Shiva (79 page)

Bunny
must have read his scowl and
squeezed Davidson
’
s hand as she put a lily inside the coffin. Davidson put his own hibiscus next to Vakasa. It was the only thing he could remember about his own mother. How she smelled of the pink flower. It seemed a fitting tribute to the little girl who had saved them all.

Lopez followed. There really should have been two ceremonies today. One for Vakasa and one for Levont, but Lopez refused to declare the point man dead.
“
We need our drummer
”
was the
only thing Lopez would say on
the
subject of Levont
. So
,
for now
,
the point man was only MIA.

The corporal placed a carnation in the coffin. He leaned over and whispered
,
“
Don
’
t worry
,
RJ wi
ll know all about you
.
”

It should
n
’
t
have been
like this. It shouldn
’
t
have been
just them here. There should
have been
heads of states and a sea of people to grieve Vakasa. But that was kind of the point
,
wasn
’
t it? Her secret needed to be buried with her. The world would never know the spark of her smile.

Then a bright light flashed in the sky. Davidson shielded his eyes against the glare. Was that a satellite falling from space? As the fiery object streaked overhead, commemorating Vakasa,
Bunny nudged him
.

“
I think you
’
re really going to like Stark.
”

* * *

Brandt wrapped his arm around Rebecca
’
s waist as they approached the coffin. She seemed strong and all, but his fiancée had sat shiva
h
for the past seventy-two hours.
Rebecca hadn
’
t left Vakasa
’
s side for three days.
Although
,
Brandt wasn
’
t so s
ure she was actually mourning rather than
she was hoping. Hoping against hope that a miracle really could happen and Vakasa
would
awake.

This morning
,
though, Rebecca seemed clear
-
eyed, not arguing or fussing when he reminded her that if they wanted to honor Jewish tradition, they would need to bury their little girl today. She
’
d just nodded and
headed
off for a well
-
deserved shower.

Now
,
though? To see Vakasa in that cof
fin? Brandt wasn
’
t sure how Rebecca
was going to hold up. He guided her forward, but she sidestepped him.

“
Let me go last,
”
she requested.

He didn
’
t argue as he stepped up to the pine box. He wished he had something more to give the child than a yellow
j
essamine, the official flower of South Carolina. He wished he could have shown her his hometown. Brought her into his family. He
’
d had so many wishes for her, but this flower would have to do.

Brandt was about to move on, but the
r
abbi stepped forward and handed him a red rose along with a note. Without another word, the
r
abbi turned and walked back toward the waiting cars.

Opening the note, Brandt almost dropped the card. It was signed by Vanderwalt. The bastard hadn
’
t even bothered to show his face after the girl
’
s death. Probably just as well since Brandt would have shot him on sight. He was about to crumple the damned thing and kick it across the desert
,
until he read the man
’
s words.

I would do everything differently
.

Why the hell did tears spring to Brandt
’
s eyes? Vanderwalt didn
’
t deserve his forgiveness, but Vakasa would have wanted it that way. She
’
d already forgiven the MI-5 agent with her
“
aloha
.
”
So alongside his
j
essamine, Brandt put the rose and the note.

He moved aside as Rebecca approached. She seemed to want a moment alone
,
so he turned to look at the others as they grouped to the side. Bunny seemed five years older than the last time he
’
d seen
her. Lopez was telling a story about Vakasa, making both Bunny and Davidson smile. Leave it to Lopez to lighten the mood.

A rustling behind him drew Brandt
’
s attention. What was Rebecca putting in the coffin?

“
I thought you said the flowers would be enough?
”

Rebecca shrugged.
“
Just a few tokens,
”
she said as she reached down and gave Vakasa a kiss on the forehead, then laid a lotus blossom on her bright
-
orange dress.

Brandt guided her away. There was no need for her to see the coffin lid nailed down. It was time to move on.

* * *

Rebecca
leaned her head against the SUV
’
s window as they bounced their way out of the desert. Rebecca kept her eyes glued on the fresh burial mound until she could not longer make it out in the distance.

Her eyes were dry for the first time in days. Maybe her tear ducts had just given
out?
Or maybe she was ready to say good-bye.

“
Lopez, where are you taking us?
”

“
I know we are
bummed and all, but you
’
ve got to see this.
”
He drove them up a low hill
,
then parked the car.
“
Come on,
”
he said
,
getting out.

The
y
followed him the rest of the way to the plateau. Rebecca
’
s feet stalled. The volcano that had erupted in Shiloh stood starkly against the dawn. Over the past few days
,
a weather front had moved in, bringing with it rain and cold air. The volcano
’
s sides had cooled rapidly
,
transforming the orange magma into slick black volcanic glass. Not just that
,
but gold etched its surface. The veins running throughout the slope, glistening in the early morning light. Most remarkable of all, the Black Madonna statue, half
-
buried in volcanic glass, stood almost as a sentinel.

“
They
’
re calling it a miracle,
”
Lopez said, nodding to the growing crowd at the volcano
’
s base.

Brandt pulled Rebecca
close, kissing her on the top of her head.

“
That it is,
”
Davidson remarked.

The others moved to get a closer look, but Rebecca stayed in Brandt
’
s embrace. He turned her toward him, tilting her chin to him.

“
Marry me.
”

Rebecca sniffled, grinning.
“
Of course.
”

“
No,
”
he said.
“
Right now.
”
He tossed his head toward
t
he volcano.
“
I don
’
t want to wait. I don
’
t want to go another minute without us…
”

* * *

His throat
squeezed off, betrayed him.
How many ways could they
have died in the past week?
What would next week bring? Brandt went to explain
,
but
Rebecca see
med to get it
.

“
What about your family?
”
she asked.
“
A big church wedding?
”

Brandt stroked her hair
back
.
“
We
’
ll put on a dog and pony show from them, but I want us…I want to be your husband.
Today
.
”

She searched his eyes a moment as if testing to see how serious he was. She must have
liked what she
found
,
as her lips curled up into a grin
.
“
Al
l
right
,
then,
”
Rebecca said
,
turning to the rest of the group.
“
Looks like we need to find ourselves a rabbi or priest or
—
”

“
Look for?
”
Lopez scoffed.
“
You
’
ve got
me
.
”

Brandt frowned at his corporal.
“
Lopez…
”

“
What?
”
he said.
“
I
’
m ordained in eight countries, Israel being one of them.
”

“
I don
’
t think
—
”

Lopez overrode him.
“
We can do this right here. Right now.
‘
Not another minute
’
and all that, right?
”

Good to know Lopez was also as proficient at eavesdropping as he was at driving.

“
You
’
ve got your maid of honor and best man…
”
Bunny added.

“
I appreciate the thought, but
—
”

Rebecca
took his hand
,
though.
“
I think we should.
”

He looked to her. She looked tired, drained, yet strangely happy.
“
This is your wedding day, Rebecca. We should at least go into town. Get a dress and
—
”

“
Brandt,
”
she said softly
,
“
w
e aren
’
t shiny, happy people.
”
She indicated to the rough countryside around them.
“
For better or worse, this is who you and I are.
”
She gestured to the others.
“
Who
we
are.
”

“
If you are good
to go,
”
Brandt said
,
raising his hands in mock defeat
,
“
I
’
m good.
”

And he was. Despite everything that had happened, with Rebecca in his arms, he was good.

* * *

Rebecca held Brandt
’
s hand as Lopez continued
on
with the wedding
ceremony. The moment was
surreal with the volcano
simmering
in the background. Still
,
her hand shook. This was certainly not the wedding of her dreams. The pictures were going to be a bit…odd, but unique.

She wouldn
’
t have it any other way.

“
Al
l
right,
”
Lopez said.
“
Let
’
s get to the good part.
”
He looked to Brandt.
“
Sergeant Vincent Paul Brandt
,
do you take this incredibly hot paleo-DNA-archeologist for your wife?
”