by Linnea Hall
“Come on!” Ashley screamed, pumping the gas pedal of her 1980 Toyota Corolla; she really needed to get a new car now that she had a job. She turned the key again, praying that the car would start. It whirred twice again, before she finally heard the engine roar to life. She jammed the car into reverse, and floored the gas pedal. As she backed into the street, she slammed on her brakes as she heard the long scream of a horn announcing that she was about to crash into a passing car.
Ashley took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart. She wasn’t going to do Jewell any good if she was dead. She carefully looked behind her as she pulled out into the main road. She turned towards the Causeway and picked up the phone to call Jewell again. This time, Ashley was relieved when Jewell picked up the phone.
“Ashley?” Jewell was still crying, but she seemed to have calmed down a bit.
“Jewell, thank God. What’s going on? What’s happened? Is it your dad?” Ashley tried to probe Jewell for more details.
“No, not my dad.” Jewell started crying uncontrollably again.
“Jewell, take a deep breath.” She heard Jewell suck in a large breath of air. “Okay, now let it out slowly.” She listened as Jewell slowly released the breath. “And again.” Jewell did as Ashley instructed. When it sounded to Ashley like Jewell was in control of her voice, she tried once more. “What happened?”
“Oh Ashley, he’s gone!” She sobbed into the phone.
“Who’s gone? What are you talking about?”
“Collin. He’s gone.”
“Oh God Jewell; I’m so sorry.” Ashley knew that Jewell had developed some strong feelings for Collin in the short time that she had known him. “But it’s really amazing that he survived as long as he did. He should have died that first night. Sometimes, there’s just nothing you can do.” She grieved for her friend’s loss.
“No Ash; he’s not dead. He’s gone. They’ve taken him out of the hospital.”
Ashley didn’t know what to say at first. She was relieved, but it took her a minute to figure out what her friend was saying. “Well, that’s not so bad. Do you know where they took him?”
“Yeah; his uncle took him to a private care center. I’ve got the name, and a phone number and address. It’s in Lake Charles.”
“Well, call him then. What’s the big deal? Why are you so upset?”
“I tried. I got an invalid phone number message. Ash, I don’t know what to do. I have to see him.”
“Okay Jewell, sit tight. I’m on the Causeway now. I’ll call you when I get to the city. We can figure out what to do then.”
“Thanks Ash. I know this is crazy, but thanks for understanding.”
“Don’t worry about it hon. Are you going to be okay until I get there?”
“Yeah. I’m in the parking garage. I’m just going to wait for you here in my car. I can’t drive right now.” Jewell clicked the end button on her phone and set it on the seat beside her. She had only known Collin for a little over a week. Really, she’d only known him for three days; since the first time she’d actually spoken to him. She leaned her head against the seat trying to think about what she wanted to do. Suddenly, she heard her phone ring. She glanced at the clock; nearly twenty minutes had passed, she must have dozed off. She looked at the phone and saw that it was Ashley calling. “Hey Ash.”
“Hey. I’m just coming into the garage, where are you?”
“Third floor, near the elevators.” As she hung up the phone, she could hear the engine in Ashley’s car approaching. Jewell was surprised Ashley was willing to drive that death trap across the Causeway every day. Jewell opened the driver’s door and eased out, testing her legs. They seemed sturdy enough so she got out and walked around to the back of the car to wait for Ashley. Just as she leaned against her car she saw Ashley’s car chugging around the corner.
Ashley saw Jewell standing behind her brand new Ford Focus. Ashley thought to herself that she really needed to get a new car. She pulled into the spot next to Jewell and got out gathering Jewell into her arms. Jewell clung to Ashley like she was about to fall off a cliff. After a minute, Ashley moved her hands to Jewell’s shoulders and gently pushed her away so that she could look at Jewell’s face. Even in the dim lights of the parking garage she could see that Jewell’s eyes were red and swollen. A stream of tears flowed from Jewell’s eyes and her body shook with convulsive sobs, though she made no sound.
“Girl, you’ve got it bad,” Ashley commented shaking her head.
Jewell didn’t trust her voice so she just looked down at her pink and white shoes.
“So do you have a plan? What do you want to do?”
Jewell shrugged in response, not having the ability to respond around the lump in her throat.
“You have an address?” Jewell nodded. “Do you want to go see if you can find him?” Jewell shrugged again. When Ashley took her chin and gently pulled Jewell’s head up so that she was looking into Ashley’s eyes, Jewell gave a slight nod. Ashley sighed. This was absolutely nuts, but Jewell was by far her best friend and Ashley would do anything for her.
“Well,” Ashley said glancing at her watch, “it’s ten forty five. Lake Charles is what, like three hours away? If we left now, we wouldn’t get there until two a.m. and there’s no way they would let us in that late. Plus, even if we have the address, we have no idea how to find this place. Why don’t we go back to my place, we can map it to find where he’s staying. I’m not working tomorrow,” she glanced at Jewell to see if she had been scheduled. Jewell shook her head. “Cool. We’ll get some sleep; then we can get you some decent clothes,” Ashley grimaced looking at Jewell’s outfit. “You look like something that eats rainbows and poops butterflies!” Ashley quoted from Horton Hears a Who; one of her favorite movies. “We can get an early start and be there by ten. Does that sound like a plan?”
Jewell nodded. “Good,” Ashley replied, handing Jewell her phone. “Call your dad, let him know you’re staying at my place tonight and tell him we have plans for tomorrow. That way he won’t be worried.”
Jewell called her dad, then gave her keys to Ashley so that Ashley could drive them home. “I’m not going to be stranded in your car somewhere in Louisiana.”
“Yeah, I really do need a new car.” Ashley said, sliding into the driver’s seat of Jewell’s car.
Chapter 14
Edgar listened to the blonde nurse he had seen leaving Collin’s room as she spoke to the nurse at the nurses’ station. He had been in his room when he heard a commotion outside his room. Usually he wouldn’t be interested, but the nurses’ station was right outside his room and when the name Collin Sykes drifted through his door, he decided that this was a conversation he did not want to miss.
He carefully edged out of bed and tested his weight on his casted leg. It didn’t hurt too much so he thought that he could make it out of his room with the help of his crutches rather than the wheelchair. He used the crutches to limp to the door, carefully cracking it open so he could hear part of the discussion.
“Collin Sykes. The patient in room 637?” The blonde nurse that he saw leaving the Sykes’ room earlier sounded agitated, nervous.
“Oh, I remember him. I just came in about fifteen minutes ago so I’m not sure. Give me a sec and I’ll see what I can find out.” The other nurse, the one with the darker hair responded. Her hair reminded him of the color of mud. Looking at the beautiful nurse beside this one made her look all the more beautiful. Her hair glistened like sunshine, and her skin glowed, her cheeks were the color of roses. The nurse on call on the other hand, had skin the color of paste, her hair was the color of mud, and her eyes were as dull as graphite.
When the nurse at the station turned away from him to use the computer, Edgar carefully eased out of the door to his room and limped the few feet down the hall to the seating area in front of the nurses’ station. He actually liked it here, sort of. There were large picture windows that looked out into the city. Although it wasn’t the best view during th
e day, the city was so dirty; he had to admit that the city had its own beauty at night, with all the lights, sparkling like stars throughout the city.
Although any passing nurse, patient or doctor would think that he was simply resting outside his room, admiring the city stretched below, in truth he was listening intently to the conversation between the two nurses.
The blonde nurse seemed particularly interested in the whereabouts of Collin Sykes. Did she, like him, know what he was? Why was she so agitated that he had been taken from the hospital? What information did she have that he didn’t?
After he watched the blonde nurse leave, he carefully hobbled over to the nurses’ station. “Can I get you something Mr. Durand?” The nurse’s voice was short, clipped. None of the nurses liked Edgar; he didn’t know why.
“I need a pad of paper and a pencil.” She grabbed the same pad the blonde nurse had used and slapped it on the ledge in front of him along with the pen sitting next to it.
“No, I said a pencil.” He said this slowly, as if talking to a slow witted child, putting special emphasis on the word pencil.
The nurse with the mud colored hair looked at him for several moments as if trying to understand. Edgar remained silent, staring at the woman, fuming internally at the nurse’s slow response. Finally, she huffed, pushed the chair back and walked to a cup at the other end of the desk. Picking it up, she tipped it toward her face, squinting and peering in trying to locate a pencil among the many pens, highlighters, and markers also filling the cup. Finally, she shook the cup a little and reached two fingers into the bottom. She pulled out a small orange stub. With a smirk, she walked back and set the pencil lightly on the desk. She looked at Edgar as if daring him to complain about her effort. He should have, but he didn’t; this pencil would work.
Edgar gave the nurse his most charming smile, reclined his head in a slight nod, picked up the paper and pencil, and hobbled back to his room. Using the crutches while carrying the paper and the pencil was not easy; he struggled as he tried to hold on to his items and still keep the weight off his injured leg. As he turned his back to the door of his room so that he could push the door open with his back, he saw the nurse watching him from the nurses’ station, her arms crossed under breasts, snickering at his efforts. He smiled again, and pushed backward into his room.
With the pad of paper and pencil in his hand he sat on the bed and raised the back so that he was in a sitting position. He reached to pull the tray toward him to create a table upon which he could work.
First he picked up the pad of paper and turned it towards the light. He tilted it back and forth trying to see if an impression of the previously written words were still embedded in the paper. As he tilted the pad toward him, he saw what he was looking for. He laid the paper on the table and started gently moving the pencil back and forth across the middle of the page. He was patient, careful in his work. As the white paper began to turn silver gray, he was rewarded for his efforts when words began to slowly appear in a slightly lighter color.
The pad had been used often. There were many words from which he had to derive the information he sought. He could make out the word Jaffa across the top of the page. His heart quickened at his discovery. The Knights Templar had transported pilgrims from Jaffa to Jerusalem. The Knights Templar found the Holy Grail in Jerusalem in the ruins of the Temple of Solomon. It was an exciting coincidence linking Collin Sykes to the Holy Grail.
Below that, he could make out what looked like an address. It was difficult to read. He could make out Bor du Lac Drive, but the number was difficult to discern. This didn’t bother Edgar. He could drive to Lake Charles, find the street, and ask for directions to the Jaffa Continuing Care Center as soon as he checked out.
Chapter 15
Collin heard the front door open, and heard the laughter of his uncle along with the voices of two people he recognized vaguely. Of course he knew it would be Uncle Carl and Aunt Dot. He had spoken to them on the phone, usually to thank them for Christmas or birthday gifts, but it had been years since he had had any contact with them. He had never met them in person.
He saw one of the French doors leading into the parlor crack slightly and his uncle’s face appeared in the opening. “I’m awake,” Collin called, knowing that his uncle was anxious to introduce his guests to the “nephew” they had never met.
His uncle entered first, followed by a young couple holding hands. They were perhaps a little older than him, probably mid to late twenties. Collin was startled by how young they were considering that he had known them for several years. The man approached boldly, arms held out as if to embrace Collin’s bedridden body. The woman behind him was a bit more timid. She waited silently by the door until her husband had finished greeting his heretofore unmet family.
“Collin! Wow! It’s great to finally meet you. It seems like you have grown up so fast! How old are you now, twenty-five, twenty-six?”
“Twenty-three,” Collin responded, smiling, infected by his ‘Uncle Carl’s’ contagious grin and untamed energy. He took an immediate liking to this man that he felt he would soon consider his friend.
“This is Dot!” He gestured to the petite, pixie like woman standing by the door. She had short, very straight, dark hair, cut short in the back and tapered so that it was slightly longer in the front. She had very light skin, and beautiful green eyes. “Come on Dot,” Carl called to her. “The boy’s not going to get up and come over to meet you!” He smiled warmly at his other half, holding out his hand encouraging her to move into the room.
Dot walked into the room, a little more boldly than Collin expected based on her initial behavior, and took Carl’s hand. She smiled warmly into Carl’s eyes before looking down at Collin. “You know, you look just like your mother,” she said wistfully.
“How do you know I look like my mother?” Collin asked, curious.
Dot hesitated, looking at Carl before answering. “I’ve seen pictures. She was lovely. It’s so wonderful to finally meet you.” She leaned over Collin, giving him a careful squeeze and a kiss on his cheek.
“He doesn’t look too bad, does he?” Carl asked looking at Dorothy.
“Not at all.”
“To hear Percy tell it, we were expecting to see a mangled bloody mess lying in the bed. Heard about the Mustang too. Tough break! I’ll make sure your uncle replaces it with something appropriate!” Carl winked at Collin.
“Let’s let the boy rest,” Percy gently nudged his two friends toward the door. “We have some things to talk about.”
“You’re right Percy. The more rest he gets, the sooner he’ll heal.” Dot took Carl’s hand and they walked to the door. Percy and Carl held the door to wait for Dorothy to pass through, and then followed, Percy closing the door behind. The door opened a crack, and Collin saw Dorothy’s face poke back in to throw him a quick kiss.
As the doors clicked closed Collin considered turning on the television. He looked to the table next to him to find the remote, when he started to hear the conversation in the other room. Under normal circumstances he wouldn’t eavesdrop, but he heard his name mentioned twice.
“…need to tell Collin.” That was Carl’s voice.
“…doesn’t need…know yet.” Uncle Percy.
“His safety…” From Dorothy
“Is not a concern right now!” Percy’s voice had risen so that Collin heard the whole sentence.
“…think about…” Carl.
“When it’s right! He’s my responsibility. I have kept him safe for twenty-three years; I will keep him safe as long as I have to!”
“Percy…will find out.” Carl again.
“Your…is not being fair.” Dorothy’s voice was strained with concern.
“I will tell him when I am ready to tell him, and not a moment before. If you cannot respect my decision on how to raise my nephew, then you can get back on your plane and go home. Or you can walk for all I care!” Collin heard his uncle storming up the stairs.
“He
’s scared.” Gladys had joined the conversation. “Percy hoped that Collin would be a skip. He hasn’t prepared himself for this eventuality.” Her voice was clearer and easier to understand. Collin figured she was standing in the hallway outside his door.
“What was he going to do if he was a skip? Just leave him?” Dorothy’s voice had increased in volume now as well. It seemed the conversation was making everyone agitated and as a result, raising the volume of their voices.
“He’s done it before. People die. It would hurt Collin, but it wouldn’t be unexpected.” Gladys was speaking emotionally. Collin could hear tears choking her voice.
“…needs to tell him soon.” Carl’s hushed voice floated through the door.
“…he’s ready. …knows…to be soon.”
Collin heard Gladys’ footsteps as she walked down the hall toward the kitchen. He heard plates and cups clinking and shortly smelled the aroma of coffee drifting down the hall. There would be no more discussion tonight.
Collin closed his eyes and dreamt of a beautiful blonde nurse with clear sky blue eyes and a heart as big as the ocean.
Chapter 16
At Hugh Payne’s house, the Louisiana Chapter of the Knights Templar sat in the living room, some on couches, others on chairs, and some on chairs brought in from the dining room. Hugh Payne stood in the center of the circle with Nicholas Babineaux. While meetings of the Inner Circle occurred every month, this was a special meeting.
The group consisted of nine members, one each to represent the original nine members of the sect. The knights upheld the overall function of the Templar Knights, to serve the community, and to protect those in need. However, there were individuals that required special protection. These people, the Infinitas, when identified, became the primary responsibility of the Templar Knights.
This tradition began in the twelfth century with one of their own. In 1138, Peredur Kilkenny, one of the Knights Templar was seriously injured while guarding a group of pilgrims. His wounds were fatal. He was carried to the Temple where the Knights witnessed a miracle. The knight, thought dead, began showing signs of life. The Templars enlisted the aid of healers to help the young knight recover. They believed that this was truly a miracle from God; a testament to their cause.