When the shower was over she sat inside the enclosure for a moment. Looking up she prayed. “Lord, I hear and feel you calling me to come out from behind my walls as they crumble with each new day. Let me know you, like you have known me since before I was born into this world. Let that man out there continue to guide me, on this journey to knowing you better. In doing so I hope that man and I will become the best of friends and Lovers, if you so desire that for us.”
As she dried off in the warmth of long fluffy towel she cleaned the mirror of steam to see a set of clothes placed on the ground. A pair of her favorite jeans with a nice top, her favorite cowboy boots with matching under garments. “And he has good taste too, go figure.” she thought as she dressed feeling her energy return.
When she opened the door she found him fast asleep on top of the covers on the bed, the sun bathing him in warmth. She walked over to him and gently began rubbing his back and shoulders. She leaned down and kissed the side of his neck. She could see the goose bumps rise on his exposed skin, making her smile even bigger.
Chapter 25
As Maree walked with Mary into the medical ward she felt her grip tightening on her hand when they reached Aubry's room. She saw through the glass door the swelling and bruising on her daughter and began to cry on Maree’s shoulder. Maree comforted her for a moment then she held Mary at arm’s length. “That is one of the strongest women I have ever known and you helped make her that strong! Now, go inside and be with your daughter.”
With a parting hug she walked into Aubry’s room. Seeing her sleeping beauty she sat down next to her, taking her hand and kissing it lightly. Her tears falling silently to land on the hand she held gently.
Aubry turned her head to see her mom with her head bowed. “Mom, I love you so much. I missed you more than I can ever say, please tell me you still love me.” The tears couldn’t be held back by either of them as Mary rose to hug her. Moving the hair from her face she looked into her daughters tear filled eyes. “You, my child will always have my love. I can only ask that you please don’t stop loving me for all the terrible things I have done”
Aubry looked at her mom for a long time as they both cried years of sorrow and pain for the life they had been dealt. “Mom, I never stopped loving you, nor did God. Just look where we are. Only God could weave this all together to bring you back to what you have run from for years. Mom doesn’t this love feel so much better? All those times you had me go seek the truth in the word has led us to this very moment. You're in the home of what your memory helped establish. Do you know that all this exists from Michael finally sitting down and letting the love that only the Trinity can provide wash over him?”
Mary looked into her daughters eyes. “Aubry how can you think God would love a woman like me? I have done so many things to live my life with him on the outside. He would never want a whore like me in his kingdom!” Aubry laughed softly. “Mom that shows how much you don't know. Pray with me for a moment, or just listen as I pray.”
Aubry cleared her throat, “Heavenly Father, here we sit before you again, I battered and bruised on the outside, my mother battered and bruised on the inside. Father God wash us clean, show my mother your Amazing Grace, as you welcome her back into the heart you created for her. Let us love you and be loved by you. You are the one that has kept us together and alive all this time. Show my mother now, that even whores are welcome in your embrace. Actually show her that you have a greater love for the sinners that seek out a place within your kingdom. Father I pray these things by the saving grace and blood of your only Son, Jesus Christ. Amen”
Mary sat silent as she began to feel a weight lift from her whole body. She couldn’t explain it nor did she want too. The feeling was beyond any words she had in her vocabulary. All she could do was feel the warm touch on her shoulders. She thought it was Aubry until she realized the hands were much bigger, with a strength flowing out of them that rushed into her heart, “Dear Lord, I feel you touching me now, please don’t ever take that way.”
Aubry looked to see her mom give her life over to the one thing she knew would calm her demons and settle their life down. That one thing being what she always felt for her mother, only this time all of heaven was rejoicing as she felt Loves hands on her. Aubry wiped a tear from her eye as she looked over at the Salvador Dali picture she whispered “Thank you Jesus.”
Maree looked into the room and saw what she knew was the best thing a person could witness. Not only the re-uniting of a family that had been torn apart by evil, but the reuniting of the Heavenly Father with one of his daughters that he had been wanting back in the fold for so long. Maree smiled to herself and made her way to the kitchen. Her heart renewed with pure hope and faith for those two women.
Michael and Theresa entered into their part of the house, their arms wrapped around each others waists. As they came into the room Theresa looked at how filthy Michael was. ”Why don’t we go jump in the shower to clean your old ass up.” she said with a grin. He just smiled at her as he leaned in to kiss the nap of her neck, whispering in her ear, “I love you, more today than I did yesterday.” The sound of his raspy voice and the heat from his breath sent a wave through her. .
They walked into the bathroom and undressed, he smiled at her again. Life would never be the same without this beautiful woman beside him in the good fight. After they showered she looked into his hazel eyes, “Thank you for loving me after all we've been through.” He gazed back at her, losing himself in her brown eyes. “May God give us another day tomorrow to live this life” They moved back to the bed at the center of the room. It was a bed Theresa had picked out when they traveled to Spain. The wood was a Teague that had made the eyes of those looking at it see various shapes in the light and dark patterns. The four posts at the corners were topped by elegant candle holders, each held a ruby red candle scented like a Brazilian flower garden.
As they lay next to one another they knew they would have to leave soon. It was time to go back to their real home where their kids would be anxiously waiting for them. They drifted off to sleep in each others arms, thinking of home.
Later that day, they were holding hands as Michael drove through Decker canyon. Once they had cleared the canyon he turned left to drive through Hidden Valley. Theresa looked out at the surroundings. Of all the places they had lived in their seventeen years of marriage this place just felt so peaceful to her.
As they parked in front of an older two story home in the original Dutch Haven neighborhood of Newbury Park, they were greeted by their youngest daughter running out to hug them both. Rose’s young smile and laugh was infectious to both of them. She was followed by her older brother and sister, they all hugged one another. Michael Jr. looked up at his dad and asked “Can I get your gear bag out for you?” Michael ran his hand over his sons head, “Sure thing M-2, thanks.” Michael watched as his son went to the trunk and about fell over when the smell of the bag hit his nose. “Dad, are you farting in glass jars again then waiting to open them when I get close enough?” Everyone laughed. Michael looked back, “No. I actually took the smell from a dog that licked his balls, before he licked my ear.”
Theresa rolled her eyes at that, Rose giggled as if she would never stop, their oldest daughter Lisa just smiled at her goof ball dad. “Mom, Dad, while you were gone I got this letter.” She handed the letter of acceptance to the University of Southern California to her mother. When they finished reading it they did a little happy dance congratulating her.
When they got inside the family sat together watching Jeopardy like the past few days were never going to repeat. During a commercial Theresa looked over at Michael. “What do you think will happen with Aubry and Mary? And what about Gabriel?” Michael lifted his Pepsi to his mouth taking a sip. “I can feel that Aubry and Mary have come to know love and grace, as for Gabriel and Raven, well those two will be giving us a run for our money I believe. Seriously, I think he has finally found the one woman that he will give himself too. Not just
play mind games with in their sleep.”
M-2 over heard his parents and said, “He should have been named Freddy Kruger instead of Gabriel.” The whole room let out a laugh as they settled into the safety and quiet of their home. Secure in their love for their own family and the hope they tried to bring to the world outside their doors.
After a couple more hours of watching television Theresa and Michael tucked in the younger kids, Lisa stayed up to watch her favorite show. With the house quiet the couple entered their bedroom. As Michael undressed to get in bed he looked at his body in the mirror. “Damn, I am getting to old for this shit!” he exclaimed. Theresa walked up and put her arms around his waist. “You're only as old as you let yourself feel; now take me to bed you goof!” The two repeated their earlier dance in their own bedroom, this time. When they finished they could hear Lisa begging through the walls for them to “hush up.”
They drifted off to sleep with a late night episode of “Criminal Minds” on the television. Theresa woke to the sound of deep snoring. With a smile she turned off the TV. As she tucked her naked body in next to her husband his snoring stopped. They slept the night away in comfort and peace.
Chapter 26
Just after 9:00 a.m. on a quiet little back street in Oxnard, California a UPS truck was pulling up to a house. The driver walked to the door to have the package signed for he noticed that the atmosphere on this quiet street was quite electrified. He had been delivering to this street for years and couldn’t remember when this house seemed in such disarray.
He knocked on the door as a Pit Bull barked at the side fence. The dog was new since the last time he was here. The door was opened by a man dressed in a wife beater and chino shorts. His tattoos trying to show that he was some kind of bad ass with ties to the motorcycle club that had been filling up the airwaves across the county.
The man opened the steel encased screen door to sign for the baggage. “How's Marta doing?” “Who?” He replied. “Oh Marta, she's fine. She's taken a vacation down to Cozumel for a little while. I am her little brother, Jose. I'm house sitting for her.” Once he finished signing the driver handed him the package.
Walking back to his delivery truck he noticed a bald eagle flying above. Turning back to José he pointed it out. José just mumbled some swear words in Spanish, flipping the driver off as he pulled away from the curb.
He looked at the package addressed to him as he half watched the news. They were showing the carnage of twisted metal left on the interstate back near his home town. Sitting on the couch was a young woman about twenty five years old. Out of her left arm hung a hypodermic needle, a little of her blood was near the plunger. He had just finished shooting her up before the delivery man showed up. She was taking her ride into the depths of meth addiction. Her body addicted to every nervous twitch and sense of euphoria she felt. As she rolled over to service him, he smacked her hard across the face sending her to the ground. “Not now! You little whore.” He didn’t give her a second thought as she laid bleeding and crying with her front teeth on the floor next to her.
He un-wrapped the brown paper; he felt the small box was cold to the touch. When he opened the lid he retched. The most hideous smell came out of the box. He looked down to see a necklace made of two ears and pinky finger. Underneath were pictures of his family members as they were the moment life left them. On the lid of the box was a folded note that read:
“You take one of ours we will take fifty of yours, without even blinking. Be on notice that the next life to be lost will be your own and that death will be more painful than any of what you have seen. You won’t know when or where, but we will find you again and your life will become ours. You are alone in this world now José, your family members, everyone that would back your play are dead in morgues all across the country. All because you are an idiot on the grandest of scales. Your ass is ours, and we will take great pleasure in making known to the world just what kind of sick, twisted bitch you actually are.”
As he looked into the box at the body parts and photos his fear factor escalating more and more. His mind running over an escape plan, he had to get away from here but all his escape routes had been closed off. Without warning the box exploded in his hand sending shards of stained glass into his hands, chest and face. The velocity of the explosion was enough to bury larger shards of stained glass in his cheeks and forehead and rip off two fingers from each hand. He tried to let out a cry only to feel a hand come down and slap his face. The slap pushed a piece of the stained glass through the soft tissue of his face into his mouth. When he opened his mouth he swallowed the piece of glass. In a rage he turned on the little bitch that had just hit him. She was halfway out the door before he could begin to chase her.
As she ran out the front door her sobriety returned in an instant. Suddenly she was pulled to the side by a masked man in full body armor. José ran out the door only to be met by a fist to the bridge of his nose that hit him with such force he flipped over backwards landing hard on his stomach. Both of his hands were being stepped on by whoever had thrown the sucker punch. He tried to break the hold on his hands as he cussed wildly at his attackers.
This didn’t go unnoticed as Dennis raised his head just high enough to let Fred swing at him with a sand wedge. Fred had hit the sweet spot, driving teeth and shards of glass out of the shit heads mouth. With the agility of much younger men they threw a black hood over his head as they carried him to the waiting UPS truck that pulled up out of nowhere. Frank removed his head gear and carried the young woman to the truck.
Once José was thrown to the hot steel floor and the girl was seated and buckled into a chair Frank closed the back doors as the driver pulled off at a leisurely pace. They headed south out of Oxnard onto the Pacific Coast Highway. Just west of the Seabee shooting range the van pulled to a stop next to a small Ford F350 work van. In an instant everyone was out of the UPS truck and into the Ford, driving down by the big rock by Point Magu state beach. Doc. Morgan had finished giving the young woman the once over as she sat there in shock, looking down on a heap of a man. The whole scene was surreal to her, especially as she heard old school Johnny Cash singing “A Boy Named Sue” playing through the sound system.
Fred looked over at Dennis as the van traveled down the highway. “You know I still haven’t heard a country song written for detectives.” Both Dennis and Frank started laughing. Fred sat down next to the young woman, Doc. Morgan had given her some ice for her mouth and called ahead to have a dentist available to try and repair her front teeth. “What's your name my dear?” She took the ice down and whispered “Autumn, my name is Autumn.” “Well Autumn, my name is Fred. That old guy there is Dennis, and that scary looking guy with the pony tail, we call him Frank. We are glad you could share this ride with us.”
She looked at the older men and was caught between stunned silence and WTF! She went with the latter emotion. “What are you going to do with me?” Fred looked at her and the rest of the group “You're free to go. Is there anywhere we can take you after we drop this pile of crap off?” “I'd like to go see my father,” she said softly.
The van turned off the main highway and began driving up a winding canyon. From what she could see out the front window nothing looked familiar to her. Then the van made a right hand turn onto a dirt road that took them to a parking garage. She could hear the high surf echo through the van when the doors were opened and José was removed by Frank. “What are you going to do with him?” “Nothing you should worry yourself over.” He told her.
Frank carried the still unconscious man to a room off of the ground floor, opening the doors to a stack of jail cells ten deep on each side. He punched in a code and the first door opened. The cell was made of the strongest steel money could buy, 6 inches thick. It was also what made the room sound proof. Air was filtered in through a scrubbing system that used the ocean water to filter out pollutants. Frank personally thought the bad guys were being treated too nice. As he threw the body down on the cold
concrete floor he stopped to turn on the sound system. He thought for a moment, wondering what music would torture this douche. Then, as if the player read his mind, the beach boys began playing. He shut the cell door and walked away as he began a little dance to “Help me Rhonda”.
Dennis and Frank took Autumn to the medical area where Doc had a chair waiting for her. When the dentist arrived he outfitted her with all new teeth. As she smiled at the mirror she couldn’t believe how beautiful her smile had become. She whispered a “Thank you” to everyone in the room. “You need to rest for a bit. You're going to start to detox soon and you will need all your strength.” Doc told her. Taking her hand he walked her into a private room where she could lay down still not quite sure what had happened.
Maree looked in on her for a moment. As she turned to walk away Fred stepped out startling her with his “Hello.” Once she caught her breath she gave him a huge hug. “What are you doing here Pops? Man you look great!” Fred smiled. “I can’t let the young guys have all the fun.” This made her laugh. “Have you seen those young guys lately?” Fred smiled at her giving her another hug. “Yup, they are getting too old for this aren’t they?” She nodded in agreement.
Conclusion
The Road to Lazarus (The First book in the diaries of Lazarus House) Page 15