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  UNBROKEN

  A N N E S C H R A F F

  A Boy Called Twister

  Dark Secrets

  Dark Suspicions

  Deliverance

  Don’t Think About Tomorrow

  The Fairest

  Hurting Time

  If You Really Loved Me

  Leap of Faith

  Like a Broken Doll

  The Lost

  No Fear

  One of Us

  The Outcasts

  Out of Love for You Outrunning the Darkness

  The Quality of Mercy

  The Rescuers

  See No Evil

  Shadows of Guilt

  The Stranger

  Time of Courage

  To Be a Man

  To Catch a Dream

  Unbroken

  The Unforgiven

  Vengeance

  The Water’s Edge

  Wildflower

  Winners and Losers

  © 2012 by Saddleback Educational Publishing

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, scanning, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher. SADDLEBACK EDUCATIONAL PUBLISHING and any associated logos are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Saddleback Educational Publishing.

  ISBN-13: 978-1-61651-960-5

  ISBN-10: 1-61651-960-6

  eBook: 978-1-61247-647-6

  Printed in Guangzhou, China

  0000/CA00000000

  16 15 14 13 12 1 2 3 4 5

  TABLE OF CONTENT

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ONE

  The day was sunny, but a cold wind was blowing. It had rained on Tuesday, and a sprinkling of snow lay on the distant mountains. David Morales wore just a sweater, and he wished he had a warmer jacket. He stood with the deputy sheriff looking down the road. He expected to see a pickup truck appear anytime.

  David had been living for this day for two years, and many times he thought the day would never come. But now he was terribly nervous. His stomach hurt. He felt as though he could still hear the chains that he’d worn on his wrists and legs two years ago. He could hear them even in his sleep. He felt as though he’d spent years on an alien planet. Now that he had returned to Earth, he felt like the alien. He wasn’t sure what to say, how to act.

  He was almost afraid to leave prison life.

  “There it is,” the sheriff nodded. He was a pleasant fellow, nicer than most of the officers at the prison. They all did their jobs with reasonable manners. They were dealing with convicts, not hotel guests. Some of the inmates had done lesser crimes than David’s, but many had done much worse. The men who ran the prison had to be tough.

  “So, you got everything?” the sheriff asked David, looking at his small duffel bag.

  “Yes, thank you, sir,” David replied numbly. He stared as the pickup grew closer. The deputy shook hands with David. Then he said what he said to them all as they leave. “Good luck to you, man. I hope I never see you again.”

  David managed a thin smile and responded, “You won’t.”

  Paul Morales brought the pickup to a stop and jumped out. He grabbed his brother in a bear hug, and the brothers embraced for a long time. Then Paul tossed the duffel bag into the truck. He nodded toward the deputy, who turned and headed back into the gate. Paul and David climbed into the cab, David on the passenger side.

  David’s legs felt rubbery. He almost fell while getting in the cab. He pulled the door shut.

  “Seat belt, dude,” Paul reminded him.

  “Oh yeah,” David said, clicking it around his waist.

  “Yeehah!” Paul screamed as they drove away from the prison. David looked at his kid brother and thought he hadn’t changed. Then Paul made a suggestion. “Wanna get somethin’ to eat? There’s a diner down the road. Pancakes, sausages, nice hot coffee.”

  “I don’t know if I could keep it down,” David responded.

  Paul looked over and briefly clapped a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “You’ll do fine,” he assured him. “You’re thin, hermano. You and me, we’re the same height, and I think I got fifteen pounds on you at least. We gotta do something about that.”

  David stared at the hills and mountains in the distance. He’d looked at them during all the days, the weeks, the months, and the years he was in prison. But they looked different now that he was free. They looked completely different, though he didn’t know exactly how. As they drove, David vaguely remembered the landmarks. But the grocery store he used to go to was closed and boarded up. There were no more gas stations on the corner where he remembered two.

  They pulled into the diner lot, parked, and walked in. They sat down in a booth in the back. Paul ordered two big breakfasts of pancakes, sausage, bacon, with lots of syrup and butter.

  “You look like the deer in the headlights, dude,” Paul remarked.

  “Yeah,” David responded. “I feel like that.” He looked at the puffy light brown pancakes. He opened the syrup containers and watched the golden river run over the melting pats of butter. He realized he was hungry. He had never been so hungry in his adult life. He wolfed down the pancakes, the fat little brown sausages, and the crispy bacon. He had to keep wiping his chin with a napkin.

  Paul laughed. “Dude, you gotta brush up on your table manners. We’re eating with a real nice family on Sunday.”

  “What?” David gasped. “Who—what are you talking about?”

  “Ernesto Sandoval and his family,” Paul replied. “Remember me tellin’ you about him when I came to visit you?”

  “Oh yeah, your friend,” David recalled, pitching another forkful of pancakes into his mouth. “His father teaches at Chavez. But why would he . . . why would they, I mean . . .?” David wiped his chin again.

  “That’s who he is, David,” Paul explained. “There’s not a more decent human bein’ on this planet than Ernie. On top of that, he’s a fun guy. He has this other friend, Abel Ruiz, a great guy too. Those two are my best homies, man. Abel’s gonna cook carne asada for us. Let me tell you, the kid is still only a senior in Chavez, but he’s a genius in the kitchen. My chick Carmen is comin’ too. You met her.”

  “Paul, won’t that be like . . . awkward?” David asked. “I’ve spent the last two years talking to cons. What am I gonna say? What if they ask me what prison was like? Man, I’ll freak.”

  “Don’t worry, David,” Paul assured him. “It’ll be cool. Ernie has these two little sisters—little muchachas—cutest little trolls you ever saw. They’ll be there too.”

  “Two little girls?” David groaned. “I’ll probably scare the heck outta them! An ex-convict! They’ll hide under the table and cry!”

  Paul laughed. “Dude, would I get you into a bad situation?” Paul leaned forward as he spoke with his brother. “Listen up, hermano. You’re all I got in the way of blood, and I’m all you got. I got your back, David. Don’t you ever forget that. Remember when we were kids and sometimes we wound up in the same foster home? Didn’t I always have your back, even though I was younger? I’m a tough hombre, David. I’m not gonna let anything bad happen to you.”

  They finished their breakfast and headed for Paul’s apartment on Cardinal Street. As they got closer to Paul’s place, David spoke. “I hope you didn’t go to much bother getting ready for me. Just a curtain’d be a fine room divider. I’ll be fine on a sleepin’ bag. Believe me, after sleepin’ on that hard cot
in prison, a sleeping bag’s gonna feel like a real mattress.”

  “Nah, no problem, dude,” Paul replied, grinning.

  “What’re you grinning about, man?” David asked.

  “Nothing,” Paul responded, pulling into the apartment parking lot. “I got a bigger apartment now. Not the little one we used to have.”

  The two young men went up the three steps that led into the downstairs apartment. David’s eyes widened as he stepped inside. “Nice, man . . . hey, a bookcase for a room divider . . . lookin’ good,” he marveled.

  “Room on the left is yours, David,” Paul nodded. “Just stash your duffel bag. I bought some stuff for you to wear, nothin’ much—tees and jeans, socks and shorts. They’re in the chest of drawers. Got that shampoo you used to like, the shavin’ cream, and other stuff.”

  “Paul,” David gasped, “the bed! It looks so nice . . . like new or something! And the chest of drawers! You didn’t go and spend your hard–earned dough—”

  “It was all free, man,” Paul explained, still grinning. “You know my chick, Carmen? Well, her sister’s married to a rich dude named Ivan Redondo. I think you know him. Didn’t Ivan teach your Bible class in prison? He’s one of our homies now. His folks are rollin’ in dough, and he just borrowed some furniture they never use. He’s high on you, man. He’s kinda geeky, but he’s my friend now.”

  They stood in silence for a moment. David was overwhelmed. Paul remarked, “Me and my homies fixed up the place. Nice job, eh?”

  “Muy bien, mi hermano. Muy bien,” was all David could murmur.

  David sat down on the chair next to the bed. He put his hand to his face and covered his eyes. “Bro, I . . . don’t deserve any of this. I screwed up so bad. You were just a kid, finishin’ high school. You were workin’ like a dog at the burger stand and staying out of trouble. I was your big brother. I shoulda been lookin’ out for you, but then me and my lousy homies started boosting laptops and cell phones. I wanted stuff I couldn’t afford. I was a selfish creep, hanging out with scum and dating no-good chicks who just wanted jewelry to hang around their necks and stick in their ears.”

  David’s voice was filled with regret and sorrow. He sighed deeply and continued speaking.

  “I didn’t care about you. I didn’t care that you had to come to my trial and sit there. You hadda watch your rotten brother convicted and sent to prison. I didn’t care how much that ripped your gut, Paul. I don’t deserve any of this. You could just slip me a twenty and tell me to get lost and make my own way. That’d be only fair. That’d be just what I deserve.”

  “That’s all true, dude,” Paul agreed. “But what’s done is done. And I love you, man. You’re my brother. ’S long as we’re on the subject, I want you to lissen up now. Hermano, you screw up again, and you’ll think you died and went to hell. I swear that. I’m gonna be so on you. You’ll probably have fond memories of the worst day you ever spent in prison. In the meantime, get outta those ratty clothes and pick somethin’ from the closet. We got some nice tees, crew neck sweaters, good jeans. When we go to the Sandovals, we wanna look good.”

  Suddenly there was a knock on the door.

  “Uh-oh!” Paul sighed with a grin. “Peace and quiet is over. My babe, Carmen, is here. I was wondering how long she could stay away once she knew you were home.”

  Paul swung open the door. “Come on in, doll,” he said.

  Once she planted a kiss on Paul, Carmen looked beyond him. “Hi, David!” she cried. She sprang across the room and gave David a big hug. “You look better already!” she commented. “You got more color in your face. But you’re so skinny. You’ve got to eat a lot of nourishing food and build yourself up.” She clasped his shoulders with both hands and held him at arm’s length. “Oh, David,” she remarked, “you look lots better than when Paul and I visited you the last time we went!”

  “She’s off and running,” Paul declared.

  Carmen ignored Paul. “Oh, David, isn’t it wonderful what the boys did around here on Saturday? Your little room is so cozy. And is that a cool bed or what? That Ivan is such a sweetheart. My sister’s so lucky to have a guy like him ’cause she’s kind of a pill. I went shopping with Paul, and we got all your shampoo, toothpaste, soap, and stuff.”

  Carmen stepped back and looked David up and down. “Oh, David, you look just like Paul, only thinner. You guys are both so handsome. Wait a minute. Your eyes are a little lighter blue than Paul’s, aren’t they?”

  “Prison pallor,” Paul said drily. “His eyes faded too.”

  Carmen pushed Paul. “Oh, you! He does that all the time, David. He’s just outrageous. You know what he said the other day? He said if I got interested in another guy, he’d take him out to the desert and stake him to an anthill!”

  “I would too,” Paul affirmed.

  “Like I ever would dump Paul,” Carmen responded. “I must be crazy to love him so much, but what can I do? Anyway, David, I’ll be coming to the Sandovals with you and Paul on Sunday. I told Papa, and his mustache jumped several times.

  “David, you are gonna love those Sandovals so much. Luis Sandoval, the father, he teaches history at Chavez, and he’s the nicest man. He does so much for the kids. And Maria Sandoval, the mom, she’s an angel. Then there’s Abuela Lena, the cutest little old granny you’ll ever meet. And Ernesto’s two darling little sisters, and little Alfredo.”

  “Alfredo, he’s the dude who’s gonna give us trouble,” Paul stated grimly.

  Carmen gave Paul another shove. “Don’t listen to him, David,” she commanded. “Alfredo’s a baby, and he’s sooo cute. He’s got these big dark eyes, he looks like a toy. And Abel Ruiz is doing the cooking. He’s such a sweet guy, David, you’ll love him. And you’re gonna love whatever he cooks.”

  Paul looked at his brother. “She never stops talking,” he remarked with a smirk on his face. “Sometimes she amazes me. She doesn’t even have to breathe. If I didn’t love the chick so much I would have stuffed a sock in her mouth months ago.”

  David smiled and laughed a little. “You’re really pretty, Carmen,” he noted.

  “Oh, thank you, sir.” Carmen made a little curtsey. “You know how Paul and I met? We were at Hortencia’s taco place. I was driving the red convertible my father gave me for my birthday. Anyway, me and my stuffy sister Lourdes were going in. Suddenly somebody yells, ‘Hey, homies, check out that red hot convertible.’ Then he goes, ‘Whoa, check out the chick at the wheel. She’s even hotter.’ I look, and there’s these tough-looking dudes in hoodies, and they got tattoos. And I’m not used to stuff like that. I look at this dude I don’t even know who’s yelling so rudely at me. Then I almost drop dead because he is sooo handsome. And the hair is standing up on the nape of my neck and—”

  Paul grabbed Carmen and kissed her on the mouth, shutting her off at midsentence. Paul turned and grinned at David. “It’s the only way to stop her,” he declared.

  David actually laughed. He suddenly felt better about Sunday, now that he knew Carmen would be there. He made a mental note to sit close to her. As long as Carmen was talking—and she would be talking—maybe the others wouldn’t notice him too much.

  That night, David Morales couldn’t quite believe where he was. He was lying in a nice, unbelievably comfortable bed, not a cot. The apartment had doors and windows, not bars. He was watching a movie on his own tiny television set, not staring at a concrete ceiling. He heard traffic sounds outside, not clanging steel doors or yelling and cursing. David wore earphones so that the sound of the movie wouldn’t disturb Paul. His brother had to get up early and get to work managing an electronics store and then make classes at the community college.

  David used to like crime dramas, but now he couldn’t stand them. He didn’t want to see anything that showed crime or cops chasing suspects down dark streets. He did like to watch reality singing competitions. He loved to watch dance shows too. He enjoyed funny movies with Adam Sandler and Will Ferrell. The movies were silly and bright and happy.
They comforted him and helped to drive away the demons and the sickening memories of bars.

  He liked the simple foolishness of the story lines. Their silliness helped him relax more than anything else. When he got too tired to watch the movies anymore, he drifted off into the best sleep he had enjoyed in more than two years.

  In prison, David had never slept through the night. Men were shouting, coughing, rattling things. Guards were patrolling the corridors, checking steel doors. Some nights, sleep would be broken by brief, brutal incidents with curses and screams.

  With the light out, now David could hear very different sounds in the dark. The snoring hisses of his sleeping brother. The long quavering screeches of the owl that lived in the gangly Washington palm tree in front of the apartment.

  In the morning, Paul brewed coffee and poured raisin bran with milk.

  “I better go looking for a job,” David declared. “I want to get somethin’ as quick as possible and pay my own way. You’ve done more than enough, Paul.”

  “That won’t be easy, man,” Paul remarked. “Lotta guys out there with no rap sheet looking for work.”

  “Remember the furniture store I worked at when you were going to Chavez?” David asked. “I did pretty good there. Mr. Hawthorne . . . do you think he’s still there? He was a good guy. You see him lately?”

  “Yeah, I see him sometimes,” Paul replied. He had a funny look on his face.

  “I worked hard there,” David recalled. “Mr. Hawthorne told me I was the best kid he ever had. I started there when I was eighteen. I think you were livin’ with the Baileys then. That was before you aged outta the system.”

  “Yeah,” Paul recollected bitterly. “Old lady Bailey, she made me do the laundry. If her old man’s socks weren’t white enough, she’d slap me across the face. I was sure glad to get out of the foster care system.”

  The two young men silently stared at each other. Both were smirking. “Man,” David finally said, “that system was like set up to break kids. It sure almost broke me.”

  “But it didn’t,” Paul asserted. Then he held up his hand for a fist-bump.