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An armored SUV brought them to the hospital where Jordan and Monica were being treated. Even though the traffic was heavy in downtown DC, they bypassed all the red lights and drove at ambulance speed.
Sarina squeezed Suki’s hand. She looked fearful. “I don’t want you doing this, mija,” she whispered.
Suki bit her lip. “You know I have to save Dad,” she answered. “It’s Ix Chel’s plan.” The boys and Jane Louise were in the back seat, and Lund was riding shotgun, with another FBI agent behind the wheel. Director Wright had stayed back at the White House to make some calls and see what he could manage on short notice.
“Can I go too?” Lucas asked. “We can see the glyphs now.”
Suki looked back at him. “Sorry, bro. You don’t meet the height requirement for this ride.”
“That’s not fair.”
“I know. None of this is fair.”
When they reached the hospital, Lund got out first. He checked the sides and then opened the door for Sarina and Suki to get out. The other kids climbed out too, and they all walked into the hospital.
The smell reminded Suki of their time in Naples, but she didn’t sense danger this time. Still, the urgency of the situation was weighing on her. The sun had already gone down. How soon before Calakmul would start the human sacrifices? Would he wait until midnight?
Lund secured the elevator, and they all went inside. He pushed the button for the third floor, and a little thrill shot up her spine as they started up. Elevators had always made her feel giddy. Once inside the ward, they went down a corridor crowded with doctors and nurses and the chirping and beeping of equipment. The smell of sanitizer was strong.
They reached the first room, and Lund knocked before entering. Jordan was propped up on a hospital bed. His leg was wrapped in bandages, and he had a bruise and lacerations on his cheek. His arm and hand were also wrapped up. He looked like he’d fallen off a building and survived.
“Hey,” Jordan said in a scratchy voice, sounding dejected but trying to be cheerful.
Suki had never met him, but her brothers had told her about him—that he was funny and brave and had a serious crush on Monica Sanchez. The twins looked devastated to see him like this. They inched closer, looking fearful, unsure of what to say.
“You’re pretty messed up,” Brillante said.
“I can’t exactly play video games on my phone anymore,” Jordan answered, his expression at odds with the tone he was trying to convey. He knew about Monica, no doubt. “But yeah. Pretty messed up. The swelling needs to go down before they can fix me up.”
“Are you in a lot of pain?” Lucas asked.
“Not really. That’s a positive. Sorry I let you guys down.”
“You didn’t,” Lucas said, shaking his head. “Don’t think that.”
“We wanted to see you,” Lund said, stepping around to the other side of the bed. “But we also came to help.”
“Did you bring a Mountain Dew? That would really help,” he groaned, shifting on the bed.
Lund looked at the girls. “Suki? Sarina? Want to give it a try?”
Her mom looked at her. “Let’s hold hands as we did before.” Then she glanced down at Jane Louise, who’d come in with them. “With all three of us, the magic is stronger.”
Jane Louise held Sarina’s hand, and Sarina held Suki’s. Suki reached out tentatively. Jordan looked at her like she was acting a little weird.
“I don’t get it . . .”
“Just . . . wait,” Lund said. “They’re going to give you a Maya blessing.”
He settled back against the pillows and closed his eyes.
Suki’s hand hovered over his leg. Should she try to heal that first? He was broken in many places. The idea came to hold her hand above his head and touch him there, so she pressed her hand against his stubby hair. She felt the power well up before she even uttered the word. Strength flowed into her, coming from Jane Louise and her mom, but she was the outlet.
“Kunaj,” Suki whispered. Back on the Pegasus jet, when Jacob was trying to keep Angélica alive, he’d whispered a healing word—utzirisaj—over and over. The Mayan word for healing, to make whole. He’d taught it to Suki and told her to use it. But his power came from death, not life. When Suki had tried to heal Angélica, another word had come to mind. A whisper from Ix Chel: kunaj. It was a stronger word, and it had immediate effect in reviving Angélica.
This time, saying that word with her mom and Jane Louise, the power manifested even more quickly. More powerfully. Suki felt a rush from the magic and a peaceful feeling.
Jordan stiffened in surprise.