71
F ighting through kicking feet and butting heads, Samuel fought his way to the surface, threw up a stomach full of lake water, and sucked in air that felt like piercing needles in his lungs. Some of the children that were tied to the deck had slipped out of their ropes and were clawing for anything they could hang onto, including Samuel.
Several times, panicked children pulled him under, almost causing him to drown, but each time Samuel punched his way free and clawed back to the surface, amongst terrified screams, wet fleshy mounds, some dead, others wiggling desperately.
He finally gathered himself and swam away from the crowd towards Trevignano, just as he and his brothers planned. Along the way, he searched the faces of dying, drowning children, knowing he would see Eduardo or Felipe. We can’t die. You’re my only family now, and without you, I’d rather be dead.
Samuel swam clear of the crowd, but could still hear splashing and crying. Mixed in the noise, he thought he heard someone call his name, but ignored it. Arm tired, legs weak, Samuel moved slowly across the lake, his energy almost gone. He ripped off the heavy robe, but it only helped a little, and he struggled to keep going.
“Samuel! Samuel!” he heard a weak voice call.
Samuel turned. Felipe, with Eduardo at his side, swam up to him, both crying with joy. The three floated in the water, hugging and kissing each other on the cheek.
“We made it,” said Eduardo, holding Samuel tight.
Samuel felt a surge of energy. “Yes. Now let’s get to shore. We can make it the rest of the way.”
The three boys swam hard toward the shore. Samuel’s body throbbed with pain, but he didn’t care. He kicked and pulled at the water even harder, with Felipe and Eduardo on each side.
Thirty minutes later, Samuel saw the dark outline of Trevignano and its hillside cottages. He smiled, then laughed. We made it!
Samuel and his brothers lumbered out of the lake, fell down in the sand, and threw up lake water and bile. Samuel felt the muscles in his legs knot up, and his stomach cramp. Felipe and Eduardo cried out in pain. Samuel relaxed. The pain continued, but his mind floated elsewhere. He’d lost everything and everyone he ever cared about.
Everybody he trusted had let him down, and now, right there on the beach, Samuel changed forever. I’ll never trust anyone outside of my brothers again.
He stood. “We have to keep moving. Let’s go.”
“Where?” asked Felipe. “We have nowhere to go.”
“We’ll make a way,” Samuel told them, confident and sure. “But we have to get away from here now.”
Felipe and Eduardo pulled themselves up, and the three of them walked into Trevignano, which was dark and deserted, except for a few lights in scattered houses on the hillside.
“Rome is this way,” said Eduardo, pointing.
The boys walked toward Rome, making sure they stayed off the road, close to the thick brush.
“We’ll get as close as we can,” said Samuel. “When the sun comes up, we’ll hide in the woods and sleep until nightfall.” His brothers nodded their heads in agreement.
Suddenly, an old man appeared out of the woods, startling the three of them. Next to him, stood a tall, much younger man, with arms that bulged and stretched his black knit sweater.
“You boys are out quite late,” said the old man. “And you’re wet.
Swimming this time of night?”
“What business is it of yours?” shot Samuel.
The old man smiled. “You made it out alive, so you are my business,” he told them.
Samuel looked at the frail old man curiously. There was something familiar about him that he couldn’t place. “What does that mean?” he asked.
The old man moved closer. “It means that if you chose, you can come with me, where you’ll be free and safe.”
“And if we don’t?” asked Samuel, calm and cool.
“Then life will be much harder for you,” said the old man. “You made it from the lake, so you will not die, that I can assure you. But why take the hard road? Mine is much softer and easy.”
“We don’t know you,” said Samuel. “How can we trust you?” The old man walked toward them. Eduardo and Felipe stepped back.
Samuel calmed them with a touch.
“Come with me, and you’re free to leave anytime you find the situation unpleasing. You have my word.”
“How do you know who we are?” asked Samuel.
“I know because I need to know,” said the old man.
“We don’t even know your name,” said Samuel, taking a step closer.
“I have many names,” the old man told him. “But you can call me grandfather, because I’ll never do anything but take care of you.” Samuel stood silent, thinking. The old man walked over to a black car, with pitch-black tinted windows. The tall man opened the back door.
The old man looked back.
“I’ll wait for ten minutes. If you don’t come with me now, I’m sure we’ll meet again sometime in the future.” He slid inside and closed the door.
“What will we do?” asked Felipe.
“We should go our own way,” said Eduardo. “He looks evil.” Samuel thought, b ut it feels right. He looked at his brothers. “We have nothing to lose. If we don’t like it, we’ll run.” Felipe and Eduardo took deep breaths. Felipe stepped closer to Samuel. “I’m not sure, but I’m with you.” Eduardo put a hand on Samuel’s shoulder. “We are we, and always will be.” He smiled.
Samuel hugged both of them, then walked over to the old man’s window and knocked on the glass. The door opened. Samuel and his brothers slid inside. The car started and headed down the dark road.
“If you lie to us, we’ll not only leave, we’ll find a way to kill you,” said Samuel, sure and matter-of-fact.
The old man smiled. “I would expect nothing less. Now rest. We have much to do ahead of us.”
Samuel closed his eyes, and left his past behind him.
72
F ather Kong leaned down and helped Robert out of the water, as more of The Hammer of God members, along with Robert’s men, jumped in and helped pull children out of the water, most of them dead or near death.
“I couldn’t find Samuel or his brothers,” said Robert, exhausted and frustrated.
“Let’s check the children above,” said Father Kong, wrapping a blanket around Robert’s shoulders.
Up on the stage, the bodies of dead members of The Order, armed guards hired by Cardinal Polletto, and several of Robert’s men, were lined up in a row of death.
More of Robert’s team set up guard posts around the area, as Father Kong’s people inspected the dead, said prayers, and tended to the wounded. On the right side of the stage were rows of dead children, their bodies covered with white sheets. Robert leaned over the rail and vomited. A soft hand patted his back. Thorne and Detective Reynolds stood behind him, barely a scratch on either one of them.
“Did you find him?” Thorne asked, her eyes hopeful.
“No,” answered Robert. “We’re about to look at the bodies up here. I didn’t see Samuel or his brothers below.” He looked his partner over.
“You guys okay?”
“We’re fine,” said the detective, giving Robert a hug. “But I’m gonna be sore as hell in the morning.”
“I’m solid,” said Thorne. “Killed a few, including a woman who gave me hell, but I’m good.”
