all set?” Rachel asked.
David scooped up the airline tickets from the counter. “Good to go.” He turned to see Luke debating with a young tattooed employee, complete with a riveted nose.
“And I’m saying it’s cool,” Luke said, reaching for Nubee’s chair. “We got it covered.”
“Sorry, all disabled passengers in wheelchairs are supposed to be—”
“Nubee’s not disabled.”
“Whatever, they’re supposed to be accompanied to the gate.”
“Then accompany us from back there”—Luke jerked his thumb over his shoulder—“’cause I’m—”
The employee reached past him for the chair. “All disabled passengers in wheelchairs are to be accompanied—”
“I heard you, and I said—”
“Gentlemen, gentlemen.” Preacher Man stepped in. “What seems to be the problem?”
The employee sighed. “The boy here’s got some communication problems. He don’t understand company policy.”
“And you don’t understand that Nubee’s not disabled.”
“He’s in a wheelchair, man, don’t tell me he’s not—”
“Easy, fellas, easy.” Laying a hand on the employee’s shoulder, Preacher Man drew him closer and produced a ten-dollar bill from his pocket. “This should be improvin’ everybody’s communication skills, wouldn’t you agree?”
“Sorry, it’s the best I can do.”
He threw a sideways glance, then snatched the bill. “I’ll meet you at the gate.” Without waiting for a reply, he turned and sauntered off.
David approached, marveling. “Did you just bribe him?”
Preacher Man shrugged. “I bought us a little peace.”
“But … you’re a man of God.”
“That’s right.” Taking Nubee’s chair he started forward with Luke. “And ‘blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.’”
David and Rachel exchanged amused looks, then turned and followed the trio toward security.
It had been nearly a week since they hiked the logging trail to a dirt road, which eventually led to Highway 20. From there they were picked up by a group of migrant workers who had been turned away at Ruby Creek because of Mount Baker’s eruption. Apparently, much of the North Cascades was a disaster—earthquake, mudslides, raging rivers. The Ross Dam which provided a fair bit of Seattle’s power was all but wiped out. The west side of the mountains got it the worst, with floods and mudflows down the Nooksack all the way to Lynden, while the Skagit River destroyed much of Sedro Woolley and Burlington. The east side faired better, but not by much.
Their first stop was the city of Winthrop, where amidst the chaos they tried to file a report with the police—which no one believed, or had time to pursue. Then they traveled down to Wenatchee, where they visited the local ER. Here they checked David’s arm and looked for any other broken body parts. They also examined Luke’s eyes. Although they’d become extremely sensitive to light, forcing him to wear sunglasses outdoors and in, there appeared to be no permanent damage—though a specialist would more closely examine him once he got home.
Removing the tiny receivers that Orbolitz’s goons had inserted was a bit trickier. It took Rachel’s celebrity clout, not to mention Preacher Man’s persuasive skills (plus an X-ray or two) to convince the doctors that they were for real. Fortunately the devices, which were about the size of a large cold capsule, had already started working their way down their sinus cavities and it was fairly easy to remove them. The hospital would have insisted upon admitting them, but the eruption had put rooms even this far away at a premium.
After two days at a local motel where they caught up on several nights’ sleep, Reverend Wyatt shared heartfelt goodbyes and headed up to Spokane to help his denomination coordinate disaster relief efforts. He promised to get back in touch as soon as things settled down.
The rest of the group rented an SUV and followed Highway 2 back over the mountains to Seattle. From there Luke and David rested another day and night at Rachel’s home overlooking Puget Sound before they booked a flight back to Los Angeles. Preacher Man had planned to spend an extra week up in Everett with his sister and her five, or was it six kids. But after twenty-four hours, he was more than ready to head back home.
It was in Rachel’s house, seeing her relaxed and in her element, that David once again realized how much he was attracted to her—her kindness, her laughter, and her depth of character. Then, of course, there was her beauty. Outside and in. She was lighter now, the inner darkness gone. And it had a profound impact upon the rest of her. She was a remarkable woman, and he couldn’t help wondering what it would be like if they spent more time together. He and Luke could take another week off up here before the school officials started complaining. They could find a nearby hotel, relax, unwind. Maybe give her a hand at starting to put her life back together. For that matter, they could rent a house. After all, he could write his novels anywhere, and Seattle would certainly be a refreshing change from LA. Then maybe, over time, if the chemistry continued to be so right …
He pushed the thought from his mind … more than once. Because he knew, they both knew, the relationship could never continue in that direction. They could be friends—after all they’d been through, how could they not? But it could go no further. There were too many reasons—the greatest being that she was still married to the man that she still loved.
“Any idea where you’ll find him?” David had asked that final evening as they sat on her porch, watching a distant ferry cut through the water in the fading purple light.
“Finding him won’t be the problem. Getting him to forgive me, that’ll be the trick.”
“I thought he had.”
She sighed. “He says he has.”
“If he loves you, he’s forgiven you.”
She mused quietly. “Funny … that’s what he said.”
He looked down at his coffee mug as silence stole over their conversation.
“You’d like him, David. You two have so much in common.”
He smiled. “I’m sure I would.” He took another sip of coffee, barely tasting it.
After a moment, she continued. “Listen …” It was her turn to look at her mug. “If for some reason … I mean if things don’t work out …”
Against his will, David felt his hopes rise.
“I mean, you and I, we’ll stay in touch, right?”
He took a breath, then forced out the words. “It’ll work out, Rachel. If he loves you, he’s forgiven you.”
She nodded. “And even if he hasn’t …” She looked up. “Even if he hasn’t, that doesn’t change the fact.”
He stole a glance at her.
“That I’m still forgiven.”
David smiled. More silence followed. There was so much more that he wanted to say—that he wanted to hope. But he remained silent.
“Here we are.” Rachel’s voice brought him back to the terminal.
He looked up, surprised that they’d already reached security.
“You have my number, right? Cell and home?”
“Yes,” he said. “And you have mine.”
“Absolutely. I’m sure I’ll need some pointers along the way. It’s all so new to me.”
“I’m not that much further along, but I’ll be happy to do what I can.”
She nodded. Again, silence grew between them.
He tried filling it. “Starting a new career will be tough.”
“Not with my typing skills.” She held up her hands. “These puppies are good for ten words a minute. On good days, even twelve.”
They chuckled. Another moment of uneasiness followed before she spoke, this time her voice thicker. “Thank you, David Kauffman.”
He looked to her.
She blinked back a sheen of moisture covering her eyes. “I owe you so much.”
“I just pointed to the truth you were looking for.”
She smiled. “‘And the truth shall make you free.’ I’m free, David. For the first time in my life … I’m free.”
He nodded. “Me too.” He felt his own voice thickening. “Me too.”
“Let’s go, folks.” He looked up to see the security guard waiting. Luke, Nubee, and Preacher Man had already passed through the detector. Now the guard was motioning to him. “Move along, please.”
He turned back to Rachel. The moisture had filled her eyes. “I’ll never forget you,” she said.
“You better not.” He forced another grin. He wanted to say more but didn’t trust his voice.
She saved him the trouble. Quickly, before he could say or do something stupid, she rose up on her toes and gave him a peck on the cheek. Then, without looking at him, she turned and walked away.
David tried to speak but no words would come.
“Goodbye, Rachel,” Preacher Man called out to her.
“See you later,” Luke added.
She raised her hand and gave a wave, but continued down the corridor without turning. David stood, waiting for her to look back. She never did. Just as well. She didn’t need to see the moisture in his own eyes.
“Sir, please step through.”
He turned and gave his face a quick wipe before stepping through the metal detector. The alarm immediately sounded.
“Step back through again.”
He stepped out, immediately searching the hallway for any sign of Rachel. There was none.
“Keys, loose change, anything in your pockets?”
He shook his head, reaching into his coat pocket to prove the point. But to his surprise, he felt something. A piece of plastic attached to wires. He pulled it out and stared at the remains of Orbolitz’s goggles—one of the lenses and part of the frame with a few stray wires hanging from it. How was that possible? He’d never picked it up, never felt it in his pocket, until that very moment.
He passed it over to the agent, who took it from him with a scowl and called, “Nicholas?”
Another agent appeared as David stepped through the detector.
“What’s it from?” the second agent asked. “Surveillance goggles or something?”
Still confused, he answered, “Uh, yes, something like that. What’s left of them.”
The two agents carefully examined the piece, turning it over and over. When they were convinced that it posed no threat, they handed it back to David. “Have a nice flight, sir.”
“Thanks,” David mumbled. He joined the other three as they turned and headed for the train that would take them to their gate. While they walked, Luke took the piece of goggle.
“I didn’t know you had this.”
“Neither did I.”
The boy slipped off his sunglasses and brought the cracked lens with its dangling wires to his eye. “Hey, check it out.”
He passed it back to David, who reluctantly lifted it to his own eye. He saw nothing but the darkened image of the airport.
“Pretty cool, huh?”
“I don’t see anything.”
“You’re kidding.” His son took the lens and peered through it again. “You don’t see all those streaks of light?”
He held it back out to David, who declined. “Sorry.”
A moment later they arrived at the train platform.
“Maybe it’s your eyes?” David suggested. “You know, from the microwave burn or whatever.”
“No way is this my eyes.”
“Well, whatever it is, you need to put those sunglasses back on.”
“Yeah, in a minute.” He continued looking. “So you didn’t see anything?”
“Zero.”
He turned his head, looking up the train tracks, then down. “Can I keep them?”
“You can put your sunglasses back on.”
“All right, I hear you.”
“Now.”
“All right, all right.” With vintage Luke attitude, the boy sighed and replaced the lens with his sunglasses. “So can I keep it?”
“Knock yourself out.”
The train approached and Luke turned to Preacher Man, showing him his prize. “Check it out.”
“Don’t know if I want to be messin’ with anything connected to that man.”
“Go on.” Luke pushed the lens toward him as the train pulled to a stop in front of them. The doors hissed open and David stepped inside. He turned and watched the rest of the group enter—Preacher Man pushing Nubee, who remained slumped in the wheelchair, and Luke beside them, still offering the lens. “Go ahead.”
With some reluctance, Preacher Man took the lens and raised it to his eye. The doors shut and the car lurched forward.
“See anything?”
“Nope.”
“Just keep looking. There’s these streaks of light shooting all around. Like what we saw in the woods with those receiver thingies in us.”
David looked on, remembering all too well what Orbolitz had claimed he’d seen with the glasses.
“Can’t see nothin’.”
But now they were destroyed—just broken plastic and wires that no longer worked.
“You’re not looking hard enough.”
But apparently something was working, at least for Luke. Was it coincidence that he saw lights like they’d seen in the woods? Was it some trick of his eyes, of the burnt retinas that were healing? David certainly hoped so. But how had the piece of goggle suddenly appeared in his pocket? He’d never put it there. He frowned down at the tile of the swaying train. There were too many questions. And to be honest, much of him hoped they would never be answered.
But as he looked back up and watched Luke and Preacher Man examining the lens, he sensed, he knew, that would not be the case. “There is much for you to do.” Those were the final words of the Man with the holes in His hands. The final words spoken to David when he left heaven over a year ago and returned to earth. “There is much for you to do, but I will always be with you.”
And, deep in his soul, deep inside that core of blazing light that was no longer visible, David Kauffman suspected the questions would be answered.
They would be answered, but in ways he never dreamed possible …