by Niv Kaplan
However, it was not totally clear why she remained unconscious for so long and everyone breathed a sigh of relief when she finally woke up.
Devlin was by her side throughout. He was joined by Mai-Li and Rolston who arrived from Cyprus the next morning. Sam and Elena had to go with Sammy Jr. and the two other kids to New York. The photos sent to the FBI were identified and the families were waiting.
When Natasha woke up, eight pairs of eyes were staring at her worriedly. Kessler had just come in her room when she opened her big blue eyes and smiled weakly.
Devlin filled her in on what she missed.
The band began playing.
Sam and Elena were invited to perform the wedding dance to the sounds of Journey’s Lights in the City.
Sam had proposed to Elena on the plane going back from Cyprus. He had decided he wanted a family for his son and was not willing to wait.
He bought a makeshift ring in a duty free shop before they boarded and proposed 35,000 feet in the air. Elena was ecstatic.
The wedding ceremony took place in a small church two blocks away from the Center. Sam’s family were all there: his parents Diane and Stewart, now retired; his older brother Robert and his sister Rebecca with their families; Michelle’s sisters Sally and Cindy were there too with their families; and Michelle’s mother Laura Kent, who made the trip from the west coast for the second time in three months.
The first was when she came to see her grandson.
To the families, it was nothing short of a miracle that Sammy Jr. was found. All of them had long ago given hope that such an outcome was possible and they had all viewed Sam’s attempts as futile though none of them ever dared say it to him.
None of them, including Sam, knew how to handle the situation. It felt more like an adoption.
Sammy Jr. was shell-shocked for a while and it was Elena who helped him get on track. She took him everywhere. Coney Island, the Museum of Natural History, Central Park, Lincoln Center, and the Statue of Liberty were only a few as she walked the streets with him and introduced him to the western world.
She took him to restaurants, fashion malls and movie theaters, bought him books and magazines as he slowly began to adapt into the new and overwhelming society. A budget for a psychologist was provided to him by the state department and Elena found the best of the lot and took him twice a week for counseling.
Sam, for his part, watched the two closely and could not be happier seeing his future wife become such a tower of strength for his son. He divided his time between the Center activities and catching up on ten years of missing his son.
Black Jack was best man. He stood behind Sam as his friend and colleague said his vows and looked at the gathered crowd. He thought of the late Jose Louis Ortega, their colleague who lost his life in pursuit of their ambitious endeavor. He thought of the late Joe Harley who lost his life while saving his own. It was a very dear price to pay. He thought of the sick man, Rooney, in the Sharm hospital basement and the act of fate that brought them together.
David Kessler was sitting next to Devlin, looking on with an amused grin. Black Jack was not sure how the man managed to get such government support but he proved priceless. Earlier he had briefed them at the Center. Aziz, Amar, and Jaras all received fugitive status in Israel and were well taken care of by the authorities. The Ammad family, Rafik and Nyla with their three children were kept in a high security facility assisting in the hunt for any Sons of Jihad spies sent to do damage. Kessler did not elaborate on the measures being taken to expose the network. That was top secret and there were still kidnapped children in Beirut. His colleagues Harry Fleming and Doug Collins could not be present due to their involvement.
Reports from Lebanon detailed at least thirty dead in a surprise attack on a secret facility inside Beirut but no one knew who attacked or what the target was. Apparently the Lebanese were not eager to shed light on such activity within their realm.
Halfway through the ceremonial wedding dance, everyone joined in. Devlin offered Natasha his arm and she took it, moving gingerly to the dance floor. Next to them Rolston was swirling Mai-Li like she was a ballerina. Lizzy danced with Ali who then danced with the rest of her mates.
The band played Let It Be and Elena let go of her fresh husband and took Sammy by the hand and danced with him, tripping over her long wedding dress.
At the bar Sam joined Black Jack, who was being served a glass of draught beer by a bartender. He asked for one for himself and stood next to his friend.
“So where do we go from here?” Sam asked, watching his son trip over his wife's dress.
“There’s still plenty of evil in this world,” Black Jack said. “Kids enslaved in Kashmir, abused girls in Romania…”
“Can we keep the Center going?” Sam queried, having missed part of the conference with the contributors.
“I believe so,” Jack said. “George and Annie will keep their end of it and most of the rest of them will too.”
“What about the law enforcement agencies? We’ve never had anyone die before.”
“We’ve raised the public’s awareness level finding Sammy. I think they’ll back us up.”
“You think we should join forces with Devlin’s lot on a more permanent basis?” Sam asked.
“That makes a lot of sense to me especially since we plan to go into Kashmir again.”
“Let’s talk to them,” Sam suggested and Jack Preston nodded.
“Any plans for a honeymoon?” Black Jack inquired.
“We’re taking Sammy to Los Angeles.”
Black Jack looked at him inquiringly.
“Are you sure he’s ready?”
“Disneyland, Universal, Six Flags, and if he’s up to it I’ll show him the house. Laura invited us to stay with her.”
Black Jack gave his long-time friend a measured stare then he smiled.
“You the man!” he said.
Christine Patrese approached the bar in her long, silver maid of honor dress causing Jack to spring forward and lead her back to the dance floor.
Sam smiled and followed them into the crowd looking for his wife and son.
THE END
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Niv Kaplan was born on Kibbutz Ayelet Hashahar in Northern Israel in 1959. At age 11 he moved with his parents to NYC for three years. After completing high school, Niv served three years in a special-forces reconnaissance outfit and had taken an active part in forming the IDF’s Alpine unit which he served in reserve duty.
Niv received his BSc degree in Business Administration (Marketing) from the Cal State University Northridge in 1992, spending close to ten years in New York and Los Angeles. He started writing Tracks after completing his first novel Disappearance in 1997. The book was written in English, translated, and will be published in Hebrew in Israel in January 2014.
Niv has been working in the Aerospace industry for the last 19 years, marketing electro-optical sensors to fighter aircraft. He lives in Tel Aviv, Israel with his wife Tali and their seven children.
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