Read Online Resurrection (Blood of the Lamb) by Mandy Hager - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Mandy Hager
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through the gates and made his way toward the noisy crowd gathered by the cells. Maryam pushed through the crowd behind him, tugging at his sleeve to draw his attention as she reached his side.
He spun around so violently she flinched, until recognition softened his stance. “Strewth! You shouldn't oughta do that to a man. You nearly got a knuckle sandwich in the mush!”
Maryam shook her head. “Sorry Charlie.” She drew a deep breath. “You have to let poor Aanjay out.”
Charlie raised one eyebrow. “No kidding?” He jerked his head toward the administration block. “You think I haven't tried? There's no way that prick will listen—she dared to raise her voice to him and he's so fricken macho and up himself he has to put the little lady in her place.”
She stared at him, wide eyed. It was like Charlie kept slipping into completely foreign language. “He won't release her?”
Charlie's gaze was sweeping the agitated crowd. A musclein his jaw twitched as the women united in a chanting prayer. “Later, kiddo. I've gotta calm things down.” He began to elbow his way toward the doorway of the cell block.
“Charlie!” Maryam took advantage of the cleared space to follow in his wake. “Let me go inside. At least I could comfort her. It can't do any harm.”
“Forget it.” He had reached the doorway, and purposefully placed himself between the two armed guards and the chanting crowd.
“But if you let me in it might appease the crowd and help to calm things down.”
His gaze flicked to her for a moment, then back to the sea of angry faces. “Christ,” he muttered, eyeing up a rear-guard of fidgety men. “Okay. It's worth a try.” He turned to one of the guards. “Let the kid inside, then go fetch some food and water for them both—and make the delivery of it a bloody good show. You understand?”
It looked as though the guard was going to refuse, but as Charlie took a menacing step toward the man he shrugged and slowly lowered his gun. “It's on your head, mate. Anyone asks, I'm only doing what I'm told.”
The guard unlocked the door but opened it only a fraction—just enough to squeeze Maryam through the gap. As she disappeared into the building she could hear Charlie making an announcement to the crowd, and just before the door banged shut she thought she heard a smattering of applause. Dear Charlie. If only he could run the camp. But then if Charlie was in charge, this camp would not exist.
She leaned back against the door to steel her nerves. This place brought back so many memories…Lazarus was beatenin here; she was trussed. It was here she'd first encountered Charlie—and Jo; here that Lazarus had first pleaded his case for forgiveness…What a fool she'd been to ever believe him. In this very building she'd watched as he and Jo began the deceit that would culminate in his release. His alone. Her bitterness at his betrayal would stay forever in her heart.
But she had to think of Aanjay now and put her own hurt feelings aside. She walked down the gloomy corridor, peering into each cell as she passed. In the first, a bearded man knelt on his sleeping mat, deep in prayer. In the second a teenage boy sprawled upon his mat, fast asleep. The third housed a man who lunged at her and ranted incomprehensibly as she dodged past. Finally, after passing four more of the awful little cells, she found Aanjay. Her normally neat clothes looked crumpled and dishevelled, and her beautiful dark almond-shaped eyes were rimmed with red.
“Maryam!” She rose from the grubby sleeping mat and stuck her arms out through the bars as Maryam reached in to embrace her.
“You shouldn't be in here.”
Aanjay shrugged off Maryam's arms and squatted down beside the bars. “It was to be expected. No man likes to be put in his place—least of all a bully like the sergeant.”
“Charlie's doing everything he can to get you out.”
“He, at least, is a good man. But you must not put yourself into the path of
He spun around so violently she flinched, until recognition softened his stance. “Strewth! You shouldn't oughta do that to a man. You nearly got a knuckle sandwich in the mush!”
Maryam shook her head. “Sorry Charlie.” She drew a deep breath. “You have to let poor Aanjay out.”
Charlie raised one eyebrow. “No kidding?” He jerked his head toward the administration block. “You think I haven't tried? There's no way that prick will listen—she dared to raise her voice to him and he's so fricken macho and up himself he has to put the little lady in her place.”
She stared at him, wide eyed. It was like Charlie kept slipping into completely foreign language. “He won't release her?”
Charlie's gaze was sweeping the agitated crowd. A musclein his jaw twitched as the women united in a chanting prayer. “Later, kiddo. I've gotta calm things down.” He began to elbow his way toward the doorway of the cell block.
“Charlie!” Maryam took advantage of the cleared space to follow in his wake. “Let me go inside. At least I could comfort her. It can't do any harm.”
“Forget it.” He had reached the doorway, and purposefully placed himself between the two armed guards and the chanting crowd.
“But if you let me in it might appease the crowd and help to calm things down.”
His gaze flicked to her for a moment, then back to the sea of angry faces. “Christ,” he muttered, eyeing up a rear-guard of fidgety men. “Okay. It's worth a try.” He turned to one of the guards. “Let the kid inside, then go fetch some food and water for them both—and make the delivery of it a bloody good show. You understand?”
It looked as though the guard was going to refuse, but as Charlie took a menacing step toward the man he shrugged and slowly lowered his gun. “It's on your head, mate. Anyone asks, I'm only doing what I'm told.”
The guard unlocked the door but opened it only a fraction—just enough to squeeze Maryam through the gap. As she disappeared into the building she could hear Charlie making an announcement to the crowd, and just before the door banged shut she thought she heard a smattering of applause. Dear Charlie. If only he could run the camp. But then if Charlie was in charge, this camp would not exist.
She leaned back against the door to steel her nerves. This place brought back so many memories…Lazarus was beatenin here; she was trussed. It was here she'd first encountered Charlie—and Jo; here that Lazarus had first pleaded his case for forgiveness…What a fool she'd been to ever believe him. In this very building she'd watched as he and Jo began the deceit that would culminate in his release. His alone. Her bitterness at his betrayal would stay forever in her heart.
But she had to think of Aanjay now and put her own hurt feelings aside. She walked down the gloomy corridor, peering into each cell as she passed. In the first, a bearded man knelt on his sleeping mat, deep in prayer. In the second a teenage boy sprawled upon his mat, fast asleep. The third housed a man who lunged at her and ranted incomprehensibly as she dodged past. Finally, after passing four more of the awful little cells, she found Aanjay. Her normally neat clothes looked crumpled and dishevelled, and her beautiful dark almond-shaped eyes were rimmed with red.
“Maryam!” She rose from the grubby sleeping mat and stuck her arms out through the bars as Maryam reached in to embrace her.
“You shouldn't be in here.”
Aanjay shrugged off Maryam's arms and squatted down beside the bars. “It was to be expected. No man likes to be put in his place—least of all a bully like the sergeant.”
“Charlie's doing everything he can to get you out.”
“He, at least, is a good man. But you must not put yourself into the path of
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