Another Deception
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“Here, let me see if he is okay. I have a bottle ready and there are some diapers and clothes you will need for the trip. I also have a birth certificate for him. It is a good fake so it should get you on the plane with the story you have, everyone will be too busy feeling sorry for you to suspect anything. Are you all right? What happened? Something went wrong, didn’t it?”
Anna placed the baby in the car seat she purchased for the trip and turned her attention to Cranford.
“What happened?”
Cranford just kept shaking his head and now that he was not holding the baby, she could see his hands shaking too.
“Frank…that crazy, lunatic Frank. He never told me that was his plan.”
“What plan, Cranford, what plan?”
He looked up at her and when she saw that he was actually crying, she put her arms about him and hugged him.
“You do not have to tell me. I know it must be bad. Come on, we still have a plane to catch. If we leave now, we will have time to relax at the airport before the plane takes off.”
Cranford nodded, thankful not to have to put into words what Frank had done. Maybe later he could talk about it, but not now.
“Where is the bag I brought to you earlier?”
“Right here. Now, are you going to be able to carry two shoulder bags and that car seat?”
“It will be fine. I can do it. Poor little thing here has no idea what almost just happened to him.”
“Ready? Let’s go!”
“Anna?”
“Yes?”
“Thank you for your help. I don’t think I could have pulled it off without you.”
“You know you are welcome, now we better get going.”
It was a good thing Anna was driving for Cranford did not believe he could have. The horror of Frank standing on that slab with explosives strapped all around his body would not leave him. Would he have agreed to help him if he knew what he was going to do? Then he looked at the infant sleeping in the car seat behind him and remembered what Frank said to him after they witnessed the cannibalism of the young child. They could not save that one, but he gave his life to save this one and how many others would live now that he took so many perpetrators with him.
“Turn on your radio, will you? 101news channel.”
Anna did as he asked and the next few minutes they listened to news of the city. When it got around to the explosion, Cranford listened intently. He found it hard to believe that they could get something so wrong unless it was on purpose. That meant there were more out there like the ones in the building. The story told was that there was a meeting held to discuss renovating the building into a teen center and a gas leak caused the explosion. It was estimated there were at least fifty unidentified bodies found so far.
Cranford reached over and turned it off.
Anna glanced over at him.
“Is that where you went tonight?”
“Yeah.”
“I am sorry for you. It must have been bad.”
“It was.”
“But you saved this baby and you should be proud.”
“Detective Frank Dear saved this baby and it cost him his life.”
“He is dead?”
“He is dead. I had no idea what he planned until I saw him with those explosives strapped on his body. I would have talked him out of it, there had to have been another way.”
“Maybe he did not think so.”
“I think he wanted to die.”
“Why would you think that?”
“Because they took away his will to live a long time ago. I should have seen it coming to this. Why didn’t I see?”
“Maybe you were not supposed to stop him. Let it be. Let him be. Just get this little one home and forget all of it.”
Cranford looked at her curiously.
“I wonder if I will ever be able to let it go. It makes me want to spend the rest of my life looking for the scum buckets that do this to innocent children. You do know there are more out there. No child is safe. Not this one, not any.”
“You are a good man Cranford and good will always overcome evil. Always!”
They arrived at the airport and Anna helped him in and went as far as she could. When they got to security, she sat the bags she was carrying down, after a slight hesitation, reached up, and kissed him on the cheek.
“You will be fine. Take this baby back to his parents and be the hero that you are. When you come back to the city, call me. I will be waiting to hear the rest of the story.”
“When I get back, maybe I will share it with you. Do not forget, wait two hours, call Jacks and tell him to meet me at the airport to get his baby. Take care of yourself, Anna.”
He picked the bags up and made his way through security with the still sleeping baby.
35
Jacks sat by Honeys bed holding her hand. After he talked to Frank, he went on to see his mother and Jessie. Knowing how fast news traveled in the small town, he did not want to chance them hearing from someone else. He was to the point and both women were upset and worried that he was right about who he thought was behind it. Millie cried and Jacks left Jessie to console her. He hated to leave but wanted to be with Honey, even though the doctor said she would most likely sleep through the night. He almost wished he could sleep the hours away until hearing from Frank but he knew there would be no sleep for him.
When he arrived back to the hospital room, Sheila was with her. After he convinced her that there was no need for her to stay, she left and he took her place sitting by Honey’s side, holding her hand for comfort.
It was in the early morning hours when his phone rang and he answered it quickly, hoping it was Frank. It was Anna instead. She told him that the baby was on his way home and Cranford would be at the Jackson airport by the time he arrived with him. Jacks was ecstatic with the news and left the hospital immediately heading for the airport. On his way, he called Dwight and asked if he would go to the hospital to be with Honey just in case she woke up before he returned. Dwight, wide awake at the good news, shared it with Sheila, as he pulled on his clothes and hurried to be there.
As it grew light outside, Honey began to stir and Dwight prepared to calm her if she awakened with hysteria. Her eyes fluttered and she looked confused for a minute before they both heard a baby wailing at the top of his lungs before Jacks came almost running into the room with the tiny bundle in his arms, shouting,
“He is here! Our son is back and he is safe!”
Dwight helped Honey sit up as Jacks thrust the baby into her outstretched arms, tears streaming down her face.
“You brought him back to me, Jacks, you brought our baby back! Thank God! Is he all right? Is he really?”
“Yes, he is! The nurse is calling the doctor to check him out, but he seems fine. Except, I think he is hungry. He would not take the bottle. Cranford took great care of him. Cranford? Where did he go?”
Dwight walked to the door and looked out. Cranford was leaning against the wall. He was exhausted. After being up all night, he drove the three of them back so Jacks could care for the baby. He had awakened half way through the flight and the poor little thing cried nonstop the rest of the way. Jacks tried to quite him with very little success the whole drive. Funny how two minutes in his mother’s arms worked wonders. Now nursing he was like a lamb.
“Come on in, they are asking for you.”
Cranford followed him back in.
Honey said gratefully,
“Thank you so much! You saved our baby!”
Cranford looked at her and the baby, shaking his head.
“No ma’am, I just brought him back to you. Detective Frank Dear saved that baby. He is a hero. He gave his life in the line of duty.”
The room was quiet but for the gurgling noise, the baby made.
Dwight broke the silence.
“I am sorry to hear that. It is sad someone had to die.”
Cranford nodded and Honey insisted,
“I am so
rry too. He was such a nice man. I would like to hear everything that happened when you feel up to it. I will forever remember what he did, and you too, Cranford. I cannot thank you enough.”
Cranford looked at the tiny baby in wonderment of how he had come through such rough handling.
“Just keep that boy close to you and that will be thanks enough for me.”
He looked at Jacks and Jacks understood what he meant, for he had heard the complete sordid story on the way back to the hospital. He shuddered to think about the fate his son had been spared. Frank had made a dent in the evil, but had not ridded the Earth of the entire sect of even one state. Evil such as this existed, even if most people turned a blind eye to it, not wanting to admit such horrors happened. He replied,
“You can count on that.”
Dwight then insisted that Cranford come home with him for some much needed sleep and suggested to Jacks that he should get some sleep also. Jacks’ response was,
“I will, as soon as they get a cot set up right here because I am not going anywhere without my wife and son!”
Honey said thoughtfully,
“I think we should call him Alton Frank, what do you think?”
Jacks smiled,
“I think it is a good name. He will be named for two heroes. One, who gave his life for me and the other, who gave his life for him. Got to be good!”
Dwight smiled and added,
“And, we thank the one who gave his life for us all. Our Lord, Jesus Christ! Amen!”
**********
In a dark and gloomy abyss, there were sixty-two evil entities added to the numerous others, fighting for a chance to roam the Earth in search of a body to inhabit, so they could torment humankind.
And, God’s children the world over were crying out,
“Come quickly, Lord Jesus, come quickly!”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pamela Carron lives in the state of her birth and is proud to be called a Mississippian. She has five adult children and many grand’s who call her Nana. Her love of travel takes her on many adventures and her hopes are that everywhere she goes, the light of Jesus Christ shines through her.
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