King Solomon's Journey (The Dominguez Adventures) (47 page)

            “He is going to be fine, José. I’m fine,” she told him.

            “Amanda, I’m sorry about this morning…you knew…  I thought you were crazy. I’m sorry. They neutralized our hired security. Hell Amanda, those are the same security guards we’ve used to protect witnesses from the Mob. All three of them are hospitalized now.”

            “José, get Ruger here. He worked with the Government, and he is sure to understand the enemy.”

            “Right, I’ll tell Pop that’s what you want. I’m sure he’ll agree.”

            “José…” she paused.

            “José, it is not your fault. You are a tremendous brother to Antonio. He has always admired and loved you. You did your best and now we know more of what is going on. Antonio is important. Perhaps more than any of us realized.”

            “Thank you, Amanda. Antonio is lucky to have you. You’ve saved his life.” He got up to talk to Carmen quickly, and turned back.

            “Amanda, one more thing, I sent Marissa to get you a drink, and something to eat.”

            “Thank you, but I cannot eat.”

            “Try, he needs you.”

            She grinned. The Judge sat at her side.

            “Amanda, do you want to take Antonio home with us?”

            “I think he will want to go home.” She told him.

            “I know, honey. I want to know what you feel is best,” he clarified.

            “I want us to take care of him. I want him to go home, but you must feel he is safe.” She did not know why at this point she started crying. Everything crashed in on her. It didn’t matter how much she fought, because she couldn’t stop it. The Judge put his arms around her.

            José ran over, “Pop, what happened?”

            “Son, she’s had a tough day.”

            The Doctor came out for the Judge. José stayed with her.

            “José, it scared me, I thought he left me. I don’t want to be without him again.”

            José knew too well her attachment. “I know, Amanda, he’s crazy about you. Antonio would never leave you.”

            “I thought I could handle King Solomon’s Legacy alongside him. I thought I was strong…  I have failed, I’m not strong enough.”

            “Amanda - the hell you’re not. You did what you had to do when it mattered. You’re stronger than you give yourself credit. Right now, you’re just tired. Antonio’s going to be fine. Now is when you are supposed to fall apart.”

            Marissa sat between Amanda and José.

            “Amanda, I’ve brought you something to eat, chemical-free.” She looked so cute Amanda had to smile.

            “Thank you, Marissa. I am not sure I am able to eat, though. Please, do not be insulted, your concern is very sweet.

            “Don’t worry, Amanda. It’s okay.” She smiled.

            Amanda looked at her and smiled. “I didn’t realize how much you resemble Antonio. You are quite beautiful, Marissa. “

            She blushed. “Thank you, Amanda.”

            Amanda took a drink of the juice. She hadn’t even realized her thirst until she took that drink. With her head back, she closed her eyes. Her whole body ached as overtiredness began to engulf her. Everything happened before she had the chance to take her medication.

Everyone was silent. With her eyes shut, Amanda was clueless to her surroundings.

            "Amanda?" She heard someone calling her name.

            Opening her eyes, she saw José. "He's in recovery, you dozed off, and Mama said let you sleep. But, if you are ready, we can go back there now."

            Amanda rushed to clean her face in the restroom, and straighten her clothing. Hurrying down the hallway, she was escorted to the upper floor where Antonio was in a room, with an armed Miami PD officer outside the doorway.

            Once inside she took a seat at Antonio's side, and along with his mother, she stayed with him through the next three days. In the first two days, not once did he wake up enough to realize his surroundings, but they made sure he knew someone was always there.

            The third day he woke up, and tried to mumble hello to Amanda, it was the most thrilling gibberish she had ever heard.

Chapter 53

"The power of love to change bodies is legendary, built into folklore, common sense, and everyday experience.  Love moves the flesh, it pushes matter around.... Throughout history, "tender loving care" has uniformly been recognized as a valuable element in healing."

~Larry Dossey

            Antonio would learn later, that the first time he really understood where he was, was on the fourth day after the attack. His physicians had concurred with his parents that going home was the best choice. With the assistance of the family, Amanda prepared his old room, gathered everything she could think of to aid his recovery, and watched as his father arranged for the best security possible.

            The once stately home suddenly seemed the perfect fortress. Its grand design had given it an enclosed courtyard on all four sides, and now those walls were patrolled by armed men. The gate to the home was no longer left open for all-comers, and the advanced security system received an update hourly.

            When Antonio rode through the gates, he was beginning to regret leaving the peace of the hospital, and its regular injections for pain. When the car stopped suddenly, he moaned, and Amanda immediately scolded the driver.

            Tomas, Carlos and José assisted him into a wheelchair and wheeled him in. The three men picked him up, chair and all and carried him up the stairs to the comfort of his old room. By the time his mother and Amanda finished fussing over his bed clothes he was ready to scream in pain. Amanda readied a hypodermic, and injected it directly into his hip. Within minutes, Antonio began to fade, and it would be days before he was lucid enough to wonder why Amanda looked so ill.

            At the end of the day, Amanda was stressed beyond her limits. Her mind usually so sure, constantly doubted her decisions. She felt weak most of the day, and only at night did she feel like her old self.

            While everyone made her feel welcome, she was only truly comfortable when she could finally be alone with Antonio.

            Amanda leaned over and gently returned the pendant she had given him to its rightful place. Thankful that Maurice had returned it to her. As she stretched out beside him, she held him in her arms, and cried softly, thankful for the pleasure of being near him. She knew she had the knowledge and skill to heal him, but first he must rest, then she would make him whole once more.

            No matter what the future holds, together they were better, and together they would face it. Planning a future is a way of grounding hope in your heart. She silently promised Antonio, that soon they would return to New Mexico, gather the information needed for finding the Chosen, and get on with the mysteries that had lain secret for so long.

            Once more she and her beloved would step out into the foot prints left by those so long ago, and seek the end of King Solomon's Journey, and the beginning of a change for all mankind, a change she believed rested within those secret rooms of Hidden Mountain.

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