Keeping Faith

Chapter Twenty-Two: Deadly Alliance

     David was still perplexed why Elizabeth would turn to him for help, but he was willing to do whatever was necessary to get home. He was desperate and in need of an escape. As unwanted as this companionship was, he needed her help — and for whatever reason, she needed him too.

Desperation can create very odd...and unlikely allies. He was alive only to serve her purpose, that much was certain. He only needed to secure his value in her eyes, if he failed, he would disappear the moment he was no longer of use to her.

He couldn't let that happen. Wouldn't let that happen. No matter what it took. He had to get home.

Elizabeth returned with two syringes, a bottle of Black Death and another bottle he didn't recognize.

He forced his eyes to focus as she drew back the deadly poison into the syringe. The icy liquid seeped from the needle as she turned toward him and smiled maliciously, "Don't worry, this won't hurt...much." She bound his upper arm with a rubber tourniquet and stabbed the needle in his vein as she forced the drug into his bloodstream.

So much for helping me... David thought.

A moan left his lips as air whooshed from his lungs. His veins felt like they could explode. That's when his convulsions began — and the screams. But they were not his screams... they were hers.

His hand wrapped around her neck perfectly. Squeezing the life out of her would be easy. Too easy in fact.

That dose she had graciously given him, filled him with enough strength to brake his restrains and attack the one person standing between him and freedom.

He had never wanted to cause another human being harm, never wanted to cold-bloodedly murder someone — but in her case, he was about to make an exception.

Her eyes pleaded with him. She stopped trying to fight and instead reached for the second syringe. She stabbed him his arm with as much force as she could muster and delivered the second dose.

It caused David to release her from his deadly grasp and stagger backwards. He doubled over from the pain. She kicked him back, drew her gun, aiming it at him and barked an order, "Try that again and you're dead!"

Anthony breathed heavily as he slammed himself into the payphone booth and inserted the coins. Tony would have to deal with it not being a secure line. It was the only chance they had.

The phone rang twice before a husky hello greeted him on the other end of the line.

Skipping the formalities, Anthony informed Tony of his findings. Tony let out a huff, "Hey, kid, I'm putting you on speaker. Run it by me again so you can tell Jonathan what you uncovered."

Anthony rushed through it one more time. Silence lengthened on the other end of the line until Anthony demanded, "So what are we going to do?" Jonathan let out a sigh, "Unfortunately, they are holding all the cards. We can't just rush in there without a warrant...and we don't know for a fact that David is the one in that room."

Anthony's tempter flared, "Jay, he's your brother! After all his done for you I thought you would do the same. He wouldn't be in this mess if it wasn't for you and the FBI! If the roles were reversed, he wouldn't hesitate to save you! I didn't think the rules applied with family."

Annoyance was evident in Jonathan's response, "Anthony, I would do anything for my brother, you know that. But I don't want him to get killed on account of my recklessness in rushing in to save him. I don't want to bring him home in a coffin."

Sharla paced the kitchen floor with Kevin in her arms. How could she tell Faith the news? It was even worse than they thought. Not only was David in trouble, but they had been giving him drugs. Had been for sometime.

As a nurse, Sharla knew that no matter how strong a person was, drugs could alter one's personality drastically...and depending how long his body had been receiving the drugs, he would be suffering from addiction. Coming home with no drugs available would cause him to have withdraws.

When someone was hooked on drugs they didn't respond or think rationally. They weren't the same person. Nothing was more important to an addict than the drug. David wasn't a drug user. She knew that. He would never take them willingly.

They could get him into an addiction group and counseling...David was a strong man and a Godly one. Surly he could beat this.

If anyone could handle it, David could. Couldn't he?

How could she brake the news to Faith? Would it be best to warn her? Yes, of course it would. Better to prepare herself for the worst instead of expecting the same old cheerful, joking David they had all grown to love dearly.

Please, Lord...help us get him back. The real David. God, we all need him — but help us to be what he needs.

Dear Diary,

I received some disturbing news today....at first, we were told that David had gone missing...he wasn't missing as it turns out.

I don't know why, no one does, but for some reason the drug lords David was working with found out he was a cop and took him hostage and have been giving him drugs.

We don't know for a fact, but based on the time he's been missing it would be safe to say he may be hooked on the drugs at this point.

I pray it's not true....but if it is I will still be there for him. I know he would do the same for me. Sharla warned me that he may never be the same man again...but I can't believe that is true.

David is such a strong man... confident, caring, independent and funny. He always knows the right thing to say or how to make you laugh. He loves God with all his heart and it shows in everything he does.

I know he would not willingly take these drugs, so because of that I know he is still in there. And I will do whatever I have to, to help him find himself again.

I love him so much...now that I have a chance to love him back I'm not going to let him go without a fight.

God, please bring David home. Give him the strength he needs to fight though this. Let him know that You are with him. Let him have peace in knowing that he is not alone.

Give us wisdom to help him. Put the right words in our mouths that he needs to hear. Help us to guard our hearts, so that we don't give up on the man he's become and lead him back to his true self.

Be with him right now. Protect him. Gide Jonathan, Tony, Anthony and any others that may be involved in this case. Please keep them safe and bring them all home.

God, I love David. Don't take him from me now...let me show him the love he has given me. Please God, don't let it be too late.

Trusting You, Faith