From Pharaoh's Hand (25 page)

             
“You will.  Or she bleeds to death.  You want that on yer conscience?”

             
Carolyn gasped.  The nurse was mouthing the word, “no” silently to Carolyn.  Did she mean no, don’t let her bleed to death?  Or no, don’t give him the baby?  There wasn’t time to decipher the code.  The nurse elbowed Catfish as hard as she could between his broken ribs.  He howled in pain and doubled over, letting the scissors fall to the floor.  She turned and shoved him with both hands as hard as she could back against the wall, then grabbed the scissors.  He fell to his knees groaning.

             
Carolyn seized the opportunity to run for the door with the baby.  She stopped with the door halfway open and called back.

             
  “We have to get security.  We have to make sure he doesn’t leave this room. She could tell the nurse was having trouble deciding whether to finish him off or to help him up.

     “
My ribs...you punctured my lung...” Catfish was gasping for air in short, sharp puffs. “You aim to...to just…let me die?  Fine nurse you are.”  The nurse drew the scissors up as if to stab him, a look of hatred burning in her angry eyes.

          “
Don’t kill him.  He knows where my Beth is.  We need help.”

             
Sheriff Dameron was on his way down the right wing toward the nurse’s desk to inquire of Sheriff Wright when he heard the ruckus down the hall behind him.  His keen sense of trouble kicked in, and he turned about face and went in the direction of the noise.  When he heard a woman yelling, “Someone call Security...Quick...help!” he pulled his revolver and broke into a run down the long hall toward the nursery.  He could see two women, and one appeared to be holding a baby.  They were waving and yelling for him to hurry.  The nurse was struggling to pull a heavy office desk in front of the door to the nursery to keep Catfish inside.  Inside Catfish lay struggling for air -- knowing in his heart that his reign over this kingdom was swiftly coming to an end.

             
“What is it?”

     “
Sheriff Dameron?” Carolyn blinked, a bit confused, and then she realized he must be there to find Beth too. “That man tried to kill us and take the baby,” Carolyn explained.  “He knows something about Beth.  Make him tell you where she is,” she pleaded.

             
“First, let’s get him detained, ma’am.  Then we’ll get the facts.  Step back.”

             
The sheriff leaned sideways to check out the nursery through the viewing window.  What he saw surprised him.  Catfish was lying on the floor clutching his heart.  His eyes stared straight ahead, his mouth agape, and his face was contorted in a most unnatural shade of purple.

             
“I think we’re too late for questions,” he said glumly.  “We may never find her now.”

             
Carolyn peered over his shoulder and let out a long wail of grief.  “No...no...noooo.”  She sobbed as she clung to the infant that had begun to squall loudly.  Time stood still as all hope of finding her only child alive had just expired on the floor of Perry County Medical Center. 
              “God have mercy on that pitiful soul,” was all the nurse could muster.  But Carolyn knew in her heart that even if God somehow forgave him, she never would.

Chapter 33

Joy Unspeakable

             
It was early afternoon when the Sheriff’s car carrying John and Beth approached Perry County Medical. The media had gathered on the parking lot and were in the process of setting up their cameras.  There were vans from the three major networks, as well as CNN, FOX, and the Weather Channel.

             
“Aw man, I forgot about the press conference.  This is gonna be a circus,” Sheriff Wright remarked.

             
John pulled Elizabeth to him protectively.

             
“Don’t look their way.  They don’t know that we’ve found you.  Once they discover who’s in the car, we’ll never make it inside.”

             
Sheriff Wright noticed the Madison County Sheriff’s car in the parking lot.  He reached for his cell phone, dialed the hospital, and asked for Sheriff Dameron. 

             
“Glad you could make it.  Rus Wright here.  We’ve got the girl.  We need you to run interference so we can get her into the ER and get her checked out.”

             
              “Good work, Sheriff.  We’ve been quite busy ourselves.  We’ve had a hostage situation in the nursery; the patient you brought in this morning fell over dead with a heart attack.  Mrs. Merriweather believes this person was after the baby.  I’m pretty sure he is involved in some way.  Once we get Beth in here, we can see if she can identify him.”

             
“He’s dead?  Well, that’s going to throw a kink in the Tut investigation, but it will save the taxpayers his prison bill.  He was facing multiple charges --  drug trafficking, kidnapping, felony theft, and possibly murder.  There’s an unmarked grave back on his property that we think might be his wife.”

             
Sheriff Dameron let out a soft, low whistle.  In all his years in law enforcement, he had never handled a case with so many federal charges against one perpetrator.  The press was going to eat this up. 

             
“Drive around back to the cafeteria entrance.  I’ll send word that the conference is about to begin. That will buy you some time.  A deputy will be there to bring you all to the room where we have Mrs. Merriweather and the baby.”

             
Once he hung up the phone, Sheriff Dameron turned on his heel and headed for the private room where he had set up Mrs. Merriweather and her grandchild to shield them from the onslaught of publicity.  A deputy stood guarding the doorway.  The Sheriff whispered the good news to the deputy, who broke out in a huge grin and trotted off towards the cafeteria.

             
“Mrs. Merriweather.  How are you and the baby?  You two bouncing back okay?”

             
              “I think we’re going to be just fine.”

             
“I think so too -- especially after you hear the good news.”

             
Carolyn guessed the good news before the Sheriff could even get it out.  She ran to him, arms outstretched, questioning.

             
“They found her!   Is she okay?”

             
              “They’re bringing her in as we speak.” 

             
Carolyn’s hand went to her heart.  She was speechless.  All of those nights in anguish and fervent prayer.  All of those grey winter days she had dreamed of her child coming home.  And now it was happening.  Beth was alive.  Her baby was alive. 

             
“Thank you God!”  She shouted and nearly danced for joy.  She grabbed the Sheriff,  hugged him and was sobbing on his shoulder when the door opened behind him.  The deputy stuck his head in to make sure everything was okay and then stepped aside.  Beth was seated in a wheelchair with John standing behind her.  Her hair was shorter than when Carolyn had seen her last, and it was dirty and stringy.  Blood streaked the side of Beth’s face from where she had struck her head on the rock.  It stained the cotton housedress that was torn and ragged and revealed the cuts caked with dried blood on her legs.  She looked like she had been through hell and back.  But she was alive.  Her only daughter was alive.  Carolyn stood speechless for a half second.

             
“Mom,” Beth said weakly.  “Mom!”

             
Carolyn ran to the wheelchair sobbing.  She bent to peer into her daughter’s face.  Yes, this was the baby she had grieved for all these months.  This was her flesh and blood smiling up at her with tears streaking through the blood and mud.  Her eyes were older and wiser.  But it was her Elizabeth.  And she was safe.  She wanted to grab her and hold her tightly and never let her out of her sight again, but seeing the condition she was in, she tenderly took Beth’s face into her trembling hands and just knelt there staring, taking in the moment.  Finally she found her voice.

     “
God brought you back to me.  It’s a miracle...”

             
“I know, Mom.  I’m sorry for all the heartache I’ve caused.”

     “
Honey, we love you.  We love
both
of you.”  As if on cue, the infant began to cry. 

             
“My baby!  Oh God, thank you, God.  Thank you!”  Beth was crying hysterically as her mother went to the crib and gathered the baby up to take him to his mother.  She laid the baby gently in Beth’s arms, and Beth leaned down to kiss the baby’s brow. 

             
“I was so worried about you.  I thought I had lost you forever.  Oh God, I can’t believe it.  We’re all here, together.”

     “
Yes, and we’re going to stay together this time, no matter what happens.  Beth, your mom and I are here for you darling.”  John was choked with emotion as he knelt to take his first look at his grandson.  He thought the baby resembled his side of the family, but then it might look more like a Daily.

             
“We’ve got to call Chris!”

     “
Dad...” Beth began, but the reunion was interrupted by a doctor entering the room.

             
“I hate to break up the reunion.  But I think it’s best we examine the patient and get her treated and get her some rest.  It appears she’s had quite the ordeal.  If you would like, you can wait here, and I’ll make sure she’s brought back to this room.”

             
Carolyn kissed her daughter on the head and stroked her hair gently.  In eight short months her daughter had passed from girlhood to womanhood; the transformation was astounding.  There was so much she wanted to know.  So much she was afraid to ask.   But she knew that no matter what, she would spend the rest of her days loving and caring for her daughter and this precious grandchild.  There was no room in this mother’s heart for judgment or criticism.  No matter how much this ordeal had changed Beth, she was still her own flesh and blood.  There was no condemnation.  Her prodigal had returned. 

             
As Beth was wheeled away, Carolyn looked down at the sweet smelling bundle in her arms.  She pressed her cheek to his soft head.  She knew if she was ever going to pick up the pieces of this trial and move on that she was going to have to do the unthinkable.  Forgiving Beth was easy.  But to ever have complete peace, she was going to have to search her heart.  Somehow, some way, she was going to have to find it in her heart to forgive Catfish.  Not for his sake.  Unless he had made a dying confession to Christ, it was too late for him.  But for her own sake, she must rid her heart of this bitter hatred she had held for him.  She stared into the trusting eyes of the child, and in an instant her choice was made.

             
“Oh God,” she breathed. “I need your help.”

Chapter 34

A Slave No More

March 2007

             
Eight months later, Carolyn and John sat on a park bench holding a chubby blonde haired boy dressed in a navy and white sailor suit.  The baby was holding the sailor cap up to his mouth and gnawing on its brim, perfectly content to sit and watch the crowds of people pass by on their way to get in line for the rides.  A luminous pale luna moth hovered around the trio, flitting from the hat to Carolyn’s red shirt to John’s shoulder.  D
ollywood was abuzz with Spring Break activity, and the weather was as perfect a day as you can get in the South this time of year.  John leaned in to tickle the baby.  He goosed him lightly between the ribs, and the baby squealed in delight.