his.
“My dear, dear boy,” he said. “I am so sorry.” Michael did not respond and Isaac threw an inquisitive glance at Mariah.
“He’s been going in and out. He might not wake for awhile,” she whispered.
“May I sit with him?”
“Of course.” Mariah pulled a chair close to the bed, helped Isaac into it, and left him alone. He was exhausted and his creaking bones ached. He trained his moist eyes on his young friend, noting the plaster cast, bruised head, and sallow complexion. He could not lose Michael now. Grief made him cold and his teeth chattered. He hugged himself, trying to squeeze the shivers away. Then he took Michael’s hand in both of his and prayed.
Eventually, his fervent mumbling ceased. He closed his eyes, dozing to the steady rise and fall of Michael ’s breathing. A little while later, Isaac jerked awake and bolted from his chair screaming, “Run, Michael! Take Vanessa and run!” Then he grabbed his chest and fell to the floor. His legs twitched. A dark, wet stain appeared around the crotch of his pants. Deep in his own dreamless world, Michael did not stir and the rabbi died alone.
CHAPTER 18
V anessa stood frozen in the doorway. A few feet from her, Jeremy quivered with exhaustion and worry. Next to him were two sentries, tense and alert. Ramirez sat in a wooden backed chair, his arms loose at his sides. Overhead, a fluorescent light dangled from chains, casting the small, cinderblock room in unnatural light. The scene was unreal. As if encased in a plastic bubble, Vanessa could see, hear, and smell, but she could not feel.
Ramirez leapt from his chair, crying her name. Then he was holding her in a tight embrace. This she felt. His arms were strong and warm, his breath was hot against her cheek, and he smelled of sweat and dirt.
Jeremy yelled and the other men flew toward them. They grabbed Ramirez’s shirt and hauled him backward. Cool air rushed between their bodies and Vanessa shivered. Then Ramirez was on the floor with the men standing over him. He started to rise, but one of sentries stepped on his chest. Jeremy pointed the confiscated gun at Ramirez’s face.
“Don ’t!” Vanessa shouted, putting her body between Ramirez and the gun. “Don’t hurt him! He hasn’t done anything!” Babbling, the words tumbled from her at a pace of their own. “He saved me. Don’t you understand? He saved me! He tried to save the girl. Your Ashley. He went after her. And he came back. He came back for me. Jeremy, he’s good. I promise you, he’s good!”
Jeremy lowered the gun. “It ’s okay, Vanessa. We’re not going to hurt him.” He motioned to the guards and they stepped back. Ramirez climbed to his feet and sat heavily in the chair. The tension went out of the room like air out of a balloon.
She wiped away tears, turned to Ramirez, and touched his head. His hair, soft and bristly, was like the elk hide that had covered the floor of her father ’s study.
“You came back,” she said.
“I didn’t want to leave you. I had no choice.”
“Did you…” Her voice trailed away. She did not want to know if Ashley was dead.
Ramirez’s face tightened. “If these people would stop fucking around, we might be able to get her back.” At his words, Jeremy’s chest sunk. “Talk,” he said. Ramirez shifted his eyes from Jeremy to Vanessa. She nodded and he relayed his adventure. Jeremy didn’t hesitate.
“Mark, bring Vanessa back to the basement and get Paul, Greg, and Jon. Ji m, you and Ramirez come with me.” He started toward the door and stepped down hard on his injured foot, wincing in pain. Ramirez grabbed the crutches and thrust them at Jeremy.
“You can ’t come. You’ll slow us down too much,” Ramirez said. Jeremy raised a hand in protest and then dropped it.
“You ’re right. I’ll wait for you at the Gate.”
Mark took Vanessa ’s arm. Together, they hurried into the tunnel. In the basement, he called for the men and
“My dear, dear boy,” he said. “I am so sorry.” Michael did not respond and Isaac threw an inquisitive glance at Mariah.
“He’s been going in and out. He might not wake for awhile,” she whispered.
“May I sit with him?”
“Of course.” Mariah pulled a chair close to the bed, helped Isaac into it, and left him alone. He was exhausted and his creaking bones ached. He trained his moist eyes on his young friend, noting the plaster cast, bruised head, and sallow complexion. He could not lose Michael now. Grief made him cold and his teeth chattered. He hugged himself, trying to squeeze the shivers away. Then he took Michael’s hand in both of his and prayed.
Eventually, his fervent mumbling ceased. He closed his eyes, dozing to the steady rise and fall of Michael ’s breathing. A little while later, Isaac jerked awake and bolted from his chair screaming, “Run, Michael! Take Vanessa and run!” Then he grabbed his chest and fell to the floor. His legs twitched. A dark, wet stain appeared around the crotch of his pants. Deep in his own dreamless world, Michael did not stir and the rabbi died alone.
CHAPTER 18
V anessa stood frozen in the doorway. A few feet from her, Jeremy quivered with exhaustion and worry. Next to him were two sentries, tense and alert. Ramirez sat in a wooden backed chair, his arms loose at his sides. Overhead, a fluorescent light dangled from chains, casting the small, cinderblock room in unnatural light. The scene was unreal. As if encased in a plastic bubble, Vanessa could see, hear, and smell, but she could not feel.
Ramirez leapt from his chair, crying her name. Then he was holding her in a tight embrace. This she felt. His arms were strong and warm, his breath was hot against her cheek, and he smelled of sweat and dirt.
Jeremy yelled and the other men flew toward them. They grabbed Ramirez’s shirt and hauled him backward. Cool air rushed between their bodies and Vanessa shivered. Then Ramirez was on the floor with the men standing over him. He started to rise, but one of sentries stepped on his chest. Jeremy pointed the confiscated gun at Ramirez’s face.
“Don ’t!” Vanessa shouted, putting her body between Ramirez and the gun. “Don’t hurt him! He hasn’t done anything!” Babbling, the words tumbled from her at a pace of their own. “He saved me. Don’t you understand? He saved me! He tried to save the girl. Your Ashley. He went after her. And he came back. He came back for me. Jeremy, he’s good. I promise you, he’s good!”
Jeremy lowered the gun. “It ’s okay, Vanessa. We’re not going to hurt him.” He motioned to the guards and they stepped back. Ramirez climbed to his feet and sat heavily in the chair. The tension went out of the room like air out of a balloon.
She wiped away tears, turned to Ramirez, and touched his head. His hair, soft and bristly, was like the elk hide that had covered the floor of her father ’s study.
“You came back,” she said.
“I didn’t want to leave you. I had no choice.”
“Did you…” Her voice trailed away. She did not want to know if Ashley was dead.
Ramirez’s face tightened. “If these people would stop fucking around, we might be able to get her back.” At his words, Jeremy’s chest sunk. “Talk,” he said. Ramirez shifted his eyes from Jeremy to Vanessa. She nodded and he relayed his adventure. Jeremy didn’t hesitate.
“Mark, bring Vanessa back to the basement and get Paul, Greg, and Jon. Ji m, you and Ramirez come with me.” He started toward the door and stepped down hard on his injured foot, wincing in pain. Ramirez grabbed the crutches and thrust them at Jeremy.
“You can ’t come. You’ll slow us down too much,” Ramirez said. Jeremy raised a hand in protest and then dropped it.
“You ’re right. I’ll wait for you at the Gate.”
Mark took Vanessa ’s arm. Together, they hurried into the tunnel. In the basement, he called for the men and
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