The Price of Friendship Chapter 17
Davis pulled his small boat up on the shoreline then ran toward the very edge of the island�s forest. He quickly made his way down the familiar path all the while his thoughts racing faster than his legs carrying him. What he had seen only hours earlier had been truly alarming and now, he was more determined than ever to help the young Americans to get off the island. But, he also knew that the aftermath of the attacks was not going to make it an easy task at all. He had no way of knowing whether or not the one named Joshua would remember what he had told him earlier that day�his vow that no harm would come to him or his friends.
His thoughts were temporarily interrupted by a sound off in the distance. He stopped in his tracks and willed his heavy breathing to come in slow, quiet breathes as he tried to determine where the noises were coming from. He heard sounds becoming louder in their approach in his direction and slowly sank to his knees and crawled away from the trail.
Crouching down in the bushes, Davis glanced all about him and finally saw the source of the noises�the figures of Marco and his three cousins. Apparently, either the Johnsons felt the need to further pursue their goal, or they were beginning to suspect that he was no longer on their side, but worse yet maybe Marco had decided to take things into his own hands. The last thought caused a shiver to race down Davis�s spine. This was just one complication that he and his family was going to have to deal with.
Davis closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them to see that Marco and his cousins, Samuel, Henry and Jordan had turned and were now walking in the opposite direction in which Davis needed to go. Davis quickly said a prayer of thanks to God before quietly continuing to walk as swiftly as possible toward his family�s home.
It was quiet in the cave. A little less than two hours ago, Justin and Chris had carried an unconscious Lance to the shelter and the young man had not yet shown any signs of waking up. Joey was still suffering from a fever, but it didn�t seem to be quite as high as earlier and he was resting quietly by the fire with his head in Justin�s lap.
Chris was seated with his back against the wall nearest to the fire that Justin had built in the cave earlier that evening and in his lap rested Lance�s head. He felt so guilty for having hit Lance hard enough to knock him unconscious. He had never hit anyone like that before�especially one of his brothers.
His thoughts then drifted to what he had found near the top of one of the trees on the trail�a video camera. He needed to tell the others, but the time just wasn�t right for that now�not yet. He found it very disturbing�the thought that someone could possibly be watching them. Someone cold enough, heartless enough to just sit there on the sidelines and watch the attacks�the illness�their fear. Then one thought caused Chris to slightly shudder�what if the watcher was orchestrating all the events? Chris closed his eyes and ran his hand gently over Lance�s head. He would have to tell the others soon�very soon. JC�s voice brought Chris from his troubled thoughts.
�Tell me one more time, Chris what happened with Lance,� JC said as he handed Chris a damp cloth, which he placed on Lance�s forehead.
Chris took a deep, ragged breath before speaking.
�Like I said before, one minute he�s lying there, asleep, with his head in my lap then the next thing I know, he starts screaming and going wild.�
Chris wiped his face wearily with his hands. As he brought his hands down he saw that JC�s face did not hold anger for what he had done to Lance�there was only understanding.
�Yeah�you should have seen it, Jace,� Justin added quietly, still slightly unsure of what he had seen himself.
�Lance was like a wild man�hitting and kicking�he even bit my hand,� Justin said as he held his right hand out for JC to see.
�Man�Justin, why didn�t you show me that earlier,� JC chided as walked over to his friend and took his injured hand in his own to see the deep bite mark and bruises. JC shook his head at Justin, then, with a deep sigh, stood up and made his way across the room to the first aid kit.
�Go stick your hand outside the cave�s entrance, J and wash it good so I can bandage it for you.�
Justin wanted to protest, but thought better of it knowing that JC was probably right in wanting to cover the bite. Lance had been able to bite his hand hard enough to break the skin to the point of bleeding and he couldn�t afford for it to get infected. Justin carefully lifted Joey�s head from his lap causing the older man to mumble quietly in his sleep, but he did not awaken. Justin then grabbed a nearby lifejacket and placed it under Joey�s head before going to the mouth of the cave. He extended his arm out the entrance and allowed the cool water to wash over his injured hand. Once he felt like he had washed his hand well enough, Justin returned to the fire and allowed its heat to help dry it.
�Here�let me see,� JC said as he took Justin�s hand in his own. Although the light coming from the fire was not that good, JC could still see that there was a neat imprint of Lance�s teeth marking Justin�s right hand along with blue and purple bruises that covered its surface.
�He�s got straight teeth,� Justin quietly commented with a slight chuckle, trying to find some humor in the situation.
�Yeah�you could say that,� JC answered with a grin.
Chris joined in the quiet laughter watching JC as he took care of Justin�s hand. Minutes later, JC finished wrapping gauze bandage around Justin�s hand and was cleaning up the small mess that he had made.
�Take an aspirin too, J and try to keep it elevated for the swelling,� JC said as he pointed to the bottle of pills lying on the cave�s dirt floor, not too far from Joey�s side.
Justin opened the bottle with little trouble and poured one of the tablets into his hand. He popped the pill in his mouth, walked to the mouth of the cave and then stuck his head outside the entrance and used his other hand to cup the cool water into his mouth.
Once he had drank his fill, Justin returned to sit back down beside JC and Chris, who were eating some bananas that Chris had carried back to the cave while he had carried Lance. Chris offered a small bunch to Justin and he removed several of the bananas before passing what remained back to him.
�How long do you think Lance is going to be out?� JC asked as he glanced down at the blond lying nearby.
�I don�t know�I still can�t believe I had to hit him,� Chris said forlornly. Chris looked back down at Lance and gingerly touched the bruise that had formed on his pale chin. At Chris�s touch, Lance began to stir slightly, moaning quietly.
Immediately, JC and Justin moved closer to Lance and watched as their friend�s eyelids began to flutter open.
�Thank you, God,� Chris said when there was recognition in Lance�s eyes.
�What must we do now, Davis?� his mother, Imelda asked as she set a pot of coffee onto the table top before sitting down to join the small group.
It was fast approaching the midnight hour and they were all weary. Gathered about the table, with Imelda were her three sons, Davis, Thomas, and Matthew and her daughter, Martha, and son-in-law, James.
�We must somehow get them off the island without harming them and without the Johnsons or Marco finding out,� Davis answered, his voice barely above a whisper.
�But�how?� Thomas asked. He was at a loss for any ideas at the moment.
There was tense silence as those around the table silently mulled over their own thoughts. Minutes later, there was a small gasp from Davis. His family looked up at him as he forcefully pushed his chair away from the table and stood up. He began to pace and run his hands through his thick, dark hair, all the while muttering to himself.
The rest of the group remained silent, but gave each other questioning glances as they waited for Davis to get his thoughts together.
It wasn�t too long before Davis sat back down on his chair with a small, but grim smile as he began to speak.
�Mr. Johnson gave me instructions almost two days ago that disturbed me, but we will need to consider them now in order to help the young Americans.�
�How could anything that evil man be considered at this table?� his mother demanded. Davis reached across the table and grasped one of his mother�s hands.
�Mama�it may very well be the only way�� his words hung in the air.
Imelda looked up at her son and saw that his face was creased in worry, as were the other faces at the table.
�May God forgive me for this, but what did that vile man have to say?� Imelda whispered.
Davis released her hand and sat back in his chair.
�When Mr. Johnson handed me the syringe on the night of the storm, he told me to inject the one called Joey.�
The others nodded their heads in remembrance of the evening and of that plan.
�I had asked him how I was to do that�they were all watching each other so closely�taking care of each other to the point that I knew that I would not be able to get to the Johnson�s target without having to go through one or more of the others.�
�So�what did he say?� James asked in an anxious voice. His patience was growing slightly thin, but he was able to mask it.
Davis cleared his throat, looked at the ceiling then returned his gaze to the group.
�He said to make it so that Joey had no choice but to cooperate�give him no choice,� Davis whispered.
Imelda and Martha visibly blanched at the words that Davis had used. James, Thomas and Matthew appeared to be deep in thought, not wanting to believe that their brother had been instructed to possibly bring harm to anyone of the members of the group of young men.
The group silently sat for a few more moments before Thomas cleared his throat and began to speak, keeping his gaze on his hands, which were clasped tightly together on the tabletop.
�We must decide how we will go about in giving the young man no choice.�
Davis looked at his brother and saw a haunted look on his face but also saw the look of determination in his eyes that he had always admired.
�I have some ideas, but I need to know how the rest of you feel about the idea of�possibly threatening�harm on one��
Davis watched as his mother wince at his words.
�We will need to be very careful and have everything well thought out and planned in order to keep them safe,� Matthew began.
�Yes�it must look realistic enough to satisfy Mr. Johnson and to convince him that we are fulfilling his wishes,� Thomas added.
Davis gave his brothers a grim smile then looked at his brother-in-law to see that he was nodding his head in agreement. �Somehow,� James said, �you must be able to convince the Johnsons of that�that their plan is being completed.�
Davis felt relief in knowing that at least his brothers were ready to help him, but he needed his mother and sister�s input and help in order for everything that they were going to have to plan to work out.
He once again reached across the table and gently grasped his mother�s hand. At his touch, Imelda gave him a look that he had seldom seen in his lifetime�a look that caused him to inwardly shudder�a look, he found, that was being mirrored by his sister, Martha.
�My son,� she said in a voice that Davis found to be as equally frightening. �If you and your brothers do anything to those boys that will bring shame to your father�s name�you will regret your actions�deeply regret them.�