Page 107 of Never Enough

“Rest, Gem. We’ve got you.”

She didn’t know whose voice it was, but there was a soothing hand that smoothed back her curls, which, of course, sprung back to their original position even with the sweat and grime on her. She was so tired. Just a little rest. She’d just close her eyes for a couple of minutes. Regather her thoughts. Then she could get up, and they could go get Nemo.

41

SEPTEMBER 18, 2022

Haskell

“Have you found his tracker signal yet?”

“No. It’s like it doesn’t exist anymore. I’m trying to boot up his alternate tracker now, but it’s going to take some time. We’ve got to update this shit. Never thought we’d actually have to use it.”

“Keep looking, Midas. We’ll deal with the rest of it later.”

Haskell heard the voices as she swam up from the deepest sleep she’d ever experienced. She tried to shift from her prone position, but her body still felt heavy. A hand smoothed back her hair. She heard herself whimper, but it was as if the sound came from far away.

“The kids?” she whispered.

A cool cloth swiped over her forehead, nose, and cheeks. “Shh. Rest,colleen. Your body will know when it’s time to wake up. Sleep.”

She went back under.

When she woke up again, this time, it was with immediate clarity. She wasn’t tired, but she was extremely hungry and thirsty. The bed she was in wasn’t very comfortable, or maybe she’d just been in it too long, and her feet felt weighed down.

She looked down at the foot of the bed. “Zade?” The dog’s tail thumped against the bed wildly at the sound of Haskell’s voice. She slithered up the bed, crawling like an army man on his belly, and then she proceeded to wash Haskell’s face with big, sloppy strokes of her tongue.

“Glad you’re okay, girl. You missing your daddy?” She stroked the dog’s head while it whined. “I know, I know. Me too. We’re gonna find him.”

“Welcome back,” a deep voice said.

The dog didn’t move, so the voice clearly wasn’t a threat to her.

She looked over to her left. In a chair along the wall sat a man she’d never seen before. Even sitting down, she could tell he was a big man. Probably as big as TB. Muscles on muscles. She couldn’t see his face as he kept that in the shadows.

“Who are you?”

“Someone with a vested interest in Nemo.”

Haskell felt herself stiffen. “I’m not telling you anything. I don’t know you.”

The man smiled. “My apologies. A sincere vested interest in Nemo, my employee.”

She stared. “You’re God.”

“In the flesh.”

“Shouldn’t you be appearing as a burning bush or something?”

God chuckled. “A bit theatrical for my taste. However, like my namesake, I do need you to do something for me.”

“Please tell me you’re not going to ask me to build an ark,” she teased.

“Only if you can tell me what the hell a cubit is. One of life’s great mysteries. No, Gem, I need you to lead my people somewhere.”

She smiled. Then her face fell. “They haven’t found him yet, have they?”

“No. I was hoping you might be able to help with that.”

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