Hell's Bay by James W. Hall

Author:James W. Hall
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Sasha unfolded the Bimini top to put Griffin in the shade. He lay on top of the bedroll, staring up at the canvas straps and aluminum poles. She wet a cloth and brought it to his fore-head, but he pushed her hand away.

Though it was hard to imagine his breathing could grow worse, it had. More mud-sucking gasps. Spasms in his throat, airways rattling. But he brought his eyes to hers, bearing down on her like she was the one suffering.

“You still strong? You still stone cold, Mama?”

“I’m fine.”

“When I get well, you know what I want? I want to get a tattoo. Mom inside a heart. Put it on my forearm.”

“With flowers,” Sasha said.

“No, keep it simple, just Mom and a heart.” He drew a breath and let it out. “And you know what else? I want to learn to play the electric guitar. And something else. Maybe I’ll write a book. Tell our complete story. Start to finish.”

“You could do that. You’re smart enough.”

“Sure I could. How hard could it be? Just tell one thing, then the next. Keep it simple, stay out of your own way. Everything that’s happened. That’d make a hell of a story. Play up the biblical angle.”

“Biblical?”

“Family of Davids versus the Goliath clan. Smooth stones from the stream, barefoot shepherd with no armor standing in a field with his sling and rock. The giant laughing, mock-ing, saying he’ll cut off all our heads with a single swipe, feed our flesh to the birds and wild animals. Our boy lets loose his stone, and down comes that monster. Puts their army on the run, saves our people. That’s a story. That’s a great story. Ar-chetypal is what that is.”

Sasha was quiet, looking out at the cove.

“You don’t think that’s a great story?”

“The Lord was on David’s side. The side of the Israelites.”

“What? You don’t think he’s on ours?”

“I hope so.”

“You hope so?”

“I think we’re about to find out.”

“Hell, if God’s on Goliath’s side, I’d just as soon be dead. Isn’t any reason to go on clawing and scratching in that kind of world.”

After a moment, Griffin levered himself to his feet, looked out at the bay Sasha had chosen as their home base.

A narrow creek had carved a deep inlet into the mangrove forest; it was out of the wind, a mile east of the houseboat. Griffin drew a guarded breath, trying not to agitate the in-flamed tissues. Turning his head from side to side, taking in the cove, the comings and goings of egrets and pelicans, the sharp squeals of an osprey, the slap and jostle of water in the maze of mangrove roots.

“This is a pretty place you brought us. A wild, beautiful Eden.”

“Yes, it is.”

“Hard to believe there’s places like this left.”

Sasha was silent. Let him have his say.

“Actually,” he said, “it’s breathtaking.”

She looked at him closely.

He turned a faint smile her way. “Word of the day,” he said. “Breathtaking.”

His laugh started out fine, then turned into a deep, rattling cough.

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