BooksBarbecue
Back Vortex
Chapters (61)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. Epilogue
  57. Epilogue
  58. Acknowledgments
  59. About the Author
  60. Also by Catherine Coulter
  61. About the Publisher

Dr. Hicks said, “I understand. It’s a lovely memory. Now, Olivia, please close your eyes. Picture the vineyard spread out in front of you. Smell the grapes, feel Mike holding your hand. You feel the sun’s warmth on your face. You’re with Mike, you’re happy, content, not a care in the world. Everything is perfect in that moment.”

Her lashes fluttered, a small smile bloomed on her face. It was so clear, all of it. Mike was running a finger over the back of her hand, slowly, lightly, slowly turning the ring this way and that. How could she ever forget? She heard a bee buzzing around her, and a beautiful yellow bird she didn’t recognize landed on a lower branch of a nearby willow. Odd, she could hear and feel her own breathing, how it had slowed even more. Was that Mike’s breathing she heard, too, or was it Dr. Hicks?

Dr. Hicks studied her painfully young face, knew a warrior was behind that face. He pulled a shiny gold round watch on a chain from his jacket pocket and held it up. “Open your eyes now and look at this very old watch.”

Olivia opened her eyes, blinked. “You really want me to look at a watch?”

Dr. Hicks smiled at her sarcasm. “Of course, a swinging watch sounds hackneyed. It’s nothing more than something to look at, really, but this watch belonged to my grandfather, it’s an old friend of mine. Look at the watch now, Olivia, nothing else. Listen to my voice and look at the watch moving, empty out all the questions from your mind, all the worries, let them float away from you until there’s only my voice. You’re safe with me, never forget that.”

Olivia kept her eyes on the shining gold watch as it swung gently back and forth, the hot sun warming her face and the buzzing bee slowly fading, and there was only the gentle swaying of the watch and Dr. Hicks’s voice. She slipped away.

Dr. Hicks leaned toward her, his voice quiet, calm. “You are perfectly safe, Olivia. Nothing can hurt you. Do you understand?”

“Yes, I understand.”

“I want us to go back together to that day when you and your team went into Iran. Where are we?”

“We’ve crossed the plateau and we’re hiking in the Zagros Mountains. We’re going to meet Hashem there and escort him to the border into Iraq.”

“Do you see Hashem?”