All the rave
Page 15
"I ... I can't believe this!" Jodi felt dizzy. "So, like, they made money selling tickets to the rave, plus the drugs. But the real cash was in—" She couldn't bring herself to say the words. "Um, no wonder when I went back with the police, Todd's body was already gone. But where did they hide his body?"
"In a Ryder truck," Lieutenant Johnson said. "We got a lucky break about a month ago from an auto repair shop employee who serviced the truck. While working on the tailgate, he opened the rear door and noticed the back of the truck was crudely outfitted with a mini surgical suite—"
Jodi interrupted him. "Hey, I saw a truck just like that outside of Reverend Bud's today."
"If you give me the address, I'll get a man right over there," Lieutenant Johnson said. "See, we figured this Reverend Bud character would place the bodies in back and hook them up to individual ventilators to keep the blood circulating to their organs. We've been watching the clinic and noticed this truck coming at all hours of the night, but we didn't have enough for a search warrant—that is, until now. Your tip provided the probable cause.
ALL THE RAVE ^ 151
We've got our men crawling all over Blackstone this very minute."
Jodi lit up. "Oh, I've got something else for you. In my car. There's a cell phone that belongs to Reverend Bud. He told me he wanted, like, out of all this. Now I can see why. Anyway, he recorded a conversation with Dr. Blackstone that might help."
"Excellent," Lieutenant Johnson said. "As best we can tell, the truck would arrive at Blackstone's clinic where the 'donors' would be transported to a full surgical suite in the clinic's basement. He'd remove and place on ice the vital parts for immediate red-label shipment. Again, thanks to you, you could say we caught him red-handed."
"That is so whacked." Jodi swallowed hard.
"What we haven't figured out," Lieutenant Johnson said, "is how Blackstone distributed the organs abroad."
Jodi bit her lip. "Okay, I can't prove this, but I'd say the Russians must have had something to do with it."
"Russians?"
"Reverend Bud said something about a couple of Russians," Jodi offered. "I think they're the same guys who, like, ran me over."
Lieutenant Johnson's radio crackled. "Yes?"
"We're ready for the identification, sir," the voice said.
* * *
With the aid of the paramedics, Jodi was transported to the loading dock area of the Pet Vet. As she waited to identify the body, she heard a scuffle coming from within the double door. She recognized the voice. It was a voice she wouldn't soon forget. A moment later, she saw Dr. Blackstone, handcuffed, walking between two officers who gripped his arms.
Jodi locked eyes with him. Dr. Blackstone looked like a crazed animal. "Wasn't it you who said. The game of life has rules'?" Jodi said as he passed. "Well, I'd say it's game over . . . pal"
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"You making fun of me, girl?" Dr. Blackstone's upper lip was curled into a snarl. "This isn't over, Jodi Adams." He lunged in her direction and spit on the ground. The officers jerked Dr. Blackstone back toward the direction of the squad car.
Jodi's heart pounded the inside of her chest with the intensity of a jackhammer. She could feel the raw evil radiating around him. How could somebody become so possessed by such vicious inhumanity?
A minute later, Jodi watched as an officer, accompanied by Lieutenant Johnson, wheeled a body in a black body bag out the back door. Lieutenant Johnson unzipped the bag about eighteen inches. He circled around the gurney and elevated Jodi for a clear view. He said, "Jodi, is this the boy you saw? Todd Rice?"
Jodi bit her bottom lip and then looked.
Her eyes welled up with hot tears.
"Dear Jesus . . . ," Jodi said, her voice breaking. "Oh my, gosh . . . I—I can't believe it. No, sir. That's Carlos . . . Carlos Martinez ... He was ... a friend from school."
Chapter 2B ^ Monday, l l :57 a.m.
Jodi stood in the hall just outside Kat's hospital room. She held an arrangement of flowers in one hand, her pocket New Testament in the other. She hesitated. Jodi stared at the placard on the door—Room 210—and took a deep breath.
Jodi longed for Kat to give her life to Christ and prayed this would be a divine appointment. All day yesterday she had prayed for the right words to say. She had even rehearsed them a hundred times in her head.
Jodi wanted to find a graceful way to help Kat see that she was designed for heaven. Jodi believed that Kat, rather than embrace the gift of eternal life, had always settled for an illusion: the music, the drugs, the altered state of mind. Even the PLUR goal was artificial when compared to what Jesus offered.
Jodi whispered a quick prayer and then tapped lightly on the door. In some ways, she felt more nervous now than when she entered a school debate situation, because the outcome of this time with Kat was eternally more important.
"Come in," Kat said.
Jodi opened the door. Kat was sitting upright with a food tray positioned across her lap. The oxygen line was still taped in place under Kat's nose. Two IV bags now fed the tube running down her arm and into her vein. Her eyes were shadowed by dark circles and her skin was, like her sheets, a pale white.
"Hey, girlfriend!" Kat said with a wide smile. "You're just in time for lunch. Let's see," Kat said, lifting a round, three-inch stainless-steel
1 54 ^ LaHaye and DeMoss
cover from the plate in front of her. "Um, we've got red and green Jell-
0 cubes. Want some?" Kat took a bite.
Jodi relaxed a little at the warm greeting. She smiled and walked to the end of the bed. "I think I'll pass."
"Smart woman," Kat said. She put down the spoon. "What's with the shiner? You okay?"
"Oh, that. Yeah. It's a long story," Jodi said. Her side still ached from a fractured rib. Jodi's doctor had informed her the best way to treat her rib was to leave it alone. "How about you? You're looking better."
Kat shrugged. "Guess so."
"Hey, I brought these for you," Jodi said, and then placed the flowers on the bedstand.
"Flowers? For me? How sweet!" Kat admired the arrangement. "Listen, there's something I wanted to talk about—"
"Actually, me first. I owe you an apology." Jodi took a seat by Kat's bed and then fidgeted with a ring on her finger.
"For what?" Kat took a sip from her juice cup.
"I misjudged you, Kat." Jodi looked up. 'All this time I was so mad at you . . . see, I thought you had, like, taken those drugs at the rave.
1 couldn't believe you'd betray me like that, you know?"
"What makes you think I didn't?" Kat leaned her head back against the pillow.
"Your doctor told me a minute ago," Jodi pulled her hair back. "He said your blood work didn't show any signs of drugs. So, give me details. What happened? I mean, I found the syringe, like, right next to you."
Kat nodded. "I know. Talk about crazy. I was dancing with that guy—"
"Todd Rice."
"Uh-huh. Well, we went upstairs to chill," Kat said. "Next thing I knew, he was shooting up. I tried to talk him out of it, even yanked a needle away from him, but I was too late."
Jodi thought about that for a moment. "You mean, he used both needles?"
Kat nodded. "Funny thing is, before I met you that wouldVe been me."
"Then why was your body, like, freaking out?" Jodi asked.
"Doctor says I started to reject your kidney," Kat said. "Nothing personal, mind you."
They both laughed.
"What a coincidence, huh?" Kat said. "But thanks to you, I got here in time. Got me some super-duper antirejection drugs."
"So will you forgive me?" Jodi hooked her hair behind her ears.
"Of course I will," Kat said with a smile. "But, Jodi, tell me this. Am I gonna, you know, make it?" Kat searched her eyes.
"Hey, what kind of question is that?"
"Come on, level with me," Kat said. "I'm a big girl."
Jodi wasn't sure it was her place to
say. On the other hand, Jodi realized she was, in some ways, the only family Kat had right now. Kat's heart monitor ticked away in the silence.
"Well, the doctor seems to think your chances are, like, better than fifty-fifty" Jodi said. 'And I'm praying for you every day." Jodi reached forward and gave Kat a reassuring pat.
Kat folded her hands. "Well, that's what I wanted to talk about. See, I've been thinking . . . about stuff". I've really got to get, like, a handle on my life, you know? And I think you know the way"
"You mean—" Jodi wasn't expecting this.
Kat nodded. "I want what you have."
Jodi's heart jumped so hard, she wondered if Kat had heard it pound. "Well . . . it's like we talked about before ... at Young Life, you know? That Jesus gave his life so we'd have true peace . . . that our sin keeps us from God and, um, when we ask him into our hearts, he makes us brand-new."
"I know. I remember hearing that, but I guess I just don't get it," Kat said. Tears started to gently roll down her face. "Why me? Why would Jesus want to rescue a used-up druggie like me? I mean, what's in it for him?"
1 56 7^ LaHaye and DeMdss
"Kat, listen to me," Jodi said, fighting back tears of her own. "Jesus said that a doctor comes to heal those who are sick—not those who have it all together. Jesus loves us so much that he died for all of us."
"Yeah, maybe for someone like you, but how can you be so sure he loves me?" Kat searched Jodi's eyes.
Jodi didn't need to open her Bible. Instead, she closed her eyes and softly repeated the words she knew so well. "'For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.'"
When Jodi opened her eyes, Kat reached over and extended her hand to Jodi. "Help me pray . . . would you?"
"In a heartbeat!" Jodi took her hand and leaned forward. "Maybe you could just repeat this prayer in your heart, okay?"
Kat nodded.
Before Jodi had a chance to pray, she heard the door behind her burst open.
"What did I miss?" Bruce said, sweeping into the room without knocking.
Jodi and Kat looked over at him.
"It's a God thing, Bruce," Jodi said, her eyes moistened by fresh tears. "Kat wants to pray. Care to join us?"
"Um, hey, why don't I take a rain check," Bruce said as he took a step backwards. "If you don't mind, I'll just wait over here in this chair until you guys are done."
"Sure thing," Jodi said. She turned back to Kat and, with a wink, said, "You ready?"
"Go for it," Kat said.
Jodi cleared her throat. "Dear Jesus," she began, remembering the prayer she prayed years ago. "I need you ... I know my sin keeps me from you . . . but you died on the cross in my place. I want to live for you, now. 1 believe you are the way, the truth, and the life. Please come into my life today. In Jesus' name, amen."
'Amen," Kat said.
ALL THE RAVE ^ 1 57
Jodi opened her eyes and saw a smile filling Kat's face. Jodi leaned over the bed to embrace Kat. They laughed and cried for a long minute.
'Ahem," Bruce said. "I hate to break up the lovefest, but IVe got some major news."
Jodi released Kat turned toward Bruce. "You know," she said as she wiped away her tears with the back of her hand, "sometimes you can be about as sensitive as sand paper."
Bruce shrugged off the friendly jab. He stood up and started to walk toward Kat's bedside. "Whoa! That's some shiner, Jodi," Bruce said as he approached. "Let me guess. You got into a fight with your parents over trashing their car, right?"
"Hardly"
Bruce grabbed the newspaper he was carrying under his arm. "Hey, did you see this story? Right on the front page. Check it out, Jodi. Looks like youVe got your first really big scoop!" He uiifolded the paper and held it out for them to see.
"What story? What scoop?" Kat said, drying her tears, too.
"How much time do you have?" Jodi said with a laugh.
"Oh, and Jodi, I just heard from Phil. He said there's a good chance Reverend Bud is gonna make it, thanks to your 911 call," Bruce said.
"Really? That's so. cool."
"Reverend who?" Kat asked.
"Don't worry, I'll fill you in later," Jodi said. "What about the Russians? Did they find them?"
The expression on Bruce's face turned suddenly serious. "Oh, I don't think so. But did you know that the police released Dr. Blackstone this morning?" He handed the paper to Jodi as he spoke. 'And he said something about getting revenge."
Jodi felt the blood rush to her face.
His mouth morphed into a cheesy grin. "I'm just kidding . . ."
"Bruce!" Jodi said. She punched him in the arm.
"Feel free to hit him once for me, too!" Kat said.
Jodi loved to see the sparkle in Kat's eyes.
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