The Sword of Ruth: The Story of Jesus' Little Sister

by V. M. Franck

Raven

  "I still can't reach Zak," Felipe said, putting away his cell phone. "I left another message."

  Outside ICU the hospital staff hustled back and forth, pushing equipment, chattering to each other. Joining me on one of the straight-backed chairs just down the hall, Felipe offered me a Three Musketeers bar and unwrapped another.

  "Thanks. That's kind of odd, isn't it?" I asked. It had been hours since we arrived at the hospital. The all night writing session coupled with the stress of the shooting crept in on me. I peeled the bar and scarfed it.

  "Yes. No one's answering the phones at any of his offices. Something is up."

  The double doors to ICU opened. The doctor we'd seen immediately after the five hour surgery headed toward us.

  "He's finally stable," she said.

  "Is he going to be all right?" I said. He couldn't die. He couldn't. Losing someone else I cared about was not acceptable.

  "It looks like he'll make a full recovery. He's apparently stronger than most," the doctor said.

  "Is he still unconscious?" Felipe asked.

  "No. Thankfully, he's sleeping," the doctor said. "Why don't the two of you go home. Someone will call if his condition changes."

  "Good idea." Felipe said, "Thanks doc, for everything."

  "You're welcome," she said and moved away.

  On the trip home we were mostly silent. Once we reached the house I let us in, cherishing the familiar walls.

  "Let me check the house, just in case," Felipe said.

  "In case of what?"

  Standing next to the end of the living room couch I scruffled the back of the Critter's head. The large fluffy feline purred and rolled over, offering me her belly. Absently I picked her up. She snuggled in. Her warmth, her affection seeped into the places reason could not reach.

  "In case they're here."

  "You think they came here, too?" Fear slithered up my back. I hadn't even considered that they could be in the house.

  "It's a logical thought."

  "If someone strange was here, Critter would be hiding. She's a big coward."

  "Well, just in case," Felipe said.

  Methodically he checked the downstairs bedrooms with me, clutching Critter, close behind. Nothing was out of place. Moving from one room to the next we found nothing unusual. We climbed the stairs. Critter tensed up, acting like she wanted to run and hide. Fear crept up my spine. At the top of the stairs Felipe paused in the doorway to the studio. I peered around him. Nothing seemed to be missing. We looked in my bedroom. It, too, was as I left it.

  Back in the studio, he said, "Why don't you check your portable hard drive--the backups of what you've been writing and as well as the hard drive on the computer."

  I turned on the computer. The files were intact, as were those on the portable drive.

  "I don't understand," Felipe said. "I just knew it would all be gone."

  "They could have made copies," I said. "Did you just hear something?"

  I craned my head and listened. The cat tore out of my arms and darted under the bed.

  "Sounds like it's out front," Felipe said.

  We hurried to my bedroom window. A white limo rolled into the driveway and stopped next to my car. Zak and a couple of burly guys climbed out.

  "You can come out now, Critter," I said.

  She peeked her head out from under the edge and meowed. We met Zak and the men at the front door.

  "Everything is okay here?" Zak said.

  "It seems to be," I said.

  "That may not last. We need to get out of here as fast as we can," Zak said. "Show us where your computer and your back ups are and Tim and George will pack them up. Throw a few things into a suitcase. Felipe, get your stuff and Jessie's."

  Felipe headed to his room. I led the others to the computer. The guys quickly hauled it off along with my backups. I pulled a suitcase from the hallway closet and took it to my bedroom. Zak followed me.

  "Just a few of your most personal things. I can get you whatever else you need," Zak said.

  "I can't leave my cat."

  Critter was sprawled on the bed, purring.

  "Bring her along."

  "Where we going?"

  "Someplace safe."

  "So you think they bugged the house?"

  "No doubt."

  I grabbed the pet carrier from the hall closet and placed the cooperative kitty inside.

  "What about Jessie?"

  "I sent a couple of guys to fetch him," Zak said.

  "Isn't he too hurt to move?"

  "He'll be in worse danger if we leave him there. I explained that to the hospital administrator. Hopefully he doesn't give us any problems."

  "I still don't understand why anyone would want to hurt him."

  "For the same reasons they'd want to hurt you."