Chapter 6

Jonas was sitting on his bench in the garden. He considered it his bench now since it seemed that he was spending so much time there. He heard Joe clear his throat and looked over at the little old man sitting at the other end of the bench.

"Joe, would you like a comb or a brush for your birthday?" Jonas joked with a smile. "I don't know if you are aware of it but your hair is wild."

Joe chuckled and said, "I have a bunch of both but I keep losing them."

"So, are Pam and Mary OK?" Jonas asked.

"They're fine. They're a little shaken but they're waiting to thank you," Joe said.

Jonas grunted and said, "I guess that means I lived through it. Did Max make it?"

"Yes he did and I think you have another believer and supporter. Wait until you see Max and Cleves at the hospital together," Joe said with a chuckle. "They don't know if they should glare at each other or hug each other."

Jonas sighed and looked down at his hands thinking. "How long does this last Joe?" Jonas asked softly.

Jonas felt a strong hand on his shoulder and felt peace wash through him like a flood. He looked up and could see the sympathy in Joe's eyes.

"It lasts until it's over," Joe said just as softly but with compassion as deep as the oceans. "I can let you visit with Sheila and Liz in your dreams and I can give you an idea of what you are accomplishing with your efforts."

"I always look forward to seeing Sheila and Liz but what do you mean by what I am accomplishing? I am protecting the innocent. Isn't that what this is all about?" Jonas asked.

"Yes and no," Joe relied cryptically. "The girl you saved yesterday will go into medical research when she gets to college. That is, if she navigates all the pitfalls along her way, she will discover a universal flu defense and will save hundreds of thousands of lives. The mother of the girl you saved the night Sheila and Liz were killed will encourage the girl to go into engineering. If the girl avoids all the pitfalls the Adversary places in her path she will design a new kind of engine that will drive power plants all over the world and create conditions that can foster peace and prosperity. Pam will grow up to simply be a mother but she will have a son. Her son, baring interference from the Adversary, will unite half the world in a peaceful union that will allow humanity to spread to other planets. If he is successful, he will ensure the survival of the human race when the next cataclysm hits this world. If he isn't some humans will still survive but the race will be set back thousands of years." Joe was quiet for a moment then said, "I want only the best for your race but you have free will. All I can do is create the conditions for advancement. It is up to your race to take advantage of the conditions. Of course, the Adversary is always working to throw the plan off track." Joe sighed and said, "Between the free will and the Adversary there isn't a lot of hope for humans. Jonas, you and others like you are the best hope humanity has."

Jonas was silent for a moment before nodding. He took a deep breath and held it. The air in the garden was intoxicating. It made him feel alive like nothing else he had ever experienced, except maybe the first time he held Liz when she was born. He nodded again and stood up.

"Well, I guess I need to be getting back. Thanks for the pep talk Joe," Jonas said.

"No problem," Joe said hopping up. "I don't get discouraged but sometimes it's a pleasure to be able to give someone a glimpse of why everything in the world is happening. Every person in the world has a reason and a purpose. The trouble is, there aren't very many that take advantage of the help I can give them to figure what their purpose is."

Jonas chuckled and said, "The old leading a horse to water problem huh? Thanks for letting me know there are reasons and purposes."

"One more thing Jonas," Joe said seriously. "You will see a lot more of the Cordova Cartel and Carlos Cruz. Be careful of the Cartel and especially of Carlos." Joe was silent for a moment before continuing. "Jonas, I can't see the Adversaries agents the same as he can't see mine. However, I can often infer where they are based on what I can't see. I think Carlos Cruz is a full agent of the Adversary. Either that or one of his advisers that are close to him is an agent. They have the same powers you do except seeing auras. However, they are much more ruthless. They don't care how many die to reach their goal. If they suspect that you are an agent of mine then they will go after you with all the ferocity and power at their disposal."

Jonas only nodded and looked around and sighed. "It's never easy is it? But, that means I don't need to wait for him to attack an innocent to go after him. Isn't that what you told me?"

Joe nodded and Jonas said, "OK, how do I get out of here?"

Jonas opened his eyes and groaned. The groan was from the wave of pain that rolled over him. It seemed like every part of his body was in pain. The tall, cadaverous frame of Doctor Corwin appeared over him looking concerned.

"Hey Doc. We need to quit meeting like this," Jonas croaked. The relief on the doctors face was plain so Jonas asked, "Did you see the truck that hit me?"

"Mr. Gianni," the doctor scolded jokingly. "this is the third time this week we have had you under our care. Are you aware we have a quota for how many times a person can check in with massive trauma during any given week?"

Cleves crowded in on the other side of the bed looking worried.

"Don't worry Detective. It looks like I'll be around a while longer so you can build a case against me," Jonas said with a wincing smile. It hurt to turn his head. "How's that working for you? Anything you can take to a grand jury yet?"

"No but I'm having a hell of a time keeping you healthy so I can charge you when I get enough evidence," Detective Jordan grumped.

Max crowded in beside Cleves and growled, "Are you nuts Gianni? You could have got us killed out there yesterday." The big man had a haggard look about him. One side of his face was discolored from a massive bruise and one arm was strapped to his side.

"Ah Max. No one lives forever. Didn't you know that?" Jonas asked a little hoarsely. He felt a straw at his lips and gratefully sipped some water. He smiled his thanks at the doctor before turning his head back to the Detective and the body guard. "Joe said Mary and Pam are OK. I'm sorry we couldn't do anything about Mike but it was probably better this way. At least he didn't suffer. The doctors didn't get all the cancer and he was going to die but it would be painful." Jonas shook his head and winced at the pain. "I don't know which would be worse. Seeing your husband and father shot down in front of you or watching him die a long, slow, lingering death that you can't do anything about."

Something Max had said filtered into his mind. Yesterday! Had he been out of it for over 12 hours? Maybe even 24 hours. No one was saying anything and he looked at their faces.

"What's wrong?" Jonas asked.

"How did you know Mike Connors was still cancerous?" Doctor Corwin asked breathlessly.

"A, ah, a friend of mine told me," Jonas said. "So Doc, did you plug up all my unauthorized holes?" Jonas joked.

Doctor Corwin harrumphed before saying, "We didn't even know he was still cancerous until a couple of hours ago when we finished the autopsy and you've been out since yesterday." He mumbled something before saying, "OK, your condition is good. You were shot five times. Two hits were in the right side. One of those shots broke a rib. You were hit twice in the right leg and both were flesh wounds. I thought the one in the left arm was going to be a lot more serious. Well, I thought that it would at least be in a sling for a week. I was wrong, again."

"Thanks Doc for taking care of me," Jonas said sincerely. "I think I'll stick around this time to get pampered. I still feel like a truck hit me."

"Actually a car hit you," Max said hesitantly.

"What?" Jonas asked in astonishment.

"I don't know if you were pushing me down or trying to shield me," Max explained. "You had already taken two bullets for me so either one wouldn't have surprised me. The jet exploded and threw us but the car was thrown farther and faster. That was what hit you. It would have hit me if you didn't do what you did." The big body guard looked uncomfortable admitting that he was in Jonas's debt.

"Don't worry about it Max," Jonas said quietly. "You may not rate up there with the innocents but it wasn't your time." Jonas turned back to the doctor when Max nodded his thanks and asked, "Was there any permanent damage from being hit by the car?"

"Not really," the doctor said with a sigh. "Your back and left side is one massive bruise. Most of the muscles on your back and left side are sprained but they are healing rapidly." The doctor shook his head and said, "You are still the luckiest man I have ever met. I don't know how that knife last week could go through the only place in your body that would miss major organs. I don't know how you could have been in the gun battle you were in yesterday, be hit five times and walk away with a cracked rib. Mr. Gianni, you were hit by a flying car for God's sake and you walked away with sprained muscles and bruising. I checked your blood sir. There is nothing special about you other than you are healthy. What is going on?"

Jonas chuckled and winced at the pain it caused. "First of all, I didn't walk away. Someone carried me here. Second, maybe it was for God's sake. Like you said, I'm nothing special. It just wasn't my time."

Max cleared his throat. "I promised Mrs. Connors that I'd let her know as soon as you woke up Jonas. She and Pam both refused to leave the hospital so Mr. Rizzo assigned me to watch out for her."

"Yes, along with 20 tough looking guys that are terrorizing the nurses," Doctor Corwin complained.

"Which ones are bothering the nurses?" Max growled. "I already warned them to be respectful."

"Oh they are all very respectful. They just look scary to the nurses," Doctor Corwin said.

"I have a team here too," Cleves said reassuringly. "Tell the nurses they don't have anything to worry about."

Doctor Corwin rolled his eyes and sarcastically said, "Detective, most of your team looks like they are playing hooky from high school. Mr. Cornelius's men look like they could chew through a steel door and spit out bullets."

Jonas chuckled again and winced again but was relieved that his body didn't seem to hurt quite as bad. "Maybe I should leave to give the hospital some peace."

Doctor Corwin shook his head and said, "Not going to happen. We are earning our keep this time. Besides, you aren't just in emergency this time so you can't just walk out. You would need a guide to find the front lobby and I've already warned the nurses not to take you."

Jonas relaxed back on the bed. It did feel good and he was tired. "OK Doc. Why don't I talk to Mary and Pam? Then they can go home and that will get rid of the scary guys."

Max shook his head and said, "Only half of them. Ten are guarding Mary and Pam. Ten are guarding you. It's Mr. Rizzo's orders."

Jonas was quiet for a moment before asking, "Are their orders to prevent me from going someplace or to prevent someone from getting to me?"

"To prevent someone from getting to you," Max answered promptly.

Jonas allowed his control to relax and he looked at Max's aura. He was surprised that he hadn't done this before and was surprised by what he saw. Max wasn't an innocent like Pam or her mother but he wasn't evil either. Max was simply a man trying to get through life just like everyone else. The man was fiercely loyal to whoever earned his loyalty. He saw what Tony Rizzo had done to earn Max's loyalty and Jonas's respect for the Mob Boss went up a notch. Max's mother, father, and sister were in a car wreck. His father was killed instantly. His mother died almost two weeks later leaving behind mountains of debt. His sister was paralyzed from the neck down and had to live in a nursing home. Tony Rizzo had paid the hospital bills, funeral expenses, and was still paying the cost of the nursing home. Max would do anything to protect Tony Rizzo. Jonas saw that the big man's loyalty was split now though and he was uncertain how to move forward.