by Lenora Worth
Samantha took off running toward the road. “He has Emmie? Is she okay? Why would he do that? Why did he take you right away?”
“Because he thought I’d tell him where you are. He wouldn’t let me go. I’ve been with him for days,” Dorothea said. “Hurry, Samantha. He’s threatening to kill both of us if you don’t come.”
The line went dead.
Samantha tried to absorb what Dorothea had told her. She’d been with Leon this whole time? Why hadn’t he used Dorothea as a way to get to Samantha? A sick wave of fear roiled through her stomach. Jed had said the woman looked like Samantha.
Dorothea was older and her hair was shorter, but they both had the same color hair and were about the same size.
Had Dorothea been forced to trick Emmie into going with her? Dorothea could have easily called Patch and offered him a treat. He had always loved Dorothea’s treats.
That had to be it. Dorothea had taken Emmie—another evil Leon had forced on an innocent person.
Samantha took off running, tears streaming down her face. When she saw the black truck creeping toward her, she waved the driver down. Just as she was about to get in, she heard Patch barking.
Then she heard Micah screaming at her. “Neh, Samantha, don’t do this. Let me go. I’ll go with them instead.”
Samantha gave him one last long glance as he ran toward her, then got in the truck with the two men. She couldn’t look back or hide the angry tears that fell down her face. She had to do this for Micah and the twins.
She’d prayed for a way to make this end. Now it would, one way or another. She had to find Dorothea and Emmie.
* * *
Nathan and Alisha came. Micah explained what had happened. He was numb with the kind of pain that he remembered after his parents had been killed. He couldn’t lose Emmie, not this way. And he didn’t want to lose Samantha—not to that madman who’d been after her for close to a month now.
“Did she take her phone?” Nathan asked. “We might be able to track her if they don’t know she had it on her.”
Micah had seen her take it out of her apron. Putting his hands against his stomach, he said, “She had it tucked in front, between her dress and her apron where the sash ties, to keep it from falling out.”
“That’s good,” Nathan said. “Let’s tell Captain Schroder.”
“He took off after them, but we haven’t heard from him,” Martha said. “What can we do, Nathan?”
“You all need to stay here, in case Emmie might come back. That’s a long shot. Stanton obviously has her somewhere nearby. She’s smart. She might escape on her own.”
Martha touched Nathan’s arm. “What about Samantha?”
“She’s smart, too,” Nathan said. “She’ll do what she can to help Emmie.” He gave Micah a calm, serious glance. “You know she got into that truck to keep them from doing harm to Emmie. Stanton bided his time and went for something that would make Samantha cave—he took someone she cared about.”
Nathan went to his truck where he had a laptop connected to his Wi-Fi. When he returned, he looked grim. “I got through to the captain. He doesn’t have the equipment to track a phone to the nearest tower. Even if Samantha has it and it’s on, we can’t find her.”
Jed ran up. “Take Patch. He’s been restless and whining. I think he can track her with his nose.” When they looked skeptical, he went on. “That’s how she found the bad place. Patch took her to it.”
Micah didn’t even ask how Jed knew that. His siblings had a way of hearing adults talking. Maybe that would turn out to work in their favor this time.
“You’re right,” Micah said, because he knew Jed felt as guilty as he did about this.
“It wouldn’t hurt to try,” Nathan said. “We can call for more help, but we’d have to wait.”
“Let’s go now,” Micah said. “They can catch up.”
“I’m ready,” Jed said, looking taller than he had a couple of hours ago.
“Neh, you stay here,” Micah replied. “I don’t want you to get in trouble, too.”
Jed looked disappointed, but he stood back.
Nathan gathered Jeremiah, Josiah, Tobias and Micah. After a brief discussion with Rebecca, Isaac agreed to stay with the women.
“Kumm, Patch,” Micah said. “Show us where they took Emmie.”
The little dog wasted no time taking them toward the woods. Patch turned in a different direction from where they’d been searching.
“He’s taking us over the bridge,” Micah said as the men followed behind. They moved through the trees, staying silent. Patch seemed to understand. He only stopped to sniff the ground and the air.
Micah figured the woman had stayed on foot, thinking no one would notice and Emmie wouldn’t be afraid of searching. He tried to block out the pain of knowing his sister had been taken away and was now in the hands of a horrible, demented man.
Dear Gott, please help me find both of them. I love Emmie and I love Samantha. I know that’s wrong, but I love her.
It seemed they’d walked for hours when it had only been about an hour. Nathan stopped and held up a hand, then pointed to a rickety old barn at the edge of the foothills of Green Mountain.
The five men hovered behind some scrub bush and rocks, the lush green of the forest hiding them. Patch stood trembling, a low growl emitting from his fierce mouth.
When Micah heard footsteps behind them, he turned to find Jed hiding about ten feet away. Jed saw him and belly-crawled closer.
“I had to kumm, Micah. I have to help get Emmie and Samantha back, please?”
Micah tugged Jed close. “Don’t do anything foolish.”
Jed nodded, his green eyes misty. He must have been following them the whole time.
Patch turned and spotted Jed, then rushed to his side and danced around, but he kept his yelps low. The dog wanted to charge inside. They had to plan this out and make it work. Or they could lose both of the people they held dear.
TWENTY-ONE
Samantha sat with Emmie in a dark corner of the old barn, their hands tied to a post, their feet tied together at the ankles. The scents of brittle hay and damp earth mingled with the woodsy smell of green trees and a hint of rain to come.
Off in the distance, lightning sparked through the sky, followed by a clap of thunder that shook the ground.
Still numb at seeing Leon again, Samantha closed her eyes and fought to gather her courage. He’d been waiting when the truck had pulled up. He’d “escorted” her into what looked like a falling-down tack room and shoved her on the floor. She’d glanced up to find Emmie shivering in a corner, dirt and tears covering her sweet face.
“Get over there with her,” Leon said. The face she’d once remembered as handsome and caring had now become full of rage and resolve, his gold-brown hair tousled and unkempt. His blue eyes held an icy chill while he twisted her arms behind her in a painful, deliberate way. “Miss me much?”
Samantha glared at him but refused to show her fear.
“It will be all right,” she kept telling Emmie. “I won’t let him hurt you. They’ll find us.”
“No, they won’t find you,” Leon said, his face so close she saw the danger in his eyes. “We’ll be leaving together soon.”
Leon tried to reach for her face when someone called him from the other corner of the barn. Irritation radiated like heat waves off his face. “I’ll be right back, darling.”
“I didn’t find Patch,” Emmie blurted after he’d stalked away. “I had to find him. That woman told me she’d seen him in the woods, so we kept walking and walking. I could hear him barking.”
“They tricked you,” Samantha said. “We’re going to get out of here.” She tried to twist the ropes around her wrists. “Keep working on your ties, Emmie. Stop if the door opens and once you’re free, pretend you’re still tied. I’ll get us out o
f here. Okay?”
Emmie nodded, her fingers working frantically on the old rope.
The door opened about a second after Samantha had given that last warning. Leon walked in, Dorothea with him. Why wasn’t she tied up, too?
Samantha looked her over. Dorothea only gave her a twisted smile. “Surprise.”
“Are you girls having fun?” Leon asked, his tone full of disdain. “A reunion between friends? Almost as touching as watching you bond with the Plain folks.”
“Leon, let Emmie go,” Samantha said, hoping he’d listen to reason. “I’m here now and...she has no part of this. She’s a child.”
Leon leaned over them, causing Emmie to scoot closer to Samantha. “I’ve heard a lot of your conversations, sweetheart. You and that Amish man laughing and talking, you walking around with the wash in your arms, hanging clothes like a maid.”
“You wouldn’t understand,” she said, a hiss in her words. “You only know how to bully people, deal in stolen goods and...destroy innocent human beings. And you’ve killed two people, maybe three if we add your former wife.”
She looked from his angry frown to Dorothea’s tight, smug smile. “Did you know about this, Dorothea? Is that why you’re still alive?”
Dorothea walked up to Leon. “I think it’s time we tell her. I mean, she won’t be around to do any damage this time, right?”
Leon laughed and pulled Dorothea close. “I guess you’re right, honey. I think I got the smarter blonde, after all.” Giving Samantha a glance that told her he’d be happy to end it all, he said, “Dorothea is one of my top sellers. She moves the fancy designer purses and jewelry. And makes a nice sum of money.”
Samantha felt sick to her stomach. Her best friend, the assistant she’d counted on and trusted, had betrayed her in the worst kind of way. “You two deserve each other,” she said. “Do what you want with me, but please let Emmie go.”
Leon pushed Dorothea away. “If I let the kid go, will you come back to me?” he asked, his voice now silky and smooth.
Dorothea gasped. “Leon, what are you doing? You can’t be serious?”
“I’ll go with you,” Samantha said. “First, you have to send Emmie back to her family. That’s the only way.”
“Deal,” Leon said, moving toward her. “Now that wasn’t so hard, was it? We could have done this much sooner if the whole Amish community had minded their own business and stayed out of this.”
Samantha breathed a sigh of relief. Once Emmie got away, she’d manage until help came or she’d die trying.
Dorothea blocked Leon, her eyes wild with anger, her blond hair loose and flying around her face. “You can’t do that. You said your feelings for her weren’t real. You said you loved me.”
Leon glanced from Dorothea to Samantha. “You’re the one who isn’t being real,” he said. “I only used you to get closer to Samantha. She’s the real prize. Or at least she was.” He grabbed Dorothea again. “Now, I’ll have to kill you. Then I can leave the country and finally start over. With Samantha.”
* * *
“Two guards,” Jeremiah said after crawling back to their hiding place. “Stanton and the woman are inside. I saw Samantha and Emmie. They’re alive and tied up.”
Micah swallowed his relief. He still had to get them away from Stanton.
“How do we get past the guards?” Tobias asked.
Nathan pulled out a handgun. “This might help.”
Jeremiah shook his head, a calm restraint in his eyes. “I’ll take care of them. When I start toward the cabin, all of you except Jed need to rush toward the doors. Don’t worry about me and don’t stop. Get in, get your loved ones, and get out. Nathan can cover you. Jed, you keep Patch with you.”
Micah nodded, knowing he could trust his friend. “So we charge him while you single-handedly take those guards?”
Jeremiah nodded. “Ja, with all the might you can muster. And while you’re doing that, Samantha and Emmie will do their part to escape.”
“How can you be sure?” Micah asked, needing assurance.
“They are together and they are smart,” Jeremiah said. “Trust them and, Micah, trust me.”
Micah took a deep breath and nodded. “Ja.”
* * *
While Leon and Dorothea argued and paced, Samantha and Emmie went to work on getting each other free. After straining and tugging at the frayed ropes, Samantha felt hers give. Next, she helped Emmie finish getting her hands loose.
Motioning to Emmie, she scooted around so she could hide Emmie while the girl managed to get her feet free. Keeping her eyes on Leon, Samantha loosened the rope around her tennis shoes. She was free and so was Emmie.
Whispering to Emmie, she said, “When I tell you to run, you do it. I’ll say run and you go and don’t look back, okay?”
Tears brimmed in Emmie’s eyes. “I don’t want to leave you.”
“I’ll be okay,” Samantha said through the pain in her throat. “I promise,” she whispered. “Scoot toward that door over there.”
Emmie looked to the left. “I see it.”
“Okay, when I say run, you run to that door as fast as you can. If you get lost, stay hidden and wait for help.”
Emmie sniffed. “I’ll get help. Patch will find us.”
Leon roared at Dorothea. “I have given you so many opportunities. You came to me, remember?”
“Because you flirted with me and told me you were going to dump Miss High-and-Mighty,” Dorothea replied, her skin mottled with red and her eyes desperate and wild. “If you don’t take care of them now, we’ll never be free, Leon.”
Leon ran a hand over his spiked hair. “I’m not going to kill her, Dorothea. I want to take her with me.”
“Over my dead body.”
He grabbed Dorothea by the throat. “That can easily be arranged.”
“Now, Emmie,” Samantha screamed. “Run!”
Emmie hopped up and took off, her hands pushing the old door open. It banged against the outside wall, jarring Leon away from Dorothea.
He immediately went to Samantha and lifted her in the air, his fingers digging into her arms. “What have you done? You’re not going anywhere.”
“Maybe not,” she said, each word full of rage. “Emmie is free and that’s all that matters now.”
Leon held her close. “I’ll never let you go.”
Dorothea stood staring at them, a rusty pitchfork raised over her head. “If you don’t kill her, Leon, I will.”
* * *
Jeremiah gave the all clear and went after the two guards. He grabbed one from behind and had him down before the other one noticed. When the man swung around, Jeremiah knocked him out cold and tossed him against the other one. Then he disabled their weapons and tossed them in the bushes.
Micah and the others rushed toward the rickety double doors at the front of the barn. Patch barked sharply and squirmed in Jed’s arms.
They heard shouting from inside and another door on the far side of the barn burst open. Jeremiah whirled to see Emmie running out. She saw him and ran into his arms. Jeremiah held her close. “You’re okay. You’re okay. Where is Samantha?”
Micah heard her sobs. “Inside. They have her.”
Jed ran up to Jeremiah. “Go. I’ll watch out for my sister.”
Jeremiah gave the boy a pat on the arm and took off toward the others.
Micah hit the doors hard. The old wood splintered as he rushed in, the others behind him. Nathan had his weapon drawn.
“Samantha?” Micah called. A woman with blond hair lay still on the floor, her eyes open and staring up, blood pouring from her chest.
“Samantha?” he cried, rushing toward the woman.
“Samantha is right here.”
Micah pivoted as the other men came inside behind him.
Leon Stanton now had a bloody
knife aimed for Samantha’s heart. “You’re too late. We were just on our way out.”
Samantha stared at Micah, her blue eyes full of unshed tears. She held her gaze on him as if he were a lifeline.
Nathan held up his gun. “No.”
“Put that down or I’ll kill her right here,” Leon said, his eyes wild and glassy as he inched the knife closer. “I have to take her with me. She ruined my life so she has to pay. I’ll make her pay—away from all of you.” He shot an angry glare at Micah. “She will always belong to me.”
Micah stepped forward, but Jeremiah held him. “I won’t let you take her,” Micah said to Leon.
Leon scoffed and held Samantha tight. “You can’t keep her from me. You tried and you failed. Even the two Amish boys I hired failed me. I had to take care of them, too.”
Nathan lowered the gun to the floor and held his hands up. “I think we should at least discuss how this is gonna play out. Samuel Kemp is still alive and he’s talking now. Understand?”
Leon snorted. “Nice try.” He moved toward the door, parting the crowd. Jeremiah shot Micah a warning look, but Micah was beyond being careful. He looked into Samantha’s eyes and knew he’d walk through fire to save her.
Before he could make a move they heard barking followed by a canine snarl. Patch leaped through the open doors and jumped toward Leon’s leg, sinking his little teeth in deep.
Leon screamed and tried to pry his leg away. That gave Micah just enough time to grab Samantha and lift her out of Leon’s grasp while Nathan grabbed the knife and Josiah knocked Leon to the ground.
Jeremiah put his booted foot on Leon’s back then lifted him up, holding him against the wall. “Do not think of moving,” he said on a low, confident note.
Patch held on, his brown eyes triumphant, his growls daring anyone to make him stop.
Micah held Samantha in his arms. “It’s over,” he whispered. “It’s finally over.”
Samantha clung tightly to him, her eyes full of relief. “Emmie?”
“She’s with Jed,” Jeremiah said, his arm bearing down on Leon’s upper back. “We need to get in touch with Captain Schroder.” He reached down and found Leon’s phone. “You won’t mind if I borrow this, right?”