Hyper Lynx (The Lynx Series Book 6) Fiona Quinn (the dot read aloud .txt) 📖

moral code. And that code is probably very different than what the normal Jane Doe walking down the street operates under. For example, the CIA might find it important to kill someone, and that’s allowed under the right circumstances.”

He scratched his nose.

“But spy agencies aren’t normally put into the same bucket as the occult. Occult, it has an evil, dangerous feel to that word. It’s become that through our entertainment systems. Horror movies, for example. But really, occult simply means concealed. And we can agree that much of what we do here at the FBI is concealed. The main rule in a secret society is that knowledge isn’t for everyone. It’s for the select—emphasis on select—few. And it’s the job of those who have the secret knowledge to guard it from others.”

Hmmm. Are we going after someone within an alphabet? What would that have to do with a waitress named Modesty?

I wish they’d cut to the chase. Being patient and focused today was proving to be a challenge.

Gupta picked up a fob and tapped the button. The lights dimmed. A screen dropped. There was a painting of the Illuminati.

That got my attention. All of the secret occult-like behavior and Illuminati-connected images were part of the group with the tattoos on their left arms like the one I saw this morning. Could it be the FBI and the CIA were tracking the same dangers?

“In human history, there have always been secret societies, and there always will be, I would surmise,” Dr. Gupta was saying. “One of the things we expect to find when studying the various groups both historically and contemporaneously is that they have a charismatic or visionary in the leadership role.”

He clicked the fob, and up came the image of the seal for the Free Masons.

“Most secret societies aren’t publicly secret. We know they exist.” He pointed to the screen. “People know about the Masons. What they don’t know is what happens within the Masons. Rituals, passwords, member belief systems, even individual identities may be obfuscated from public view. Think. Even in our colleges and universities, our campuses are rife with secret societies. These include what happens in fraternities and sororities—whether they’re social or professional/academic in nature. Now, why would one choose to be part of a secret society?” Dr. Gupta’s question was rhetorical.

So far, nothing new here…

“Secret societies promise their membership special status. The more exclusive the secret society, the more likely they will seek recruits amongst the rich and powerful. You might have heard about the Bohemian Club, for example.” He put up an image of symbology. “This all-male group is filled with CEOs, politicians, financiers, and some entertainers. Among their ranks, you’ll find names like Henry Kissinger and Ronald Reagan. Both of the George Bushes are Bohemian Club members.” Gupta scratched his head. “Ancient history, I know, but Nixon back before he ran for president—while he was never a member—was invited to go meet with them over a weekend. Nixon rightfully said that he thought he was having his measure taken. He knew it was a big step toward being elected. Clout.” Gupta pointed at the ceiling. “Power. Another group that acts that way is the Assembly. And we all know from the ongoing legal entanglements for the Assembly that those who were recruited and initiated believed that rules and laws were for lesser men. The Assemblymen believe that through their rituals they are the voice of god, and therefore they can do as they wish.”

Assembly? Okay, now we’re getting somewhere.

“This all leads me to our topic for today, The Grove.”

The Grove… I tried to think if that had come up in anything Spyder had ever mentioned to me. But it didn’t seem familiar.

“Here is the history.” Gupta pinched at his lower lip, pausing as if to align his thoughts. With a nod, he began. “Just slip into your thinking caps three aspects of secret societies: selective recruitment, fanatical loyalty, rigorous discipline. Okay, with that background, we’ll begin. The Grove started off as a progressive idea. Very progressive. June 4, 1919, Congress met to vote on whether or not women should have the right to vote. One of these senators was Marshal Leadbottom. Senator Leadbottom voted against the women. That night he died. Corpulent, to say the least, and older, it was assumed that he died of natural causes. With forensics, what they were in 1919, we’ll never know.

“The next day, his wife Dotty, Dorothy Leadbottom, sold their house, their belongings, cashed in her stocks, jumped on a train, and moved to Hollywood, California. Once there, she was absolutely done with the misogynist lifestyles of the east coast elite. She purchased what was then named Athena’s Grove.”

He posted a picture of an ornate wrought iron main gate with an owl motif.

“There, she had cabins built to set up a community of women. These women were sour on males—mistreated wives, rape survivors, prostitution survivors, lesbians who didn’t want to marry. Mother Dot, as she came to be known, enjoyed the classics and liked the idea of the Oracles of Delphi. The women, like any secret society, were chosen and welcomed. Once they lived in The Grove, they had rituals and initiations. They did have men come in, day workers paid for by Mother Dot’s wealth. They did the manual labor and also—uhm…” He sent me a red-faced look. “Excuse me. These men also provided the women with sexual interactions if the women wished them.

“They were living a very nice life when the stock market crashed many years later. Mother Dot owned the land and the cabins. There, they grew and produced their own food. Expenses were meager, and Mother Dot had a stash of gold. They were financially ready to weather the storm. Going back just a bit, some of the women had children that came with them when they were invited to the Grove. Some became pregnant