Chapters (53)
- COVER PAGE
- PRAISE FOR TEDDEKKER’S NOVELS
- TITLE PAGE
- COPYRIGHT PAGE
- LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHER
- DEDICATION
- TABLE OF CONTENT
- PROLOGUE
- CHAPTER ONE
- CHAPTER TWO
- CHAPTER THREE
- CHAPTER FOUR
- CHAPTER FIVE
- CHAPTER SIX
- CHAPTER SEVEN
- CHAPTER EIGHT
- CHAPTER NINE
- CHAPTER TEN
- CHAPTER ELEVEN
- CHAPTER TWELVE
- CHAPTER THIRTEEN
- CHAPTER FOURTEEN
- CHAPTER FIFTEEN
- CHAPTER SIXTEEN
- CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
- CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
- CHAPTER NINETEEN
- CHAPTER TWENTY
- CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
- CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
- CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
- CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
- CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
- CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
- CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
- CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
- CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
- CHAPTER THIRTY
- CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
- CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
- CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
- CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
- CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
- CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
- CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
- CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
- CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
- CHAPTER FORTY
- CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
- CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
- CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
- CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
- EPILOGUE
He swung around, fists clenched. “You think so? You think this is crazy? Then listen to me, Tanya. This is nothing!” She could see that he was trembling. “This is two people walking along a path in the real world. I’ll tell you what’s crazy. Watching a bunch of men shoot holes into your mother and father while you stand by powerless. That is crazy. And that’s the real world. But then you’re not used to the real world, are you? You’re too busy running from your nightmares, I suppose. Explaining away the death of Mommy and Daddy. Trying to make sense of it all? There’s only one thing that makes sense now and it’s got nothing to do with your God.”
He turned around and left her standing, her mouth agape. Running from my nightmares? She followed quickly, fearing the dark alone.
And he had called her Tanya.
He’s wounded, Tanya.
He’s an animal.
He’s a wounded animal, then. But he needs my love.
They walked in silence for hours, stopping only periodically for rest and water. Even then they did not talk. Tanya let her mind slip into a numb rhythm that followed the steady cadence of her feet.
In the end it was only prayer that soothed her frazzled spirit.
Father . . . dear God, I’m lost down here. Forgive me. I’m lost and lonely and confused. I hate this man and I hate that I hate him. And I don’t even know if that’s possible! What are you doing? What is your purpose here?
She stepped without caution on the path behind Shannon now, trusting his leading.
I hate this man.
But you must love this man.
Never!
Then, you would be like him.
Yes, and I’m a fool either way.
A picture of Jesus spread on the cross hung in her mind. Forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do. The image brought a knot to Tanya’s throat.
Then her mind returned to the vision. What significance her life now played in this insanity was far beyond her. The thought of a bomb’s mushroom cloud barely registered out here in the heavy forest. For all she knew the whole notion was absurd. Shannon certainly thought so.
Her mind returned to him. God, help me.
With each step, she resigned herself to the knowledge that this was indeed a part of some symphony conducted by God himself. In some absurd way it did make sense. In the end she would see that. The realization gave her strength.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Saturday