Free In Tongues of the Dead by Brad Kelln Page A

and didn’t want to snap one off.
    Maury held a bottle of pills up and shook it. “Did you take your ten-in-the-morning pill?”
    Jeremy kept pushing buttons on the remote. He held his other hand out, and Maury dropped a large purple pill into his palm. Jeremy popped it in his mouth.
    Maury also took a pill then set the bottle down. “I’m goingto call the church. Keep the volume down.”
    Jeremy looked at him with disgust and held the remote in the air. “I can’t even change the volume with this piece-of-shit remote.”
    â€œWhatever.” Maury pulled a large phone out of his suitcase. It looked like an antique cell phone. It was really an untraceable satellite phone with a dedicated line. From anywhere on the planet they could flip the phone open and be directly connected to Cardinal Espinosa. Maury turned the phone on, waited until the signal-strength bar showed, and pressed send.
    The line rang three times before a voice answered. There was no greeting, no small talk, just the accented voice of the cardinal. “You have arrived?”
    â€œWe’re here,” Maury told him.
    â€œKeep this phone on and do not stray far. I will contact you very shortly. Do you have a vehicle?”
    â€œWe rented one at the airport.”
    â€œThank you.” And the cardinal hung up.
    Maury pushed end and dropped the phone into his suitcase.
    â€œAnd how is the old fart today?” Jeremy asked, grinning.
    â€œHe’s great. He sends his love.”
    â€œLet me guess — he said for us to just sit around with our fingers up our asses until he calls again.”
    Maury shrugged. “What else?”
    â€œFine.” Jeremy stood up. “I think I’m starting to stink. I need the cream — you got some there?”
    Maury dug around in his suitcase and pulled out what looked like a large bottle of shampoo. He handed it to Jeremy who headed into the bathroom. Maury called after him, “Let me know when you’re almost done and I’ll put the stuff on your back.”
    â€œThank you, sweetie,” came the singsong reply.
    Maury shoved the suitcase to one side, dropped onto the bed and stared at the ceiling, barely listening to Jeremy whistling in the bathroom. His eye patch dug into his forehead, and hepulled on it to relieve the pressure. He’d only started wearing it recently, because his eye had become infected. Then it rotted out. Maury felt as if things were getting worse and worse.
    He marveled at his younger brother’s ability not to take anything seriously. All of life was a game to Jeremy. He didn’t worry about the long-term; he didn’t worry about the church’s control over them. Maury did. He wanted out, even if it meant the end of them both. He just wanted out.
    What really bothered him was that he and his brother had never had a choice. No one had ever asked them if this was the life they wanted. The church had capitalized on their vulnerability when they were young, and never gave them a choice.
    That was going to end — Maury would make sure of it. This trip to Connecticut was the last time they traveled anywhere for the great Cardinal Espinosa.
    Jeremy didn’t know, but almost a month ago Maury had confronted the cardinal. He had shown up, unannounced, in the office of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and demanded a meeting. He knew the cardinal wouldn’t refuse — he couldn’t risk a scene.
    Maury demanded that the church release him and his brother. The cardinal had smiled and nodded.
    â€œStop fuckin’ grinning at me,” Maury demanded. “Living like animals with our bodies falling apart is no laughing matter.”
    â€œMy son,” Espinosa said. “You misunderstand. Your life has been a tremendous gift. Every second you continue to breathe is a miracle.”
    â€œIt’s no goddamn miracle to me.”
    The cardinal winced at the sacrilege, especially in