by Dana R. Lynn
Tentatively, she pulled her head back. Ouch! Her hair was caught, tangled up in the shrubbery in at least four places. Her fingers trembled and her eyes watered as she worked to free each strand. Twice, she gasped as thorns pricked her tender flesh. Her efforts finally paid off, and she was able to stand back. Her throat was dry as she poked her head up to get a cautious look around her.
No one was there.
Willa and the Harveys had disappeared.
But what about Seth? A breath she hadn’t realized she was holding exploded from her as she watched his curly hair rise up from behind the truck so he could assess the area. His eyes were sharp as he glanced away. Almost remote. But they seemed to warm with relief when they landed on her.
Without a word, he motioned for her to meet him near the back of the house. She nodded to show her understanding, then painfully began to inch her way out of the bushes. Heart pounding, she forced herself to move past the large picture window, thankful that the curtains were still drawn. Although there was a tiny gap in the center where someone could see her if they had been looking that direction at just the right moment.
Shaking her head to forcibly stop that thought from gaining hold of her imagination, she continued on, step by terrifying step. She had never felt as vulnerable as she did now. Even in high school, she feared only bullies who would harass and humiliate her but had no interest in physically harming her. Now, she was afraid someone would leap out and kill her.
When she finally arrived to meet Seth, he still didn’t say a word. Instead, he grabbed hold of her cold hand and started walking toward the woods behind his uncle’s house.
Unable to resist, Jess looked back over her shoulder. The rain had stopped, and the house and grounds looked peaceful. The flooded creek was still swollen, angrily rushing and churning. The bridge...well, the bridge wasn’t. Not anymore. It was buried under the water.
They had no choice.
Setting her jaw, she turned back and followed Seth. Whether or not he had an agenda, he was her only hope right now.
Not her only hope. She sent up a swift prayer. Protect us, Lord. Keep us safe. And please let Seth be someone I can trust.
It didn’t take long before walking quietly through the mud and the muck grew old. Her boots frequently met resistance when she set her feet down in a particularly squishy spot, forcing her to slow down to jerk her foot loose.
Five miles. They had to move five miles to reach the Miller house, most of it through Amish country. If they were on the main road, there would even be a sign that announced to tourists Welcome to Amish Country.
Lots of hills. Lots of dirt roads. There would be businesses and traffic on the main street, but most of the traffic around the Millers would be buggies and the occasional truck. It would either be the best place to hide from a killer or the easiest place to be found.
She shuddered. Not a thought she wanted in her head at the moment, thank you very much. She’d had enough of being chased by a maniac to last her several lifetimes. Her mind filled with the memory of being shoved down the stairs.
How far had they gone? Was it safe enough to talk? She had to say something or she’d go out of her mind from her own imagination.
“Seth!”
Seth whirled, his eyes jerking back and forth. Uh-oh. He thought there was trouble. She flinched. She hadn’t meant to say his name that loud.
“Sorry. Just wondered if we could talk now? I’m going crazy with my own thoughts.”
After a moment of hesitation, he nodded slowly, but his expression was wary. “We can talk,” he said, signing as he spoke. It was a good thing—he was talking so softly she could barely make out what he was saying. “What do you want to discuss?”
Now was the time to lay her cards out on the table. See his reaction when his aunt’s name was brought up. Caution kept her tongue still even as every instinct told her he wasn’t involved in anything.
When she didn’t say anything, he shrugged and started to move again. She had no choice but to follow. Guess they weren’t going to talk, after all. Swallowing a disappointed sigh, she trudged along, irritation brewing.
A moment later, he slowed down so they could walk side by side.
“Tell me about Cody,” he said, breaking the silence and jarring her composure with the quick intrusion into her personal life. “But only if you want to?”
Huh? Oh, she hadn’t replied. Did she want to tell him about Cody? Yes, she was shocked to say she did.
“Sorry. Didn’t mean to shut down on you there. You startled me that’s all.” What to say? “Cody was a really good guy. And a great brother. He was the only one in my family who really got me, you know?” She took his quick half smile as acknowledgment and plunged ahead. “When we were growing up, my parents were so busy working, often it was just the two of us. He didn’t care that I needed him to face me when he talked. Or that I sometimes needed him to sign. His friends told him I was faking to get attention, using my deafness like a game.”
“I have noticed that sometimes you seem to do better at reading lips than others.”
She nodded. There hadn’t been any censure in his expression, she was relieved to note. Only acceptance. “Yeah. English is a tricky thing. So many words look the same. And then some voices I can hear better than others. Mostly male voices.”
“I noticed that.”
She tossed him a smirk. “And then there are some people who cover their mouths with their hands while they talk. Or barely move their mouths...”
“Or have beards,” he interrupted with an air of revelation. “Ernie once said if he were president he would ban full beards and mustaches.”
She choked back a laugh, not wanting to be too loud. “Yeah, beards can be really bad.”
Sobering, she let her mind drift over memories of growing up with Cody. “What I really loved about Cody was his gentleness. He was truly hurt by cruelty toward horses. The foundation was his passion. He was driven to protect and rescue the horses. There’s no way he would have stolen money. Or done anything to injure the horses. And he was very devout. I refuse to believe he would or could go against God that way.”
Seth shuffled a bit, head down.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”
A hint of a smile flickered on his face and was gone.
“No. That’s okay. Growing up in my house, I learned skepticism at a young age.”
What did you say to that? Except, “You want to talk about it?”
He shook his head. Then seemed to change his mind. “My mom was sick for as long as I could remember. I learned early on that my dad wasn’t faithful to her. They went to church every week, and still he cheated on her. Joe Travis, such a great family man.”
Bitterness twisted his mouth. “It really hit home one day when I was in high school. I think it was just after you left. I came home and my mom was unconscious on the floor. I called 911. And I tried to call my dad but his office staff had no idea where he was. The paramedics showed up just as my mom started having a seizure. I know they saved her life. My dad arrived after she was already at the hospital. He looked worried, said all the right things, but when I got close to him, I saw that he had the proverbial lipstick on his collar. I used to think that was such a cliché. Until I saw it on my old man.”
He stalked away a few feet, leaned with one hand against a tree. Her heart broke for him. She went to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Her hand trembled. So did his shoulder.
He moved away, and her hand dropped back to her side. When he turned back to her, his face had been wiped clean of all emotion.
Beckoning with his head, he indicated that they should continue moving.
Desperate for a positive direction to take the conversation, she focused on the rest of what he’d said—the way the paramedics had saved his mother.
> “Is that why you became a paramedic?” she asked.
“Yes. And it’s also why I haven’t set foot in a church, outside of a few weddings and funerals here and there, since high school. I figure God kinda turned His back on me. So I just returned the favor.”
SEVEN
They wound their way through the woods until Jess no longer had any sense of which direction they were traveling in. The rain-scented mist filled her nostrils. Her boots sank into the wet earth with each step. Gradually, her socks became wet. She must have a crack somewhere in her supposedly waterproof boots. Great. Just what she needed.
Still, she said nothing. Just followed where Seth lead. Every now and then, he glanced down at the compass he had pulled from his pack. But he never slowed, never appeared unsure of where they were going.
She had to admit, she was pretty impressed with him so far. He was showing a side of himself she never would have imagined. It was no longer a stretch to picture him teaching survival skills to a group of eager boys.
He slowed, and turned to face her. It never failed to amaze her how aware of her need to see his face he was. It wasn’t that he rarely forgot. He never forgot. Ever.
“How are you doing?”
“Fine.” She didn’t want to admit her feet were getting wet and sore. What good would it do? He raised his brows, tilting his head to give her a searching glance. Obviously, he wasn’t convinced.
“Are you sure?” he asked. “We’ve probably only gone about a mile and a half. I can still hear the creek, so we’re going in the right direction.”
That surprised her. “The creek?”
He nodded. “Yeah, we have to follow it for about three miles, then head west for the last two.”
“Okay.” Restraining the sigh that wanted to break free, she gave him what she hoped was a willing smile.
And received a concerned look from his brown eyes in return.
She really needed to work on her acting skills.
“Look, Jess, I wish we could rest, but my gut says we need to keep going. Sooner or later someone will notice we are gone. And I want to be far away when that happens.”
“I’m not complaining. Let’s keep going.”
He sighed, straightened his pack, and they started off again.
Five minutes later, they spotted the creek. It looked less frightening, now that they were above it. She could still see that it was higher than normal, but from this height, it was hard to determine how much higher.
Jess opened her mouth to comment. The comment was never made, however, as Seth whirled and threw a sharp glance behind them.
“I hear voices,” he signed.
She felt the blood draining from her face. There was nothing to hold anyone back from openly attacking her out here. And it was quite possible if they were killed, no one would ever find the bodies.
Seth grabbed hold of her hand and pulled her off the path. They moved at an angle, forward and closer to the creek, taking care to stay in the grass. No tracks, she thought.
“There’s an old path a little below us,” he signed. “If we’re quiet, we can use it, and hopefully no one will even know we’re there.”
Trepidation filled her as they walked closer to the edge of the shallow cliff. Looking down, she could clearly see a narrow path...about fifty feet below. Wildly, she whipped her gaze in Seth’s direction. He was kidding, right?
Nope. He was digging through his pack, bringing out ropes and a harness.
Her stomach lurched, but she swallowed hard to force it under control. If she got sick right here, that would leave a real clue as to where they were.
In spite of her trepidation, there was no way she could argue with Seth’s plan. They needed to leave this area. Every second they were closer to being found.
With sure and swift hands, Seth harnessed her and attached the rope.
“I’m going to lower you down. When you get to the path, move to the side, and keep your back against the cliff until I join you.”
She nodded, then allowed him to start lowering her. He had wrapped the rope around a tree, using it as a sort of pulley. His biceps bulged as he held the rope with both hands, using a foot against the tree to assist him in controlling the speed of her descent. She would have appreciated the sight a whole lot more if it weren’t for the terror racing through her system.
Her mind blank with panic, all she could think was, Please, Lord. Please, Lord. All the way down, she repeated her litany until her feet touched the path. The relief was so great, her knees started to buckle. Stiffening her legs, she remembered Seth’s directions and backed up against the wall over to the side, waiting for Seth. It seemed to take forever. What if he was having a problem? The sudden thump of his pack landing beside her made her start.
She looked up, and thought her heart had stopped.
Seth was on his way down, but he was climbing, rock by rock. Once he missed the rock with his foot, and in her mind, she could she him tumbling backward and over the edge to the creek below. Shoving her knuckles in her mouth to stifle any cries that might distract him, she watched, spellbound, as he made his way to her.
When he was a couple of feet above the path, he allowed himself to drop the rest of the way. Jess didn’t stop to think. She pushed herself away from the cliff and threw both arms around his waist, burying her head in his neck. She couldn’t stop shaking.
For about two seconds, Seth was still. Then his arms gently closed around her, and his hands rubbed her back. She felt his lips touch her hair.
Calmer, she backed out of his arms, slightly ashamed of her outburst. He didn’t seem bothered by it. His kind eyes searched her face. Then, apparently satisfied, he backed away, letting his own arms drop. With a rapidity that could only come from hours of practice, he had his gear repacked and his pack back on his shoulders.
“It’s okay,” he signed. “Let’s move along this path.” He bent his knees and brought his face level with hers. Trying to see directly into her eyes, she realized. Feeling self-conscious, she ducked her head. After a second, she glanced up under her lashes at him to find he was still focused on her face, a concerned twist to his mouth.
“I’m fine,” she signed.
She tried to still her trembling as he ran his eyes over her again. She was beginning to recognize that gaze as his paramedic one. It was focused and detached. But she thought she detected warmth in it.
His sudden grin distracted her. Cocky. Yeah, she remembered that grin. She felt herself grinning back without knowing why. His smile had always had that effect.
“It’s a good thing I didn’t lighten my pack.” He signed. “I debated on it, and decided not to.”
She held in her snort. Barely.
“It wasn’t just chance, you know. It was the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. God knew we would need that stuff. He’s always watching over us, trying to guide us. But He won’t force His will on us. The choice is ours.”
The discomfort that covered his face made her roll her eyes. Somehow she’d get through to him.
Or maybe not. Lord, use me to bring Seth back to You. And if not me, then bring him in contact with someone who will.
God could handle it from here. They had wasted enough time. She dropped the subject.
“Let’s just keep moving.”
The tension melted from his expression. He nodded and readjusted his pack. Then with a confidence she could only envy, he moved down the narrow path. Swallowing, she made the mistake of glancing down at the creek. Whoa. For a moment, she battled nausea. Sucking in deep breaths of cool air helped. There was something soothing about the smell of the forest.
“We are in Your hands, Lord. I trust You.”
It helped to keep one hand on the wall of dirt and rock beside her as she walked. It also made her feel safer when
she noticed that Seth kept checking on her. Despite her earlier fears about him, she now felt sure that he would do everything he could to keep her safe.
She had no concept of how long they traveled on that narrow path. The wind had kicked up, stinging her cheeks and making her eyes water as she trudged along. She had to frequently blink to clear her blurred vision.
What really made her anxious was that she had no idea what was happening up above. Her neck tingled with the feeling that there were eyes watching her. Her one good hearing aid was picking up the sound of the creek and amplifying it to the point that she was incapable of hearing anything else. Even if there were voices directly overhead, she would never hear them. Just one more way she was completely dependent on Seth.
No sooner had the thought popped into her mind than he abruptly stopped walking and half whirled toward her, eyes shooting her a desperate warning. Jess stopped dead in her tracks. What was she supposed to do?
Seth took care of that for her. Hurrying back to where she stood, he grabbed on to her and pulled her back with him up against the rocks. They stood silently together, hidden by a small overhang. If she moved forward three inches, she would be out of its protection. Her body started to tremble as she realized what was happening.
Someone was above them. She still couldn’t hear anyone, but she saw the rocks and debris that tumbled down past them from someone standing on the edge over their heads. Jess buried her face against Seth and squeezed her eyes shut. Beneath her cheek she felt the solid thud of his heart.
She focused on keeping her breathing calm. All she could do was stand still until Seth gave her a sign that it was clear.
They were trapped.
* * *
There were at least two people above him. Seth could hear the feet shuffling as one walked north and the other south. Then they moved together again. His body tensed as he heard the footsteps coming closer to the edge. Instinct had him holding Jess tighter, presser their bodies closer to the rocks. She was trembling, and the hand gripping his was like ice.
Probably a mixture of cold and fear. When they escaped from this situation, he’d have to see what he could do about making her warmer.