ELIJAH: A Suspense Novel
Page 23
Amber was naked under the blanket. Dead or alive, I loathed moving the blanket. Even if dead, she suffered such devastating, humiliating atrocities during life, she deserved to be treated with excess dignity.
Then she sat up.
Tommy fell down.
Holly crab-crawled backward.
I said, “Amber?”
She rubbed her eyes. “What?”
I fetched the remaining set of clothes and handed them to her.
She tried to stand, but couldn’t. She didn’t seem to be in pain, her muscles just weren’t cooperating. The spots on her skin where the clamps touched were red, and there were burn marks.
I helped her stand, and Holly helped her get dressed. I carried her to a chair and gently sat her down.
Tommy was still on the floor. I was afraid he might really be in shock, but after Amber sat in the chair, he got up.
I said, not really knowing what else to say, “Are you all right?” I was still dumbfounded.
She said, “Can I have some water?”
What just happened? I mean, really.
I felt like I was in some freaky dream. What did just happen was impossible. She was dead. Now she’s asking for water, like she only woke up from a nap or something.
I looked at Tommy and Holly for help. I had no idea where there might be water, outside of the bathroom sink.
Tommy disappeared into an adjacent room and returned with a chilled bottle of water.
Amber said, “Who are you?”
“Elijah.”
Tommy said, “He saved us.”
Amber seemed to consider me a moment, then said, “I’m all right. I feel kinda weird.”
I waited for her to elaborate. She didn’t, so I pressed a little. “In what way.”
She started talking slowly, then words seemed to get easier for her. “I don’t know. I remember hurting, hurting really really bad, more than I’ve ever hurt before. I wanted to die. And then I didn’t hurt any more. And then I heard this voice, a man’s voice that seemed to be coming from everywhere all at once. I looked around but didn’t see him. No man has ever been that nice to me. They always want to do bad things. He said, ‘Your pain is over now. You’re safe here, Amber.’ I didn’t know how he knew my name. But I wasn’t scared. He said, ‘I want you to grow up and help children.’ I said, ‘How can I? I tried to escape once. I got beat up so bad it hurt to move for a week.’ He said, ‘The man who is holding your hand.’ I looked at my hands, no one was holding either one. But then I saw a picture of me on like this giant TV, only I’m guessing it was a TV because there wasn’t a box around it, and I’m guessing it was me, there was a blanket on me. And another man was holding my hand. Then the man talking to me said, ‘His name is Elijah. You can trust him. He will help you.’ And then I woke up. And now I’m thirsty.” She took a drink of water.
Holly stopped smiling. She rubbed her face, massaging her cheeks.
Tommy got her a bottle of water. And me.
I sat down in a chair. I still didn’t know what happened. It was beyond my ability to comprehend.
Then Tommy said what I couldn’t put into words, and he said it well enough. “God did something.”
Chapter Thirty-Nine
In the morning, evil orderlies found us. Lynch was still out on the floor. I had covered his body with blankets. It took three. Not to save his dignity, but so that we did not have to see him. There was a lot of blood on the floor by his face. I turned his head so he wouldn’t choke.
One of the evil orderlies gave Lynch two more tranquilizers. Turns out he wasn’t really evil after all, but that he was programmed in such a way that he was controlled by Lynch. Almost like mind control that was set up in advance. Lynch couldn’t really control them. But they were altered so that they had no choice but to follow the routine that Lynch had programmed into them. Including the doctor Lynch referenced.
They were also programmed so that they could not lift a hand against Lynch. It just wasn’t possible.
But Lynch did not have a failsafe in the event he died or simply fell unconscious. Not just asleep. He evidently assumed nothing would ever happen to him.
Word got around fast that Lynch was out. Electrical charges to the doorknobs were turned off. Doors imprisoning children were opened.
The Suit ran off. So did Boris. And Hecter the Lecter wannabe.
One of the orderlies found a cellphone belonging to Lynch. He called the police, and also gave descriptions of the Suit, whose name was Leslie Hillock, and also Boris, and Hecter.
He handed me the phone so that I could call Uncle Joe, who then called Ray and gave him my location. I realized I never received a phone call from Uncle Joe on the cell I set up. I couldn’t even remember having the phone. I must have dropped it at the truck stop where I bought it. I’m an idiot.
I spent the rest of the day playing with the kids. The hospital was an awesome place to play hide and seek, and chase. Chase without any abuse associated. Chase just for the pure fun of chase. I don’t think I’d ever run as much as I did then.
But some kids still couldn’t bring themselves to play. I couldn’t blame them. It would take a long time for many of them to recover. Some years. Some never.
And none would ever forget.
The next day, even though Christmas had passed a few days earlier, Ray came dressed as Santa Claus carrying a buttload of toys and games. So many in fact, he had to have several elves (from the Network, not the North Pole, shhh) help out. No one cared that Ray was a black Santa. His smile was better than the real Santa’s anyway.
Those kids not scared of Tyler loved all over him. And he loved them back. That is, until he saw Winchester and the other cats. Man it was great to see that dog again.
It was going to be an adjustment for both of us, but it just wouldn’t be right if Tyler lived anywhere else but with me. Mr. Brox—Nick, would want it no other way.
Jenny was one of the elves. She looked amazing in an elf costume. I admit, I teared up a little when I saw her. Though I didn’t cry like a little girl.
She gave me Perceptive Smile #9, push-walked me over to a semiprivate spot and kissed me, as in really kissed me. You know, the mouth-to-mouth kind, and there wasn’t any resuscitating going on.
There were times when I wondered if I’d ever see her again. And now she was kissing me.
She didn’t carry toys, though. She had a bag of Cheetos.
The way to show true love for that special someone in your life is to cook him/her Cheetos and rescue them from being brainwashed in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
Life is good.
Ray walked up while Jenny was, um, resuscitating me. “Pardon me,” he said with a huge smile, “Are you interested in helping us hunt down the rest of the board members?”
Tyler said, I’m in.
I looked around for him, not knowing he was anywhere in the vicinity at the moment, and saw him standing a few feet behind me.
He said, Yeah, sorry, I wasn’t staring or anything. I was just making sure she wasn’t a vampire the way she was slobbering on you. I got your back.
I couldn’t help it, I laughed. Which, of course, drew weird looks from Ray and Jenny. I chilled and looked at Jenny for her answer.
She nodded.
Ray extended his hand to shake.
I grasped it, and tried not whimper when he squeezed.
Tyler padded over, stood on his hind legs and placed a paw on top of our handshake.
Jenny put her hand on top.
I said, smiling, “Looks like we’re all in, Santa.”
Ray gave me a side hug fierce enough to lift me off the floor. “Brother Elijah, come home to the family!”
After he put me back down and I made sure my collarbones weren’t broken, I said, “How did you and Jenny escape the office building? What happened to those two girls?”
Ray favored me with a big smile. “A miracle in itself, my brother. We don’t know how the girls initially got away. But in doi
ng so, they triggered an alarm at the security desk in the lobby. Two of the guards were already in the elevator on the way up to the 40th floor. The doors opened as we entered the hallway. The guards were not accustomed to the scene. One took off his jacket and covered the naked girl. They quickly took us back down. We returned to get you, but you were gone. The advertising office has been shut down. But there was no link from there to here. We thought you were in Florida somewhere.”
Lynch was carted off in a different wheelchair. There were enough witnesses to his crimes that he would never ever feel freedom again.
I still say he deserves the death penalty. But, I’m not going to be the executioner.
Some of the Network were going to stay behind and call in favors with people to come out and/or donate to help turn the hospital into a real facility for children. Safe. And loving.
By the way, what is a ‘buttload’ anyway?
Actually, you know what, never mind. I don’t wanna know.
Acknowledgements
There are several people I need to thank for bringing ELIJAH to life:
Sheri, Megan, and Corban, for bearing with me for ten years along this journey. Dad, Terry Redman, and Sandi Redman for their wonderful support in life and the Kickstarter. The beta reader’s group: Bobby Cross, Brett Norris, Daniella Ojo, Diana Roca, Dyana Clement, Garth Brown, Glen Mora, Joe Wright, Josie Siler, Lynn Rush, Merle Gornick, Richard Page, Sandi Redman, Sara Smolarek, and Steve Hardin. Jason Christian for creating an uber cool website. Tom Nynas for an amazing book cover. Dave Curlee for an incredible book trailer. Connor Torealba for his phenomenal acting. Richard and Dina Page for their undying support and direction. Pedram Kazemi for his brotherhood and enormous support. Tosca Lee and Erin Healy for direction. Cindy Conger for awesome memes. Lynn Rush, Claude Bouchard, Luke Romyn, and Erin Healy for their wonderful endorsements. Dr. Karen Fink and my Tumor Team for creating a treatment plan that has extended my life. Dean Koontz for his mentorship. Uncle John Foreman and “Uncle” Michael Fogassey, Rich Levinson, Ken and Martha Nichols, Garth and Alya Brown, Jason Christian, and Greg Devoll for their significant contributions. Everyone who backed the Kickstarter. All of my family and friends: I thank God for you.
A Note from the Author
I started writing the suspense novel, ELIJAH, in 2012 after my mentor, Dean Koontz, instructed me to bury my first novel in an unmarked grave somewhere in Antarctica where even the penguins couldn’t read it.
ELIJAH is about inspiring hope in readers, about heightening awareness of sexual abuse and child prostitution, while also encouraging a smile here and there.
My hope is that you will think about your real life experiences, how you can have happiness in spite of hardships, and about how you could help save a child.
As Elijah states early in the story, “Happiness is a choice, not a circumstance.”
Along the journey of writing ELIJAH, I was diagnosed with gliomatosis cerebri, an incredibly rare form of terminal brain cancer, in April 2013. I was given one year to live “if lucky.” Yet God has blessed me, and I’m still here. After a year-and-a-half off to deal with brain surgery, radiation, chemo, and steroid treatments—and the fear of whether I’d be able to write again—I returned and finished the journey. The whole time, Elijah was speaking to me in my mind, urging me to let his voice be heard. He got his wish.
Many years ago, my wife and I worked for four years at a children’s home. We saw firsthand how abuse—sexual, physical, verbal, neglect—can devastate a child. We know some of those children today as adults. They have overcome their past. They have completed their journeys and started new ones.
This is for them.
More information about my cancer is on the Gliomatosis Cerebri page at www.inspirepublishing.guru
or www.frankredman.com
About the Author
Frank Redman lives in Texas with his wife, Sheri, daughter, Megan, son, Corban, and three rescued attack cats. He is a three-year survivor of terminal brain cancer.
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
Title Page
Praise
Copyright
Dedication
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Acknowledgements
A Note from the Author
About the Author