CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Thursday – Christmas Eve Night
Jim got on the Nextel radio phone as they neared the Lake Mead Marina. The parking area was well-lit but not a vehicle was in sight, nor should there be with it being the holiday Brass thought. "Randall, we're here, so now what?"
An eternity seemed to pass before Nathan responded. "Very good, James, you made good time. It's an advantage law enforcement has over the general public in being able to speed if the situation requires it. Enough idle chit-chat. From here you will proceed north on Highway 166 to Highway 147 to head northeast. At the junction of Highway 147 and 167, proceed east and then call me again. She is well, James, no worries."
Iris glanced at Nathan as he got a large blanket for her to bundle up in. "Iris, it's time, my dear." Nathan indicated for her to walk outside with him. She got up slowly; her contractions had been slowly increasing yet she kept face neutral toward Randall. He wrapped the blanket about her as she went before him outside.
Brass was racing up Highway 166 north to reach the junction of Highway 147; he wasn't familiar with these roads at night and it slowed him down a bit. He swore under his breath as he hit the brights of the headlights. Nick looked intently ahead as they sped on.
"Nick, go ahead and call the Flight for Life helicopter service at Desert Palm. I want to be absolutely sure they're ready to fly at a moment's notice. I guess it would take ten to fifteen minutes for them to get here," Brass requested as he took another curve like he was driving the Indy 500.
"On it." Nick whipped out his cell phone to hit the speed dial he'd set up ahead of time.
"Hello, this is Nick Stokes of the Crime Scene Investigation Unit. I'm calling to verify stand-by of a Flight for Life at the request of Detective Jim Brass of the LVPD. Doctor Conklin's instructions? I'll pass that along to Captain Brass and thanks."
"What's the good doctor up to?" Jim asked with a curious glance at Nick.
"She's made sure that a nurse practitioner specializing in obstetrics is flying with the EMTs when they get the call. She wants to cover all the bases," Nick replied with a grin.
"That's her for sure. Ah, time to check back in," Brass agreed, thankful yet again for the attentive doctor. He called Nathan on the Nextel radio. "Okay, Nathan, we're reaching the junction of Highways 147 and 167 so now what?"
"Continue going east, James, but first a little present for you." Randall said.
"Jim. Merry Christmas, Bashert," Iris said briefly before Nathan took the phone from her.
"When you reach an intersection in about ten minutes for Highway 147 and Hidden Trail Lane, you will need to turn right and go approximately 1 mile until you see a drive with a large red brick mailbox with the number address of 14176. Turn into the drive and follow it down past the house toward the lake where you will see a boat dock. We will be waiting there," Nathan instructed Jim before hanging the phone up.
Iris gazed up at the dark sky above with the stars gleaming brilliantly like diamond points. It was quiet all about them. Her hope had never wavered that Jim would come for her as Nathan went ahead of her to open the van door. Knowing they were just a few minutes from being reunited, she could barely contain her joy. The van had been repainted white and had different license plates on. Every day he had gone to drop off and pick up Evelyn from the Lake Mead Marina to cover their moves when Evelyn had to go to Chang's. With the van being a different color it had been driven freely without detection or suspicion.
"Would do you me one favor, Iris, before we leave?" Nathan requested.
"I will if I'm able," Iris replied, wrapping the blanket closer about her.
"Tell me a story you've never told James about you. It can be about whatever. It's a special night, Iris, please," Nathan said coaxingly.
Iris looked at Nathan in a puzzled manner. What could this serve she asked herself, then again what harm could there be. What came up in her heart she'd never shared with Brass as she began, "Nathan, what I tell you truly happened and you have to have a little faith to believe. Jim was shot the night of Thursday, May 11, 2006, as he was trying to protect a hostage from a man who had nothing to lose, much like you. That very night in Dallas where I lived was a particularly awesome spring thunderstorm that woke me up because I can't sleep through one. I was aware of a presence in the room that I couldn't see but only sense. This presence told me to get up and intervene for a person in great need who might live or die. I did so without question or hesitation. It's my belief, foolish to some it might be, that it was an angel and that person was Jim."
Stunned at her story, Nathan began to laugh sardonically as he scoffed at her. "An angel? That's some tale, Iris. One for 'Ripley's Believe It or Not!'"
"Like I said, Nathan, one would need a little faith," Iris replied quietly, her own belief would not be shaken in spite of Randall's ridicule.
Nathan stopped laughing at that as he regarded Iris closely. She met his gaze with her unwavering brown eyes, no challenge presented, just a calm assurance that caused him to look away.
"You love him so much? Would you die for him? If he failed to rescue you, you would still love him?" Nathan asked in a rapid-fire manner, becoming somewhat agitated.
"Yes. To my dying breath I will. It's a love you can't fathom or grasp, Nathan," Iris replied with a hint of sorrow in her voice.
"Yes, to your dying breath, I believe you, Iris, and I envy James that one loves him so fiercely in this world. Time to get in the van and I'll help you in," Nathan said as he took her hand.
Iris stepped up into the passenger side of the van with difficulty as Nathan held her right hand. As she settled wearily into the seat, she heard a metallic click and the feel of cold metal about her right wrist. Randall slammed the door before she could try to step out, the door lock jammed in place such that nothing was going to open the door again in the usual way. Nathan had handcuffed her to the inside door handle of the van. Her eyes widened in shock as he stepped away from the door with the window down. She began to pull frantically at her handcuffed wrist, trying to force it over her skin and chafing it in the process.
"What are you doing, Nathan? Release me! You promised me and you promised, Jim," Iris nearly hissed in a mixture of anger and fear.
"I'm keeping my promise, dear Iris. Do you see the direction the van is parked in and with the engine running? I'm going to send this van into Lake Mead. From my research, it should take you less than ten minutes to drown and James should arrive here just about then. He will see you again but I never said it would be alive. We're going to meet again. The afterlife is much better for us and we can truly be together as we can't in this one," Nathan declared with a strange glitter in his eyes.
Iris desperately tried to dissuade him. "What about your mother, Nathan? My death will surely send her to her own grave by lethal injection! You can't have her death on your conscience?"
"Mother and I have a secondary plan in place, Iris. You don't have to concern yourself about her in the least. It's time for you and I shall follow in a little while. Please wait for me with the babies. Oh, how thoughtless of me, do you have any last words for James?"
Nathan asked sarcastically.
"Yes, tell him I love him and I'll wait for him but never for you. Nathan, I forgive you," Iris said the last part numbly as a torrent of obscenities came in response from Randall.
Nathan walked around to the driver's side of the van as he heard Iris continuing her efforts to break free from the handcuff, a slow evil smile sliding across his lips. He didn't hesitate as he went to the driver's side and shifted the van into drive and placed a brick on the accelerator.
Iris lunged for the steering wheel but could barely reach it. The van surged forward down the boat dock, the boards clattering beneath the wheels, as Iris desperately tried to reach the brake pedal with her foot and couldn't. Her grip on the steering wheel was weak as she then tried to shift the van into reverse on the gear shift handle on the steering column. It shifted but only into the lower drive setting. The van only swerved slightly as it sped on down the dock. In spite of her efforts, the van soared off the end of the dock to land in the dark waters of Lake Mead.
"She never screamed…how disappointing," Nathan remarked in surprise as he watched the end of the van bob like a cork for moment before it disappeared beneath the dark glassy waters.