by J. Thorn
“Go ahead. I’ll keep watch. I’ve got a lot to think about.”
Alex nodded and spread out on the tile floor desecrated by grease and industry. The acidic air of manufacturing tainted his taste buds, but did not stop his body from slipping into sleep.
Alex arrived on a vast, red plain. Massive outcroppings of rock jutted up from the desert floor. The sky beamed a deep blue, which fought against the red horizon. Alex sighed and removed his shirt. The sun in Sedona, Arizona burned his skin with a quiet intensity. He reached for the canteen on his hip. The refreshing water electrified his parched lips, its coolness burning all the way down his throat.
Alex walked along the dry creek bed and crossed an arroyo. He stared at the red rock, craning his neck upward a thousand feet. A gray lizard crawled onto a pile of rocks to his left. It sat there, flicking its tongue at Alex, and twitching its tail back and forth.
From every direction, the red rock spread out to the horizon. In the distant east, Alex spotted a road snaking through low sagebrush. High above, under a ball of white gauze, Alex saw hawks circling.
“She was yours first.”
The voice startled Alex. He dropped his canteen to the ground and attempted to look in every direction at once.
“Who said that?”
“Jana. That is the girl he wishes to find. Your Jana.”
Father looked at Alex from a red-rock perch embedded in the canyon wall.
“You have no right to speak to me after what you did to my family.”
“Calm down. I did not harm them. Your wife and children are pure. They have asked for admittance to the Holy Covenant and have been accepted. They are safe and living in God’s light.”
Alex fought the tears welling in his eyes.
“Where are they?”
“Safe.”
“Then why are you here?”
“Don’t you want to rejoin them? We are building a new life, a new nation, a new world. We are eliminating the forces of Satan to open the way for God’s love. You can be a big part of that, Alex. We need brave, honest, and God-fearing people like you.”
“God-fearing? You don’t have any clue what you’re talking about. You can’t hold my family hostage and use them as leverage to get me to join this insanity.”
“Does that mean you are abandoning your family?”
“I’m doing nothing of the sort. You stole them from me.”
“I see we are not ready to broker a deal.”
Alex squinted. Father’s white robes reflected the powerful Arizona sun.
“And Jana?” Father asked.
“She is my past, not my future.”
“Oh Alex, don’t be so coy. We know the nature of your relationship and the circumstances of its demise. Does your wife know about your child with her?”
“Enough!”
Alex sat on the dusty ground and began to cry.
“I assure you that neither your wife nor your children know about the past indiscretion. Not yet, anyway.”
Alex tilted his head up and could not see Father’s face. The sun glowed behind him, showing Alex a silhouette.
“What do you want from me?”
Father walked over and sat next to Alex. He put an arm around his shoulder.
“Bring John to me. I don’t care how. Bring him to me alive.”
“But he is only concerned with finding Jana.”
“Then lead him to her,” Father replied.
“Does John know, know about her and I?”
Alex struggled to get the words out. The Arizona desert faded from deep red to black. The open sky fell and collapsed around the two men. The desert turned into an interrogation room. An armed guard stood near the door and Father sat on a rickety folding chair next to him.
“He knows of her past, but I don’t think he knows that you are her ‘Alex’. I would not reveal that unless you forced my hand.”
“And if I bring him to you, what of my family?”
Father smiled and hugged Alex.
“They will welcome you into the Lord’s Kingdom with open arms.”
Alex opened his eyes as the burning embers in the tub flickered on the wall. He stood and felt the cramps grab his thigh and foot. Alex collapsed to the floor and flexed both legs until the pain subsided. He heard movement beyond the bathroom. Alex stood and pushed the door open, and saw John sitting in the broken window, staring out over the dark city.
“Hey,” Alex said.
“Hey,” John replied without turning to face Alex.
“Thanks for letting me sleep, man.”
“Sure, no worries. You must’ve been having a nightmare because you were babbling all kind of shit.” “Yeah, don’t quite remember what it was,” said Alex. “It’s no wonder my subconscious tortures me.”
John handed Alex a book.
“I found this on a shelf back there.”
Alex turned the cover and angled it so he could read the title.
“The Catcher in the Rye. Damn.”
“I loved that book. I must have read it a dozen times between the ages of thirteen and eighteen. ‘When a body meets a body coming through the rye.’ That line still freaks me out.”
“I think I read it in seventh grade English class, but I don’t remember much about it. Didn’t the main character run away or something?”
“Yeah, Holden Caulfield. Typical teen angst, but written at a time when teens weren’t supposed to have angst. Old J.D. Salinger was never able to recapture the magic of that piece of literature. Nothing else he did could touch it. Do you think we’re like that, Alex. In life? Do you think our first encounter is the best, most intense one?”
Alex squirmed and avoided eye contact with John. He looked at the expanding cracks in the concrete floor.
“Not always.”
“First kiss, first lay, first fistfight. You telling me those aren’t more memorable than ones that follow?”
“I think they’re more memorable because they were firsts, not necessarily because they were more intense or better.”
“Yeah, I hear what you’re saying. You know Alex, Jana was my first real relationship. I know she had others before me, but she was my first in many ways.”
Alex stared out toward the lake, but did not respond.
“I screwed around with women, but she was my first serious relationship. I’m hoping she’ll still be my first and last. I gotta find her man.”
“Feels like you got a lot of guilt driving you. Something happen the last time you two were together?”
“Yes. No. Sort of. I don’t wanna deal with that yet. Let’s leave it be for now.”
“John, it’s your life and none of my damn business. I want to find my family and end this fucking nightmare.”
“Can you keep watch? I think I need to get some sleep too. Maybe first I’ll crack the binding and get reacquainted with my old friend Holden Caulfield.”
“Okay.”
“Let’s plan on moving out at daybreak. I’m going back to our house to look for Jana. If she isn’t there, I’m going to do everything I can to find her. You with me?”
“Yeah, John. I’m with you.”
Chapter 27
Sally and Jana spent most of the day entertaining Jay. Jana loved the free spirit and positive outlook of the child. The boy ran around the shop, building castles out of paper cups, and wondrous, imaginary worlds out of broken realities.
They decided to stay in the shop during the day, and move out when night fell. It would be much easier to spot three people on the deserted streets in the daylight than under the cover of night. Jay fell asleep in a corner as the sun crested on the noon hour. The action, loss of routine, and nocturnal activities took their toll on him. Sally sat next to Jay, stroking his hair.
“He’s so precious,” said Jana.
“Too bad his father doesn’t think so,” replied Sally.
“What happened… if you don’t mind me asking?”
“What usually happens when assholes
are assholes.”
“If it’s too painful….”
Sally tucked her long hair behind each ear.
“We met in college. Both of us were partying every night, really enjoying ourselves. I was laying on the lawn on one of those fall days that you can taste. The sky was a perfect blue, October leaves filled the air with their scent, and you knew winter was breathing down your neck. He walked up to me with a sweater around his waist and a coffee in one hand. I’ll never forget the spicy-sweet taste of the pumpkin latte he gave to me. ‘Saw you here and thought you might like a warm beverage.’ Not exactly the most romantic pickup line in the history of the world, but the gesture was so thoughtful.”
Jay stirred. He whined a bit and rolled over. Sally held her hand on his chest, which calmed him down.
“I hate to call it typical, but that’s what it became. We went through the usual phases. You know, that first one is amazing. You can’t keep your hands off of each other. If you’re not rolling in the sheets, you’re thinking about it. His touch is electric and you orgasm constantly.”
Jana blushed and looked down at the floor.
“Anyway, we finished school. I got a degree in early childhood education and he got his in engineering. He got hired at a big firm on the east side and the storybook marriage ensued. We bought the house, the dog, the cars, and the look of the American dream. I went to work teaching second grade at the local elementary school, and he climbed the ladder of the corporation. When Jay was born, asshole was working fourteen-hour days. I know, it’s hard to bitch about that when the money buys you anything you want. Anyway, one Saturday morning we had our phones on the kitchen table. I was the only one awake. I remembered getting a call late the night before, and so I flipped through my incoming-call list to see who it was. I realized as soon as I saw the number that he was cheating on me. I’d picked up his phone by accident. That same number with the initials ‘M.W.’ next to them made it pretty clear that this was a frequent conversation. I know I shouldn’t have, but I scrolled through his text messages. I guess I don’t need to tell you what I read and who it was from. Within six months, it was all over. He put us up in a cheap efficiency in Cleveland Heights while he took the whore to his new house in Geauga County.”
Jana put her hand on Sally’s face, and felt the warm touch of tears.
“I’m sorry.”
Sally wiped the tears from her eyes and tussled Jay’s hair again.
“Don’t be. I have Jay. He’s everything to me. Do you have kids?”
Jana’s forehead creased and she slipped her hand from Sally’s shoulder. She stood and faced the front door.
“Yes.”
Sally waited, expecting an explanation.
“Sally, I made bad decisions as a teenager. This one guy, Alex. We were hot and heavy in high school. We didn’t care about anything and thought we were invincible. He decided to join the Marines after graduation. The spring leading up to boot camp we spent a lot of time together, most of it in the backseat of his Camaro. I knew I was pregnant about three weeks after he shipped out. My mom and I were close, so I told her. She was pretty upset, as you can imagine, but she let me decide. I gave my son up for adoption.”
The women sat together in silence. A dog barked in the distance, while a swift breeze plastered newspaper and blue shopping bags up against the unbroken windows of the shop.
“Someone’s out there,” Jana said.
Sally picked up Jay and moved into the back room. Jana shut the door behind them, then turned and crept alone toward the front door. She put her back to the cold wall and leaned her head out. Blackness filled Jana’s vision, and stars burst in her head.
Chapter 28
“Good morning, sweetheart!”
A cotton rag kept Jana’s mouth dry and prevented her from speaking. A chair leg came into view. She looked at her hands, and at the duct tape binding them to the chair. Jana’s head throbbed and her shoulders ached.
“I’m going to pull this out, and you are not going to make a lot of noise. Honestly, it doesn’t matter if you do because nobody will hear you. But I don’t want a headache, so no screaming, understand?”
The Commander’s wrinkled face loomed over her. One bloodshot eye and one black eyepatch held to pitted, pasty skin. His nose stuck out, reddened on the end. Scars ran down one cheek, and the foul smell of salty beef and broccoli on his breath made Jana gag. He wore a beret over a balding and flaked scalp. Jana nodded her nonverbal promise of compliance.
“Here.”
The rush of cold air filled her throat. Jana choked on it and coughed, burning her lungs.
“Sit up.”
Commander Byron lifted Jana by the shoulders and propped her against the wall. Both hands remained bound to the chair, stretching them across her body toward the street. She looked down at herself and at the fastened button on her jeans.
“I am a gentlemen, you do not need to fear that.”
“Who are you?”
“We found the woman and child. They have been secured and taken to the offices of the Holy Covenant for evaluation.”
“Who are you?”
“You need to slow down, Jana. We will have plenty of time to get to know each other.”
Jana’s face twisted in horror. He took Sally and Jay, and he knew her name. The manner in which he’d gathered the information worried her the most.
“I am Commander Byron. I serve the Holy Covenant and have been running the First Cleansing in Cleveland.”
“How do you know my name?”
“I asked Sally.”
Jana shook the grogginess from her head.
“Jana,” he continued. “That is not a common name. Do you know any other Janas in this town?”
His accent appeared only on certain words, and Jana had a hard time placing it. It might have been German, possibly Russian.
“Do you spend your time searching for other Byrons?”
The commander slapped her across the face. His black, leather glove stung Jana’s cheek, leaving a waft of tanned hide and a red splotch. She tasted the rawhide on her swollen tongue.
“You would do best being respectful to me. I do not want to harm you, but I will if I must. You are already dead to the Covenant, unless I say so. If you want to live, you need me, and therefore you must treat me with respect. Do you understand?”
Jana nodded her head up and down without saying a word.
“Now. Would you care to answer my question?”
Jana looked over Commander Byron’s shoulder. She saw the top of a glass counter directly behind him, and the storefront to his right. He had dragged her behind the counter, out of sight of anyone passing the shop
“No sir, I have never met another Jana, here in Cleveland or anywhere else for that matter.”
A huge grin spread across Commander Byron’s face. His yellow teeth glared at her, preceded by the foul breath.
“Yes, that has been my thoughts too. I can’t tell you how lucky I am. Of all the Infidels scurrying like rats around the city, I happened to spot you in my sights. Can you believe it Jana? I was on the streets when you appeared. It must be an act of God, don’t you agree?”
Fearing another blow for insubordination, Jana nodded her head yes. She bit her lip hard, doing her best to keep the tears from flowing.
“How old are you, Jana?”
“Twenty-three.”
“Ah yes, how I remember twenty-three. Nights and lovers last forever at twenty-three, do they not?”
“What are you going to do with me?”
“And where do you live?”
Commander Byron kept ignoring her questions, waiting with patience for the information he needed. The art of interrogation took years to perfect. The commander moved a hand to the knife on his belt and wrapped his fingers around the handle.
“South Euclid. What are you going to do to me, you bastard!”
Another gloved hand rose up and struck Jana on the same side of the head. Her eyes rolled back
, and then focused on Byron. She felt her face burning, growing puffy, and she could taste the salty drip of blood from her lip.
“You will respect me, young lady, or you will have a very swollen face. I’m going to continue to ask you questions. The answers may very well save your life. If, however, you curse at me or show your disrespect, I will cut you into pieces and feed them to the rabid dogs in the streets. Nobody but me knows you are here. I have the power to wipe you from the face of the Earth.”
“I’ll cooperate, I promise. I’m tired, my head hurts, and this tape is giving me a spasm in my back.”
Jana forced a half-smile, and lifted her head toward Byron. She opened her fists and batted tears away with her eyelashes.
“If you so much as—”
“Yes, you will kill me. I understand. My back, please?”
Now Commander Byron smiled. He held a pistol to Jana’s head with one hand. The other held a sixteen-inch knife that sliced through the tape on her hands, wrists, and ankles.
“Thank you,” she said, with a note of sincerity.
The circulation came back into her limbs and she was able to stretch the muscle spasm from her back.
“May I stand?”
“Sure, my dear, but don’t expect the eye of this barrel to be looking anywhere but at your forehead.”
“What’s next?”
“That all depends on how you answer my questions.”
Jana nodded.
“Go ahead.”
“Do you know someone named John?”
“No.”
Commander Byron struck Jana square in the mouth. The previous slaps transmitted a blunt warning. This one delivered the pain. Jana slumped down in her chair and spat blood on the floor. Her tongue nudged a loose tooth in the front, and her lip swelled.
“Don’t lie to me. Do you know someone named John?”
“I don’t know—”
Byron hit her again, in the same spot. Stars swirled around Jana’s head. She lost her equilibrium and fell off the chair onto the floor while spitting teeth into her palm.
“I can see that your leg is not fully healed. That is where I will be headed next unless you speak the truth. Do you know someone named John?”
