Johnson, C. W.

by The Son of Man 2, Elders of Zion

  Louis moved up and joined the conversation. "Vicki’s missing?"

  "Hey, Professor," Nigel said, waving his bulbous glove.

  "Come in," Todd repeated.

  "I can’t," Nigel said. "We have to find her now. They don’t even think she has a coat with her, poor thing."

  Louis turned and began moving away. "We’ll be right out. We’ll join you.”

  "No," Nigel said. "Go straight to Bob Tanner’s house. They’re coordinating the effort there. I’m charged with banging doors, making sure she isn’t with anyone, or in any of the cabins. Hurry, please." He quickly turned and disappeared into the dark. Todd and Louis returned to the living room.

  "Did you hear?" Todd said. "Vicki’s missing."

  Gladys was already standing, passing the baby over to Maria. She moved towards her heavy coat splayed over Todd and Maria’s lounge chair. "You can catch up to us at Bob’s cabin."

  "I’ll be right there," Todd said as Louis and Gladys moved out the front door into the cold night. Todd went to Maria and gently stroked her arm. "I’m sure she’s fine. She’s probably in someone’s cabin. I’ll be back as soon as I can."

  "Find that poor girl," Maria said. "Can you imagine being out alone on a night like this?"

  Todd pulled his baby’s blanket away, kissed his tiny forehead and went in search of his coat.

  ~~~

  Vicki Tanner, dressed only in a nightgown, could no longer feel her slipper-clad feet. Still, she trod the crusted snow, moving ever forward through the dark night against the stinging December wind. She had to stay in the dark recesses behind the cabins, out of sight of anyone who would want to try and stop her. And they would certainly try to stop her.

  Her nose and ears had stopped burning and her once lovely face was now crusted with unkempt hair matted with frozen snot.

  She fell to her hands and knees again. Her icy blue hands, naked and knotted into permanent fists, were ripped open again. She teetered, went all the way to her face and lay a moment moaning. Her slow, hypothermic brain knew only that she needed to be there, to do what she had to do.

  Finally, she lifted herself to her knees and back upright to her unsteady legs. She looked into the distance holding her bloody fist out in front of her face in a maladroit attempt to hold back the freezing wind.

  She was desperately trying to focus when she saw him. He was coming out of the cabin. She ducked, stumbled behind a small storage shed, and stood quietly, her face pulled into a frozen grimace. Finally she peeked out from behind the shed and saw the man quickly making his way down the lane into the dark.

  "N-Nigelll," she said through clenched teeth. Her eyes blurred, and focused again. "Baywee," she moaned, holding her fists out. She staggered forward and stood teetering just outside the cabin’s living room window.

  The door opened. She turned and stumbled back into the dark. Two more figures dressed in heavy clothing stepped out and quickly moved away.

  She began moving around the cabin searching for a way in. "N-Nigeeelll,"she moaned as she stumbled. "Baywee."

  She had all but made a full circle when she spotted it, a bedroom window left slightly ajar. She moved and quietly pushed the window open, looked around, and tried to pull herself inside. Her arms were worthless. She could hardly raise them, much less pull herself through a window. She tried again, and again, each attempt becoming more hopeless. Finally, she fell away sobbing.

  "Baywee," she wailed falling backwards against the cabin.

  She slid to the frozen ground and sat crying. Something caught her attention and her eyes slowly focused on a large wheelbarrow leaning against a nearby shed. She crawled forward and managed to wrestle it back.

  She stood in the wheelbarrow and painfully lifted one bloody leg into the window, and then the other. Finally she slipped inside and pushed the window closed behind her.

  The room was heavenly warm and smelled of sweet lilac. She sank to the floor and crawled against the wall. "Baywee…" she whispered one more time before losing consciousness.

  ~~~

  "Baby, what are you doing out here?"

  Maria stirred and looked up at Todd who was smiling down at her. She had made a bed of the couch and had been deep asleep under a heavy blanket. She pulled the blanket away from her face and glanced around the lantern lit room.

  "Why are you out here on the couch?" Todd said again.

  She stretched and returned his smile. "What time is it? Is Vicki all right?"

  Todd shook his head. "It’s about eleven and there’s no sign of her. We just popped in to check on you and Josh, we’re gonna start scouring the mountain."

  Maria sat up and brushed her hand over his coat. "She won’t survive the mountain. That poor woman… is Bob completely flipped?"

  "He’s berserk," Todd said.

  A woman appeared in the hall. Maria jumped.

  "Sorry I startled you," the woman said. "I was using your bathroom. You were asleep when we came in."

  "Maria, this is Debby," Todd said motioning. "We’re together… in the search, I mean. Louis insisted. He didn’t want us wandering around alone."

  Maria waved her fingertips."Hi, Debby."

  Even though she was heavily dressed for the cold, the woman’s striking beauty was immediately obvious. She was tall and poised, her long blond hair shining gold in the lantern light.

  "So… you’re the new intern?" Maria said.

  "Yeah, but Todd is much further along than me. I’m learning tons from him, and from Gladys, of course."

  "You didn’t answer me," Todd said. "How come you’re sleeping out here on the couch instead of in our bed?"

  "I was waiting for you," Maria said softly. "I didn’t want to go to bed without you again tonight."

  Debby turned towards the door. "I’m gonna go. I’ll meet you back at Bob’s cabin." She moved out the door into the night.

  "I’m sorry, baby," Todd said the moment the door closed. "This is the last time for a long time, I promise, but I have to go back out there."

  She threw the blanket off her legs and sat up. "Of course you do. You want some coffee or anything before you go?"

  "No," Todd said, standing up. "I only have time to say goodnight to Josh, then we have to get back out there."

  He moved to the stairs and up towards the loft.

  Maria, dressed once again in her old oversized shirt, pushed off the couch and went to the fireplace, pulled a new log from the hamper and threw it in.

  "Maria," Todd shouted from the loft.

  She prodded the fire with a poker.

  "Maria," Todd said again.

  She stepped back from the fireplace and moved to the center of the living room.

  "Maria," he said the moment she came into view. "Where’s Josh?"

  "What?"

  "Josh isn’t up here. Is he down there with you?"

  "He’s up there," Maria said.

  "No, Josh is not here."

  Maria raced up the stairs into the loft and was soon standing in front of Todd pulling at his coat.

  Todd took hold of her shoulders. "Did you put him in our bed?"

  "No!" she yelled. "Why would I put him in our bed?" She whirled, sprinted down the stairs and disappeared through the hall towards the bedroom. Todd raced down behind her and began frantically rifling through the disheveled bedding strewn over the couch.

  "Todd!" Maria called out. Todd whirled and raced into the bedroom. He pulled to a stop and gasped. Maria was standing next to the bed, her hands covering her mouth. Vicki Tanner was lying on their bed, her ripped and bloody nightgown splayed out over her bruised and tiny form like a hellish nightmare. The expression on her matted face was serene though her nose and cheekbones had already turned dark blue on their way to black. Baby Joshua was sleeping peacefully against her chest. She had managed to pull Maria’s heavy handmade quilt over him using only her purple club-like fists.

  Todd quickly moved to her and pushed his index finger against her jugular, checking for a pulse. H
e jumped back when Vicki’s face turned towards him.

  "Shh," she said, grimacing, "you’ll wake the baby." Her speech was slow and strange. It was obvious the muscles around her mouth were no longer working properly.

  Todd tried gently pulling Joshua out of her arms, but Vicki seized him, pulling him tighter to her chest.

  The baby jumped and squalled.

  Maria leapt onto the bed, ripped the purple fists away from her baby and tore him out of Vicki’s arms.

  The baby screamed.

  Maria quickly moved away, clutching the child to her. She moved into the flickering lantern light and pulled the baby’s blankets back, checking the crying child for any sign of injury.

  Vicki wailed eerily, her purple fists reaching out. She rolled to her side, pulled her knees to her chest and lost consciousness.

  Todd rushed to Maria and shouted over the baby’s crying. "Is he OK?"

  "I don’t know!" she said panicking. "I think so!"

  He reached for the baby."Bring him in the living room."

  They ran to the living room together and lay the baby on the couch. Maria rushed to collect all the lanterns in sight and arranged them around Joshua while Todd carefully checked him over.

  "He’s fine!" Todd yelled over the crying. "He’s just scared to death."

  Maria wrapped the baby in a blanket and pulled him close to her. She rushed to the lounge chair, sat down and began gently rocking the child. He finally nestled against her, pushing his face into her chest. Maria pulled her shirt away and in an instant the child was contently drinking.

  "There, you see?" Todd said breathlessly. "He’s fine, just… scared."

  Maria looked up at Todd. "How did she get in here? Why didn’t I wake up?"

  Todd gently stroked her hair. "I don’t know, baby, but everything is fine now—"

  "What did she want?" Maria said interrupting Todd. "What did she want with Josh?"

  Todd turned and glanced in the direction of the bedroom. "I’ve gotta go tell them she’s here. They’re probably already on the mountain looking for her."

  "She’s in bad shape, isn’t she Todd?"

  "She has frostbite injuries. I think she may lose her hands, maybe her feet. She’ll be disfigured."

  "Why? Why did she do it?"

  "She’s delusional," Todd said rising to his feet. "Who knows why? I have to go. You’ll have to see to Vicki until I get back.”

  ~~~

  Maria stood over Vicki for a time before taking up the old lounge chair by the bed. Joshua was drifting off to sleep between periods of nursing. The room was quickly warming up. She had managed to change out of her old oversized shirt, pull the blanket up over Vicki and rekindle the fire while still feeding her baby. Vicki was still unconscious, maybe asleep. Maria wasn’t sure.

  She sat rocking her baby until he finally fell away sound asleep. She rose, took him to his crib in the loft and returned to the bedroom. Vicki was stirring. Maria went to her knees in front of her and began gently pulling the crusty hair out of her face.

  "Baywee," Vicki moaned.

  "The baby’s fine," Maria said softly.

  Vicki slowly opened her eyes and looked up at Maria. "Where is he?"

  "He’s asleep right now. Maybe you can come back and see him tomorrow, okay?"

  "Okay." Vicki said sweetly. "Mawee tomorrow I’ll come back and see… Jesus."

  Maria rocked back on her knees. "What? What did you say?"

  Vicki slipped back into unconsciousness.

  Maria shook her shoulder. "What did you say?"

  Vicki slowly returned to herself and looked back up at Maria. Her eyes appeared unsteady and out of focus.

  "Can you hear me?” Maria said moving closer. "Can you talk to me?"

  She nodded slowly.

  Maria continued, mouthing her words carefully. "Why did you call my baby Jesus?"

  Vicki nodded and smiled another sweet smile. "He is," she said. "He is baby Jesus."

  "Why… what made you think my Joshua was baby Jesus?"

  "They told me."

  Maria felt her breath catch in her throat. "Who told you?"

  Vicki began slowly slipping back into unconsciousness. Maria firmly shook her shoulder. "Vicki, come back! I need to talk with you!"

  Vicki blinked and raised her heavy eyes back to Maria.

  "Who told you Joshua was baby Jesus?" Maria demanded.

  "They did," she said softly. "The people on the mountain did." She began drifting back into unconsciousness, then rose in the bed. She pushed forward, her face inches from Maria’s. Her eyes were wide, bloodshot and wild. The corners of her injured mouth were pulled back. Black lips stretched tight over gleaming white teeth.

  "What is it you want of me, mother?" She hissed in a strange voice that sounded like a man.

  Maria recoiled from the putrid stench of Vicki’s breath, jumped and pressed herself against the chair. She leapt to her feet and scrambled against the bedroom wall just as Vicki collapsed back into unconsciousness.

  She stood staring down at Vicki, her hand over her chest, breath coming in short gasps.

  A slow, mournful cry erupted from somewhere in the night. Another cry joined in, then an entire chorus of unearthly voices sounded. They reached a crescendo and slowly echoed away, dissipating within the dark valleys and hilltops of the mountain.

  She had heard that sound before, perhaps from another life…in some movie or…nightmare. It was the sound of wolves.

  She all but jumped out of her shoes at the bang of the living room door bursting open. Bob Tanner surged past her and hovered over his wife.

  Todd, Debby, Louis, and Gladys quickly joined them in the crowded bedroom.

  "Oh my sweet lord," Bob moaned, slowly sitting down on the bed beside her. "Why Vicki… why?" He tenderly rolled his fingers over her injured face. "She said she needed to go to the bathroom… she seemed fine. I turned away and she was gone."

  He looked at Maria. "Todd told me she had your baby. I’m so sorry. She wouldn’t have hurt him… you know that don’t you?"

  "Of course," Maria said, trying to smile. "No harm done."

  Gladys stepped forward and put her hand on Bob’s shoulder. "Let me see her, Bob. She’s frostbitten. We have to get her to the clinic right away."

  Maria moved to Todd and took hold of his hand. "I’m so glad you’re here," she said softly. "She was talking so… strange."

  "What did she say?"

  "She just… rambled but… she was— did you hear wolves?"

  "What?"

  "Wolves…did you hear wolves, just now?"

  Todd looked at her and frowned. "No, sweetheart. Ain’t no wolves around here."

  Her expression turned serious. She grabbed Louis’s coat and gave it a yank. "Can we talk! You and Todd…right away please!"

  "What’s wrong?" Todd said, leaning toward her. "Can it wait a minute? We have to get Vicki—"

  "Gladys has to prep her," she said. "It won’t take a moment!"

  Maria stood, led Todd and Louis into the living room and pulled her coat from the closet. "Out here!" she demanded.

  Todd glanced at Louis then at Maria. "What’s wrong?"

  "We can’t talk here," she said quietly. "We have to talk outside."

  They stepped out onto the porch.

  Maria checked the bedroom window making certain Bob and Debby were still there and rounded on Louis.

  "How could you!" she said through her teeth. She reached out and pushed him.

  Louis reeled back and looked at her, confused. "Young lady, I assure you, I haven’t the foggiest idea of what it is you’re—"

  "The baby!" she hissed as loudly as she dared. She looked around, stepped forward and spoke quietly. "You told Vicki about the baby. Who else have you and Gladys told?"

  "You did what?" Todd said, stepping forward.

  Maria turned to Todd. "She knows." She pointed at the bedroom window. "Vicki called him baby Jesus."

  Todd glared at Louis. "You di
dn’t. Tell me you didn’t tell her that."

  Louis raised his eyebrows and shrugged. "I didn’t tell her that, and neither did Gladys. We haven’t told a living soul."

  "You and Gladys were the only ones who knew," Maria said.

  "Well, apparently not."

  "Did Vicki say who told her?" Todd said looking at Maria.

  "No, she was rambling on about people in the forest or something. She’s obviously delusional, but she knew about the baby. How could she have known unless—?"

  "Oh my God," Todd said. "That guy, the one you saw on the mountain, he’s with the Vinces. That’s how she knew. The people on the mountain told her. They’re here and there’s more than one."

  Gladys appeared at the door. "Louis…Todd, we need your help now."

  ~~~

  "Sir," Kheda said pleading, "please help us, my brother is dying."

  The weary traveler looked through her and pushed his way past. Kheda looked on in despair as the unending procession of refugees stumbled by. Finally she returned to where they had laid Sharpuddin. Lylya was sitting near him, her hand clenching his.

  The children had managed to find their way out of the city, and had joined up with a river of people walking toward Ingushetia along the former highway. They had all but dragged Sharpuddin this far, but it was plain to see he would not last much longer. His leg was badly infected and most of his blood was gone. He had spent the early morning raving incoherently, but now he seemed curiously lucid.

  "You are the one," he had said again and again, looking up into Lylya’s weathered eyes. "You have returned to us."

  Kheda leaned over him and carefully poured a few drops of water into his mouth.

  He smiled up at her. "It is time for me to go."

  "No," Kheda moaned, "you can’t. I cannot bear it."

  Sharpuddin softly slipped away.

  Lylya slowly rocked back on her legs. She lifted her trembling hand and placed it on Kheda’s shoulder. Kheda stared down through hard, weathered eyes at the body of her brother."

  He is with Allah now," Lylya said.

  Chapter_Two

  The soft, dancing lantern light and cozy crackling fire only served to remind Maria of the sweet life she had so mysteriously stumbled upon like a fairy tale, a life she would not have dared dream of back in those empty, black years at UCLA. But now, as the flickering light danced over her sleeping baby’s face, around the cabin she had made a home, she was only reminded of how fragile it all was.