Chapter 45

 

 

After two hours of sleep, Alex sat up and looked far away from where they were. Gaius rose next to her and gently cupped her face, calling her back to where she sat. His thumbs smoothed her few tears away and he finally lowered Alex back to his side. He softly continued to tell her where she was and that she was safe and loved.

He asked her if she wanted food, but she shook her head and put her face back against his chest. Gaius began to lovingly stroke her back as he whispered his love, again and again. Only when she was sleeping once more did he drift back off, too.

They did not wake again until Sabina called to his mind. Gaius opened his eyes and looked at his watch to see that they had actually been given an extra hour by their brethren. He smiled to himself at their thoughtfulness.

Gaius started to caress Alex’s back again and whisper to her mind until she opened her eyes. He kissed her lips lightly, and then asked if she was ready for breakfast and more time with the rescued souls around them. She groggily nodded and began to move from the warmth of his arms.

They walked to one of the many portable latrines and freshened as best they could, changing into clean clothes and preparing for the long day ahead. They ate a quick breakfast together and then went to the tent devoted to their primary goal of seeing all the captives safely back home. They were brought up to speed by Dibia and Nassor, and they understood what was ahead of them for the remainder of the day.

Over half of those they had rescued knew specifically where home was and wanted to return to their families immediately. Now that they were free of injury and disease, the immortals were planning to fly them out that very day. Roughly a fourth knew where they might go, but were unsure who or what awaited them when they got there. The remaining portion of laborers had no idea where they might go next. It would be the focus of the immortals and the government officials to see everyone placed in a home before they left.

Dibia handed Alex the list of people whom they had labeled as truly displaced, and she nodded her understanding. She, Gaius, Archimedes, John, and Dyion would begin the second round of interviews with them that day, and try to determine where they might rebuild their lives. Alex thanked Dibia and Nassor as they left to eat and sleep, while she and Gaius stepped into their places.

Throughout the day, Alex and her aura connected with each person on her list individually, in the hopes of looking for a memory of a name or a loved one who they might seek out. She felt their helicopters coming and going throughout the day, while her aura remained wrapped around each one, as many were taken away from the mine and given their freedom.

But before the first one lifted off, one and all had joined hands and offered a prayer of thankfulness for their rescue.

Mathew had led the initial words, but his voice paved the way for others, and soon the gathering of over two hundred praised the Lord for hearing their pleas at last. Alex raised her head as a boy of only ten spoke his thanks to God for giving him the chance to see his mother and father once more before he died. Tears began to stream down Alex’s face in response to one so young having to think of his own mortality, when he should have been playing without a care in the world. She felt Gaius’ aura ripple up her arm from their joined hands, and she squeezed his fingers in response.

By the early evening, all of the HH-47s had returned and the temporary camp was much smaller. The immortals had taken almost half of the rescued men, women, and children home, and returned to eat and rest before the next round of flights taking place the following day.

Alex was sitting in a chair outside the medical tent working with a young woman who was carrying her first child, when she looked up to see Gaius, Rohan, and Iain approaching her. They had been collapsing and repacking the tents no longer needed, so they could keep a better visual focus on the area. When Alex’s eyes met Gaius’ he knew something was wrong, so he stopped next to her.

“Rohan, Iain, go ahead. I’ll catch up to you later. Alex, can I help you two?” he asked gently.

Alex smiled and nodded, but mentally connected with him so their initial words were private. “Gaius, this lady is very close to delivering and I can feel that her baby is turned the wrong way. What do I do?”

Gaius smoothed her hair back and mentally answered, “Don’t worry, Alex. We can address this without harming the mother or the baby.”

“Ma’am, may I talk my wife through helping you further?” Gaius asked aloud and looked at the lady.

Her eyes were wide with uncertainty, but she finally nodded her agreement.

“Thank you for your trust. Alex, place your hands on her abdomen again,” Gaius instructed, while he pulled a chair up next to them.

Alex did as he requested, and his large palms came to rest on top of hers. He could feel the baby’s placement within the womb, but he wanted Alex’s hands to be the one touching the lady, not a man’s whom she did not know.

“Sweetheart, send a small amount of your aura in and cocoon the baby,” he said in English, so the lady was not privy to their use of their power in the moment.

Alex opened her mind to Gaius so they could stay connected and he could see what she was seeing. Her mind looked through her power and she could clearly see the little one. She glanced at Gaius in slight alarm when she saw the umbilical cord wrapped close to its tiny neck. She knew if the baby moved further down, it would be lost to its mother.

But Gaius smiled and nodded. “Watch, Alex,” he instructed. His aura traveled along her fingers and into the womb as well. He slowly caused the baby to turn as his power lifted and untangled the cord, so there was no longer any danger to mother or child. The young mother could feel her child shifting within her and she gasped slightly.

Gaius smiled and spoke in her language again. “All is well. There’s no need to worry, ma’am. You will have a healthy baby in your arms very soon,” he said reassuringly.

Alex smiled too, and she gently lifted her palms from the lady’s body. Alex asked her if she would like to eat and rest, because she was very close to her labor. The young woman, named Belvie, agreed and Alex helped her to stand, holding her hand as she walked to the food tent. She mentally thanked Gaius as she passed by him, and felt him reach out and pat her lower back.

Belvie asked Alexandria to stay with her once her contractions began, because she was very afraid of what was coming. She had no female relatives with her in the mine, and she was terrified of being alone for the birth. Alex kept her aura surrounding Belvie for comfort and peace, and she mentally called Ahadi, Sabina, and Tomoko to her side.

Though Alex knew her soul had helped with thousands upon thousands of births, it was the first time she had ever experienced the event in her current lifetime. And truth be told, she was terrified, too. She did not want to make a mistake that might endanger the baby or its mother.

The other immortal women came quickly, and took note of what was about to transpire. They helped Belvie to the medical tent and began to prepare a place for her to give birth. Tomoko started to heat water, ensuring anything that touched the mother and baby was sterile and warm.

“Alex, you can sit with Belvie and gently caress her abdomen with your aura. It will lessen any pain she might feel,” Sabina instructed.

She nodded and quickly took her place on the cot beside Belvie. Alex held one of her hands so she had something to bear down on, while her other palm smoothed slow circles across Belvie’s skin. Alex mentally observed the other immortal ladies, learning each and every step of the process necessary to bring a new life into the world. But her eyes and the largest portion of her consciousness stayed centered on Belvie, so she did not feel alone.

Soon, Alex learned the feeling of a contraction before they began to bear down on Belvie, and she used her aura to soothe the pain and discomfort away while still allowing Belvie’s body to move the little one further down.

“Thank you all for remaining by my side. I cannot imagine what would have happened to me or my baby if the guards still held me,” Belvie said as she cried. She shook her head at the picture her mind was painting, but Alex smoothed her hair back and smiled affectionately at her.

“Belvie, do not think of what could have been, but what is. You are safe, and we are all by your side for the duration. I promise you, you are not alone,” Alex reassured her. Belvie nodded and then inhaled when another contraction began.

After three hours, Ahadi told Belvie they needed her to walk around the tent for two rotations to help with the baby’s movements. They supported her on either side as she slowly walked the circuits. She paused when she needed to work through the pains as they began to come closer and closer, but Alex’s aura was still traveling inside to take the worst of the discomfort away. Belvie asked to walk a bit more, as she said it made her feel better, so Ahadi let her make a few more circuits before they settled her back atop the raised cot.

Alex stayed at Belvie’s side, holding her hand and smoothing her skin while the other ladies saw to the actual birth when it began. She stood and continued to hold Belvie’s hand, keeping one palm firmly on Belvie’s abdomen while channeling her healing power around both baby and mother so they were safe. Tomoko came to the opposite side of the cot and spread her aura across the young mother, siphoning off the pain too, as Ahadi and Sabina brought the little girl forth. The two immortals helped to quickly clear her airways and clean her little body.

All five ladies were crying along with the new infant. Alex smiled through the moisture in her eyes and lifted her hand to smooth Belvie’s tears away. Alex praised her and told her she stood in absolute wonder. Belvie laughed while she continued to cry, and she whispered her thanks. Sabina brought the little girl to Belvie then, for their first introduction and so the child could nurse.

Ahadi continued to take care of all that needed tending to, while Sabina and Tomoko made sure Belvie could feed her new daughter. With the malnutrition and physical stress she had been living under, they were unsure if Belvie’s body was prepared for the task. But to everyone’s relief, all was as it should be, and the baby was soon satisfied and fast asleep lying on her mother’s chest.

“Belvie, close your eyes and rest while we keep watch. We won’t leave you through the night, I promise,” Sabina said, as she gently brushed Belvie’s hair away from her forehead.

Belvie nodded her head and let her heavy eyelids fall shut almost immediately. Alex soothingly caressed the baby’s back, feeling the gentle rise and fall of her body as she slept peacefully under the influence of so many auras. She looked up to see the other ladies smiling with her, and Alex felt more tears trail down her cheeks at the miracle she had just been a part of.

 

A few hours later, Alex’s stomach growled so loudly it woke the newborn. She stood from the chair she was sitting in beside Belvie and told the other ladies she would be back shortly.

“Alex, go and rest for a while along with Sabina, and we will swap places in the morning,” Ahadi whispered. Alex agreed and left with Sabina, headed for the food station.

But as they walked out of the medical tent, Alex came to a stop at the sight before them. Gaius and Rohan were both kicked back in chairs with their feet propped up on boxes, sound asleep. Alex and Sabina met one another’s eyes and bit their lower lips, trying not to chuckle aloud as they acknowledged the tender care the two men bestowed on them day after day.

Alex moved forward and whispered to Gaius that she was near, hoping not to startle him. She need not have though, because both men felt the ladies drawing closer. Their heads came up simultaneously and their eyes focused clearly on Sabina and Alex. Alex smiled and stood at Gaius’ side, smoothing her hand through his thick, chestnut hair. He leaned into her touch, savoring the feeling.

“Is all well?” he asked.

“Everything’s perfect. Come join Sabina and me while we eat a late dinner,” she invited them both.

Gaius nodded as Alex dug her fingers into his scalp, and she watched his eyes fall closed briefly under her touch and aura. She chuckled, but gasped when he pulled her down across his lap and kissed her soundly before she could move.

“You two need a tent,” Rohan grumbled, causing Alex to laugh against Gaius’ lips.

Gaius stood, taking her with him, and she angled her head at him.

“Gaius, put me down,” Alex laughed. “Please?”

His mischievous grin was firmly in place, so she knew he had no intention of heeding her request. Alex said, “Please,” again, but Gaius just kissed her a second time as he carried her to the large tent used for food preparation and distribution. He placed her on a chair and she could only shake her head as he moved forward to prepare a plate for her and Sabina.

Their friends came in directly behind them, and Sabina was laughing aloud from Gaius’ playfulness and Rohan’s bluster. Alex patted the chair to her left and Sabina took it. They leaned against each other, and Alex studied Rohan as he took a chair across the table from them. She smiled at him as her head met Sabina’s and the two ladies closed their eyes briefly. And though they did not intend to, both fell asleep before Gaius could place their food in front of them.

When he turned around, Gaius saw that they slumbered while sitting up and leaning against one another. He set the plates on the table and stood quietly, taking in the scene of the two of them resting so peacefully.

“Rohan, what are we going to do?” he chuckled softly.

They could both hear Alex’s stomach protesting, and knew her aura had not yet retreated within her body since they had begun the mission. And it was clear that both ladies were very tired from all the work they had accomplished through their auras in the mine and camp.

“I haven’t got a clue. But they make a pretty picture in the moment, don’t they?” Rohan mused aloud.

Gaius’ eyebrows rose significantly over his friend’s statement, but Rohan never saw Gaius’ surprised expression. He just sat with his arms crossed over his chest, taking in the sight before them. Finally, Gaius took a seat next to Rohan and rested his chin in his hand propped atop the table, waiting until they stirred to make sure they got their dinner.

As they waited, John and Archimedes came in for a bite to eat. They saw what was taking place and said nothing, only smiled and took at seat beside the two men. It was not long before Iain, Elrick, Conleth, and Benen walked in. Their smiles spread rapidly across their handsome faces. They silently went about preparing their portions, so Sabina and Alex could rest. Alex’s stomach continued to beg for food, but she never once stirred.

When the sound became one long, uninterrupted call for nourishment, Gaius lost his resistance and rose from his seat to make his way around the table. He placed his palms on the backs of their heads and gently let his aura call to the ladies’ minds, so they would wake slowly. He cradled them until finally Sabina stirred. She leaned back and looked up at Gaius, smiling at his care.

He let his hand fall away from her as she righted herself in her chair and stretched to work out the kinks. Gaius settled both of his palms behind Alex’s head then and began a light massage, yet still she did not awaken. He chuckled and increased the pressure, but to no avail. He looked up to meet Rohan’s eyes and Gaius shook his head, feeling no indication of her rousing.

Rohan leaned forward in his seat and smiled. “Alex,” he whispered, “there is a newborn who has need of you, so it’s time to wake up.”

And to everyone’s surprise, Alex sat up quickly. She rose from her seat and turned in the direction of the tent’s opening. Gaius stepped in front of her and held on to her arms.

“Where are you going, sweetheart?” he asked playfully, and she only furrowed her brow at him.

She heard light laughter behind her, but Alex just stared numbly up at her husband, clearly still in a fog from her slumber. He smiled tenderly and redirected her to her seat. Rohan slid the ladies’ plates in their direction, and Gaius took the chair to Alex’s right while she tried to eat her portion.

She propped her chin in her hand as she ate, and was glad that her mother could not see her dining with her elbow on the table. And thinking of her mother, and of the new mother just a few tents away, made a dam open up within Alex that she did not want springing leaks.

The emotions her aura had been soaking up, already had her heart feeling a little more tender. She felt the first of her tears slide down her cheeks, and Alex grimaced. She did not want her loved ones to see the deluge that was threatening to come.

Alex slowly slid her elbow off of the table and let her hand fall into her lap. She lowered her eyes to her plate and began to call on Ganymede in earnest. She asked her angelic father to fortify her, so she could be the leader she had been created to be, and not one who would fall apart so easily before her brethren.

A slight surge passed through her body as her aura began to work on her own tumultuous emotions. She was able to call the tears home for the time being and focus on the food before her. Alex swallowed around the knot in her throat, feeling that decrease as well. She became aware of Gaius’ hand lightly caressing slow circles across her back, but she waited a few more moments to let her father and her aura work on her heart before she looked up to meet his gaze.

Gaius’ eyes roamed over hers as he sought the reason for the lingering moisture he could still see swimming there. But Alex smiled as she mentally connected with him.

“I am okay, Gaius. I’m just a bit tired, and I think I’m ready to turn in for our allotted time to sleep, if you are,” she said privately to his mind.

He nodded once and answered, “It would be best if you could finish your dinner before we sleep, if you can. Will you try, sweetheart?”

“Yes, I’ll finish,” Alex agreed. She looked back down and concentrated on the plate he had prepared for her.

When it was all consumed, Alex leaned against Sabina’s shoulder again and told her she would meet her back at Belvie’s side in a few hours. Sabina could see Alex’s need for a little additional comfort, so she turned in her seat and hugged her before she released her to rest. Alex exhaled and hugged Sabina in return, not immediately relinquishing her hold either.

Eventually, she patted Sabina’s back and rose to leave by Gaius’ side. He held her hand and led her by a latrine before they entered their tent. They quickly shed their boots and lay beside each other on a cot. As before, Alex turned and placed her face against Gaius’ chest, and she inhaled deeply as she loved to do for added comfort. She felt him unclip her hair and his fingers gently making their way through the mass to untangle it. Alex sighed and whispered her love as her tears returned.

Gaius pulled her closer to his chest and continued to lovingly stroke her tresses as she tried to let it all out silently, so their brethren did not hear her. He tenderly caressed her back as her tears ran their course and her hiccups began. When Alex felt more in control, she leaned back in his arms and pulled his face down so her lips could meet his. He lightly kissed her and whispered his love, hoping that Alex would be ready to talk with him soon.

Finally, she opened her eyes and smiled slightly.

“Thank you,” she said softly.

“Can you tell me?” Gaius asked as he smoothed her tears away.

Alex nodded. “I’m just feeling a bit overwhelmed, and I did not want the others to see my distress in the moment.” She lifted her sleeve to clean her face a bit more. “I was thinking of my mother disapproving of the way I was slouching over the table,” Alex confessed, and chuckled a little at the mental image she painted of Lady Juliana correcting her poor posture.

Gaius smiled and stayed Alex’s hand, using his sleeve to finish drying her skin. He angled his head to the side a little and studied her eyes. “Did being a part of the birth cause your emotions to run rampant, too?” he asked and smiled gently.

“Yes,” she breathed. “Gaius, it was one of the most beautiful moments I have ever been allowed to experience.”

His eyes crinkled at the corners and he nodded his head slowly in understanding.

Alex began to describe what it had felt like to help bring the little girl safely into the world. She started to regain her internal equilibrium as she focused on the good, and Gaius watched her aura calm and begin to flow peacefully around her body once more. When she was in a better frame of mind, he asked Alex the question that had been on his mind for the last two days.

He wrapped one arm around her waist and held her face cupped in his other palm, so he could keep her eyes directed towards his. “Alex, are you truly able to bear it all, my love?” he asked her softly. “I have never seen your aura stay outside of your body in the great magnitude which it currently is. I know it is still thickly blanketing our entire camp, our helicopters, and our brethren. Is it too much?”

Alex took in a deep breath and shook her head slightly. “No, I honestly don’t think it is too much for me. When this effort began, I sectioned off different rooms within my mental Library. I asked each room to stay focused on the way in which my aura is channeling out of me, for each specific need. Remember, Gaius, that there is now no end to how much Light I can wield. And truthfully, the largest surge, which is still blanketing the innocents, is coming through me from the Lord’s plan, and it is following the course He is laying out. It is not my will, but our true Father’s,” she confessed.

Gaius slowly shook his head in wonder, and then he leaned in to gently rub the tip of his nose across hers. Alex sighed and closed her eyes, loving that small way in which they showed their affection. She matched her lips to his again, lightly at first and then more intensely as she began to melt into him.

They embraced one another for several minutes until Gaius could feel their need for the other deepening. He began to slow their contact, so that he was just barely skimming his lips over her skin, as he tenderly kissed his way across her face and brow. When he stopped, Gaius pulled Alex against his heart and held her to his body while their breathing slowed. He heard her whisper her love and shortly thereafter, Alex was sleeping peacefully against him. He smiled and kissed her hair, before he let himself drift off too.

 

The following four days were an emotional journey for the rescued laborers, the country’s officials and soldiers helping to right the situation, and the Nephilim. The camp became steadily smaller each day, as more and more found their way home aboard one of the HH-47s. Though Mathew had told Alex and her brethren the very first day that he knew where home was and who awaited him there, he remained at the immortals’ tent village to help with the placement of so many from the mine who were truly alone in the world.

He and Alex formed an instant bond with one another, and she kept Mathew by her side as they sought to find a residence for the last portion of the large, liberated group. Mathew’s relationship with the others and their ready trust of his leadership, made him an excellent liaison between those who had no reason to trust the officials and soldiers who had been brought in to help right the situation.

By the end of the sixth day, only twenty-six souls remained with Alex and her brethren. After much discussion and many tears, the last of the liberated group accepted the invitation Mathew had extended to them on the second day. They agreed to return with him to his township and build new lives for themselves there. Although the area was small and remote, Mathew had promised the others that they would not be alone, and that they would have help rebuilding their lives with his family and neighbors’ help.

As the sun was setting on that sixth day, Mathew asked Alex to walk with him. She smiled as she fell into step beside him. Mathew led her away from the tents and back in the direction of the diamond mine. Alex looked up into his face as he came to a stop at the main gate. His countenance reflected his deep concentration and introspection, so she patiently waited for Mathew to share his thoughts whenever he was ready.

She took his hand in hers and lightly squeezed his fingers, letting her aura ripple across the contact. Mathew looked down as he registered the calm and peace Alex was sending him, and he smiled wistfully as he watched their hands for a moment. Slowly, his eyes lifted to hers and his smile widened a little more. He took in a deep breath, and then squeezed her fingers in return before he spoke.

“There were many days, Alexandria, that I and the others here prayed for deliverance. We begged and pleaded that our torment might come to an end, more times than I care to recount. We knew that those in positions of authority had to know of the work that went on here, yet they never came. And though I silently railed against their ineptitude and the willful way in which they ignored our plight, I see now why deliverance had yet to come.”

Alex angled her head at him and studied his eyes, but she did not interrupt the profound words Mathew was sharing with her.

“You see, I was waiting for them to hear the Lord’s call and end what was taking place here. But that was not His plan, was it?” he questioned, with a knowing smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

“I see now, that it took more than just the weak and fallible hearts of men to do the right thing in this horrific situation. It took mighty warriors of the Lord to lead us out and deliver us from those who held us in bondage, day after wretched day. I do not know where specifically you and your fellow soldiers have come from, and I do not want you to tell me, Alexandria. For you see, my new friend, in my heart I already know.”

“All of us here know who sent you, and that is enough. Our lives are saved, because He loves us and sent you here to see that we suffer no further oppression. Alexandria, I have witnessed such miracles this week. The likes of which are not often heard of in today’s world. You have all restored my faith, if it was ever actually weakening, and put me on the path I was walking before I was taken and forced to work here.”

Mathew’s smile grew so wide, that it lit up his entire face. And the light Alex could see shining brightly in his eyes grew as well. She could not help but smile broadly back at him. His joy was palpable, and her aura responded by intensifying and wrapping around his shoulders.

“You see, I always felt the call to be a minister, and now I am going home with a flock who will need me. My family and I will welcome them home with open arms. I promise, my friend. Know that when you take your leave, you have done far more for us than others dared to attempt, and we will all be forever grateful that you listened to the Lord’s call,” Mathew said, with great humility and respect resounding in his words and tone.

Alex stepped forward and hugged him as they both let a few silent tears fall over his final, impassioned words. When she pulled back, Alex cupped his face in her hands and slowly nodded her approval. She could feel his cheeks rise against her fingers as his smile returned.

“Mathew, it has been my honor and most humble privilege to help lead the disbanding of this terrible place. To know that you and all the others are free of the pain and torment you have been subjected to, is thanks enough. And know that when we do take our leave, I will still pray for you and the others each and every day as you rebuild your lives,” Alex said, smiling with him.

She lightly patted his skin before she let her hands fall away. Alex bent for a moment to take a small pad and pen from one of the pockets on her fatigue pants.

“Mathew, if ever you hear of such atrocities happening anywhere near you again, I expect you to write and let me know.” As she spoke, she jotted down one of the Nephilim’s common post addresses in Europe; one that she had learned was the place where many cries for help were first directed.

He took the paper she offered him, and let his eyes roam over it. “Alexandria, I promise you that this is not an address I, nor my village, will ever lose.”

“It matters not how many generations pass, Mathew. There will always be help at that address,” she vowed and nodded firmly.

“Thank you, dear one,” Mathew breathed out and gathered her in his arms again. “I know that you will leave this place and help many more, for I feel that the Lord has great plans for you. But I want to pray with you now, Alexandria. I want to pray for you, as you do for us. It is really all I have to offer you, but it is on my heart to do so. Will you join me?”

“Mathew, I would love nothing more,” Alex said with a smile. They joined hands and bowed their heads together as Mathew’s voice washed over her.

 

Throughout dinner that night, Alex tried to talk with all of the remaining rescued souls before they parted ways the following morning. Many echoed Mathew’s words in their own way, sharing that they were so grateful for their deliverance and the Lord’s intervention on their behalf. Alex thought to herself that she could not wait to share these memories with Wallace when they returned to Ahadi’s home. It was an effort spurred on by his conscience and, in Alex’s humble opinion, the Lord working through him to lead the Nephilim to the mine.

Belvie handed her daughter, whom she had named Ahadi, over to Alex when she came to sit by her. The two ladies smiled at each other and Alex gently rocked the little girl in her arms while Belvie ate her dinner. She peeked into the baby’s future, and saw a life in Mathew’s township that held so much promise. It brought a light sheen of happy tears to Alex’s eyes, and she leaned forward and softly kissed the baby’s forehead, praying for her and the new life her mother was about to embark on.

Alex felt Gaius’ hand on the back of her head, and she turned to gaze into his eyes. She heard him mentally whispering his love to her, and she smiled and voiced her love aloud. He smiled briefly, and then looked down at the baby in her arms. Alex studied his face for a moment, then turned her eyes down again, delighting in the little girl who was now resting peacefully.

They did not tarry that evening, but went straight to sleep as soon as they could, knowing the next day would call for one final stop before they could return to Ahadi’s home in Sudan. Alex, Gaius, and many others were traveling to the estate of the man who actually owned the mine, in order to deal with him. The last of the Congo’s soldiers and officials, who had remained throughout the week, were going to be present as well to take the man into custody.

Gaius held Alex in his arms, praying for her heart, mind, and soul as she slumbered. It would be Alex and her aura that would touch the criminal, and he asked the Lord to take the heartache away so there was less aftermath for her to deal with once they were finally home. He gently kissed her hair, as sleep claimed him for a time.