Chapter 14

Susan Farnsworth woke from the afternoon of sleep with a start. The telephone rang in the other room. The sleep had done nothing but make her feel worse. The ringing bell seemed to grind on her nerves, but no one answered it for her. Robert tended to the children out in the courtyard to let her sleep. She rose out of bed and rubbed her pounding temples.

The ringing did not let up even as she tried to ignore it. She finally guessed it was important enough for them to keep trying she should go ahead and answer it. Bags rimmed below her bloodshot eyes. She drew a robe around her as she went out into the hall. She lifted the receiver suddenly and spoke sharply into the telephone.

"Hello?" Susan found it hard to keep her balance.

The hospital wanted her to meet with Tommy’s psychiatric doctor later that evening. The doctor needed to give instructions to his care when she arrived to transfer him into the psychiatric hospital. Susan hung up and leaned back against the wall with a heavy sigh. She did not want to get back out that evening, but she had to sign the authorization for the transfer. She had sent the aides home for the evening, and Robert could not drive.

Susan donned her clothes and grabbed her keys. She advised Robert of where she needed to go and headed for her car. As she drove through the streets of the inner city, her mind distracted over the boy she had failed. What was she going to do about Tommy? Tests confirmed when he entered the hospital he had suffered from multiple types of sexual trauma. Evidence existed to prove the abuse had gone unchecked for years, perhaps even from his infancy. She hoped that DNA tests on Stone's corpse would confirm he had been one of the suspects.

Susan pulled the car to a stop on a street in front of the hospital. She had no desire to park inside the garage even though the skies were threatening rain. She put several quarters in the meter and then hurried inside. During the routine SANE exam, the doctors discovered early scar tissue inside the boy that bothered her most. That meant multiple assaults had been going on for a long time entirely under her nose. Guilt filled her soul. How could she have been so blind? Were there other children that Stone might have hurt?

Susan went into the children's ward with the weight of guilt pressing down upon her harder and harder with each step. The knowledge she entered that room with all those poor children did not help her spirits any. Gloria Kim stopped her just before she entered the wing holding Tommy.

"Mrs. Farnsworth...could you come with me for a minute?" Gloria Kim seemed both nervous and excited.

She took Susan by the hand and led her to a waiting room. Inside, another young woman who dressed professionally waited and talked with Captain Brody. The detective stood up when he saw Susan and tipped his head to her with muted respect, something he had not offered during their initial meeting. The other woman stood with him and adjusted her glasses as she examined Susan’s character without saying a word.

"What is going on?" Susan immediately feared the worst for Tommy. "Has something happened to Tommy?"

"No," Brody said in a calming tone. "Let me introduce you to Dr. Stockard, a child psychologist."

Susan took the other woman's offered hand in greeting. "I am Susan Farnsworth, caretaker for Tommy Morgan."

"Pleased to meet you." Dr. Stockard spoke with a polished voice that seemed inclined toward talking with children. "I am looking forward to getting to know more about you."

"What do you mean?" Susan threw a questioning glance at Brody.

Brody cleared his throat. "Miss Stockard is volunteering to help Tommy."

Susan nodded slightly. "There is something that you must understand first, Miss Stockard. Tommy received a small check from a couple that had sought to adopt him. They left explicit instructions that half be given to him when he gets older and the other half be used for medical expenses. This trip to the hospital..."

Dr. Stockard shook her head. "My services in this particular are pro bono. When I heard of the brutality of the attack, it touched my heart in a way that even I cannot understand. I want to help this little boy."

"Miss Farnsworth doesn't know, yet." Gloria interrupted. "It is a miracle!"

"We better show her a video of the room first," Brody suggested.

"Yes. Of course." Gloria escorted them out of the room and to the station. "We began closed-circuit monitoring a few years ago due to the fear that some orderlies or nurses were abusing the children. We were able to screen out those types of people from our workforce rather quickly. It is too bad we cannot do that for society. Our lives would be much better eventually."

"It will always be there." Dr. Stockard said grimly. "No matter how tight you pull the reins on society, there will always be those that slip through."

"Even under your nose," Susan whispered with the guilt pressing against her even harder.

No one offered to ease her guilt. The other three already knew most of Tommy's story. They did not want to lay blame upon her, but she could feel the accusations in their attitudes. Only Brody seemed to be the most understanding and only perhaps because he had seen the worst that life could offer.

When they showed Susan the video monitors, she set aside her guilt for a moment. In the critical care unit, which she had visited earlier in the day, she had seen children barely clinging to life. The children were awake, either happily talking with family or seeming so bored they wanted to go outside and play. All of them appeared fully recovered except for Tommy. He lay in the middle of his bed, weaker and more helpless than ever.

"What..." Susan glanced at the nurse.

Gloria Kim could hardly contain her excitement. "I witnessed a miracle today. I cannot explain it. After the two of you left this morning, I went to the chapel to pray for Tommy and the other children. I thought Bobby was going to leave us this morning. I dreaded to go back into that room after my prayer, so I asked Vivi to look after my children. I quickly regained the courage to return. When I returned, she had just called maintenance because the monitors all started acting crazy.”

“Why is Tommy not awake?” Susan touched the screen to his room as if she were touching him.

“I think he had something to do with these miracles.” Gloria continued. “Just before the first child was healed, Tommy started having a bad dream. Then he became still. The power went out in the hospital. When the emergency generators kicked in, Bobby, the little boy in the next room, healed completely before our eyes.” Her eyes glittered with tears. “His chest x-rays this morning, when he had first arrived, had shown all his ribs had been crushed in the rollover. He was not supposed to recover.

“Then the monitor came back on all by itself. Then the children started waking up. The ones who were not so sick were first. Then the little girl with cancer and the little boy who had been so disfigured in the wreck. His little face looked like it had never even had a scratch on it. Only Tommy is still sick. His arm is still broken, and his health seems not to have improved at all."

“How do you know that Tommy did this?” Susan continued to touch the screen, unsure if she should believe what she had just heard. "Why do you think Tommy had something to do with this miracle?"

Gloria put a hand on Susan’s shoulder. “Because the same thing happened four different times. The monitors would go crazy. Tommy would have a bad dream and then fall silent. The power to the building failed each time. Then, another child would begin to wake up from his or her illness. This is even the most miraculous event. After the third power failure, the building engineers traced the cause of the power failures to surge in the children’s ward.” Gloria’s joy for the other children melted into a deep concern for Tommy. She investigated his room. “I know it was him because he did not heal like the others. Instead, he just seemed to be more weakened each time it happened.”

"A miracle is the only thing that you could call it." Brody cleared his throat again. “I did a background check on your home before and after you took it over. Do you have any children there now, that require constant medical attention other than Tommy?”

Susan did not think long about the answer. The truth was, she was proud of the fact she managed such a healthy home. All the children received their regular pediatrician visits, dental check-ups, and well visits by the state. Now, as she thought about it, none of the children had so much as a runny nose in the last year.

Brody read the expression in her eyes and continued. “Except for two children in that previous home, it was remarkable to find only minor health issues. To be blunt, they kept Tommy there to keep the other children viable. The two beaten children found on the day of the raid had been brought there that day, perhaps to save their lives.” He paused to let the news sink in. "There is one other thing that you should know."

"In his sleep of delirium, he kept calling out your name." Dr. Stockard added. "He mentioned your name and a warning about a fire."

"He can speak!" Susan cried. "I knew it!"

"He kept saying Susan...fire... Susan...fire..."' Dr. Stockard repeated as she stepped forward to the monitor. "When he said your name, he sounded like a frightened child seeking comfort and when he said fire, it seemed as if it terrified him."

It did Susan's heart a world of good to hear that Tommy's first words had been a call out to her for comfort from something that frightened him. "Can I go see him?"

"It'll be just a moment. The doctor wanted to order another set of x-rays before releasing him." Gloria stated. "A lab tech is already on his way down to get him. It should not take more than thirty minutes. We wanted to see if maybe the miracle was going to help him as well, possibly healing him from the inside out."

"Can we talk in the waiting room?" Brody started escorting Susan back to the waiting room. He motioned for Dr. Stockard to follow them.

A man exited the elevators pushing a wheelchair. Susan noted he came from the x-ray department, and she felt glad. She was tired and ready to go back to the orphanage. The weekend had turned out to be an ordeal she did not want to relive. She followed Dr. Stockard and Brody into the waiting room and took a seat. Gloria Kim started to enter in with them, but two parents who looked like they had been through hell and back caught her attention. Through the glass, Susan could see the immense relief and joy that overwhelmed the two of them at the discovery of the miracle the nurse revealed to them. She wished all parents could be that lucky.

"Have you ever noticed anything else about Tommy that would be helpful?" Brody took a seat opposite Susan. Dr. Stockard remained to stand, taking as many notes as she could on a notepad.

Susan sat back, obviously surprised by the question. She wondered if they were trying to accuse her of something concerning Tommy's attack. It worried her whenever someone asked her about the condition of her orphanage or her children. She knew she did a remarkable job with all of them, except for the incident with Tommy. That wounded her pride the most. Nevertheless, she reflected back, and it surprised her even more.

"I still cannot believe Tommy healed the children in the ward," Susan stated, but then remembered something. "There was a time the children all came down with severe colds... almost all at once." She glanced up at Brody. "It happened during the week Tommy had gone to the hospital for appendicitis."

"I checked his records," Brody admitted in a whisper. "I questioned the doctors and nurses who had been around him back then. The doctor who had performed the emergency operation had been considering retirement due to crippling arthritis in his hands. That doctor is their chief emergency trauma surgeon now. The arthritis is gone. He said he almost refused the surgery because the pain had grown too intense for him to control the instruments. A strange thing happened thereafter. When he entered the room to operate on the boy, he felt a strange tingle go through both of his hands. Tommy's vital signs dropped in the same instant. He knew he had to operate right away or call someone else. Abruptly the tingling ended, and the pain left his hands. Tommy's vital signs began to climb back up. The arthritis had left the doctor’s operating hand!"

"Why did he not say anything about it?" Dr. Stockard asked as her pen scribbled nervously.

"He never considered it a miracle created through the child. He is a devout Southern Baptist." Brody rubbed his hands together. "He believes God gave him a second chance in life to give other people second chances in their lives. He never bragged about it to anyone in his church, but he did talk about it with his pastor."

"Are we going to tell other people about this?" Susan asked warily. "I do not think it would be beneficial for Tommy, even if true."

"No," Brody added sharply. "There is something else about Tommy you should know." He glanced up at Dr. Stockard. "That is also why she is here."

"I do not like the sound of your voice." Susan made no effort to hide her suspicion.

"This morning...when I showed you the mark on Tommy's thigh," Brody drew in a deep, troubled breath. "I did not tell you how or what I knew of that mark. What I am about to tell you cannot go beyond these walls. I wish I could relate these details to you in another, more secure area, but time does not allow us that luxury. I have worked with Dr. Stockard before, and I trust her. The mark on Tommy's thigh is the mark of a highly elusive and dangerous cult. Their reach is everywhere. Certain government officials and even law enforcement personnel around the world have ties to this cult. They are withdrawn and only little is known of them. I have maintained a secret file on my home computer. I do not dare bring it up at the office. One of my sergeants bears the mark on his shoulder."

"I thought you said they were secretive." Because Susan had a tough time believing anything they were telling her, she found herself picking apart what they were saying.

"I saw the marking on his shoulder during recruit training some fifteen years ago. Only recently have I learned the origin of that mark.” Brody seemed unfazed by her insufficient belief. He knew he spoke the truth. “I, myself, have failed Tommy in the past. I arrested Martin Stone five years ago for public intoxication. He was in a drunken stupor. At the time, I did not know the heinous crime he could commit… I observed a similar mark on his shoulder much like the one my sergeant had. I began to question him out of curiosity. Although he never actually confessed to any crimes, the alcohol freed his lips to describe the cult, and my life changed forever."

Brody stood up and rubbed his tired eyes with one hand. "I would not have believed anything he said if I hadn't received an anonymous letter from an unknown person that described in detail the incidents the cult was capable of. Stone was part of a large group of people who call themselves The Cult of the Blood Rose. They practice a form of child sacrifice on a regular basis. Stone never told me that. That mysterious letter I had received revealed it. If Stone had confessed that, I would have tried to hold him for further questioning or had him committed. What I did get from him was there were members everywhere, he was some sort of priest within their cult, and they would come after me if I did not free him immediately. He told me I would not go anywhere they were not present. I remember the sergeant and his marking.

"If I had never received that letter, I probably would not have investigated Stone's story any further. What the letter contained frightened me. I do not frighten easy. Ever since then I have felt the need to constantly look over my shoulder, wondering when they are going to close in on me."

"So why are you telling me this?" Susan asked with growing disbelief.

"Because the letter described that Tommy had been part of a sacrifice gone awry." Brody knew it would be tough, convincing someone else of the secret society. "They never gave his last name, whoever wrote the letter, or I would have been around a lot sooner to protect him. They only said they had brought him to Dallas for protection."

"Tommy has been a ward of the state since he was only a few weeks old," Susan stated. "The papers show he has been in the care of orphanages for all his life."

"This happened several years ago. The previous caretaker could have taken him." Brody scratched his head thoughtfully. "She was a fairly evil woman, was she not?"

"Okay. I will admit there are some things about Tommy’s past I will probably never know about." Susan looked up at Brody with glaring eyes. "But why do you endanger the other children with this information?"

"It is my belief they are already in danger. All of you are. There was some evidence in Stone's car, which indicated he planned some sort of attack against the orphanage. We found explosives, blasting caps, and other items. Tommy was his only victim. He must have been obsessed with the boy. There were several hundred pictures taken of Tommy. All nudes. Taken throughout his life. Stone might have worked at the orphanage for a long time before you arrived." Brody stopped pacing. "Dr. Stockard could tell you more about this cult."

"At a later time." Dr. Stockard said abruptly. "I would like to be better prepared. I did not know you were going to let her in on this, although I understand your reason. I have evidence from three other children who have escaped this society's ritual sacrifice, which will support Mr. Brody's claim. I also received an anonymous letter, likely written by the same person who wrote his, describing Tommy and his involvement with the Cult of the Blood Rose. We believe you and the children are in grave danger."

"I have selected several men I know to be reliable officers to patrol the area around the orphanage." Brody glanced down at Susan. "I will personally stand guard during my off-hours. For some reason, the cult wants Tommy badly. I do not intend to let them take him." He wanted to be reassuring, but it did not even satisfy himself. "Watch your back and keep in touch." He took a card out of his wallet. "There's my cell phone and my pager. Do not call my office number. Someone we do not want on the case might pick up the line. That would not be good."

"What the hell am I supposed to do?" Susan stood up abruptly, feeling frustrated the people she had put her confidence in letting her down. "How can I tell what you are saying is true? I have no proof other than the scar on Tommy's thigh, which someone burned into him a long time ago as part of some 'secret' society. Nothing of what you have said to me makes any sense."

"I did not expect you to believe me." Brody caught her by the shoulders to calm her down. "Just be careful. There are others out there who will be coming after Tommy."

"And you and the children would be in the way." Dr. Stockard said softly. "Please listen to us."

Susan shook her head and sat back down. "No."

"Perhaps it would be best if the two of you talked alone." Brody nodded suggestively to Dr. Stockard.

Dr. Stockard closed her notepad and took a seat near Susan. Brody walked out of the room after tipping his hat to Susan. Her response was curt. Dr. Stockard drew in a deep breath.

"Look... I know you have been through a lot since yesterday. Finding out one of your children suffers sexual abuse repeatedly within the confines of your own home is an ordeal few parents can endure. I understand from your attitude toward Tommy and your other children you would be an excellent mother. Not all children are that lucky. I could relate to you some horrific cases I have worked on, but they could hardly compare to what you know of Tommy."

Susan glanced over at a picture hanging on the east wall depicting an old rusting 1930s era car near a dilapidated shack overshadowed by an approaching storm. "I do care about them. Each of those young hearts means the world to me. Many of them will never know the true pleasure of a childhood in which a loving family can bring. I try to give them all the love I can, but it's not all they need."

"Tell me more about Tommy…all you know about him." Dr. Stockard opened her notepad back up.

Susan looked at the psychologist. "Tommy was brought to the home when he was only less than a month old. His mother wanted little to do with him. The records say she brought him into the administrator and left him on the desk. Someone also left an article of the paper, which briefly described her reasons for abandoning him. She left before any questions queried about her identity or if Tommy had any relations. The article gave his name as Thomas Morgan. It did not list his relatives or anything. It only stated she believed the devil had possessed her child and therefore she would have nothing to do with him any longer. There's no way that a child could have the devil in him."

"Have you ever noticed any behavioral changes in him?"

"Tommy spends most of his time alone in his room. What I know about him..." Susan passed her hand over her mouth. "How can I say that?"

Dr. Stockard smiled comfortingly. "Stop blaming yourself."

Susan sighed wistfully. "I just wish there were something I could have done to prevent any of this from happening. Of all my children, Tommy is the most fragile, the most vulnerable. I had tried so hard to get him settled with several families. He so desperately needs to get out of that life he has been living. I truly fear he will not make it to adulthood in his current circumstances." She let out a half-hearted laugh. "There is one thing which strikes me as peculiar. It has nothing to do with Tommy, but with the other children and their attitudes toward him. They are afraid of him for reasons I cannot explain."

"Maybe it's because he spends so much time alone and appears sickly when they see him," Dr. Stockard suggested. "I should talk with some of them, too. From what Mr. Brody said, I do not think Martin Stone molested any of the other children if he was obsessed with Tommy as much as was shown. However, it would be prudent to discover other victims and help them as well. This is going to be a long healing process. The best thing for everyone to do to start is to get rid of the feelings of guilt. Tommy looks up to you for comfort and love. You need to show that to him during the coming times." Dr. Stockard checked her watch. "I am going to be late for a dinner date. Let me call you Tuesday. You, Tommy, and I can get together then and get a start on his therapy if he wishes it. I can speak with the other boys, too."

"I hope so." Susan escorted the woman out of the room. "I just wish there was more I could do for Tommy."

"Just keep being there for him." Dr. Stockard smiled. "He needs someone to cling to. He needs you."

Susan returned to the waiting room feeling a little better. She sincerely hoped Tommy would not turn away from her for what Stone had done to him. She dared to believe he would welcome her with a hug and make her feel needed. After all, her name had been the first thing he had said in his sleep of delirium. She bowed her head in hopeful prayer.

******

Tommy still felt groggy from his sleep, but he became alert enough to realize when he was in danger. He opened his eyes wide and stared in disbelief at the technician. However, the man strove not to hurt him. That had only been a waking dream. The man had only been trying to lift him out of the wheelchair to place him on the table. The technician seemed to understand what Tommy had been frightened of.

"I am sorry, little one." The young man spoke with a soothing voice. "I heard about you...but not all men are like that man who hurt you. Now, let us get a few pictures of that arm.”

Tommy stared up at the huge machine. His eyes and his face seemed to convey his fears of the apparatus.

The technician smiled again, picking up the boy's fears. "Do not worry." The young man patted Tommy on the chest. "This is just like a large camera strong enough to take pictures of your bones. It will not hurt at all. I promise... Nurse!"

"Yes?" An older woman stepped into the room.

"I have got to take some x rays of Tommy's arm here. Help me to keep him still and then turn him over on his stomach when I request it."

"Yes." The nurse rubbed Tommy's arm comfortingly.

Tommy began to feel better already. He kept his eyes fixed upon the machine as it continued to lower. He swallowed a lump in his throat. It made him feel more comfortable with a woman nearby.

Tommy tried to smile for her, but when he glanced into her eyes, he quickly averted his own. He sensed nothing but the danger from her. She continued to pet him in a comforting manner. He suddenly wished the technician had remained in the room with them. The man had gone behind the booth to operate the equipment.

"Easy there, little boy." The nurse spoke in a harsh whisper. "No need to be afraid of Nursey Emma. Just hold still for a moment and soon this will all be over."

Tommy did not know why he had sensed danger. The woman could have been anyone's kindly old grandmother. Dimples formed on her face when she smiled. Teeth perfect and white flashed from between her lips ruby red. Deep red blush highlighted her jovial checks. Her eyes transfixed him. Dark mascara brought out her eyelashes against lavender shadows. She pursed her lips and blew a kiss at him, which the technician did not hear or observe. Tommy recognized her as one of the cultists. Her smile deepened when she saw he realized who she was.

"Turn him over." The technician ordered from behind the booth.

Nursey Emma reached over and helped Tommy to roll over. He tried to keep his eyes on her, but she moved around too much. She traced the scar on his hip with her fingertip, and then popped him on the back of the head after he tried to look up at her. He relented and lay down, staring at the wall away from him. Nursey Emma left him alone after positioning his arm. A few minutes later, she helped him into his wheelchair.

"I have got to develop these prints." The technician took several plates out of the machine. "Will you take him back to the CCU?"

"Yes, sir." Nursey Emma replied with pleasure.

Tommy gripped the handles of the wheelchair as if he could stop her from pushing him away. The technician seemed too busy to pay them any mind. Nursey Emma patted Tommy on the shoulder as she began to wheel him out of the x-ray lab. Tommy sank into his wheelchair, unsure of what he could do if anything. He wondered if people might sense something wrong and stop them. He did not like Nursey Emma. He understood Morgan sent her after him.

"Do not be afraid of me, Tommy." She whispered as they went down a long corridor. "I would not do anything to hurt you. It is only that Morgan has been searching for you for a long time. He has sent many of us after you. The one who finds you and returns you to him will receive a rich reward. Do you know what it's like to have a million dollars to spend?"

Tommy shook his head.

"I could not believe my luck when they brought you in last night. Martin Stone acted like a fool. He thought more with that thing in his pants than with his head on his shoulders. If he had played his cards right, he would have returned you long ago. He could have had plenty of other boys after you." She laughed out softly. "He only wanted you and Morgan knew that. Too bad about Stone. He seemed like a good disciple."

Tommy wondered why no one stopped them.

"It's going to be my million, now. Morgan has been eager for your return."

Tommy observed with alarm they were going into a different part of the hospital. The hallways slowly became void of pedestrian traffic. There were fewer and fewer potential rescuers. They approached a set of elevators, the first time they stopped since leaving the laboratory.

"Your father doesn't intend to kill you. There is something about this ability of yours to heal others he wants to know about."

Tommy shook his head and raised his arms in a gesture, which said he knew nothing about the ability.

"Come on now!" Nursey Emma exclaimed in disbelief. "The whole hospital knows what went on in the children’s ward this morning."

Tommy shook his head again.

"Yes, you do."

Tommy sighed and covered his face. At that moment, the elevator sounded, and the door opened. Brody stepped off and wrapped his suit jacket around his pistol. Nursey Emma made a quick effort to conceal Tommy from sight and functioned as casually as she could. Brody nodded to Nursey Emma and started down the hall. Nursey Emma was nervous. She could not believe she had been so fortunate again. Then Brody happened to look back.

Brody would later wonder if his senses were deteriorating with age. He did not realize the child with that nurse had been Tommy until almost too late. He turned just in time. The old woman appeared terrified. She knew Brody accosted her. The look in her eyes was unmistakable. He drew out his pistol and gave chase. Nursey Emma frantically punched at the buttons on the panel. The doors slid closed too slowly. Brody almost reached them, but the door finally closed. He banged on the outside of the doors, but the car started moving.

Brody guessed they were heading for the lower parking garage. He immediately headed for the stairs; thankful the stairs began at his floor. He bounded down the steps by twos. He hoped to beat the elevator down but knew it was almost three times as fast as he was. He crashed through the door of the lower level. Tommy and the nurse were already halfway across the first-level heading for a row of cars.

"FREEZE!" His voice was so thunderous; even he could not believe it. "Stop now and let the boy go!"

"Over my dead body!" Nursey Emma shouted. She pushed Tommy as fast as she could. "I want my million-dollar reward!"

Brody chased after her. She careened the boy wildly among the cars. The detective thought of every name in the book to call the old woman as he pursued her. She seemed strangely agile for her age and robust. She must not have planned on any resistance, or she might have forgotten on what level she had parked. She stopped one time to look around in haste, but she did not give the detective time to catch her. He did not shoot at her for fear of hitting the boy. He could see the fear in the boy's eyes from time to time, but the child did not scream out.

The woman nearly ran into a car driving too fast. The instant Brody rounded the corner in pursuit; he spotted her saying something to the driver as he passed. Brody could only guess the nurse told the young man he was some sort of pervert chasing them. The driver of the car intended to act the part of a hero and save an old woman and crippled boy from a criminal. Brody quickly fished through his coat for his credentials. The driver steered his car down upon him.

Brody found his credentials too late. He jumped at the last moment. He rolled up over the hood and windshield, his right thigh and shoulder taking most of the impact. He rolled over the side of the car and experienced the bright flare of pain ripping through his ribs as the rear bumper caught him in the back. The driver slid to a stop and jumped out of his car, ready for a fight.

Brody flipped open his wallet and then fired his pistol in an errant direction. The young man blinked in surprise at the badge. He turned around and saw the front tire, which had blown out with the bullet.

"Do not just stand there!" Brody coughed and the pain deepened. "Help me to my feet! That whore-bitch is trying to kidnap that little boy!"

"I did not know, man." The young man leaned down to help Brody up. "She said you were a child molester coming back to silence the boy. Begged me to help her. Why did you shoot my tire out?"

"So, you would still be here when I come back to talk to you." Brody coughed hoarsely. The coppery taste of blood filled his mouth.

"Oh Jesus! You are hurt bad!" The driver began to panic. "You want me to go get a doctor or something?"

"I have got to stop her! She is trying to abduct that little boy in the wheelchair!" Brody, frightened of his voice, tried to speak clearly, even though he sounded gurgled and distant. His head began to swim. "How many more levels down?"

"One more."

Brody began to limp down the ramp leading to the last level. There were not as many cars in the stalls as had been on the upper levels. The young man called out after the detective but knew it was of no use. He could not tell from his appearance if the injuries were life-threatening to the man. The brown smear of dirt across the middle of his back indicated the strike happened. From the man's gait, though, he could tell the detective was in tremendous pain. The young man decided it best to get help. He turned away and ran for the elevators on the next level.

Brody moved as quickly as he could. He feared the woman, already in her car with Tommy, would start to drive away. The detective did not want that to happen. He raised his pistol arm, gun in hand, despite the fact it hurt like hell through all his body. He found the two of them outside a small station wagon. Luck had dealt him a decent hand. She could not find her keys.

"Give it up, lady!" Brody seized up as he spoke. His head spun faster.

"No!" Nursey Emma shouted. "You cannot have him! The reward is mine!"

"Reward?" Brody moved in lurching steps and coughed through a thick liquid filling the back of his throat. "Your reward is going to be jail time. Just drop the purse and move away from the car."

The nurse, who looked much like a grandmother, stood a sufficient distance away from Tommy. Brody could drop her, but he could not trust his aim. The impact with the car damaged his body even more than he had first assumed. Injured by the hit, his left arm hung useless. He could taste the warm blood in his mouth each time he coughed. It gagged him. He fought determinedly against the urge to vomit. He knew he was dying. He also knew if the woman got away with Tommy, they would never see the boy again. His knees began to weaken.

"Drop the purse!" He shouted with authority. One of his ribs must have punctured an internal organ. A deep staggering pain clotted his vision with black swirls.

It became clear what she prepared to do. His mind quickly reacted. She intended to drop the purse as a distraction. The way she held the purse revealed to him she had a small-caliber semi-automatic. Her firing hand closed around it, perhaps already fingering the trigger. She would throw the purse forward to hide her actions.

Brody's pistol fired first, striking her in the shoulder. The impact of the bullet spun her around and caused her to aim high. She fired an instant after he did. The bullet ricocheted off the concrete surface of the ramp above his head. He dropped to his knees just as his vision spun wildly out of control. The old woman dropped to the floor unmoving. He blacked out.

******

When later he awakened, Brody found himself sprawled on the floor of the garage. The cement felt cool against his cheek. The overhead lights were flickering. As he looked up, he noticed some of them had blown out. Shattered glass from the fluorescent tubes littered the floor. He became aware of the weight across his back. He looked around for Tommy but could not find him. The wheelchair sat nearby, turned over on its side. He checked back over his shoulder and found the boy lying on top of him. His senses were returning to him slowly. He perceived the strange tingling in his ribs where he had been hurt before. The pain departed.

Brody remembered the incident in the children's ward and his mind began to marvel. Gently he rolled over so as not to hurt the boy. Tommy felt groggy and tried to say something. He looked dazed. Brody sat up and carefully checked the boy over for any wounds. Other than the broken arm, Tommy appeared to be okay.

Voices sounded from far up in the garage. Brody pulled Tommy's wheelchair over to them and set it upright. Nursey Emma moaned out softly as she came around.

"Do not worry." Brody stood up and lifted Tommy into the wheelchair. "She cannot hurt you now."

Tommy leaned his weary head upon Brody's right hand and closed his eyes. The healing had caused him fatigue. It drained away most of his energy. He would have no trouble sleeping that night.

The would-be hero had found three doctors and two other police officers to bring to the rescue. One of the doctors took Tommy and started back to the hospital. Brody ordered him to wait. He determined not to let Tommy go alone with anyone again. He instructed the other two doctors to take care of the old woman. The doctors were just as concerned for Brody's condition. Nearly killed by a car, drying blood ringed his mouth. Brody agreed to let them check him over if they returned Tommy safely upstairs and took the old woman into custody.

******

After the medical personnel cleared him from life-threatening injuries, Brody went to the first floor of the hospital in an adjoining tower. With her injuries addressed, Nursey Emma recovered in a guarded room. He had to talk to her. He went into the room alone. He made sure no one else unmonitored the conversation before he approached her.

"Where were you going to take the boy and why?" Brody asked in a commanding voice.

"None of your freaking business!" The woman seemed to hiss like a cat ready to attack another. "Out of my face, pig!" There seemed something feral about her eyes. They glittered darkly in the low light of the room. Her hands, restrained at her side, had excessively long nails. She had tried to claw at the attendants while they worked on her. Brody kept a respectable distance from her.

"I know about the Cult of the Blood Rose."

"The hell you do!"

"Why were you taking him back there?"

"The little brat belongs to us."

Brody cleared his throat. "Tommy belongs to the State of Texas."

"He is Morgan's. He was for the sacrifice."

"What sacrifice?" Brody felt a shiver run down his spine. It was exactly as the anonymous letter had depicted. "Do you kill children?"

Nursey Emma began to giggle. "What do you think?"

"I reckon you were taking him back to finish the sacrifice."

"Tommy will not be killed. He will die of his hand, now. Morgan will make sure of that. He wants Tommy for that special service. Stone was a fool to think about porking that little boy. If he had returned Tommy when the time was necessary, he would have taken Morgan's right hand instead of Lorraine. And you messed up my chance!" Nursey Emma spat at Brody.

Brody wiped the saliva from his face without flinching. "Tommy will not go back to the Cult of the Blood Rose." He would not let the woman get to him. "Not while I am around to protect him."

"You are a damned fool, too! If you know so much about the Cult of the Blood Rose," the old woman tried to mock him, "you would know there will be others. Tommy is too precious to Morgan. He will send an entire army after the boy. No one will stand in his way. As soon as I get out of here, I will be coming after Tommy. That million belongs to me!"

"You will not be going anywhere." Brody turned his back on her and went out of the room.

"You are a dead man, Brody!" Nursey Emma howled after him. "Dead!"

Brody paid no mind to her last words. He had already been close to death once that day. Her threats were empty and loud. He shrugged them off and gave a nervous chuckle at the two police officers standing guard over her room. He decided to talk further with the doctors who examined him. After all, he felt curious as to if his healed injuries had been life-threatening.