Chapter 11 & 12

Chapter 11

Tina was awakened by the sound of laughter.  As she walked into the living room, she saw Pastor Greene on all fours with two children climbing all over him.  They were all smiling and laughing. 

He saw Tina standing in the doorway.  “I’m sorry did we wake you?”

She just smiled as the sight of the three of them.  It was hard to tell who was having more fun, the kids or Pastor Greene.  “No,” she replied.  “I need to get up.  What time is it?”

“Almost lunch time,” he answered.  “You hungry?”  he asked standing up and promising the two very disappointed children they could finish later. 

“I am starved,” Tina said giving him a hug.  “I am glad to see they are doing so well.  Do you think they understand or know what happened?”

Pastor Greene and Tina walked into the kitchen.  “Tina, kids are resilient.  I have seen kids come through worse than this.  These two are young.  I am sure there will be issues but we will do the best we can to show them love while we have them.”

As Pastor Greene began to prepare lunch, Ellen came running in.  “He’s waking up!  Hurry”

The Ellen and Tina went running into the room to Cole’s side.  As Tina kneels down, she faintly hears, “T?  T, where are you?”

Tina almost jumps out of her skin as she takes his hand.  “I am right here, Cole. “

Cole slowly opens his eyes and smiles at her.  “How long have I been out?”

Tina grabs her stethoscope and listens to Cole’s heart and lungs.  “Almost 12 hours.  We thought we were gonna lose you but thanks to Ellen we were able to get you some blood.”

Cole turns his head and sees Ellen kneeling on the other side, smiling.  He reaches out and takes her hand.  “Thank you!”  Ellen just smiles back at him as tears begin to form in her eyes.  Cole continues, “What about the kids?”

Ellen smiles, “They are fine.   James is feeding them lunch.  They have been playing and having fun.”

Cole smiles and looks back at Tina.  “Do they know about their mom and Teresa?”

Tina strokes his hair.  “We haven’t told them cause didn’t know if you wanted us to.  Pastor Greene said he would talk to them when the time comes.  He said he has really bonded with them and he has done this type of thing before.”

Cole begins to tear up.  “I am not sure they will completely understand.  Tell him I would be glad to have him be there to help talk to them but I want to be there as well.  They have a trust in me.  I better go help him.”  Cole starts to sit up but Tina stops him.

“Hang on cowboy.  You are not ready for that.  You need your rest first.  How about we prop you and you try eating first.”

Cole smiles, “Yes ma’am Doctor Carpenter.”

Tina laughs, “Ellen help me carefully pull him over by the wall to prop him up.”  They carefully full the pallet over to the wall and prop Cole mostly upright.  “That fell ok?” Tina asks.  Cole nods.  Ellen brings him some warm soup.  Cole slowly eats it, realizing with each bit just how weak he really is.  Just as Ellen takes the empty bowl.  Cole’s cell rings. 

“T, it in my vest pocket.  Could you get it?”

Tina finds if and hands it to him as she leaves, “I’ll give you privacy.”  Cole smiles and answers the phone.

“Cole is Michael, are you ok?”

Cole hesitates as he is not sure who he can trust anymore.  “I’ll live.”

Michael continues.  “Glad to hear.  Look I am very sorry about all of this.  I assure you that the problem will be dealt with.  How is the rest of the group?”

Cole shifts in pain.  “We lost the two to other agents, the mother and the Teresa.  The others are fine.”

Cole both the sadness and relief in Michael’s voice as he continues, “Good, we are working on a plan.  I’ll contact you with details.”

Cole’s nerves heat up, “With all due respect, sir, I am not going anywhere.  I am done with this.  These two are safe and are going to stay that way.  No more plans!”  With that he hung up.

He looked at the time log on the phone and sighed relief.  He hung up with enough time to spare so they could not trace his location.  He was glad he had counted in his head but knew he was now on his own and that Phiny was probably looking for him.  He sighed deeply, leaned his head on the wall and closed his eyes.  He began to pray out loud.

As Cole is praying, Pastor Greene comes into the room.  He stops at the door and says a silent prayer when he hears Cole praying.  Cole finishes and sees Pastor Greene standing there.  “Please come in.  I was hoping to talk to you.”

Pastor Greene comes over and sits beside Cole.  “I am glad you talked to the Man in charge first.  He knows best.”

Cole laughs as he shakes Pastor Greene’s hand.  “That he does, my friend.  That he does.  Look, thank you for all your help.  I am afraid they will come looking for me and I don’t want to put you guys in any danger.  As soon as I have my strength back, I’ll take the kids and go.  I just went rogue and am sure they will try to find me.”

Pastor Greene smiles, “No worries son.  We have a secret room.  This is your refuge.  You three will stay here.  We will make sure you are safe.”

Cole smiles, “Thank you.  God will bless you greatly for this.  I need you to help me do something.  Bring all my gear over here.  There is somethings I want to keep and other things I need you to destroy.”

Cole goes through all of his gear.  He checks each piece carefully for any agency markings.  He takes what he thinks he will need and asks Pastor Greene to burn the rest.  “I have a burn barrel out back where we burn trash.  I’ll get right on that,” he says as he takes Cole’s gear. 

Pastor Greene leaves, Tina and Ellen bring the two children in.  “Isaac wanted to see you,” Tina says.  “Be careful, he is still very sore,” she reminds Isaac. 

Cole opens his arms and three year old Isaac gently puts his arms around Cole’s neck.  “Don Don, you ok?” 

Cole smiles as a tear forms in the corner of his eye.  “Yes Isaac, I am ok.  How are you?”

Isaac plops hard into Cole’s lap and Cole moans in pain.  “Easy buddy!  My leg is hurt.”

“Sorry Don Don.  I am ok too.  We have fun.”  Isaac points to Pastor Greene as he enters the back door.  “Hey Pappy James, Don Don k.”

Pastor Greene smiles, “Yes I see that buddy.  You take good care of him.” 

Isaac giggles as he hugs Cole. “Me will Pappy James.”

Cole looks up at Tina who is holding 9 month old Laura.  He has tears running down his cheeks as he embraces Isaac.  “How is Laura,” he asks Tina? 

“She is fine.  Want to hold her?”

Cole reaches up his good arm and takes Laura.  He gently holds her just like a proud father.  Tina just smiles and looks at Ellen who is also smiling.  The two ladies lean on each other and watch Cole’s natural fatherly insists kick in.

Isaac breaks the silence.  “Don Don, when will I get to see mommy and daddy again?  I miss them.”

Cole had hoped Isaac would never ask that question.  He didn’t want to have to answer it.  Cole looked at Tina and signaled her to go get Pastor Greens.  They all had been dreading this moment.

Pastor Greene quietly came in and sat on the floor beside Cole and Isaac.  Cole took a deep breath and began to speak gently to the young boy.  “Isaac, Pappy James and I want to talk to you about mommy and daddy and the rest of your family.  Do you remember when daddy first left and what mommy told you about where he went?”

Cole could see Isaac thinking before he spoke, “Yes, mommy said that some men were mad at daddy and they taked him to place and be mean to him.  She said they bad guys.”

Cole half smiled but only to keep the tears back.  “She was right Isaac.  They are very bad.  They probably won’t bring daddy back.  They did the same with your brother Henry.”  Cole looked down at Isaac’s big blue eyes.  He couldn’t tell if the 3 year old was understanding or not. 

Then Isaac spoke in an excited voice.  “You go get them Don Don.  You shot them like you did other bad guys.”

Cole’s heart sank.  How could he tell this precious child what had happened.  He asked God to give him the words but Cole couldn’t find them.  He sat there in silence trying to hold back his emotions.  He kissed Laura’s cheek as she smiled at him.  Pastor Greene could see Cole’s emotional struggle and finally chimed in.

“Isaac, Don Don would go get them if he could but the bad guys were really mean to your daddy and they decided to kill him.  He won’t be coming back.  And do you remember the other day when Don Don shot those bad guys?  Well the bad guys also shot your mommy and Teresa.  Don Don and everyone here tried to save them but we couldn’t?  Do you understand?”

Cole could now see that Isaac was starting to understand.  He saw the emotions in the youngsters face.  Isaac’s voice cracked as he spoke.  “No more mommy and daddy?  No more Henry and Teresa?  Pappy James who will take care of us?”

Pastor Greene was a little stunned at his question.  He looked at Cole not sure how to answer.  Cole had a huge smile on his face.  “Isaac, we will take care of you.  We love you just like mommy and daddy.”

Isaac smiled as he leaned in and hugged Cole.  “Don Don will be my new daddy!!  Isaac Love Don Don roo!”

Cole embraced the boy with one arm as he held Teresa in the other.  HE looked at Pastor Greene a bit stunned.  That wasn’t exactly how he meant it and Pastor Greene just smiled.  He knew Cole had stepped right into that one.  Then Isaac suddenly sat up and had a serious look on his face.  “If Don Don is new daddy, who is new mommy?”

Cole jerked his head around and looked at Pastor Greene who almost fell over laughing.  Pastor Greene spoke, “I don’t know Isaac.  Who do you want it to be?”

Isaac answered without hesitation.  “Tina!  She is nice and very pretty like my other mommy.  Can she be mommy?”

Pastor Greene could not contain himself.  “I don’t know.  I think it’s up to Don Don.”

Isaac stood up and put his hands on each side of Cole’s face.  “Please Don Don, can Tina be my new mommy?”

Cole now starting to laugh himself answered, “I don’t know Isaac.  Why don’t you go ask her and let me know what she says.”

Without hesitation, Isaac ran out of the room to find Tina.  Pastor Greene stood up and took Laura from Cole.  Cole shoulder was throbbing in pain.  “That boy has enough energy for three of me,” Pastor Greene stated. 

Cole agreed, “Yes and very resilient.”  Cole sifted uncomfortably on the floor.  “Can you help me get up Pastor Greene?  I can’t stand it down here anymore.  I don’t care what the doctor says.”

Pastor Greene laid Laura down on a blanket.  And helped Cole.  After a few minutes of struggle, he was standing and leaning on the wall. 

“I have and old cane in my study to help you.  Stay right there and I’ll go get it,” Pastor Greene said.

Cole leaned on the wall and tried to work the soreness out of his legs.  He had just gotten the right one working good when Pastor Greene returned with the cane.  “Here, this should help until the left leg gets better.”

Cole takes the cane and slowly makes his way to the other room as Pastor Greene picks Laura up and follows.

 Chapter 12

Cole limps through the doorway and sees Isaac sitting on Tina’s lap hugging her.  Isaac looks up and sees Cole, “Don Don, she say yes!  Tina be my mommy!!”

Cole smiles as he leans on the counter.  “That’s great buddy.  I guess we are all set.”

Isaac pipes up.  “No not Don Don.  Where live?” 

Cole can’t believe the questions form this little boy.  He sits down on a stool as he answers.  “I don’t know buddy.  We will have to figure that out.  You don’t worry about all of that.  Just know that we love you and will take good care of you.”

Cole shoots Ellen a look and she immediately gets up, “Isaac why don’t we go play.”

Isaac grabs her hand and they leave the room.

As soon as they are gone, Pastor Greene speaks up, “Well, you two have a lot to discuss.  Let me say this.  I am willing to take these two into the orphanage and wait for you to decide what to do.  I know this is not exactly what you were thinking but pray about it and let God tell you His plan.”  Pastor Greene leaves the room.

Cole let what Pastor Greene said sink in before speaking.  “T, I have no idea what to do.  For the first time in a long time, I don’t have someone telling me which way to turn and I feel lost.  It’s not only me but those two little one.  I feel responsible for them.  I feel helpless.”  Cole buries his face in his hands and begins sobbing.  Tina walks over and puts her arms around him.

“Cole, you are the strongest person I know.  You have always been able to do anything.  You are just physically and emotionally drained.  You are not alone in this.  Just rest for a few days and do what Pastor Greene said.  Use this time to talk to God and listen to Him.  He will guide you, just listen.  He’ll tell you when you are ready.”

Cole takes Tina’s hand and looks up into her emerald eyes.  “T, I love you.  If I get out of this will you promise we will adopt those two precious kids and we can be a family?”

Tina is a bit surprised at what Cole just asked but blurts out a response without hesitation.  “Yes, absolutely.  I love you, Cole and I love them.  I want us to be a family.”

 They kissed until Ellen interrupted them.  “I hate to break this up but Tina your cell keeps ringing.”

Tina looks at her watch.  “Oh goodness, I was supposed to call my sisters back.  I bet it’s them.  I’ll come get it.”  She gives Cole one more kiss and rushes out of the room.

Cole turns to Ellen.  “I need a favor.  Actually more than one.”

Ellen smiles and pours two glasses of water.  “OK shoot.”

Cole takes a big drink form the glass Ellen hands him.  “First I need you to go to the cell phone stand down on the beach.  Not the store but the stand out on the boardwalk.  I need you to buy me one of those phones.  I’ll give you the cash.  Then I need you to go get some medical supplies.  Not so much that will draw attention but enough to change my dressings for a few days.  Then I need some new clothes.  Just normal stuff.  Can you do all of that?”

Ellen smiles, “Yes I can handle that.  Can Tina come with me?  I might need help carrying all of that.”

Cole laughs, “Sure but you gals be careful.  I am sure they have started looking for me and any suspicious buying might cause concern.  Be alert and cautious.”

Ellen smiles, “Don’t worry.  I promise I won’t let anything happen to her.  I have lived here most of my life.  I know how to blend in and how to spot bad guys.”

Cole grabs and squeezes Ellen’s hand.  Thank you Ellen, for everything.” 

Ellen pats his hand.  “You are welcome, dear.  James and I instantly felt a connection to both of you when we met the other day.  We knew God had something special planned.  He is slowly revealing that to us.”

Ellen leaves and Tina returns with a saddened look on her face.  “Cole, we need to talk.  I have to leave tomorrow.  Something has come up with my research at the hospital.  I am the only one that can take care of it.  I have been working on it for over 2 years.  If I don’t get back our entire project could be in jeopardy.  I’m sorry.”  She hugs him as her eyes fill with tears.

“T, its ok.  Believe me I would love for you to stay but it’s probably safer if you go.  When do you leave?”  Cole wipes the tears from her cheeks.

“My flight leaves at 1030 tomorrow morning.  I need to go to the hotel and talk to my sisters and get my things and then I’ll be right back here.  I will leave from here.”

Cole wipes more tears from her cheek.  “Why don’t you stay there and rest tonight and come back in the morning before you leave.  You need a good night sleep.  Spend some time with your sisters and relax.”

Tina smiles at him, “Are you sure?  I don’t mind and I want to be here with you.”

Cole kisses her nose.  “I am sure.  Just be careful if you talk to them about me and the kids.  I am sure others are seeking information.”

Tina promised to be careful.  She kissed Cole, told Ellen bye and left.

Isaac come running into the room and climbed on the stool next to Cole, “Don Don, where new me ne mommy going?”

“She had to go do some things, buddy.  She’ll be back in the morning,” He said as he helped Isaac on the stool.

Isaac leaned on the counter just like Cole, “But said she leave again.”

Cole sat Isaac on the counter in front of him.  “She is a doctor who helps very sick little boys and girls.  She got a call that one of those kids needed her badly.  So she has to go and take care of them.”

Isaac smiled, “Wow, she be good!  She help them and me all!”

Cole smiled.  He felt as though he was talking to his own son.  Then Isaac asked a questions that Cole was dreading.

“Don Don, are you get bad guys?”

Cole chooses his words carefully.  “I have to stop them from trying to hurt you and Laura.  They might try to hurt all of us if I don’t.”

Isaac climbs off the counter and into Cole’s lap.  “No go Don Don.  They take you too.  Please no leave me.”  Isaac is holding onto Cole with all his might, crying.

Cole embraced him.  He couldn’t believe this little boy had touched his heart so deeply and in such a short time.  He loved Isaac just like he was his.  He so wanted to take away the pain and make everything right.  “Isaac, I promise I’ll come back.  I will never let anyone hurt us again.  That’s why I need to go.  So I can stop them.  Pappy James and Nana Ellen will take good care of you.  I promise I will be back and then we can all be a family.  Ok Buddy?”

Isaac say up in Cole lap, still sniffling.  “Ok Don Don.  But you get those bad guys!”  Cole smiled and hugged him tight. 

Ellen came in ready to leave.  “Is that all you need me to get?”

Cole slowly stood helping Isaac to the floor.  “No there is one more thing.  I will tell you while we walk and I get my money belt.”

Ellen and Cole slowly walk to the back door of the church, talking quietly.  Ellen seemed really excited during the conversation and gave Cole a big hug before leaving.

Cole walks back into the kitchen where Isaac is playing with a truck on the floor.  “Don Don, I have juice?”

Cole smiles, “Sure buddy.  I’ll drink some with you.”  Cole pours the juice and helps Isaac onto the stool.

“Don Don I think I like you be my daddy.  Don Don fun!  My other daddy no play with me.  He work.  Promise play lots Don Don.”

Cole reached over and rubbed the top of his head.  “I promise buddy and if you ever think I spend too much time working and not enough playing, you let me know ok?”

Isaac smiled, “Ok Don Don.  I call you daddy?”

Cole swallowed the lump in his throat.  “Sure buddy, anytime.  Hey can you help me do something special tomorrow when your new mommy gets back?”  Cole asked as he handed Isaac a cookie.

“Sure, I call her mommy too?” Isaac asked with a mouth full of cookie.

Cole laughs.  “I don’t think she would mind.”  Cole was talking to Isaac about his plan as Pastor Greene came in.  “You two aren’t eating all my cookies are you?”

“No Pappy James.  Make surprise for Mommy.  You help?”

James got a cookie for himself, “Well only if daddy needs me too big guy.  What’s the surprise?”

Cole pipes in, “Isaac why don’t you take your cookie in there and play while I talk to Pappy James.

James pours him some juice.  “So what’s the big surprise?  Is it something I should know about?”

Cole laughs, “Yeah I suppose you should.  I will probably need your help as well.”  He begins to explain things to James and before he finishes, Ellen returns. 

“Ok Cole, I got everything.  Including that very special item for the surprise.”  Ellen hands Cole a small bag.  “I hope it’s the correct one.  It was the closet to what you described.”

Cole takes the bag.  “I am sure it is.  He pulled a small box out of the bag and opened it.  “Ellen, it’s perfect.  That’s it.  Thank you.”

Cole showed the contents to Pastor Greene, “Wow, that’s beautiful, Cole.  She’ll love it.”

Cole closed the box.  “I hope she does.  I was never good at this type of thing.”

“It’s from the heart.  She’ll love it dear.”  Ellen said as she emptied the other bags onto the counter.  Cole went through them.  He got the cell phone out and set it up.  He immediately called Tina. 

“Doctor Carpenter,” she answered.

“Hey T.  It’s me.  Hey this is my new number.  It can’t be traced.  Use this one for me until I tell you otherwise.  Did you make it back to the hotel ok?”

“Yes I did.  Thank you.  I realize how much I really did need to relax.  My sisters and I are going for a walk on the beach before dinner.  They wanted to come see you but I told them you needed to rest.   They do want to come with me tomorrow to say goodbye and meet the kids.  Is that ok?”

“Sure,” he answered.  “They will love them.  He and I have really bonded.  It’s great, T.  I love you and see you in the morning.”

“I love you too, Cole.”  Tina answered and they hung up.

Cole smiled a big smile.  “Her sisters are coming with her in the morning.  This is gonna be great.  I think I’ll go see if Isaac wants to watch cartoons.  I haven’t watched TV in a long time.”  Cole hobbled into the other room and laid on the couch and watched TV with Isaac.  They were both soon fast asleep.  Ellen and James just let them sleep.

Early the next morning, Tina and her sisters arrived.  Ellen meet them at the door.  “Be very quiet and follow me.  I want to show you something.”  They followed Ellen into the living room and Ellen pointed to the couch.  They saw Cole sound asleep on his back with little Isaac sound asleep on Cole’s chest.  Cole had his arms wrapped around Isaac.

“Oh my goodness,” Tina said softly.  “That is too cute.  I have to have a picture.”  She pulls out her camera and takes several shots.  She then kissed both of them on the head.  Isaac squirmed and opened his eyes.

“Mommy, you back!”  He reached up for Tina.  She picked him up as Cole started to wake up. 

“Yes sweetie, I promised I would,” she said hugging him.  “How are you?”

“Me good mommy.   Daddy take care me.”

Tina smiled and kissed his head again.  “I see that.  Look I brought some people for you to meet.  These are your Aunts.  This is Aunt Pam and this is Aunt Missy.”

Isaac gets excited.  “Me got Aunts too!  This great!”  They all laughed as Cole stands up and gives Tina and Isaac a kiss.

“Yeah buddy,” Cole says.  “You’ve got lots more family you don’t even know about.”

Ellen ushers them all into the kitchen for coffee.  Isaac is just talking away with his new aunts.  Finally Cole interrupts him.  “Isaac, are you ready for our surprise? Let’s go!”

Isaac excitedly jumps down and runs into the other room with Cole limping behind him.  Ellen, Tina, Pam, Missy and James all talk at the table. 

Soon Isaac comes running back in.  “Mommy!  I made book for you.  Read me please!”  Isaac jumps up into Tina’s lap and hands her the book.  “Daddy help me.”

Tina hugs him.  “I would love to.  Is this my surprise?”

Isaac looks at Cole standing in the doorway.  “Me not say.  Read me!”

Tina reads the cover.  “My New Family.”  She turns the page and reads.  “I have new mommy and daddy.  They special!  My daddy save me from bad guys.  He brave.”  Tina looks at the drawing.  “That’s a good picture of your daddy.  Did you draw that?”

Isaac smiles, “Yes, daddy say good book got pictures.  I draw and told daddy to what write.”

Tina laughed.  “Yes they do.”  She read the next page.  “Mommy is pretty.  She nice.  She help save kids like me.  She doctor.  She have to leave but be back soon.  Me know she will.”

By this time Tina has tears welling up in her eyes.  She turns the page and continues.  “Daddy leave to get bad guys.  He promise he get them and come back.  We all be family but only if…”

She stops and turns to Cole who has a huge smile on his face.  “Only if what?”

Cole nods as he hands Laura to Pam.  “Turn the page and find out.”

Tina shoots him a look, turns the page and reads, “Mommy marry daddy.”  Tina stares at the page with tears rolling down her cheeks.  She just sits there and begins to cry. 

Isaac puts his hands on her cheeks, “Mommy, we no mean to make sad.  Daddy say you be happy.”

Tina wipes the tears.  “I am happy sweetie.  These are happy tears.”  She turns and finds Cole beside her on one knee with a small box in his hand. 

“T, I let you go once.  I will never do that again.  I know things still have to work out for me but before we leave this place that brought us back together, I have to know if you will take me and these two kids to be yours forever.”

Tina had more tears rolling down her face as Cole opened the box.  She answered, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.  Of course I will.”  She looked down and say the beautiful and unique ring. 

Cole described the significance.  “The big emerald in the middle is for us because it’s for both of our birthstones and your favorite and for our love that has persevered.  The two small diamonds on either side represent Isaac and Laura.  The band is inlaid with black coral to represent Jamaica, the place where God brought us back together.”  Cole slips the ring on her finger. They embrace and kiss while everyone claps.

They all spend the rest of the time talking and having fun.  Time seems to fly buy and before long, Tina looks at her watch.  “Goodness, if we don’t hurry we are going to miss out flight.”  She hugs Ellen and James.  She then kisses Laura and talks to Isaac and tells him bye.  She promise him she will be back as soon as she can.  They both begin to cry as Cole walks Tina to the door.  “They will be fine, T.  Ellen and James will see to it.”

Tina smiles as she puts her arms around his neck.  “I am not worried about them.  What about you?  You need to stop all of this.  You aren’t strong enough.  Please wait.”

He kisses her forehead.  “I can’t do that.  If I don’t go now, I’ll lose my chance.  I am going to finish planning today, then head out tomorrow.  After this is over, I’ve got to find a way out.  I will do my best to call you every few days.  If you hear from Todd Campbell at the F.B.I. give him my new number.  I haven’t had a chance to call him back.”

Tina and Cole embrace and have a long passionate kiss.  Cole speaks as he holds Tina in his arms.  “T, no matter what happen, remember that I love you and that the time spent here with you has been the happiest of my life.”  He kissed her forehead as tears roll down her cheeks.

“I love you, Cole.  Please be careful.  I will pray constantly for your safety.”  She hugs him and walks away crying.  Tina knows there is a good chance this might be the last time she sees him.  Just before she gets in the car, she looks back and Cole standing in the doorway and smiles. 

Cole stands there and watches the car disappear down the roll as a storm rolls in off the open.  He heads back in to prepare for what will be his final mission one way or another. 

Cole is up before dawn.  He finishes packing his gear and eats breakfast.  Pastor Greene strolls in just as he is finishing up. 

“Didn’t mean to wake you, Pastor but I am glad you are here.  I need to give you something.”  Cole pulls out 3 envelops and hands them to James.  “If something happens and I don’t make it back.  Please deliver these for me.  One is for Tina, one is for the kids and one is for my parents.  Tina can help you deliver that one.”

James lays the envelopes on the counter.  “That will not be necessary.  God will protect you but I will if He has other plans.  Ellen will be out in a minute.  She and I want to pray over you before you go.”

“Thank you,” Cole says.  “I want to go kiss the kids bye first.  I’ll be right back.”  Cole walks to the room where Laura and Isaac are sleeping.  He leans down and kisses Laura’s head and says a prayer over her.  He then walks over to Isaac and does the same. 

As he finishes praying, Isaac opens his eyes. “You leave now?” he whispers.

Cole sits next to him.  “I am buddy.  Take care of your sister while I am gone.  Listen to Pappy James and Nana Ellen.  Be a good boy and remember I love you.”

“Love you daddy.  Get bad guys!”

Cole smiles and kisses Isaac again as he falls back asleep.

He returns to the kitchen where Pastor James and Ellen offer beautiful prayers for his protection.  He hugs them both and heads out into the morning darkness.