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Back The Last Christian
Chapters (58)
  1. Cover
  2. Other Books by This Author
  3. Title Page
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. Prologue
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. Author’s Note

After a time Abby leaned forward, her face full of regret. “We were too late. If only…”

“Abby, no. This isn’t your fault. Don’t believe that for a second. You did everything you could.”

They sat on the rock a few more minutes. Kate checked the time. “It’s two thirty. We need to head back.”

“Head back?”

“To Lae.”

Abby shook her head. “I have to stay.”

“We can come back tomorrow. They’ll fly in men to take care of the bodies and the village. You need—”

Kate watched Abby lift her head, her mouth set in a hard, sad line. “How will they take care of the bodies?”

“They’ll burn the bodies and the village. I know it sounds—”

A look of horror came over Abby’s face. “Burn? No! They can’t be burned. They must be buried.”

“Abby, these people died of a communicable disease. The bodies must be destroyed to prevent its spread. I’ll take one back with us and do an autopsy. The others must be burned.”

Abby stood. “They have to be buried. It’s their way.”

“But we can’t risk spreading the disease. What if someone disturbs the graves?”

“No one would do that. It would invite evil spirits.”

Kate looked at her for a long moment, then shrugged. “All right. We’ll bury the bodies. But we have to set fire to the village.”

Abby glanced around at the huts. “Okay. The village.”

“So we’re agreed? We’ll come back tomorrow.”

“I’m spending the night here, Dr. Sampson.”

“Abby, you can’t stay here.”

“I have to.” She extended her arms in a sweeping motion. “These are my people. I can’t abandon them.”

Kate looked around the village and sighed. She contacted the helicopter. “Saperi, everything all right there?”

She heard silence on the other end, then a voice. “Still here. What did you find?”

“The villagers have all died.” She looked down at Abby, who met her eyes. She continued, “I need you to arrange for men to bury the villagers and burn the village tomorrow.”

“What are you going to do?”

“We’re going to spend the night here. You can go.”

“You’re staying? Is it safe?”

“No, it’s not. I don’t know what the disease is or how it’s transmitted. But Ms. Caldwell won’t leave, and I won’t leave her here alone.”

There was a long pause. “Do you want me to stay with you?”

That was the last thing he wanted to do, Kate knew. “No. Just make sure you’re back here with help tomorrow.”