This is also the end of this little saga. Hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it.
The Price of Friendship Chapter 33
As Davis, James, Matthew, and many other men raced across the darkened yard with the unconscious figures of JC and Chris slung over their shoulders, Russell Johnson and his wife, Leigh attacked.
At the first report of the guns, Davis watched the man holding JC over his shoulder fall to the ground. Instantly, he was at the man�s side and was horrified to see a gaping hole where the back of his head had once been. Davis pushed the man�s limp, dead form off of JC then threw himself over the American�s form when more shots were fired.
As the echo of the gunshots faded into the night air, the sound of approaching footsteps could be heard. Davis looked up from his position over JC�s still form to see that Matthew was hovering over Chris in much the same way a few feet away. Just beyond him were the bodies of those that had come to help in rescuing the young Americans and in alarm, Davis found that he could not see James anywhere.
Davis turned further to look behind him and at the bottom of the hill, not twenty feet away, he saw Russell and Leigh Johnson, poised in a position that he did not like. He knew that look�he realized what the man was thinking and, in an instant, he premonition came true.
�How much are you willing to pay for your insolence�your disloyalty to me, Davis?� Russell spat out angrily at the figure before him.
�Are you as willing as the one lying beneath you to give your all�your very life for his well-being?�
Davis looked away from the Johnsons and gazed at his brother.
�Take care of Mama�save these young ones,� he said in a clear, unwavering voice before looking back at death itself.
Before anyone could react, Johnson swiftly pointed his gun in his direction and fired. Instinctively, Davis put his back to the man and shielded the defenseless body lying beneath him. He felt an explosion of white-hot pain and heard the cries of his brother as he too was shot�then nothing.
As the echo of the last, deadly bullet faded away, the sounds of more bullets whizzing from all directions and shouts could be heard above the noise of a helicopter coming up over the hill behind them.
�Put your weapons down�I repeat�put your weapons down! This is the US Coast Guard�you are surrounded�I repeat�you are surrounded!�
It was over�it was finally over.
It was nearly two days later at Orlando�s Mercy General Hospital before JC began the agonizingly slow process of coming out of his unconscious state. Under Dr. Kenneth Shannon�s care, Lance and Chris had been treated for exhaustion, malnutrition, and various bruises and cuts before being released the previous day and Joey and Justin�s time in the hospital was going to be somewhat longer due to the seriousness of Joey�s infection and the severity of Justin�s injuries at the hands of Marco and his cousins.
Dr. Shannon�s only explanation for JC�s continued comatose state was the fact that the chloroform that had been used to subdue him in combination with his slight concussion and state of exhaustion pushed his body beyond its limits. He would awaken once his body had been given the proper medications and time to recover.
The doctor, along with the nurses and JC�s family were beginning to see slight indications that he would be awakening soon�possibly within in the next day or so and this news kept the rest of the group at the hospital waiting anxiously for that to occur.
It was near the end of the third day when JC finally began visibly struggling against the darkness that had held him in its strong grasp. The first sensation that registered with his sluggish mind as he slowly climbed up through the layers of consciousness was the sterile, medicinal smell that permeated his senses. As the smells registered with him, he next became aware of the soft surface that he was lying on, the stiff sheets covering him, cool air being gently pushed into his mouth and nose and a steady, soft beeping sound in the background.
�He moved�Roy�he moved,� a gentle, familiar voice called out through the darkness.
JC moved his head toward the sound and heard the voice once again, but this time encouraging him to open his eyes...to speak�to move.
�Mmm�Mom�mmm,� JC mumbled, his voice muffled due to the oxygen mask covering his face. He weakly coughed and shifted on the bed he was laying on as his mother�s words reached out to him.
�Yes, sweetie�it�s me�Mom is here�Dad is here�you and the others are safe�you�re home, honey, you�re home,� Karen said through her tears as she gently ran her hand over her son�s head. She looked up through her tears at her husband who was standing on the other side of JC�s bed, holding their son�s limp hand in one of his own while wiping away at his tears with the other.
Finally, everyone was safe�Chris�Lance�Joey�Justin�their son. Everyone was home where they belonged.
It was almost a month later before any members of the group�s families would let them out of their sight. Each of the young men had been carried home to rest and recuperate. Lance had returned to Mississippi, JC was taken to Maryland and Justin was first taken to his home in Orlando then flown to Tennessee to spend time with his father. Joey remained in Orlando with his family and as did Chris, whose mother flew in to stay with him. Once everyone had had time to rest, the group reunited in Orlando and came up with a plan that they were sure would be protested by their families but they felt it necessary, none the less.
After much haggling and tearful protests, it had finally been decided that the group would be allowed to fly by helicopter to the island where they had suffered so greatly in order to pay their last respects to the men who had given up their lives in order that JC and Chris�s might be saved.
The helicopter had left the WEG compound and had been moving toward its destination for nearly a half hour before the silence was broken in the cabin.
�Are you ready for this, C� Lance said into the microphone attached to the headset he was wearing.
JC nodded his head then turned to look at Joey, who had scooted closer to him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
�I�ll be fine�really,� JC said quietly as he looked at each of the worried faces of his brothers who were seated across from him in the large body of the helicopter.
�What about you, Chris?� Justin asked as he reached out to grab at the hand that Chris was tapping furiously upon the seat between them.
�Yeah�I�m okay. This is going to be hard, but I�m okay.� Chris wrapped his fingers around Justin�s, relieved at the comfort that he felt from the simple gesture. The group remained in their same positions, quietly facing down their own demons as the chopper flew low over the ocean below them.
Sometime later, as the helicopter drew closer to the island, the pilot began relaying his last instructions to the group, then silence reigned as the island came into view through one of the window in the side of the helicopter.
Instinctively, Lance moved closer to JC�s side and grasped his left hand between his own while, Joey, reached out to Justin with his free hand to grasp his hand, while tightening his grip on JC�s shoulders. Then chain continued with Chris reaching out to Lance, who was seated across from him. Five young men, entangled themselves in each other�s grasps in the hope that their shared strength would get them through the difficult time they would now be facing. No words were said�only looks communicated the heavy emotions as the journey neared its end.
As the helicopter began its approach, JC felt the urge to speak and his words could barely be heard since they were so hushed.
�What will we say�what will I say?�
�You won�t have to say anything, Jace�you won�t have to say anything,� Chris said quietly. �Mama Imelda will know�she�ll understand.�
JC simply nodded in response as the helicopter slowly leveled off and lowered itself to the ground, dispersing sand in every direction.
The co-pilot hopped out of the vessel and slid open the door of the helicopter�s body allowing the young men to step out onto the beach.
�We�ll be back tomorrow evening,� he said as he helped the young men pull their backpacks and sleeping bags from the storage bin below the floor of the chopper.
�Remember our radio frequency in the event of an emergency.�
�Got it,� Lance said as he held up the powerful radio that had been given to the group. �It�s already set to the frequency and we have it written down also.�
�Well�then it looks like you�re good to go,� the co-pilot said. �See you boys tomorrow�be careful.�
�Yes, sir,� they answered before turning their backs to the copter as it�s blades began to at first spin lazily, then pick up speed, causing sand to painfully beat upon the young men.
Seconds later, the craft lifted off the ground then sped out over the ocean behind the young men.
�Geez,� Chris commented as he began brushing sand from his hair. �Don�t we look good now�all windblown�sand blasted.�
The group laughed at the comments but then sobered quickly when they saw movement in the tree line ahead of them.
Four figures moved out of the shadows of the forest into the sunlight shining down upon the beach.
Imelda was amazed at the sight before her. The five young men were dressed nicely, no bruises marring their faces or bodies. They appeared well nourished and healthy. Her heart immediately soared�her sons had not died in vain.
�My sons�it is good to see you looking so well,� Imelda said as she embraced and kissed each of the young men in turn. When she reached JC and Chris, she found herself holding onto them a little longer than the rest as she realized that her sons, Davis and Matthew had breathed their last breaths while holding them in their arms in an effort to save them from Russell Johnson.
�We are so, sorry, Mama Imelda,� JC tearfully whispered into the old woman�s ear. In response, she tightened her hold on the young man.
�I not, my young one,� she breathed into his ear. �I not.�
JC lifted himself from her embrace.
�I not sorry, young ones,� she said to the bewildered group with a wistful smile on her lips.
�Davis�Matthew�they give you life�I not sorry for that.�
At those words, tears began to fall in earnest from everyone�s eyes. The time for healing for all had come.
Lives had been lost in order to save another�s. The ultimate price of friendship had been paid twofold. Now it was time to prove that the efforts of those that had died were not vain. JC, Chris, Lance, Joey, and Justin knew that they would from now on live their lives so that the memories of those lost would also live on.
The gentle setting of the sun in the west would soon be moving to side with the bright dawning of a new day�a new day for all.