An old swing hung from a tree, gently rocking back and forth, brushed by the occasional gust of wind for the approaching storm. Lightening flashed, and Jason could almost hear the laughter of young children playing in the yard and pushing one another in the swing. Several seconds later, thunder rumbled in the distance. Jason stepped up on the old wooden porch; the boards creaked, seeming to question his presence. His heart thumped loudly as he came to a stop at the heavy wooden front door.
“Hello,” he called out, pushing the door open. No answer. Jason remembered the words of the note. You will feel my presence and know I’m there. Jason felt no one’s presence other than that of the doctor. No surprise there though. Tomas was huffing like he was going into labor.
Floor boards creaked as they made their way down a long hall. Jason reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, turning on the light app. His breathing quickened even more as he began opening doors and shining the light into each room. Old dust covered furniture sat in several of the rooms, others were completely empty. One door Jason opened led down a staircase that ended into darkness, the light not reaching the bottom. He shut the door back, deciding to search the dark and creepy basement only if nothing could be found elsewhere.
The hallway ended into a narrow flight of stairs that led them to the second floor; there another hallway stretched out towards the front part of the house. Jason tried several more rooms with no luck… then he turned a slight corner in the hallway. Down at the end, a light from a candle flickered. It sat next to a door that dead-ended the passageway. It seemed to call to him, bidding him enter.
With Tomas still right on his heels, Jason approached. His ice cold fingers grasped the brass knob and turned it slowly. A click sounded when the door unlatched and the old iron hinges creaked loudly as he gently pushed it open… and there she was. Jason stood stunned for a moment, trying to grasp the picture before him. The clouds parted and moonlight filtered in through an open window, lighting up her features. She looked so young and beautiful… and so helpless.
She looked up at him, and he saw the look of surprise and joy that filled her eyes, but fear was also present there. She was bound to a chair and gagged. That’s when Jason saw it. A bomb sat beneath her. Wires stuck out in haphazard form, and a blank screen faced him from between her ankles. He rushed towards her.
“Stop,” Tomas ordered, coming through the door. “It could be rigged.”
Jason came to a sudden halt. The doctor was right. He stood stone-still for a moment, holding his breath, straining to hear a sound or see a sign of someone else in the house with them. Nothing.
“Show yourself!” Jason challenged loudly. No takers. The old house was still filled with silence… but then the cell phone he still clutched in his hand began to ring. He looked at the caller ID. It was Jenny. Why would she be calling?
Jason slowly lifted the phone to his ear. “Hello,” he answered warily.
“Jason,” Jenny spoke energetically into the phone. “So sorry to bother you. I know you’re probably resting from the climb today, but I just remembered something I meant to tell you earlier. The Texas Border Patrol thinks they may have spotted someone matching Denton’s description down along the border. He may have skipped the country.”
Jason frowned. If that was true, his theory just got shot all full of holes. “Are you sure?” he questioned, a bit doubtful. “I was thinking he was the main kidnapper.”
“Well, no,” Jenny admitted honestly. “I’m not sure. Just relaying the message is all.” The line was silent for a moment before she spoke again. “So are you at home resting?”
“No,” Jason replied. “Just hanging out with a friend of yours.”
“A friend of mine?” Jenny asked, obviously intrigued. “Who?”
“Dr. Throckmorton,” Jason answered.
“Throckmorton, Throckmorton,” Jenny spoke as if trying to jog her memory. “Oh yes,” she sang. “I remember him. If he thinks we’re friends no harm done, but just between you and me, we ain’t that close. He stopped by my office one day and brought me a coffee, and you know how I am with coffee… plus I thought he might’ve been single. Nope. Married. Oh well. Coffee was good. And all he did was just ask me a few questions and leave. Never saw hide nor hair of him again ‘til today I think I may’ve caught a glimpse of him at the gorge.”
Jason’s mind blurred, spinning like a top. Jenny rambled on. “You know, being married, he shouldn’t go around taking coffee to single women like me. I’m not gonna date some married man, but some women’s standards aren’t set nearly so high. Some will just…” Her sentence was cut off short as Jason absentmindedly hung up.
He slowly looked up from his phone, fastening his gaze back on Misty. She seemed to be trying to tell him something as she pulled his gaze with hers over to the doctor. The wind shifted, filtering a breeze through the open window, gently toying with the doctor’s hair. Misty looked from him back to Jason, and her eyes begged him to understand. Jason’s head quit spinning. The fog lifted in his mind. He understood.
“It was you,” he whispered, “this whole time. All the leading and guiding,” his face twisted in painful disgust,” and I followed you! And I trusted you!” he added, his bewildered tone building into one of anger. “You got the information on the kidnappers before the sheriff because you’re one of them!” his voice thundered. “Not just one of them,” he looked at the doctor, “you’re the leader.”
“What on earth are you talking about?” the doctor asked, looking puzzled.
“You’re the wolf,” Jason answered, the shock of it obvious in his voice. “The wolf dressed up as a lamb. You walked by my side. You were there for me when no one else was.” He shook his head.
“Jason,” the doctor spoke, “I know this is a lot to take in, but if you actually think I…”
“You told me Jenny was a patient of yours,” Jason said, cutting him off short, “but that’s not true, is it? Jenny never met you before or since the day you went to her office.”
“Poor Jenny,” the doctor lamented. “Sometimes she remembers things that never happened, other times she forgets things that really did. I think in this case, she did both. My advice to you would be…”
“Enough!” Jason bellowed. “How dare you?” he demanded as he moved forward with a menacing stride. “I trusted you!”
“Trusted me?” the doctor asked, backing up. “What do you mean?” Jason let out an enraged roar as he quickened his advance towards the doctor. “Jason, stop and ask yourself,” the doctor spoke calmly as he pulled a remote detonator from his pocket, “– what would your precious Jesus do? – before you go and do something we’ll all regret.”
It took all of Jason’s willpower to stop and keep himself from tearing into the doctor. As he stood there frozen in place, Dr. Throckmorton smiled. “See Jason,” he spoke, “I tried to tell you, didn’t I? Control yourself and you can control the situation.” He held the detonator up, placing it between their gaze for a moment. “Who is in control, Jason?”
“God,” Jason replied flatly. “God is in control.”
“God?” the doctor asked mockingly. “If he is in control, prove it.”
Lighting lit up the room, followed by a clap of thunder so loud that the floor shook. The doctor leapt into the air, his wide eyes filled with fear. Jason never moved a muscle. “I don’t need to prove that God is in control,” he spoke calmly. “He can do that himself.” The doctor gave a nervous chuckle as he scanned the room. “So why’d you do this to me?” Jason asked.
“For several reasons,” the doctor replied, fastening his gaze back on Jason. “The first is simply because you’re an idiot for thinking I’d let you get away with threatening to reveal the fact that I took part in your first stupid plan,” he spat. “The second, and less important reason, is because you came to me pathetic and weak, begging me to tell you how to fix your wife. I saw that you were such a fool you would have spent your entire life searching for control… but I gave yo
u a reason to find it.”
“Yeah,” Jason replied in disgust, “and almost killed me in the process.”
“Yeah, there is that,” the doctor said with a smile, like Jason’s life was of no great concern to him. “You did find control though, didn’t you?”
“No,” Jason replied flatly. “The only thing I found worth finding was Jesus.”
“What is with your new obsession to give credit to some fictional god?” the doctor demanded, waving the detonator in the air. “Give yourself some credit.”
“I thought you were my friend,” Jason said solemnly. “You’re right; I am an idiot. Why would I give myself any credit?” The doctor just responded with a shrug. Several drops of rain began to fall, making a pitter-pat sound on the roof. “So what now?” Jason asked after a few moments.
“Well,” the doctor replied, “call me old fashion, but I think every story should end with a bang. Yours, Jason, should be no different,” he added as he held up the detonator and pressed the button.
Then, with an evil smile, he turned and walked from the room. Jason looked into the terror filled eyes of his wife… then down at the screen. It was lit up now. The number ten appeared on it. Jason rushed towards her.
Nine seconds. He reached her. The bottom of each chair leg was screwed into the floor. Jason grabbed the seat of the chair and yanked one way then the other, forwards and then back. Then he twisted as he ripped upwards. The crunch of wood sounded, and he stumbled backwards, clutching Misty and the top part of the chair, which she was still bound to, in his arms.
He glanced at the bomb. Five seconds. He raced towards a window, turned his back to it, shielding Misty as he ran. Crashing through the glass, he landed atop the porch roof, sliding on his back with Misty on top of him. He rolled over, gathered her up in his arms as he rose then charged towards the edge of the roof. With Misty in his arms, he leapt off, spinning in the air so he would land first and break their fall.
The back of Jason’s right shoulder slammed into the ground, knocking the wind from him as Misty crashed down on top of him. Wood splintered and she shook her ropes off, removed the gag, grabbed his shirt and helped him to his feet, supporting him as they raced towards the safety of a small rock wall that surrounded Eden House. Reaching it, they collapsed on its far side, Jason shielding Misty’s body with his own.
Silence… then the sound of shattering glass mixed with a fiery explosion. Several shards of the glass landed on top of them; other than that, they were fine. Jason raised his head up and peaked over the stone wall. Flames flickered from within the house, a remnant of the bomb’s scorching blast. Glassless window frames stared back at him like the eyes a fiery demon.
He felt fingers come up through the hair on the back of his head as hands laced together behind his neck. His head was pulled down, and he felt the warm moisture of lips pressed against his own. Misty released him after a short time and whispered, “I love you, Jason,” with tremendous depth and passion.
The earth trembled. Jason looked down at Misty. Her mouth was open, and she was screaming… but he couldn’t hear her. Rocks slammed into the short wall as if they were being fired from a cannon. Boards and pieces of stone began raining down from the sky. Jason wrapped himself over Misty once more. “What’s happening?” he yelled but couldn’t even hear his own voice.
Finally, the deluge was over, and ringing silence filled the night once more. Jason risked a peek through a crater that had been created in the wall, looking towards the… house? He sat up straight. The house was gone. What remained in its place was nothing more than a huge fiery crater. He felt something warm trickling down his face.
“You’re bleeding,” Misty gasped.
Jason was fading. “Hey Misty,” he mumbled. “I love you, too.”
Raindrops splattered against his face. Jason opened his eyelids. Through teary eyes, Misty looked down at him. Gave a brave smile. Brushed her hand against his cheek. “Help’ll be here soon,” she spoke gently. “Your rancher friend heard the explosion and came. He’s gone for help.”
“Call on my phone,” Jason whispered hoarsely.
“Sorry babe,” she responded, gently brushing his hair. “It broke.”
Jason faded back out. Misty had his head cradled to her chest when he came to again. A strange sound could be heard. His eyes finally began to focus. A helicopter sat a short distance away in a clearing. Lights caught the blades as they seemed to spin in slow motion. Several people trotted towards him with a stretcher.
He looked up at Misty. “You’ll be fine, babe,” she assured him as a tear slowly trickled down her cheek. Everything faded into darkness once more.
The chopper ride was a blur of light and dark, combined with the sound of spinning blades and distant voices. The next time Jason opened his eyes, he was being pushed down a long hall on a stretcher. Faded out. Came to in a room with forms in white all around. Back out. When he awoke again, a big shiny round thing floated towards him. It was silver and green with what appeared to be some sort of blue writing on it. Finally, Jason’s eyes focused. “Get well soon,” is what the balloon read.
“That’s quite a man you got there,” Jason heard a voice speak. It sounded like his mother-in-law.
“Yes,” Misty’s sweet, sleepy voice replied. “He sure is.” With those words of love and praise ringing in his ears, Jason faded back out, once more.
Sometime later, he awoke and directed his dazed eyes up at a nurse who stood messing with the contraption by his bed that was hooked to him, giving off a rhythmic beat in sync with his heart.
“Looks like he’s coming to,” she spoke quietly, directing her attention to someone on the opposite side of his bed. “Ms. Hathaway, you wanted me to wake you,” the nurse said. Jason’s gaze followed her as she walked around his bed. “He’s coming to,” she said before leaning over and giving the beautiful lady sleeping in the chair beside him a gentle shake. “Honey, he’s awake,” she spoke again.
Misty’s soft, sleepy eyes opened, and she gave the nurse’s arm, which still rested on her shoulder, a gentle squeeze. “Thanks Ann.”
“Yes ma’am, Ms. Misty,” the nurse spoke in a caring voice then scurried out the door.
As soon as it clicked shut, Misty leaned over to the bed and gently took Jason’s hand. “So how’s my hero?” she asked, brushing her soft lips across his knuckles.
“Oh, he’s had better days,” Jason chuckled, but then he looked deep into the eyes of the woman he loved. “Then again, he’s had a lot worse, too,” he added with a sleepy, happy smile.
She smiled in return and brushed her hand against his cheek. “You scared me, you know.”
“How?” Jason asked innocently like he’d never done anything to cause her worry.
“Climbing that giant cliff,” Misty scolded as if she was upset with him for risking his neck for her.
“Yeah, I was a bit scared myself,” Jason said with a chuckle. After looking at her smiling face for a few moments, he cast a quick glance around the room. “So how long have I been out?” he asked.
“Almost a day,” Misty replied. “They kept you under while they cleaned the rock fragments out of your head wound.” She rose to her feet and gently caressed the thick bandage on the side of his head with the back of her fingers before leaning over and kissing him on the forehead. “They say it’s a miracle, but you should be able to go home soon.”
“Well,” Jason sighed, “I am now a firm believer in miracles.”
“Susan told me,” Misty said with a tender smile. “So what’s it like?”
“What?” Jason asked, confused. “What’s what like?”
“Being a Christian,” she asked, her beautiful eyes shining with interest. “What’s it like to be a Christian?”
“Nothing compares,” Jason replied, his distant gaze fastened on the ceiling. “It’s like all the pain, anger and selfishness – when I feel it bottling up inside, all I have to do is talk to Jesus about it, and he lays all my troubles on his
own shoulders.” Several moments of silence passed between them then Jason turned to her. He had to ask. “Would you like me to introduce you to him?”
“I’ve been thinking about it,” Misty replied. “I just, um, I’m not sure yet.” After a brief pause, she added, “Though I would like to come to Church sometime.”
“Hey, that’d be great,” Jason spoke happily. “We’d all be happy for you to,” he added, reaching up and taking her hand. They remained in silence for a while, each basking in the others presence. Finally, Jason gave Misty’s hand a squeeze. “So have they caught Dr. Throckmorton yet?” he asked, trying to sound calm, but his casual tone had an edge to it.
“No,” Misty replied solemnly. “And I don’t think they will.”
“You think he’s that good?” Jason scoffed, cocking an eyebrow.
“No,” Misty responded. “I think he’s dead.”
“Dead?” Jason asked in surprise. “What makes you think he’s dead?”
“They found a body,” Misty replied, “well, not really a body, just bones – burnt charred bones. The FBI had a bunch of questions for me. What did I remember? Who were the kidnappers? How was I treated?”
“How were you treated?” Jason interrupted.
“With respect,” Misty answered. “That was the doctor’s instructions, and the young Spanish guy made sure they were kept.”
“Was Denton there?” Jason asked, his tone growing darker.
“Yes, he was,” Misty replied somberly. “At one point he made a comment about once you were dead I would be his.” She looked away as a tear built up in her eye, threatening to trickle down her cheek. Then a look of satisfaction settled over her face. “Isaac almost beat him to death, and I never saw him again.”
Jason was silent for a moment, trying to control the anger he felt welling up from within. “Well, you’re okay now,” he spoke.
Beneath the Tombstone (The Tombstone Series) Page 34
