Alexa froze as she heard the bushes up ahead rustle. Her heart almost burst out of her chest as she imagined the worst. As quietly as possible, she crept behind a tree on her right and peeked around it in the direction of the noise. She could see nothing out of the ordinary, but heard a little more rustling and then nothing for several seconds. Her tension slowly began to ebb away as time passed and nothing happened.
All of a sudden, something brushed past her foot and she let out a high-pitched scream of terror before jumping backward several feet. It had to have been some type of small animal because she could hear it hurriedly retreating several yards away. What shook Alexa more than anything was the knowledge that she was out in the middle of nowhere, alone, with no protection from the cold or danger. The silence of the forest once again settled in and became almost oppressive. She had never been this frightened in all her life, and her blood hummed in her veins as she slowly came down off her adrenaline high.
She had to force her legs to move from the hiding spot she had taken behind the tree. Just to make sure she could somewhat protect herself she quickly searched the area for a branch or small tree limb to use as a weapon. She must be very close to the road by now. But with every step toward possible rescue she also came closer to recapture should Bob decide to return before someone else happened along. It felt as though she had been walking for hours already, and wherever he had gone, he probably wouldn't stay gone for too much longer.
The likelihood of someone other than Bob driving this road depressed her beyond belief. This was Thanksgiving morning, after all, and most everyone would either be still abed or bustling around with holiday preparations.
Oh God, please send me some help!! If I don't get out of this cold soon, my feet will begin to freeze.
Alexa trudged on a few more yards and heard a strange sound over to her left. As she looked in that direction her feet hit a patch of nothing. She gave a yelp and frantically clawed at the snow to slow her fall as she slid down into the ditch. The only thing that stopped her frenzied sliding was a big rock at the bottom of the ditch. She had been twisting herself around in order to see where she was sliding, so when she hit the rock, it caught her on the left side of the head. Right before she passed out, she heard a car stop on the road above her.
Bob stopped the car as quickly as he could on the icy road. He had seen her sliding down the incline of the ditch toward a large rock at the bottom. He jumped out of the car and made his way swiftly but cautiously down the bank of the ditch. On his side it was much shallower than on hers and he thought that more than likely she would have some injuries. He thought bitterly,
this is going to slow me down!
What is she doing out here in the snow??
All morning long, CC's radio had been receiving reports from all over the state about vehicles that resembled the one Bob had stolen. He had as many people as possible working on this aspect of the case because he knew it was the most important. He had also called in some favors from people he knew in other areas of law enforcement so as to increase his chances of finding Alexa. He had the hospitals in three states keeping a weather eye out for anyone fitting the description of either Alexa or Bob.
In his heart, CC knew that if Alexa had a chance to escape, she would take it. He wondered if she would just run or try to disable Bob. Deep down he knew that Alexa could probably fend off Bob for a while, but depending on the situation, she might not be able to do so very long.
As soon as he heard anything definite, he would call Missy's house and try to relieve their fears. Right now, though, he concentrated on the icy streets. He wanted to get back to Bob's house before too long to pick up some of his gear that he had left there earlier today.
His cell phone rang and startled him out of his worried thoughts. He quickly pulled it out and looked at the number. It was one he didn't recognize, but it was local. He answered and had a short, curt conversation. His heart almost stopped at what he heard. He quickly did a u-turn in the street (luckily there was no traffic this morning), turned on his lights, and sped toward Missy's house, which was nearby. A feeling of dread washed over him as he thought about the call he had received.
Please, God, intervene!!
As CC, Tara and Missy arrived at the emergency room of the Neosho hospital, they all feared the worst. The call CC had received earlier about a young woman that resembled Alexa arriving with serious injuries had almost stopped his heart. Although, according to the description of her appearance and clothes, he was pretty sure it was Alexa, which is why he had brought Tara and Missy along.
As they rushed through the emergency room doors, a friend of Alexa's spotted them. She motioned them over and led them to a nearby patient room that happened to be empty. She had a worried look on her face as she began her information download. They could tell she had done this before.
"First of all, yes, this is Alexa. We've already made that determination. Second, her condition is very serious. She has suffered a severe blow to the head and is currently unconscious. We are awaiting the results of some blood tests we ordered earlier, and she is currently being prepared for a CT scan to determine the extent of the injury to her head as well as any internal injuries that we may have overlooked."
Tara was the first to speak, "Will my mom be ok?"
Alexa's friend looked her in the eye and replied, "We will do everything we can to make sure your mom recovers. At this point, there is no reason to assume the worst. What will help her most of all is prayer."
CC jumped in, "When can we see her?"
"Within the next two hours or so, maybe a little longer. I will make sure someone informs you immediately as soon as she is in a room. In the meantime, there is some paperwork you should complete, just to make it official. Right now, I need to see a few more patients. I'll check back with you in a few hours or as soon as we hear anything. Oh yeah, her belongings are at the check-in station."
CC snapped to attention at hearing about Alexa's belongings, and followed the doctor down the hall a little, "Who brought her in?"
"The gentleman who brought her in is right over there. I believe he said his name is Bob something or other," she pointed in the direction of the waiting lounge.
Missy looked over at CC and said, "Tara, let's go find the chapel. It's time to pray. I'll call a few people and get a prayer chain started. CC, we're going to the chapel." They stopped by the station to pick up Alexa's belongings.
"Ok, I'll be right there," he was already making his way to the lounge. He wanted to be the first to punch Bob in the face.
When he arrived in the lounge, there were a few people scattered around, but no officers, which bothered him – a LOT! They should already have this man in handcuffs. There was only one man in the lounge, so CC approached him. The man had his back to the entrance.
As CC came around to face him, the man looked relieved to see him. But it wasn't Bob, "Officer, I've been waiting to speak to someone for a while now. I need to get home so my wife doesn't start worrying."
CC looked confused, "I think I must be looking for someone else. I'm looking for the person who brought in Alexa Graham."
Relief crossed his face again, "Yes, that was me. I saw her slide down a ditch embankment and hit her head on a rock. Although, what she was doing out in that area without proper clothing is a mystery to me. Anyway, as quickly as I could, I brought her here since this is the closest emergency room to my house."
"Did you know who she was? Where did you find her? Was she alone? Did she have anything else with her?" In his panic to know everything that had happened, CC had reverted to the "Chief Chris" mode, but didn't give the poor man a chance to answer each question. This left the man with a startled and confused look on his face.
The man was pretty sharp though, "No. On a road near my house. Yes. Just her backpack and a blanket."
CC just stared for a moment, and then the humor of the situation took over and he chuckled. The man smiled and held out his hand as introduction, "My name is Bob McCaffers, by the way. I really need to call my wife though, it's already past lunchtime and I was supposed to be back from the store already. She'll start calling the neighbors pretty soon because I left my cell phone at home."
"Here, use mine. Can't have your wife all in a frenzy about what happened to the rolls," CC said with a smile on his face as he whipped out his phone.
At least my girl is safe. Thank you God,
CC silently prayed as "the other Bob" made his call.
The presence in the room was almost tangible. It was warm… glowing almost, and it hovered near the ceiling. As time passed, it seemed to expand and grow, filling the room like a mantle slowly falling from the sky; yet, instead of smothering her, it seemed to infuse her with strength.
There were moments when Alexa could actually feel a more intense version of this presence as it touched her arm or hand. If supernatural breath could assume corporeal form, it would feel like this. Alexa could also hear murmuring in the room – just as she would almost catch the distinct words, they would be snatched away from her; but they brought her great comfort – a sense of heaven.
What comforted Alexa the most was the constant drone of voices she heard. The voices were not being spoken in her room, but were from another time and place, and they wafted around her like a mist suddenly disturbed by a breeze. Strangely enough, even to an unconscious person who doesn't realize they are unconscious, the voices smelled sweet, like "the fragrance after a rain". At times, the voices would rise in volume to almost a low roar, the sound of a multitude talking at once – the prayers of the saints, Alexa would realize later.
Alexa suddenly became conscious of fingers, no, a hand grasping hers. The strength and confidence that exuded from this hand was exactly how Jesus' hand should feel. She knew this almost instinctively – it was not something she had experienced before, but she knew it had to be Him… her Savior. She thought how wonderful it would be to have that hand lead her to Heaven. Even though she had a pang of sorrow because she would miss everyone she loved, the feeling of having finally achieved a goal beyond her human capacity flooded her whole being. It was as if light had taken water form and filled her body, soul and spirit to the point beyond overflowing. To have achieved Heaven, to have finished the course upon which Jesus had set her feet… this was truly the meaning of life; and it humbled Alexa even as a feeling of elation washed over her.
I am not worthy
, she thought in her unconscious state,
but I really want to go with Him
.
She then noticed how breath kept tickling the hairs on her arm. She could no longer restrain the physical; she just had to see Him. In that moment, Alexa groaned and opened her eyes.
When he looked up at hearing Alexa groan, CC's eyes were full of hope, which was quickly crowded out by tears. He had been praying so hard since she had been admitted to the hospital four days ago. He had hardly left the room to sleep at all. When he saw her blue eyes opened and looking around the room, he almost cried out for joy!
He stood up quickly and yelled for a nurse, then looked back at his reason for living, "Lex! Sweetheart! You're awake!!" He couldn't keep the tears back then, and wept as he rained kisses all over her face.
"It was you holding my hand?" she asked in a whisper of a voice. She smiled a sweet smile of wonder; her eyes were still filled with visions of what she had seen in the spiritual dimension. "I love you, CC."
"And I love you, my angel," he whispered as he squeezed her hand with both of his and then kissed it. CC looked up to Heaven and breathed a prayer of thanks to God for the miracle He had performed this day.
Right then, the nurse bustled in to check on her condition, "Sweetheart? I'm going to fetch Tara and Missy. They've been in the chapel praying for you since dawn. I'll be right back."
"Don't be too long, CC. I-I need you here with me," she said with a broken whisper.
"Don't worry, my love. I'm only a few steps away, and always with you in spirit!" he said as he slowly turned to go out of her room. "I'll be right back!" he then sprinted down the hall, drawing more than a few scolding comments from the hospital staff. He promptly ignored them though and couldn't help but do a big leap with the traditional fist-in-the-air technique and let out a loud "woo hoo!!" as he waited for the elevator. He didn't look a bit repentant at his antics.
By the time CC arrived back in the room with a weeping Tara and Missy, the doctor had arrived and was performing an examination. She made them wait outside, but called them in not long afterward. Tara rushed to her mom and would have hugged her fiercely, but the doctor stopped her, "Tara, she has a few injuries which still need time to heal properly before you can give her the bear hug you intend."
Tara, holding her mom's hand and still a little teary-eyed, looked up sheepishly at the doctor, but quickly turned to smile at her mom, "You know mom, if you wanted some attention, you had only to ask! No need for you to go tumbling down ditches and almost freezing to death! Plus, I have missed several days of school and a couple of tests. Of course, that was not too terribly hard on me!!" here, Tara giggled and gave Missy a sidelong glance.
"Yes, you old bat! Are you trying to give me a heart attack? I was almost out of my mind with worry over your little disappearing act!! I almost called in my friends at the McAllen Police Department!!" she laughed as she leaned in to kiss her friend on the cheek. "Seriously, you about scared the daylights out of me!!" she scolded.
(Narrator's Side Note: Back in the early days of Missy and Alexa's friendship in Texas, Missy would frequently call Alexa's house pretending to be the McAllen Police Department. To Alexa, this was just proof of her friend's craziness, but it was a standing joke between the two old friends, and it seemed to bind them closer even after all these years. They were more like sisters than ever before, but closer because they seemed to instinctively understand each other, and accept and love even the other's faults.)
CC pushed his way closer to the bed, grabbed Alexa's hand and promptly kissed it, which sent a tingle up her arm. She gasped and smiled at him. She would tell him everything about that handclasp later, but right now, she was overwhelmed with happiness in seeing her family again.
Missy and Tara watched the scene with the sappy looks that you see on women's faces after they've watched the ending of
The Man from Snowy River
. Oh yeah! CC was definitely Alexa's "Jim Craig".
"Almost there now. Only a few more miles and I will be home free!" Bob laughed to himself. "People are so gullible! I can talk my way out of any situation." Bob laughed aloud again as he thought of all the people he had conned on his way to the border, stealing cars, clothes, and supplies from unsuspecting locals. He would soon be across the river and then he could start afresh in someplace tropical.
He looked into his rearview mirror.
There is that stupid SUV again!
It didn't look like a cop or trooper, but he couldn't take any chances. He would get off at the next exit and lose it in whatever town he happened to find there.
A shot of fear ran through him as the SUV seemed to take on a burst of speed. It pulled up right beside him and rolled down the window. Bob almost lost control of his car at the sight – it was an uzi pointed straight at him. He slammed on his brakes and did a quick u-turn. The other driver seemed to anticipate Bob's actions because a few seconds later, the black SUV was back and this time they fired.