CHAPTER 19
824 Words
CHAPTER 19
Jodie was asleep by the time Vinny came back downstairs. He stomped louder than normal on the steps, and he cursed more vehemently than usual when he stepped on some sort of wrench that had fallen on the ground by the workbench. She couldn’t hear what he and Dustin were fighting about in their hushed whispers, but she saw by their body language they were both angry. Not a good time to make either one of them more upset.
“Fine.” Vinny spat and trudged to the couch, his large hands balled into fists that looked as hard as granite. Did he know about the knife? Had Dustin told him she had seen their weapon stash?
“Why’d you tell Dustin the pills won’t work?”
They still thought she had some sort of medical expertise, so she did her best to pack confidence into her tone. “She’s already in her second trimester. Those pills won’t be effective at this stage.” That would probably be a better deterrent than anything else. Kennedy watched him frown and quickly added, “It would be very dangerous for her, as well, since they’re not designed for this late in the pregnancy.”
“Her uncle told her to take them.”
“I talked to her just a little bit ago.” Kennedy kept her voice even. “She said she lied to her uncle about how far into the pregnancy she really was.”
Vinny glared at the girl sleeping with her head on Kennedy’s lap. What was he going to do to her? A protective instinct, stronger than hunger or fear or cold, surged from Kennedy’s whole body. She pictured it wrapping itself all around Jodie while she slumbered, shielding her, comforting her. For a moment, Kennedy wondered if that’s how her own mother felt toward her. Could you really live your whole life with such a strong desire to defend someone whose future and fate rested entirely out of your control? Wouldn’t you go mad? Please, God. Aren’t you listening? Can’t you do something?
Vinny scowled. Kennedy’s heart pounded in her chest, so loud she wondered if he could hear it. But a calming presence floated past her, a whisper of comfort breathed over her. Was this what Christians sometimes talked about when they said they felt the Holy Spirit?
There was no majestic opening of the heavens. There was no loud rumble of thunder. Her body still shivered until her back and abs were sore. But she felt invisible arms of protection covering her, spreading all the way over to Jodie, whose eyelids were almost translucent while she rested. Was God really here? Kennedy wondered if this was how the Secret Seminary students felt when they faced arrests or interrogation. Was this why they never showed fear? If the feeling could have converted itself into something tangible, she would have reached out to pocket it, saving it for whenever she needed it in the future.
She held her breath, certain something must happen soon. Maybe God would send an earthquake to crack open the walls and let Jodie and her escape. Hadn’t he done something like that once in the Bible? Kennedy couldn’t remember the details. Or maybe Vinny would have a heart attack and they could rush right by him and flag down someone to help. Or their rescuers could storm the place. Someone as well known as Jodie Abernathy couldn’t go missing for long before every member of the police force was out looking, right?
Kennedy waited. Nothing. Vinny reached into his pocket. She knew what he was going to do before he pulled out the four white pills. The gentle awakening in her spirit passed, leaving her colder than before. She strained her senses. Could she catch the feeling once more before it deserted her forever?
Vinny cleared his throat. “Wake her up.”
A harsh, biting winter replaced the peace from seconds ago. Kennedy doubted that any amount of prayer could ever warm her again. The air itself felt less dense, the room darker. The chill in her body seeped farther down into her bones.
“Wake her up,” Vinny repeated.
Kennedy thought about the knife. Its image zipped through her mind before she could stop herself. Did she have the courage? Could she fight him off?
No. The thought didn’t come from her. For a second, there was something almost familiar about it. The calming presence returned long enough to assure Kennedy she hadn’t imagined the whole thing. It deserted her as fast and unexpectedly as it came, but there wasn’t room for doubt. No.
Something was tugging at her heart — an invitation to trust. A chance to let go of her own ideas, her own self-reliance. A picture flashed in her mind of a giant canyon. There was no bridge offering easy passage across, but there was a path going through it. Through the thorns that threatened to scratch and cut into her skin. Through the darkness that clung to her like a winter chill. Through the heaviness of mourning, the weightiness of grief. There was no bridge, but there was a path, dangerous, rocky, terrifying.
Kennedy shook Jodie. “You need to wake up now.”
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