part0013

Cody remained alone for a few minutes after he and Tige broke up their powwow. Tige’s reluctance to further discuss matters of faith was no surprise. But she had been moved, and Cody wondered if he had handled the conversation wisely. Commanding a mission against hostiles was not his only area of inexperience.

Telling the heart-wrenching story about the infant had not been on his ‘want to do’ list, but it seemed situation-appropriate. He wondered if it would make it easier for the two women to tell about their traumatic hours of captivity.

Diamond returned with another energy bar and a mug of cool water.

“Here,” she said to Cody. “Eat and drink.”

He stuffed the energy bar into his mouth like before. “Good thing you found these. If we don’t find a food source on this island, we’re gonna be really hungry in a few days.”

“What about fish or crab, or coconuts maybe?”

Just then Victor, Betsy, and Tige returned and sat down on the floor.

“We decided to invite Victor into the discussion after all,” Tige said. “I want to do my part even if it’s difficult. I wanna help us all go back to our lives.”

Cody sat down on the log again. “Good. So, let’s take it from the beginning.”

Betsy started the dialogue. “They found us wandering on the beach at dawn the morning after the crash. We didn’t even know where the crash site was.”

“That’s right,” Tige said. “We had walked beyond the bend during the night. That’s where they found us when the sun came up.”

“First, they asked us if there were more survivors,” Betsy said. “We didn’t know anything, but they didn’t believe us. That’s the first time we saw those shock collars they were carrying in their backpacks.”

“Yeah,” Tige said. “They made us wear them and flipped the switch just to show they were serious. Then they —” Tige began to cough, gasping for breath, holding her throat.

Diamond and Betsy froze, but Cody reached out and took hold of Tige’s shoulders. “Tige! Tige, can you hear me? Just breathe. They can’t hurt you anymore. You’re with friends now.”

Her gray eyes stared into space, her hands clamped tightly around her throat. When Betsy and Diamond rallied around her, she gradually came out of it.

Cody acceded. “No need to apologize. My bad. I should have let Victor take the lead on this. He has some specific questions. Answer only what you’re comfortable with.”

Victor spoke up. “Ladies, we need information about their activities — who you saw, what you observed, anything that might give us a clue as to who these characters are and why they brought us here. Did you see their center of operations?”

“No,” Betsy said. “They wanted us to lead them to the crash site, but we took them the wrong direction at first. We finally turned around and came back this way.”

“That’s when . . . that’s when we came upon the wreckage and the bodies,” Tige said.

“I got the feeling they already knew where the crash site was,” Betsy followed up. “They just wanted to see how long it would take us to figure

it out. After they realized we didn’t know anything, they . . . they shot Crusher and took us as prisoners.”

“They were taking us to their headquarters when Cody caught up with us.” Tige got up and paced across the floor.

Cody asked another question. “Did you hear anything about children? Before Crusher died, he told me about kids used as slave laborers.”

Betsy looked at Tige inquisitively. Both shook their heads. “We don’t remember anything about that.”

“But they talked about using us . . .” Tige’s eyes grew larger than beach balls. “Something about genetic experiments, outer space travel, or . . .”

“Now it’s coming back to me,” Betsy said. “I remember a room with these amber lights.” She caught her breath. “Children! Yes, I saw them.”

Victor spoke again. “So, maybe they took you to their operation after all. Maybe it’s just hard to remember.”

Cody and Victor decided the women had been through enough. The rest could wait.

“We need to find food,” Cody said. “It would be nice to just walk down and catch a fish or something like that, but if we leave this hideout we might be spotted.”

“Well, gentlemen,” Diamond spoke up, “if we sit in this cave too long, we’ll starve. I say we take a chance.”

Cody nodded. “For all it’s worth, the bad guys may already know about this cave anyway. There’s only one way to find out.”

Diamond frowned. “Interrogation of the prisoners, right? Seems like these guys are master deceivers. How do you know if they’re lying?”

I’ll know,” Victor said. “Besides, I’m not sure how masterful they are, the way they fell for Cody’s brain gun-silencer stunt.”

Tige blurted out. “Ohhh , you would’ve fallen for it too. Those guys were about to . . . I mean Cody even had me believin’ he was gonna pull

“Alright, Vic, take a crack at the prisoners,” Cody suggested. “But wait ‘til this afternoon when they get real thirsty and hungry.”

Following their morning meeting, Cody asked Diamond to show him the back exit from the cave. They walked past the area where the prisoners were held in a hole too deep for them to escape, then went around the corner to the shower area and came to a narrow adjoining tunnel which resembled the inside of a hollow pretzel made of smooth rock.

It was a smaller version of the lava tube they were using as living quarters, with walls that resembled layers and layers of smooth spun silk. After the first turn, they could see the light coming from somewhere ahead. They stepped along carefully, not knowing if reptiles might have already claimed the narrow subterranean grotto as their territory.

When they made their last turn, the exit was in full view. It was a smaller crawl-through tunnel about five feet in length with a jagged opening at the other end where an external force such as a falling boulder had smashed and broken down the tube, letting the sunlight come through. They crawled to the end and surveyed the outside terrain before exiting. The hole opened onto a downslope, and they could see in the distance a crater at least four hundred feet deep and a mile wide.

“Cody, this is breathtaking. I’ve never seen such majesty.”

“So, do we dare stick our heads outside?”

“Oh, I must!” She began pulling herself through the opening.

“Wait!” Cody caught her arm. “Lemme check it out first.” He pulled a set of field glasses out of his side pocket. Victor had found them washed up on the beach the day before.

He scanned the entire perimeter of the crater. “I see no sign of life.” He became perfectly still. “Listen.” He waited. “Do you hear that?”

“A faint hum. Hear it?”

“No, I don’t hear anything,” she whispered. “Wait. Yes, I do hear it. What does it mean?”

“Unknown, ma’am. Could be a submarine or other ocean-going vessel in Caribbean waters. Could just be the earth making its own vibrations.”

Diamond snickered, imitating him. “Unknown, ma’am? Cody, this is me you’re talking to.”

“Oh, yeah! You’re the chick who recovered my skivvies. How could I forget?”

Cody climbed through the opening and took another look around. He spotted a secluded natural rock formation about five meters away.

“C’mon, there’s a place over there. Seems like a great location to have a private chat.” He helped her through the opening.

“Oh, you want to chat with me? In private? Well, this could get interesting.”

They sat on the ground facing each other.

Diamond lost her smuggish grin. “Cody, this grass we’re sitting on, it feels like it’s vibrating.”

He put his hand on the ground. “I feel it . . . Now it’s stopped. Could’ve been an earth tremor.”

“What is this place? Is it another country? Can’t we find some help?”

Cody took a deep breath to clear his head. “This has to be an island. I watched the headings, course changes, airspeed. I timed each leg of the flight. We’re in the middle of the Caribbean Sea, ‘bout three hundred miles northeast of Caracas and three hundred west of Saint Vincent. We’re in the middle of nowhere.”

Diamond’s voice wavered. “So, what’s the name of this island?”

He sighed. “I wish I could tell you. There are many unpopulated, undeveloped islands in this ocean. But somebody’s using this as a base, and they’re doing some really bad things.”

“How bad? I mean, other than shootings, abducting people, and hijacking commercial aircraft, of course.”

“I’m thinking about sniffing out their base. Payin’ them a visit. We need answers if we’re gonna get off this island.”

“Why do you have to be such a hero? Pay them a visit? Do you have a death wish?” She shook her head. “I know it’s necessary. But I’ve never been strong. I’ve never been so scared.”

“If you try to be strong on your own, you’ll never make it. Everybody needs someone . . . I mean, like family, friends. Together we’re strong, to use a cliché.”

“What about you, Cody? Do you have anyone special who helps you be strong?”

“I have a close-knit family but I usually work alone. I’ve never had a girlfriend, if that’s what you’re asking. Right now my life’s about other things. If I ever marry, I pray for someone who’ll love me the way my mom loves my dad.”

“My family is a cruel joke. My real name is Dee McArthur Simon. My mother is white. She’s from Chicago. Her parents never forgave her for marrying a black man, and they never forgave me for just being born.”

“Yikes. Not a good start.”

“Well, it gets worse. When I was eleven, my father . . . my father started abusing me. I might as well say it; he raped me.” She pounded her fist. “He came into my bedroom several nights a week.”

She paused, trembling from head to toe. “So . . . so in addition to everything else, are you a therapist too? I mean, why am I even telling you this?”

“If you wanna stop . . . well, it’s your call. I’m not a shrink or trained counselor. But I’m a good listener.”

She hesitated for a minute, mesmerized by his deep blue eyes that seemed to ripen with passion. She pulled her knees up to her chest and surrounded them with her arms.

“When I was fourteen, my father started bringing his brother and some of his friends. They all . . . I mean, they all talked about my beauty, tried to make me feel pretty. I told my mother what they were doing to me, but she didn’t believe me, or so she said. Then later, she changed her tune and told me I should be kind to my father because he had needs.”

Diamond’s lashes began to blink with heavy tears, but she was determined to continue. “I decided it was too dangerous to be beautiful, so I tried to make myself ugly. I figured they would leave me alone if I was ugly.

“So I stopped wearing makeup. I never showered. I started eating everything in sight. I was five-foot-six at age fifteen, and I soon weighed 265 pounds.”

“You? You weighed 265?”

She closed her eyes. “Give me a minute. I’m not going to cry hysterically or choke. Just give me a second, okay?”

“Of course.” Cody offered a reserved smile. “ You’re one of the most beautiful women I’ve ever seen. So what happened after that?”

She chuckled even as she wiped warm tears from her face. “Thank you, Cody. No man before you has ever told me I was beautiful and really meant it.”

He shifted his eyes downward.

“I found out my father had been charging the other men. I mean, he was renting me out. He was furious because I was ruining his business! ”

She buried her face in her hands, yet she could not stop talking. “My parents locked me in my room and told me I could not eat until I had lost fifty pounds. I didn’t think I could be humiliated any worse, but I was wrong.”

Suddenly, Diamond fought the urge to get up and run as far away as she could. From Cody. From her life. From this island. But she was unable to pull herself away from him. Cody never raised his eyes.

“My uncle, one of my dad’s best customers, was the preacher at Greater Ebenezer Church of Jesus, or something like that. So, that was my impression of Jesus.”

Diamond paused to bring her trembling breath under control. “Eventually, Child Protective Services took me out of the home. I hated being beautiful, but I also hated what I had become. No one wanted to adopt me. Ironically, I stayed in school long enough to respond to a drama department invitation. Ha! They were doing a play called ‘When the Fat Lady Sings. ’ Guess who got the leading part.”

“Bravo!” Cody said. “I bet you were a big hit?”

“Big hit?” She began to laugh and couldn’t stop. She let go of her knees and gave him a fake karate kick in the gut. “I’ll have you know I received the actress of the year award at my school.”

“Congratulations.”

“Right then, I knew exactly how to get back at my parents and how to get even with God. I would become a professional actress and show everyone I was worth something after all. Nobody would ever mistreat me again.”

“So, you changed your name and got on a fitness program and won the lead role in Deep Water Crossing?”

“ That film made me a star, but . . . you didn’t happen to see it, did you?”

Cody bit his lip. “No, I didn’t see it, but I heard.”

“So you know that taking off my clothes on camera made me famous. I’m so glad you didn’t watch it, Cody.”

“How did it make you feel?”

“While filming, I was humiliated. It all came back — every single painful memory. But I was so desperate to succeed. When I won the Oscar, I was exhilarated. I was proud that I had made myself beautiful again. I called my father. I thought he would be proud of me. The only thing he said was, ‘Dee, you ain’t nothin.’ And nothin’s all you’ll ever be.’”

She bitterly winced her eyes shut, as if to smother the haunting memory.

“I was rejected for the lead role of Daphne in Moonlight at Camp David because director Jesse Franks cited I was part Caucasian. He said it would be inappropriate for me to portray such an important African American woman.”

Cody wore a frown. “I’m part African American too. Why would anyone say that? Especially a prominent black director like Franks?”

“After that, I figured I didn’t belong anywhere, black or white, and that maybe my father was right.”

“You’ve managed to become a megastar. So maybe your father was wrong after all.”

“But I’m just kidding myself. I did only one nude scene, but it branded me. I started reading deeper into the comments of film critics. I’m popular only because of my ‘physical assets’, as they say. No one wants me for my skills. I’m only an object to be used by strangers, just like when I was in my father’s house.”

Cody treaded softly. “So, other than the fact I’m a good listener, why are you telling me this?”

“Have I made myself a fool in front of you?”

“Well,” he smiled tentatively. “After the way we rolled down the hill together in the mud yesterday, we aren’t exactly strangers anymore.”

Her face clouded. “It’s this . . . this island, the uncertainty, crazy emotions. I’ve never wanted to tell anyone my story. I wanted to forget. My handlers say I shouldn’t reveal that I’m a victim, because it makes me look weak. Bad Karma, bad for my career, they say. But I may be dead tomorrow. All of a sudden, I have to face myself.”

She brushed the hair from her eyes. “I don’t blame people for not loving me. No one ever has. I don’t even love myself. I drive people away. Maybe that’s what happens when your whole life’s just an act. Nothing about me is real.”

“I can’t pretend to know what you’ve been through,” Cody said. “But welcome to the world of being real. You just made your first step.”

They were silent for a few minutes. The sun was nearly overhead by now, and they sat in the shade beneath a clump of palms that seemed to be growing right out of the rocks. The air was still.

“Di, I’m sorry you have such a low opinion of Jesus. Have you ever heard the word agape? ”

“I’m confused. What?”

“So, it’s a word that has roots in the Holy Land. See, Jesus told His followers to do the impossible, like . . . like forgive people who hurt you, like reach out to suffering individuals, even people who hate you. The problem is, we aren’t capable of doin’ that on our own.”

“Forgive people who’ve hurt me? Why should I do that?”

“Well, see, Jesus has a style of His own. He’s in a class by Himself. He made a promise to anyone seriously wanting a new life that He’d fill them with his own eternal Spirit if they would lay down their lives for Him.”

“What does that mean? I have to die?”

“It means you give the ownership of your life to Him. Give up a life you’re gonna lose anyway, and gain a life that nothing can take from you. His Spirit seals the deal, living inside you, consuming you with love so intimate it lets you hear God in your heart.”

“Okay, that almost sounds spooky. So what does this agape word have to do with anything?”

“The first Jesus followers had no adequate word in Greek or Hebrew to describe this new life, so . . . they sorta modified an older Greek word that meant friendship and came up with the word agape. It means a love way beyond friendship. It’s so strong you can invade the impossible, as my mom likes to say.”

“Impossible?” She tilted her head. “You mean, love that can make you risk your life for a child in a garbage bin?” She couldn’t take her eyes off his. “And the woman with the hat and coat who somehow expected you?”

He nodded slowly. “Impossible?”

Just then, thunder rumbled and echoed through the distant hills.

“Cody, it’s gonna rain. We should get back in the cave. But first, Mr. Parker told me about praying. I told him I didn’t know how. Do you think if we pray, God might provide food for everyone? I mean, maybe if I just listen to you, I can learn how. Not that I’m, as you say, committed, like a real Christian or anything. But Cody, if what you just said is true . . . I mean, it sounds too good to be true. Most things that sound that way, well, sadly enough, they usually are not true. But, I mean —”

He cut her off and blurted, “God in Heaven, I’m callin’ on You right now, right here with this beautiful soul sitting with me.” He clasped both her hands in his. She awkwardly bowed her head.

“We’re askin’ You to provide food, Lord. Like pretty soon. Another beached shark closer to us, or maybe you could even send an angel to drop something off. Okay, well, Amen.”

They stared at each other. “I’m not really too good at prayin’ out loud either,” he said apologetically. “I just tell God what I’m feelin’ at the time. I mean, He knows anyway, so I don’t use a lotta clever, fancy words.”

“Cody, we need to get inside. I just felt a raindrop.”

They moved back toward the cave opening and stopped in their tracks.

“Cody! What’s that . . . that thing sitting right there? It’s a backpack! I don’t recognize it. Somebody’s been here!”

“Hurry! Get inside. I’ll check it out. Could be a bomb.” He looked in every direction. “How did somebody leave this here without us seein’ them?”

She moved toward the opening then looked back. “You’re not gonna open that thing, are you?”

He motioned her to keep going. She scrambled inside, but could not refuse the temptation to watch him through the aperture.

He knelt down. The camouflage army backpack looked innocent enough, but was it safe? It did not belong to anyone among the survivors, and he didn’t recognize it. He placed his ear close to the object and listened. He clearly heard an old-style alarm clock ticking. Diamond knew something was wrong when Cody’s face turned as white as a snow ghost.

“It’s a ticking bomb!” he shouted, backing away. “Get away from the entrance!” Suddenly the alarm sounded. He hit the ground and covered his head with his hands.

“Cody? Why are you lying there like that?”

He crawled over to the backpack and carefully opened it up. He pulled out the clock, stared a moment, then laughed so hard Diamond thought he would never stop. Finally, Cody lay on his back with raindrops falling on his face and raised his hands as though he would hug the overhead cloud.