Two Reasons to Run

by Colleen Coble

  Jane heard them before she saw them. Children squealing and splashing in a body of water somewhere. Hammering and banging from men building something.

  She shaded her eyes with her hand and made out several cabins in the distance. There were other buildings, too, bigger and longer. Probably barns and the meetinghouse. Her pulse was erratic, and she struggled to catch her breath.

  Finally, after all these years, she was here. She’d come face-to-face with her mother. What should she say? Hey, Mom, it’s Jane?

  She shook her head to clear the thousand jumbled thoughts.

  Reid took her hand and squeezed it. “Courage, Jane. No matter what happens, it’s going to be okay.”

  She clutched his hand and nodded before she released it. “I’m ready.”

  She kept her gaze on the buildings as he drove slowly forward. As they approached she saw naked children splashing in a small, clean pond. Women washed clothes on washboards from the same body of water, and she spotted men working on the roof of a barn. The place was cleaner and more well kept than Mount Sinai had been.

  A woman washing clothes was the first to spot them. She rose and turned to yell at the men working on the barn. A burly guy swiveled at her shout, then grabbed a rifle and rushed toward them.

  “He’s armed.” Jane’s hand was resting on her pistol before she realized it.

  “I see him.” Reid stopped the four-wheeler and shut it off, then got off with his hands held up in a placating gesture.

  Jane stayed put so she could grab her gun if necessary. She didn’t recognize the man approaching, though he was clearly the leader. He appeared to be in his forties, and he was built like a tank. He was balding on top, but his curly blond hair spilled out on his collar on the sides.

  Reid dropped his hands to his sides. “Gabriel. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

  The guy’s eyes stayed narrowed for a long moment. Then his mouth dropped. “Moose? It can’t be.”

  “It’s me, all right.” Reid held out his hand, but when Gabriel ignored it, he dropped it back to his side.

  “What do you want? You skipped out in the middle of the night like the coward you are. We wouldn’t take you back if you asked.” Gabriel’s gaze went to Jane. “I’d take her though.”

  His leer stiffened Jane’s spine. She tipped up her chin and glared at him. “You’d soon regret it.”

  Gabriel laughed, a burst of surprise and delight. “I like a spunky woman.” His grin dropped. “What do you want?”

  “This is Jane Hardy, Kim’s daughter. I think she’ll want to see her.”

  Gabriel stared for a long minute. “If wishes were horses, pigs would fly. Get out of here.”

  “We’ve come too far to turn back now. We’re not leaving until we talk to Kim.”

  “You’ll have to go to hell to do that.” He raised his rifle. “I’m happy to send you there.”

  There was no mistaking the intent in the man’s face, and Jane didn’t want this to descend into violence. “Are you saying my mom’s dead?”

  Gabriel shrugged. “Smart lady. Now get out of here.”

  Jane fought back tears. Of all the outcomes, she hadn’t expected to find out her mother had died.

  * * *

  Time to swat a mosquito.

  To blend in with other tourists, he’d changed to shorts and a T-shirt before settling at a picnic table with a beer. He watched the RV for a few minutes. Because of its location and size, it was going to be hard to break in to without someone noticing. He’d have to wait for the vacationers to clear out to their various activities.

  And he had no idea when Dixon and Jane would be back, so he needed to get in there and scope it out before they did. He’d assumed when they bugged out like that, Dixon would have brought his laptop. This was his chance to get the video his boss wanted destroyed. He should be able to log in to any online backup sites and delete them there too.

  The area began to thin out as people loaded up in vehicles and went out to experience all the outdoor fun. Just before eleven, he was the only one sitting in the shade. Now was his chance.

  He rose and stretched as if he had all the time in the world, then wandered over to the RV. He pulled out his lock-picking tools and bent over the door. In seconds he had it open.

  He heard a growl and lunged back as a red dog leaped for him. He jumped out of the way, and the dog landed on the grass. In an instant he was inside with the door shut to keep the dog away.

  Nice digs. Luxury all the way. He wouldn’t mind having an RV tricked out like this one. Starting just behind the driver’s seat, he opened every cabinet searching for computers. Nothing but board games and personal belongings. Leaving the main area, he checked the bedroom. Aha, there was a laptop in a drawer beside the bed. He turned it on but found it was password protected. He could take it with him and try to figure out the password.

  That wouldn’t solve the dilemma though unless he could delete the files online too. His boss was getting impatient. He stuck a GPS locator on the underside of a drawer so he didn’t lose them again, then tucked the computer under his arm and headed to the door. Several people were nearby. He didn’t want them to be able to ID him, so he slid into the driver’s seat and exited that door, away from the people.

  Crouching low, he darted through the parked campers to his rental car and tossed the computer inside, then strolled back to his shady spot at the picnic table.

  He would probably still have to take them out. It wasn’t something he was looking forward to, but his boss was getting antsy. They were a week out from the planned event, and it was his job to make sure nothing happened to derail it.

  Twenty-Five

  Her mother was dead.

  The wind in Jane’s face dried her tears. Somehow that hadn’t been one of the possible ways she’d seen this day playing out. It was silly to cry, wasn’t it? She hadn’t seen her mother in fifteen years, and she hadn’t been important enough for her mother to try to contact her. Not a card, not a phone call. Just heavy, painful silence.

  So why did this hurt so much now? She’d been carrying some kind of hopeless dream around for years. It was time it died and she buried it.

  It was a while before she realized Reid had taken her hand. She glanced over at him as he turned into the entrance to the campground. She nearly lost her composure completely when she saw the sympathy in his brown eyes. She sniffled and struggled to keep it together.

  She lifted her hoarse voice above the wind and the sound of the engine. “Any word from the kids?”

  “I don’t think so. My phone didn’t vibrate. They’re probably having fun. I paid for a rafting trip before we left, and they should be under the spray of Cumberland Falls about now. We should go out tonight on the ten thirty moonbow trip.”

  “Moonbow? What’s that?”

  “The spray from the waterfall creates a rainbow illuminated by the full moon. This is the only place it occurs in the Western Hemisphere.”

  “Wow, I’d love to see that.” Her voice sounded stronger to her own ears.

  “Maybe we can.” He parked the four-wheeler in the row of others like it, then consulted his watch. “It’s only noon. We’ve got the rest of the day to enjoy ourselves. Anything fun jump out at you?”

  Did she want to huddle in the motor home and mourn the loss of a dream, or did she want to push it all away and deal with it another day? “What are our choices?”

  She’d always been good at running. Why change now? But no, she wasn’t going to run. Not this time.

  “Rafting. Zip lining, geocaching, hiking, tubing. The list goes on and on. I grabbed a brochure this morning when I paid for the kids’ raft trip. I’ll run the keys in and meet you back at the RV. The brochure is on the table. See if anything sounds intriguing.” He tossed her the RV back door keys.

  She nodded and climbed out. Trekking down the road to the RV, she turned over today’s news. Would Dad be surprised, or had he known all along about Mom’s death and didn’t tell h
er? It was a hard thing not to trust your father. If only he would talk to her about it, but he clammed up every time.

  She unlocked the door and tried to turn the handle, but it wouldn’t open. She turned the key again, and this time it easily swung open. Had it been unlocked? Surely the kids would have locked it behind them. On high alert she climbed the steps into the RV and peered inside before entering. The kids had put their things away, and the place felt empty.

  She took a step inside and sniffed the air. Nothing strange stood out—no unknown cologne or anything problematic. She was being jumpy for no good reason. “Parker?”

  He didn’t woof, and there was no movement. Where was her dog? A quick survey of the motor home showed he wasn’t inside.

  Her chest compressed, and she rushed for the door and exited into the sunshine. “Parker!”

  A movement from the trees caught her attention, and Parker came running to her. She knelt and threw her arms around him. “How’d you get out?” She took him back inside. Talking to Olivia might help her get past this jittery feeling, so she placed a quick call to her friend. “Hey, girl, how’s your mom?”

  “Doing better. Surgery is over, and the doctor thinks she’ll be fine. How are the kids?”

  Jane smiled at Olivia’s normal voice. No slurring. “Out on a Cumberland Falls rafting trip. Um, we just got back from the compound.”

  “You sound funny. Did you talk to her?”

  “No.” Jane’s throat thickened, and she cleared it with a quick cough. “The leader there said she’s dead.”

  “Dead? Oh, Jane, I’m so sorry. I wasn’t expecting that.”

  “I wasn’t either. He didn’t give me any details. There’s no death certificate anywhere. I’ve been looking for any mention of her. Maybe they buried her and didn’t report it.”

  She turned at a sound and Reid entered. “I’d better go. I wanted to tell you.”

  “I’m praying for you.”

  “I know you are. Thanks.” She ended the call and set her phone on the table. “Olivia’s mom is doing fine.”

  “That’s good.” His frown stayed in place. “I’ve been mulling over what Gabriel said. They believe they have the true religion, so why would he say your mom is in hell? Something doesn’t jive.”

  Her eyes widened. “You’re right. And he sounded like he hated her. What do you suppose she did to him? Could he have killed her?”

  “I wondered the same thing. I wish we’d talked to one of the women who might have known her.”

  “You recognized him.”

  Reid went to the fridge and got out two root beers. He handed one to her and took a swig of his. “He was my bunkmate at Liberty’s Children. He complained about Will crying all the time. I wouldn’t be surprised if he was punished when I sneaked out. He didn’t stop me, and he could have. He saw me go.”

  “He seemed to be the leader.”

  “His dad was the head of the sect when I was there. He’d only be in his late sixties now, but I didn’t see him. Maybe he died.”

  “I don’t know much more than I did before we came.”

  Reid set down his drink and wrapped his arms around her. “We knew it wasn’t likely to be a good confrontation, honey. Let it go. Move on.”

  She nestled her head against his chest and listened to the slow, steady beat of his heart. “I’ll try.”

  He pressed a kiss against her hair, then released her. “I forgot to get a brochure for the moonbow tour. I’m going back to the office to get it. Be back shortly.”

  * * *

  He wasn’t sure he’d make it much longer without sleep.

  Reid walked across the lawn toward the RV. The side door stood open, and Jane passed in front of it. Had she opened it for fresh air? Maybe it was hot inside, and he had the keyless fob to start it. He changed directions and went to the driver’s door so he could kick on the air and cool off the interior.

  He hit the button and the lock clicked, but it wouldn’t open so he punched it again. This time it opened. It hadn’t been locked when he first tried it, but that was impossible. He distinctly remembered checking all the front locks before they left. They’d told the kids to lock the one side door. This wasn’t his property, and he wanted to make sure he didn’t neglect security in any way.

  He climbed in and started the engine, then turned the air on high. When he swiveled his chair to the back, he saw Jane closing the side door.

  He frowned. “My door wasn’t locked, and I know I checked the locks before I left.”

  “The side door was unlocked as well. I didn’t see anything of mine missing. And Parker was outside somehow.”

  “I’d better check my stuff too.”

  He searched every nook and cranny before going to the bedroom. Will would have to check his things. Megan too. Reid had stashed his belongings in the side table to the right of the bed, and as soon as he slid open the second drawer, he saw his laptop was gone.

  Everything was backed up, but having a thief rummaging through things torqued him off. His former videographer had stolen from him, too, and it never felt good.

  He slammed the drawer and went to rejoin Jane. “Someone stole my laptop.”

  “Oh no! It was a nice one too. Will insurance cover it?”

  “Maybe. Theft makes you feel so violated though. Someone watched until we left, then went through all of our things.” He moved past her to the side door and stepped down a step to examine the lock. “There are scratches around the handle. Someone used tools to get in.”

  “I wonder if the place has security cameras. I’m going to go check.”

  “I’ll come with you.”

  Even having her out of his sight made his chest tighten. The intruder could still be around. In fact, he probably was still around. Could it have anything to do with the threat back in Pelican Harbor? He didn’t know how it could be possible, but something about this felt all wrong and entirely too coincidental.

  He followed Jane into the campground office where she registered the complaint about the RV being burglarized.

  Jane showed her badge. “Do you maintain security cameras around the campsite?”

  “We do,” the young man said.

  “I’d like to see them.”

  He blinked and glanced around. “I’ll have to ask the supervisor. No one has ever asked this before.” He walked off to speak to an older man in the back before returning. “Follow me.”

  He led them to a cluttered back office and swept away the papers in the way of the monitor. “It happened today? What’s your lot number?”

  Reid told him, and he pulled up the camera facing that direction. “We were gone about two hours so start it about nine thirty.”

  The employee nodded and fast-forwarded to the right time. “I need to get back to work.”

  Reid sat at the desk with Jane leaning over his shoulder. The camera was old and the video wasn’t as crisp as he would have wanted but clear enough to see a man approaching the RV a little after ten.

  He paused the picture when the guy looked toward the camera as if to see if anyone was watching. “Recognize him?”

  She studied the monitor. “No. How about you?”

  “He sort of looks familiar. I’ve seen him, but I can’t place him. Let me see if I can print this out.” He fiddled with the machine and figured out how to print it. The printer whirred to life and spit out a grainy picture.

  He started the video again, and they watched as the man managed to gain entry to the RV. He was inside ten minutes, and the camera recorded movement on the far side of the RV into the shadows.

  Reid pointed at the screen. “I think that’s him leaving out the driver’s door.”

  “Check out the people standing around the motor home. He was probably afraid of being seen.”

  They watched a few more minutes until the man strolled around the back of the lots and settled at a picnic table under the trees. When the video ended, he was still sitting there.

  Jane turned for the
exit. “Come on! He might still be there.”

  They rushed through the store past other campers who stared at their hasty departure. Reid shoved open the door and turned toward the picnic area.

  “He’s still there.”

  Against his better judgment, he let Jane go ahead of him since she had the badge and authority to question the thief, but he wanted to grab the guy by the scruff of his neck and get his computer back. But more importantly, he wanted to know if he’d followed them from Pelican Harbor somehow.

  He looked way too familiar for it to be a coincidence.

  They hurried toward him, and the guy bolted to his feet and ran the opposite way, disappearing into the trees. Reid sprinted past Jane and tried to catch him, but he reached a blue car and drove away before he could reach him. He memorized the license plate, then tapped it into his phone.

  Jane caught up with him, and he showed her the number. “At least we can track him.”

  But a phone call later indicated he’d stolen a license plate. Reid had to remember where he’d seen the guy.

  “I need to see the kids,” Jane said.

  “I was about to say the same thing. Their raft trip should be docking in a few minutes.”

  Twenty-Six

  Jane’s fingernails bit into her palms from her tight fists. She needed to see her boy.

  The kids were pink from the sun and smiling from ear to ear as they got off the raft. Jane wanted to hug Will tight, but she didn’t want to embarrass him. She drank in the sight of his broad shoulders, so like his father’s.

  Will lifted his hand when he saw them waiting. “Hey, Mom. Dad. It was a great trip. We went right under the spray of the falls. See?” He shook his wet hair all over Jane.

  She laughed and gave his arm a playful punch. “Looks like you had a good time. You hungry?”

  “Starving. We have any hot dogs to throw on the grill?”

  “I packed some unless you ate them cold last night.”

  “Yuck.” Megan was holding Will’s hand as they moved toward the RV.

  Jane followed behind them and hid a frown at the sight of their linked hands. She wasn’t ready to lose Will to another woman yet. They were just finding the rhythm of their relationship. She loved Megan, but was it wrong to want to have her newfound son to herself for a while?