Page 23 of Brax (Voodoo Guardians #36)
“Oh, my God,” whispered Gabi. “That’s horrible.”
The images on the screen were more than they could bear to watch. Ines Ruben was trying to make her way from her vehicle into a grocery store when several young people approached her, throwing eggs and trash at her.
“Look at the freak! Elephant woman on the loose. Hide your kids!”
“Stop it! I’m not a freak. Leave me alone!”
“Witnesses and employees from inside the store came out to help the unidentified woman, but she’d already locked herself in her vehicle and driven away. The police arrived and, after seeing the footage, did charge the teens with vandalism and bullying. It’s a terrible thing to see, Sandra, and that poor woman. I have no words.”
“Dear lord,” muttered Mama Irene. “We have to find that child.”
“Grandma, that child, as you call her, tried to kill Stephanie.”
“She didn’t try to kill me,” said Stephanie. “I firmly believe she just hoped to be able to take samples of what was given to me and input them back inside her own body.”
“Nevertheless, I can’t allow us to risk your life for hers. We’ll find her. We’ll try to help her, but that’s where my generosity ends,” said Luke.
“Where was that footage from?” asked Pax. “What city?”
“Vinton, Louisiana,” said Hiro. “She’s traveling back this way. After losing her job there, probably wasn’t much in Houston for her to stay. Hold on a minute.”
Hiro, AJ, and Tanner were huddled together over the tablet, muttering things about plates and tires, and directions.
“Any time now would be nice,” frowned Hex.
“We’re getting there. We think we’ve narrowed in on her license plate and the make and model of the car. I’m going to get a few drones in the air and thanks to the brilliance of Victoria, it will only look for that car,” said Hiro.
“Alright, let’s get the drone up and find her. She can’t have much time left,” said Cam. “Gabi? Doc? All of you. What are the chances that we can help this woman?”
“Less than one percent,” said Suzette. “There’s never been anyone brought back from something like this, and as much as I’d like to say we’re different, we’re the best, we have the pond, I don’t think any of that will make a difference for her.”
“Maybe not,” said Mama Irene, “but we could give her some peace.” They all turned to stare at her, and Luke shook his head, opening his mouth to speak.
“I’ll take it from here,” said Matthew. “Listen to me. All of you. What has been done here to all of you is unconscionable. No man or woman should have had to put up with pink dust and injections and mind games. It’s awful, and anyone who touched you will answer to God eventually.
“But what’s happening to that poor woman is an anomaly straight from hell. Her body, as I understand it, is literally turning to concrete from the inside out, creating those horrific images we just saw. Lumps, tumors, disfigurement. Look around you. We are blessed with some of the finest physical specimens in the world. Some of the most beautiful people in the world.
“We have one another. We have all of these people in our tribe. That woman has no one. She has never had anyone. I will not allow her to suffer if we can put a stop to it.”
“Grandpa, I know you mean well, and I know you want to help her, but she’s burned down a business. She shot at Stephanie. I can’t just allow her on the property.”
“Pops, I’d have to agree with him,” said Gaspar. Matthew nodded at his son and grandson.
“Alright. Then we’ll figure out something else for her.”
It wasn’t like Ines to cry. Crying didn’t help anything, and it certainly didn’t do anything for her current crisis. Yet, here she was, on the side of a dirt road, sobbing into her sleeve.
The things those young people said to her were cruel, but she’d heard cruel things before. It was the adults. She almost understood the cruelty from children, but the adults that joined in on it were the ones she couldn’t understand.
Darkness and rain were making the drive treacherous, and the pain was causing her to double her pain medications. Although she could afford a nice hotel, it was unlikely they would allow her to check-in.
Instead, she found a small roadside motel that probably hadn’t changed the linens in a decade. It’s why she always traveled with disposal bedding.
A few miles ahead, she spotted the neon sign and pulled into the small parking lot. There was an A-frame building that housed the offices and an older woman working the desk.
With great effort and even greater pain, she got out of the car and shuffled inside. She heard the slight gasp of the woman and lowered her head.
“I’m sorry, honey. I didn’t mean to do that,” said the old woman.
“It’s alright. You’re not the first,” she said, still staring at the floor. “I need a room for tonight. I can pay cash.”
“No need to pay cash,” said the woman. “I’ve got vacancies. Why don’t we put you in the room behind the offices? That way, if there’s any trouble, I’ll hear it.”
“Thank you for being so kind,” she said. “Is there anywhere that I can order food and have it delivered?”
“I can order you a pizza,” said the kindly woman.
“Pizza is great. Thank you.”
“Here you go, hun. This is your key, room two. I’ll have them bring the pizza to me, and I’ll bring it to you. What do you want on it?”
“Everything, please. And thank you again.”
True to her word, the woman ordered the pizza and delivered it to her room with a bottle of soda. Once she’d eaten half the pizza, she put the other half in the small refrigerator to eat for breakfast.
She took a quick shower and then opened her toiletries to brush her teeth. They were horribly misshapen, some pushing out, others pushing in. There were several new nodules on her forehead that she hadn’t noticed the last few days.
Anywhere she went, she worked to avoid mirrors. Unfortunately, this one was large and right in front of her. The only purpose it served was to allow Ines to cry herself to sleep.