Total pages in book: 136
Estimated words: 125037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125037 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 625(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)
The flame azalea standing sentry beside the cabin’s door was in full bloom, the showy double blossoms bright and gorgeous and plentiful, the low-hanging branches providing a curtain for him to slide behind. The last time he’d hidden in this bush, he’d had to wait for enemies close to the cabin to move past, and it was no different this time.
The flowers were gorgeous. The bush had been Lotty’s favorite, and Luther babied it until it thrived, the abundance of fiery red-orange flowers a testament to the great love he’d borne for his wife.
Rubin loved Jonquille the way Luther had loved Lotty.
The deep connection between them left Diego feeling isolated and alone. Rubin and Jonquille didn’t mean for him to feel that way. His brother and sister-in-law included Diego in their lives, but just seeing them, he felt apart. Just as when he’d observed Lotty and Luther when he’d been a child. Outside their circle of love. Unworthy of being included in it.
He knew he hadn’t been loved as a child by his mother. She’d withdrawn from her children but still tried to take care of them—with the exception of Diego. Diego had never been able to do anything right. He’d learned fast that he was going to get into trouble no matter what he did. Somehow, it didn’t matter to him. He’d adopted Rubin’s code and stayed with it. Loyalty. Family. Community. Survival. Rubin had been the leader in all things moral, and Diego followed him.
He could honestly say he knew how to love. He loved his brother and Jonquille. He loved Ezekiel, Mordichai and Malichai Fortunes. When teenage Rubin and Diego hopped a train and headed for anywhere but here, they landed in Detroit, where Ezekiel eventually found them on the street trying to survive. They had no problem in the woods, but learning the ways of city streets was much more difficult, and they had a tendency to defend themselves to the death. Ezekiel took them under his protective wing and guided them through those perils. And there were many perils. Just as many as living off the land in these mountains provided, only in the city, the dangers were different.
The faint vibration in the ground ceased, confirming the soldiers had moved away from Luther’s cabin.
Once the soldiers were completely away from the cabin, Diego made it onto the roof. Thanks to the red-tailed hawk, he knew where the commanding officer was secreted while directing the search for Luther. It took only seconds to set up and begin his sweep of the trees.
The terrain rose into a good-sized hill with a large grove of trees covering it. Using his enhanced vision, he saw the commander’s face come into sharp focus.
Diego took a breath, let it out and squeezed the trigger. The moment he did, he rolled from his vantage point, taking his gun with him. He hit the ground, caught up his pack and entered the cabin.
2
Entering the caves tracking a wounded Luther was a bit like hunting a wounded cougar or leopard. Diego knew the way through the cabin into the narrow, low man-made tunnel Luther had dug to connect to the cave system. The dark, twisting uphill tunnel was reinforced with metal, rebar and cement. Diego followed along, bending nearly double in places as he made his way uphill and then down toward the woods.
At first the tunnel was uncomfortably warm, but that gave way to cold air abruptly as he came to a wide-open cavern. Layers of rock were of unexpected colors and quite beautiful. The cave was a good distance underground, so he knew his voice wouldn’t carry to any soldiers sweeping the area looking for Luther.
Diego sang a few notes of a female morning bird, the indigo bunting. Lotty loved those birds, the male with his brilliant blue feathers and the female with her paler, much more subdued coloring. Luther had learned their songs to lure them close so she could watch them. Silence greeted his call, but he was certain Luther was in the caves. He could feel the waves of pain coming off the man. He hurried, ignoring the chandelier overhead in the form of a stalactite. The color was nearly pure white but had a wide band of red at the top, tapering as it came toward the bottom. There were several stalactites on the ceiling, some bigger than others and all beautiful.
The stalagmites rising from the cavern floor were in columns of pale blue, purple and a shade of rust red. In two places the stalagmites nearly touched the stalactite above it to form a long pillar. Water dripped continuously as he made his way around the limestone. Rocks gave way to a shallow stream. The rock walls appeared orange with the peculiar red rust running along the edges of the water. The water was dark in places, forming pools, but Diego knew the floor was solid rock.