The Great Thirst Boxed Set

by Mary C. Findley

  “So the stuff you’re beating yourself up over, you can’t change. Would you believe me if I said there’s somebody whose job it is to keep you beating yourself up over the past until you’re so bloody you die from it?”

  “What?” Dan rubbed his eyes again. “Do you know how long it’s been since I slept? I can’t take in whatever it was you just said.”

  “The accuser – that’s one of the names the Bible gives to the Devil,” Keith said. “His biggest job is to keep bringing up our defeats. His hope is that we’ll get so hopeless we’ll kill ourselves and never have a chance at serving God. And everybody who cares abut us will feel defeated, too, because they didn’t stop us.”

  “Oh,” Dan said. “He don’t have to work hard on me, though. I do it to myself.”

  “We all do,” Keith replied “Look, I know you hate sermons, and you know every line I could throw at you, so I’ll just tell you I’m sorry I kept up my end of the fight all these years. I don’t want to do that anymore. Dad said I needed to let go of my pride, and he’s right. So come here –” he forced himself up on his feet “– and let’s do some kinda manly hug thing around my scaffolding, if we can.”

  “Scaffolding. That’s cute.” Dan approached and reached out his hands to pat Keith’s shoulders. “I don’t wanna hurt you.”

  Keith slowly sank back down. “There’s good hurts. Thanks, David, for being a brother to my brother Dan.”

  David smiled from where had put himself up against a wall, trying to be out of the way in the tiny room. Keith couldn’t help noticing he looked almost as ragged as Dan.

  “Can you really get dad out of that mess up there and get him safe down here?” Dan asked.

  “That’s her department,” Keith said, pointing at Talia.

  “It’s a work in progress,” Talia admitted.

  “Hey, speaking of her, when was I supposed to find out I’m gonna be an uncle?” Dan demanded. “What is it, and when is it poppin’ out? Looks like soon.”

  “Maybe two months, and she tells me it’s a baby,” Keith answered.

  “They’ve been calling it Cherub,” David said with a grin. “Not after me, either. That was Jiggly’s idea, since it’s going to be a baby warrior angel, whatever else.”

  “Hey, yeah, I wanna see the Cyborg, and your green-haired pirate woman, and Papa and Mama Indy. Can we go to the camp or something? Oh … I guess you can’t go anywhere,” Dan said, catching Keith’s eye. “Sorry. We could order a pizza, and maybe Sharon could get them over here?”

  “We should do a rain check on that,” David said. “Maybe tomorrow. You and Keith both need to get some rest. You can sleep, now, right, Dan, knowing that Keith is not going to curl up and die?”

  “There’s a patio area in back, with tables,” Talia said. “We’d have room for everybody.”

  “We’ll plan on that, then,” David said. “Tomorrow, if possible.”

  “Can I –?” Dan held out a hand toward Talia’s middle.

  “Of course,” Talia said with a smile.

  “Whoa! Dancin’ baby,” Dan said. “Didn’t think I’d ever be an uncle.”

  “You can be here for that too,” Keith said. “Not sure where, exactly, it’ll happen, but I hope not right here.”

  Chapter Ninety-five – “Hurt Hawks”

  After the two men had left, aides brought dinner trays and Keith rolled up to the tiny table next to Talia. “I can’t believe Dan would really try to kill himself. Thank you, God, that David stopped him.”

  “What neither of them told you,” Talia said, “was that Cindee called me shortly before they got here and said David left three days ago. She just heard from him, that he was coming, and bringing Dan. I’m sure David has been keeping watch over Dan all this time. You saw how exhausted he was.”

  “I don’t know what to do to help Dan,” Keith said. “Maybe David is the one to do it.”

  “I told you that you can’t. Neither can David. Dan has to let God.”

  “Yeah. Not that I’m trying to rush God, or anything, but it would be good for a lot of people’s peace of mind if we knew for certain that things were going to happen with dad and the kids. Is there any progress on getting the administrators down here? And are we all set up for the kids’ trip?”

  “We are solid on getting the kids down here, and everyone else from Precious Treasure who wanted to come has registered as a chaperone. Many have mixed feelings about leaving the country, and the thought that they might never go back stopped quite a few people. There is so much in the news about economic troubles, persecution of believers, escalating violence, government interference– I didn’t want to tell anyone they might soon have no choice about making some kind of move. You know how many teacher friends we have asking for prayer about spiritual encouragement.”

  “Something else God has to do, not us.” Keith sighed. “This therapy is kicking my butt so bad. It took all I had to stand up for Dan. Felt like I needed to reassure him, but if we have to run for the ball court, I don’t know how that’ll happen. And what if the baby comes before I can even pick my arms up for more than five seconds, much less walk?”

  “His eye is on the sparrow,” Talia said softly.

  “”Okay, yeah, go ahead and sing it. That is just what I need to hear right now.”

  “My ribcage and diaphragm are all stretched out of shape,” Talia groaned, but she obliged. When she finished, she added, “I don’t know if I’ll be able to sing in another month.”

  “Singing is a whole different set of muscles, isn’t it?” Keith asked. “I can’t do it at all anymore. Just getting to where I can talk normally again.”

  “At least we can hope the ball court refuge will be ready, if we need it. Amu and Zanamu are saying there’s fantastic progress on the road to the ball court, and the living quarters under it. It should be ready in a month, at least to the point we can survive down there.”

  “Did I image how cold it was? I mean, was that part of the vision?”

  “Amu says he thinks the ball court was built to circulate the cold air of the waterfall all through the upper and lower levels,” Talia answered. “That’s why the wall felt so cool to you when you touched it.

  “The guys said they didn’t experience the cold you described over on the end where you went through. I’m not sure if that was part of your vision, or if something changed by the time they got there because of all the damage. There are some living chambers already built underneath the court. Zanamu said they are like the royal pavilion in the Well of Provision. Resting places from the heat.”

  “Resting places sounds great.” Keith sighed. He pushed his dishes away. “I am so beat. Think I want to crawl in bed.”

  “You hardly ate anything,” Talia protested. “Remember what Raul said? No energy, no progress. You need more food than ever to help you heal. I’m not seeing you eat that much.”

  “Can’t.” Keith backpedaled and bumped into his bed. He winced at the jarring. “Food just sits in there, and I feel sick to my stomach, and all that air they said they pumped in for the surgeries will not come out.”

  “You’re due for another surgery in two days,” Talia fretted. “You need to eat.”

  Keith had already pushed his call button. “Maybe later. Right now I am about to pass out.”

  An aide came in and helped Talia get Keith ready for bed. “I can walk across that therapy room, but I still can’t get my own feet up on the bed. Why is that?”

  “You have to give it some time, Señor Bradley,” the aide said. “It is especially tough on someone who was so big and strong before, to have patience. ‘Hurt Hawks’ by Robinson Jeffers – you should read that poem.”

  “Leave that, please,” Talia said when the aide started to remove the dinner trays. “My husband’s, I mean. Thank you.”

  Talia called the poem up on her tablet while Keith lay with his eyes drooping shut. He stirred when she didn’t say anything.

  “Well? Can I read it, or will you read it
to me?” Keith asked.

  “Maybe I should just sing to you some more,” Talia said. “I’m not sure this is what you need right now.”

  “Let me see.” Keith managed to get her tablet into his hands, but the look in her eyes made him hesitate before he turned to the screen.

  “Oh,” he said. “Dang. No, that’s not what I need. Now I’m picturing Dan with his gun again –” He shoved the tablet away. Talia barely caught it. “Why would anybody in a place like this recommend a poem like that? Some things can’t get better, so shoot ’em? And he’d rather shoot a man than a hawk? And what if I can’t get better, like that hawk?”

  “I’m sure the aide didn’t mean to upset you,” Talia said. “I’ve taught the poem to the English classes before. It has some beautiful imagery. You have to admit it makes an impact on you. It just hit me that it’s not right for you, right now.”

  Keith stared up at the ceiling. “Good thing I don’t have to teach poetry. I get what you’re saying, but you’re right. For me, right now, that is messed up. People are messed up. Yeah, I need you to sing for me again. I got to get that out of my head. And we need to pray for Dan again. And David too. And – everybody.”

  Talia sang and they prayed, and Keith said, “Guess what?”

  “You’re hungry?”

  “How’d you know?”

  “Psychic, I guess.” Talia handed him the bed control and went over to get his dinner tray.

  “Got another thing in common with Joana now,” Keith said, rubbing his stomach.

  “I think I can guess what it is.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “‘Next-level burps.’” Talia said with a smirk.

  “Ow! Still hurts to laugh, y’know.”

  “Sorry.”

  Keith awoke from the latest surgery, but instead of finding Talia by his bedside, Drew Summers sat there. Keith blinked and tried to clear away the post-anesthesia feeling of unreality that was beginning to feel too real.

  “Don’t tell me – all hell broke loose again,” he joked. “Ow.”

  “No joke,” Drew said quietly. “Keith, we have made arrangements to move you out of here. Talia is signing the ‘against medical advice’ paperwork right now. We are taking Dr. Cornell, a nurse, and an aide with us, but there’s a chance you’ll have a very uncomfortable few days before this gets sorted out.”

  “What–happened?”

  “Eva is dead, and Angel is gone.”

  “What?” Keith had thought, since this surgery was to remove temporary bracing of nearly-healed bones, it couldn’t feel as bad. Wrong. He looked for the morphine button but it wasn’t there.

  “Sorry. Very sorry. The hospital insisted its equipment be unhooked, and Dr. Cornell hasn’t quite got you hooked up to his equipment yet so we can roll you out of here. He’ll get you some pain meds as quick as he can. More paperwork first, unfortunately.”

  “Drew –” Keith had to gasp to get the words out. “Do you think Anne did it?”

  “Anne – She won’t talk to me on the phone. She kept begging me to come. I couldn’t get up there, because I had to try to secure you guys, with Angel loose, and my guys told me she has blood all over her, but she won’t tell them anything either. I don’t know what to think.”

  “Go talk to her. David– other people–deal with us.”

  “I can’t. This is my job and my responsibility. One thing Anne was right about – we never should have let Eva stay tangled up with Angel while you were all still here and vulnerable. But Anne is –” he hesitated. “Anne is locked up in the house with Eva’s body, holding everybody off with her personal arsenal. It’s been two hours, and Anne won’t let anybody in. She already winged one of my guys, and she’s nailed the doors and windows shut. Mexican police are going to find out about it one way or the other if it drags on. She seems to have gone crazy.”

  “Crazy like a fox,” Keith said.

  “Explain.”

  “First promise me – make Dr. Cornell hurry up with the meds.”

  “I’ll go get them myself. What’s up, Newton Brain?”

  “Crime scene.” Keith saw those black spots in the air again. “Evidence.”

  “”You mean I should call in the police?” Drew demanded.

  “No. You go – process the scene. Ain’t that how they say it – on the shows? Evidence – don’t lie.”

  Drew fled the room.

  “You got a cartel drug lord running around who knows where my brother is?” Dan followed Talia and David into the room as orderlies started Keith on his way out.

  Even with the IV medications finally coursing through his system, Keith couldn’t help but wince at the volume. “Stop yelling, Dan. Does Angel know where I am, David?”

  “We’re not sure what he does and doesn’t know,” David said. “The techs have tapped remotely into the computer Eva used in the safe house and found a back door hack that lets someone see everything she did on it. They are tracking to figure out whether Anne set it up, or Angel. It had to be done by someone in the house but they can’t tell where it goes yet.”

  “So – got to assume he does.” Great. More thinking. “Talia – Need my Doomsday Duffelbag. You need yours too. Dan is somebody Angel doesn’t know about, right? He’s going to wheel his grandfather out of here.”

  “You can’t sit up. The doctor made me swear –” Talia already had tears forming.

  “David, take her and get her changed. We got to do this fast, before –” Keith saw the black spots again. Too late.

  Chapter Ninety-six – “I Needed it to Be You”

  “I’m going with you.” Talia grabbed the passenger door of Drew’s jeep as he shifted out of park in the hospital lot. She wore scrubs, a surgical cap and mask, and had a stethoscope draped over her shoulders. Her Doomsday Duffelbag hung over her shoulder. She followed Drew’s gaze and saw Dan disappear into the freight elevator pushing a wheelchair. She risked one glance toward the roof and saw the Magnum copter’s rotors start to spin.

  “What? No! Go be with your husband.” Drew unlocked the door when she wouldn’t let go of the handle and she jumped inside and threw her bag in the back seat.

  “You shouldn’t do this alone, Drew. Keith has the doctor and people who actually know how to look after him. He even has Dan, who’ll have a chance to be there for him like never before. You are going to need help dealing with Anne.”

  “I have three guys up there,” Drew exclaimed.

  “Who are exhausted, on edge, and ready to shoot Anne the minute they get a chance. And she’s in the same state of mind as they are. You need someone to help you figure out the truth.”

  Drew sagged. “Maybe you should drive.”

  “Glad to,” Talia said. They switched places and Talia spurted out of the parking lot.

  “You drive like you belong here,” Drew groaned, hanging on to the armrests.

  “Our trucker friend Mike is bringing the Tesla down with a load of supplies soon. I can’t wait,” Talia said. “How far do we have to go?”

  “We took a risk to keep them close. Half an hour. Turn right – up there! Not here!”

  Talia swerved. She pulled the surgical cap off and tossed the stethoscope in the back seat.

  “I’d like to live to get there,” Drew said. “Get on that road and head west.”

  Talia spun the wheel and floored it again. “You know I’m not just doing this for you, right? If someone could hurt my husband or my aunt and uncle, I want them out of circulation as fast as possible. I’ll do it myself if necessary.” She reached back and pulled her gun out of her waistband, setting it in a cupholder. “We need the truth from Anne and from Angel. What are you doing to find him?”

  “Three more guys are tracking him, and the squints are peeking through that back door in Eva’s computer as best we can. Is there more we should be doing?”

  “Does someone have an ear to the ground with the cartel he belonged to? They’d want revenge against Anne. If they have any idea Angel’s aliv
e, they’d want him back, or to know if he’s informed on them. If the authorities get wind of any shooting between your people, the drug cartel will know about it too. We have to do something in a hurry.”

  “Wow,” Drew said. “If you didn’t already have another job …” Drew got on his phone and rapped out instructions. “Talia, I need you to stay safe – that belly is not part of your Doomsday Duffelbag disguise. Anne has more than one gun, and apparently at least one knife. Please stay back while I talk to her. Turn left up there, into the cane field.”

  Talia did so. “No, I need to be right there beside you. That’s our first litmus test, as Keith puts it in his lab classes. If she’s gone crazy, or if she’s guilty, she won’t care about me waddling up to the front door. It won’t prove anything one way or the other, but it’s a test. It’s a starting place.”

  Drew sucked in air.

  Talia studied him in darts and spurts as she drove faster. “Are you sure you’re okay? Have you had anything to eat or drink since you found out about this?”

  “No.”

  “Get a PowerBar out of my bag,” she ordered. “Do it now. The last thing you need is a case of the shakes. Get some extra ones and pass them out to your guys. It’ll relieve the tension, if nothing else. Chewing releases endorphins. Relax. We are going to find out the truth, no matter what else happens.”

  “Anne! It’s me, Talia. I brought Drew, and I’ve got chocolate. Let us in.” Talia waved a candy bar in front of the window, keeping her gun concealed beside her with the other hand.

  “Talia?” Anne’s haunted face pressed against the glass as the blackout screen moved an inch. “What are you doing here? Didn’t Keith have surgery today?”

  “Keith came through fine. Everyone’s taking great care of him. Anne, Drew and I need to come in.”

  “Drew, are you really there?”

  “Yeah. I’m here.” Drew said, his expression strained.

  “I secured the scene,” Anne said. “They kept trying to come in, but I didn’t let them. I knew it had to be you. I needed it to be you.”