He gripped her arm. Tight. “Where you going?”
“To get something for your wound,” she shot back. “What are you going to do, keep us both here in the middle of the creek until we die of starvation?”
At that, he frowned, but released her anyway.
She wasted no time retreating over the boulders back to shore where she gathered a handful of goldenseal leaves she’d spotted earlier. She crushed them into small pieces with a rock, ripped a long piece off her shirt with her knife, then returned to her brother.
He had not moved. Instead, he ‘d been watching her, a look of bewilderment on his face.
Please save him, Lord Jesus. Please save my brother.Nyla silently prayed as she knelt before him, washed his gash, and covered it with the moist leaves. Then, wrapping the cloth around his head, she tied it in the back.
“There, that should do it. Now, let’s get you up and back to shore.” Rising, she reached out her hand, and this time he gripped it.
Placing his weight on his good foot, he started to teeter, but Nyla leapt beside him and grabbed him around the waist. It took them several minutes, but finally they made it to solid ground, where Kyle tested his bad foot. Only sprained as she’d thought.
He barely uttered a word as she proceeded to locate a stick tall and strong enough to use as a crutch. Instead, he leaned against a tree trunk and followed her every movement.
She handed him the stick and smiled, cherishing this time with her brother. They’d never really gotten along as kids, and after their parents were raptured, he’d been nothing but a spoiled drug addict mooching off her. But she’d missed him. Loved him more than she could say.
He raked back his wet hair and took the stick. “Thanks.”
Tears pooled in her eyes. “Any time.” Wiping them away, she retreated a step. “You should be able to hobble back to wherever the other troops are.”
“They are my troops. I’m in command.” He raised his chin.
She smiled. “Like I said, you’ve done well in the NWU.”
He reached for her, but she leapt out of his way. Anger flared in his eyes, a vile hatred that shocked her. A demon lunged from within him, fangs barred and dripping in blood, reminding her that the battle was not with Kyle, but with the evil spirits that controlled him.
“Kyle, turn to Jesus, the real God, who loves you more than you could ever know. Eternal life only exists through Him. Everything else is a lie, a counterfeit.”
More demons appeared, churning around him in a vicious brew.
He spat on the ground. “Spare me your Deviant crap, sis.”
Another cut to her heart. “I wish you well, Kyle. I’m sure you’ll make it to your people.” She hiked onto the first boulder, then turned one last time. Kyle stood leaning on the stick, a bloody bandage about his head and his eyes full of hate. Would she ever see him again?Lord, be with him.
She smiled. “You know I love you, Kyle. I always will.” Then spinning around, she made her way across the creek and into the forest, heart breaking.
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
Psalm 91:1-4
Chapter 28
Thomas nodded at the guard, then turned and ran his hand over the front door of his house. Nothing.Oh, yeah, that’s right. Sighing, he fished in his pocket for the temporary device they’d given him that would unlock his home, car, and work and grant him access to a host of other things and areas—exactly what the chip in his hand had once done.
Until Tori had zapped him.
He waved it over the door, and it clicked open. Once inside, he tossed it onto the table and, using his crutch, limped through the lavish entryway into his living room. Everything was the same—theexactsame as when he’d left it on that fateful day when he and Tori were chased by NWU troops. How long had it been? Three weeks? It might as well have been three years for how different he felt.
He glanced around at the luxurious black and white couch, the marble floor, the immaculate quartz kitchen countertops, the pool outside the glass windows, and the bar fully stocked with his favorite liquors. Oddly, he felt no yearning to pour himself a drink. No yearning at all! Instead, the only thoughts going through his head were how lavish and expensive it all was. Such incredible waste for only one person.
In truth, he no longer felt as though he belonged here.
Plopping down on the couch, he leaned forward and ran fingers through his hair. Still dirty and sticky! Regent Landry had sent him home for a bath, a shave, and a good night’s sleep. He could use all three, but for some reason, he felt guilty enjoying such luxuries when Tori and the others were still out there somewhere, hungry and dirty.
All except Calan, who’d been caught along with him. As soon as Sergeant Cruz and his men returned with them, Calan went to lock up and he’d gone to see Regent Landry.
