimmy explained not wishing to talk.

                “Sure, is a cold place for God to being call someone,” Raphael said knocking the snow from his boots before going inside. They led him to the small kitchen where a plate of eggs, bacon, and pancakes waited for him along with Cyrus drinking some warm tea.

                “Good morning, Mister Talon,” Cyrus said happy to see him and yet, there was something unsettling under those eyes, something which said this man was willing to kill or die or have everyone else die for what he believes to be true. “I made you some breakfast.”

                “Thank you,” Raphael said taking off his coat sitting down as the men didn’t leave the room and stood behind him. He picked up the fork and started to eat wondering if it was Cyrus who made the food or sweet old Ida.

                “Did you sleep well, Mister Talon?”

                “I did and call me Raphael,” he said, “Mister Talon is the old man.”

                “Right, right,” Cyrus nodded and then asked, “where is your old man?”

                “Back at home in a coma,” Raphael said like it was nothing and leaving out the fact he could place his mind into the robots around the mansion.

                “I’m sorry to hear that,” Cyrus said. “How did it happen?”

                Raphael wasn’t going to tell him the truth, but something in his eyes said it was alright to do so. The words fell from Raphael’s lips without his command, and he was shocked at how easy it was to say everything to this man. He didn’t tell him everything like them having powers now, had to leave that part of the story out because it was the ace up his shelves.

                “That is some story,” Cyrus said.

                “Well, my dad lives an odd life.”

                “Sounds like he does,” Cyrus said, “and I’m sure he would want you by his side.”

                Raphael set his fork down seeing this wasn’t a meeting welcoming someone new into their flock, this was a conversation to send someone home. Raphael glanced at the men behind him, send him home by any means.

                “Good thing about a coma,” Raphael said, “he doesn’t know when I’m not home.”

                “Right,” Cyrus said not cracking even a smirk. “Why are you here, Mister Talon?”

                “As I told your boy over there,” he said thumbing back at Jimmy, “to see my friend Rain.”

                “I know what you told Jimmy,” Cyrus calmly said, “but I also know Rain is not your friend.”

                “Ah, that hurts a little,” Raphael joked placing his hand over his chest. “And this is a little awkward now.”

                “A little,” Cyrus agree. “So, why are you here then?”

                “Well, we both know how Rain is ---” he stopped searching for the words and then said, “special, right?”

                “He is a man of unusual talents,” Cyrus said.

                “That’s one way of putting it,” Raphael said. “His family sent me to check in on him.”

                “Why you?”

                “Because I know of his talents,” Raphael said, “and I can be objective where his family and friends can’t be.”

                “They think we are forcing him to be here?”

                “They think something is not right,” Raphael said eating some of the pancakes.

                “He has seen the light is all,” Cyrus said.

                “I’m sure he has, but you can’t blame them for worrying about him,” Raphael said.

                “No, you are right,” Cyrus agree with a shy nod. “How about you stayed with us for a few days and see what Rain has learned. You can see what we are going here.”

                “What are you are doing here?”

                Cyrus smirked and said, “Trying to live the way God wants us to live. All we are doing here is building a new life.”

                “Sounds noble,” Raphael said, “but I have looked into you a little, Cyrus.”

                “You have, huh?”

                “I didn’t want to walk in here blind,” Raphael said glancing around the room. “You are modeling yourself after David Koresh’s little movement.” He was about to say the word cult but felt no one in the room would take kindly to the c-word. “And you believe you are his son in reincarnated, right?”

                “Something like that,” he nodded. “I’m so much his son I just talk to the child and his father.”

                “David?”

                “Oh no,” Cyrus nodded, “the one true father.”

                “Oh right, of course,” he said, “because hearing from a dead man would be weird.”

                Cyrus chuckled a little. “You have a mouth on you,” he said pointing at him.

                “You should meet my sister if you think that is true.”

                “Maybe one day I will,” he said and stood up. He checked his watch. “I have a duty I must get to, you are welcome to talk to anyone and go anywhere in town, but Jimmy is going to be with you, for your safety.”

                Raphael looked over at Jimmy with a smile. “Yeah, he looks like a man who would take a bullet for me.” Or shot me in the back, Raphael told himself.

                Cyrus placed a hand on his shoulder. “He is a good man. We will have lunch today.”

                “And Rain, when do I meet him?” Raphael asked.

                Cyrus glanced back at him. “When Rain wants to meet you,” he said.

                “Fair enough.”

                “Enjoy your stay,” Cyrus said leaving Jimmy and Raphael alone in the room. The other men quickly followed their leader out.

                “So, snowball fight?” Raphael asked the tall man.