by Vince Milam
The timeworn man slowly turned his hanging head toward them and cast a look both spent and benevolent. Then he vanished.
A wave of sadness swept over the three, palpable and shared. They were alone again.
“Did you hear what he said?” asked Nadine.
“Yes,” whispered Cole. “He said ‘realize.’ I heard it as if it was spoken in my ear.”
“No,” said Nadine. “He said ‘faith.’ Clear as day.”
They stayed in their cluster, each lost in wonder. They felt cleansed, free. A desert dove whistled over their heads, bending in flight among the ruins.
“Soutenir. Sustain. This was my message,” said Francois, his voice trembling.
They stayed in their awestruck position, united, for several more minutes. Francois stood first as the other two released their hold on his shoulders. “And so,” he said. “We should depart. This American friend of yours—this Check—can guide us through his device. It is day. Let us depart from this savage country before the light fails us.” He employed his distinctive rolling forward gait toward the vehicle, humming a French tune. Cole and Nadine followed, holding hands.
It was over. All the pain, horror, doubt, confusion, and fear lay behind them on the snow-white remains of this Dead City. All had changed and the world spread before them with a shared mindfulness.
Nadine called Check as the Land Cruiser moved west. He promised to stay with them and communicate at regular intervals.
The three talked on the cautious drive with slow, easy tones—still awash in their experience. The day appeared calmer and their souls at peace. The scene they’d left had a reality of such clarity it would stand forevermore a part of their being. The aftermath now took on a surreal quality.
“I have faith,” said Nadine as she looked out the window, counted boulders in series of threes, and saw beauty among the rugged moonscape terrain. “It has grown so much over the last week. It’s amazing. And it’s not just an expanded faith. It has grown roots. Deep roots.”
Francois reflected and relaxed. “It is an affirmation,” he said. “To continue my path. My quest. Even with such strong faith I had doubts. This I admit. I am but a man.” He paused to light a smoke. “I am humbled. Yet fulfilled. I sit, in this most uncomfortable of conveyances—must you consistently hit the larger of these rocks, mon ami?—oui, sit here filled with awe over what has happened.”
Cole smiled and looked at his friend in the rearview mirror. He remained cautious, with a firm grip on the wheel and a vigilant eye on their surroundings. When Nadine announced they had just crossed the border into Turkey everyone began to relax.
“I do realize, now,” said Cole. “I realize I will always have questions. There will always exist things, events, happenings, I can’t explain. I realize God is not fathomable. We are too small. Maybe that’s why he gives us the small miracles. The daily miracles. It’s something we can grasp. Like love. Something we can hold onto.”
“Like love,” said Nadine as she smiled and gazed into the distance.
“Oui. Amour,” said Francois. “It is what binds us. It is all which is good.”
They drove another minute before Nadine spoke. “Athos, Porthos, and Aramis.”
“The Three Musketeers,” said Cole, chuckling.
“Oui,” said Francois. “Magnifique.”
Cole’s chortle escalated. Nadine joined in. Her voice rose to a crescendo as she howled with laughter. Francois began to giggle and shook his head until he, too, escalated to a loud joyous laugh. Tears coursed down all their faces.
Chapter 40
They waited for their flights at the Istanbul airport. Francois would depart for Rome, Cole and Nadine to Houston. Francois insisted they order champagne. Cole relaxed and thought of getting home to Rockport. The slow rhythms of a Gulf Coast town pulled hard. Nadine and Francois carried on an active discussion about the Trinity.
“So this Father, Son, Holy Ghost thing,” she said. “Does it run in series or parallel?”
Francois sipped champagne and lit a smoke. “It is most unfortunate I cannot answer this, cher,” said Francois. “It is not for my lack of knowledge, be assured. It is simply that I do not understand what you are asking.”
Cole watched and listened with bemusement. He would miss their interactions.
“Dynamic relationships,” said Nadine. “Are they linear and hierarchical or do they act as independent agents?”
“These things are not mechanics,” said Francois. “It is not the assemblage of a computer program. It is God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.”
“Yeah. Got it. Thanks for the definition,” said Nadine. “Now, how do the moving parts interact?”
Cole noticed her suspended foot tapping the air in threes, the tempo increasing. He made a call to Jeeter Johnson.
“I’m heading home, Captain,” said Cole.
“Did you get the SOB?”
“Yep. It’s over,” said Cole.
“Good. Get your butt back to Texas, son. I’m glad you got him. Long damn odds from where I’m sittin’. Well done. Nadine and the priest?”
“Everyone’s fine,” said Cole. “And the powers-that-be should be happy, from the Vatican on down.”
“Hell, that didn’t matter near as much as you not getting your ass shot off. Call me when you get to Rockport.”
“Will do, sir. Jeeter. And by the way, you were right. Nadine May is pretty amazing.”
“Yeah, she is. Don’t tell her I said that. Travel safe, Cole.”
Francois and Nadine continued their discussion, travelers moved about, and flights were called in Turkish, French, and English. Soon it came time for Francois to depart. They exchanged hugs, kisses, and tears.
“Stay in touch, Francois,” said Cole, extending his hand. Francois brushed past the hand and wrapped Cole in a bear hug and kissed him on both cheeks.
Cole hugged back, adding, “Be careful. Bon voyage, mon ami.”
Francois laughed and said, “Yes. I shall. And your French is much improved, my friend.”
Nadine and Francois hugged for a long time. Both shed copious tears. When they pulled apart, Nadine rested her hand on his cheek. Francois held her hand and kissed it, and pulled away. “Au revoir, cher. Au revoir.”
They watched him move toward his gate, leaning forward and rolling with intent.
***
Once airborne on the flight to Houston, Nadine curled her legs beneath her and shifted to face Cole.
“What do we do?” she asked. “You and I.”
Cole reached for her hand. It was inevitable this topic would appear once they became situated on the plane. “How about we start with a date? Dinner and a movie. Maybe a nice steak. Then anything you want to watch.”
Nadine smiled, apparently satisfied. “I’d like that.” She shifted back to face forward. “You’re not plain vanilla, Cole. Anything but.”
“What?”
“Nothing. Dinner and a movie. A date. I’d like that a lot.”
The End
Thank you for reading The Unknown Element!
I hope you enjoyed the experience, and thank you for joining me.
A good tale told. That’s what you’ll find with the Challenged World Series. Come celebrate three very dissimilar characters that band together to confront dark forces while learning to love, grow, and get along—without driving each other crazy.
Please check out the next book in the series – Pretty Little Creatures – as our intrepid trio face Ebola, terrorists, blood diamonds, drug cartels and, of course, hellish adversaries.
Meanwhile, I would love to hear from you. I can be contacted via:
www.vincemilam.com
or
[email protected]
Finally, I need to ask a favor. If you are so inclined, I’d love a review of The Unknown Element on both Amazon and Goodreads. Whether you relished it or it put you to sleep—I would appreciate your feedback.
Again, thank you so much for dedicating th
e time to spend with me, Cole, Nadine, and Francois.
Sincerely,
Vince Milam
