Plain Target

by Dana R. Lynn

  Martha stood and began to clear the table. “You must leave it in Gott’s hands.”

  Sure. Easier said than done.

  “There is nothing to be done this evening,” Levi said. “Tomorrow, we can think more about it.”

  “Levi,” Martha reproved her son. “Tomorrow is the Lord’s day.”

  “Jah, I know, Mam. We will talk, not work. That will wait for Monday.”

  “Don’t you have some kind of community phone?” He took a long slurp of coffee. Caffeine might not be healthy, but maybe it would jolt his system enough to keep him alert.

  “Jah. We have one. It is not working now. It was hit by a tractor.”

  Seth winced. The small wooden phone booths used to house a single emergency phone would not be able to withstand the force of a large tractor crashing into it.

  I now know what would make someone want to bang their head against a wall, Seth mused, twisting his mouth. Still, maybe a day of quiet would be a good thing. Jess obviously needed the rest. And the water level wouldn’t be down enough for them to cross the creek and return to LaMar Pond until Monday, at the earliest. Although, he suspected the electricity would be back by tomorrow. It might even be back now, but not where he was at.

  A new thought occurred to him. Was their sudden appearance throwing a wrench in the family’s plans? Funny, he hadn’t thought of it before, but now he shifted in his seat. He wasn’t religious. Hadn’t been inside a church since Maggie and Dan married. And even though he had prayed a couple of times in the past day or so, faith was still a bit of an alien concept to him. But for the Miller family, he suspected it was a way of life. And now he and Jess had disrupted this family’s life without warning just before the Sabbath day.

  “Um, I never thought... I mean, Jess and I, we don’t want to get in the way of your plans. So, um, if you need to, you know, go to church or something tomorrow?” He let the unfinished question hang there, feeling his ears grow warm as both Levi and his mother smiled at him.

  “We attend church every two weeks, and this is our at home week.” Levi reassured him. “After you and Jessica rest tonight, I will help you plan your next move. Tomorrow.”

  And with that, he had to be satisfied.

  If they could get to a phone, he could call Dan and bring him up to date on the facts. He knew his brother-in-law. Dan would take the situation seriously. Especially now that a body was involved. He and the rest of the police would want to drag the creek and search for Horn’s body so they could process it for evidence, like the ballistics from the bullet that killed him.

  The sawmill Levi worked at wasn’t that far from here. Three miles? Four? If Levi would agree to bring them there to use the phone, a whole lot of problems could be solved. He mentioned his line of thought to Levi.

  “Would the bullet help them find the person who killed the man who went over the cliff?”

  Seth smiled. It was kind of refreshing to talk with someone who wasn’t hooked on crime shows. He had gotten used to family members of patients questioning his decisions based on things they had seen on TV. Like that didn’t get old fast.

  “I can’t be sure. I’m not a cop, but I think that sometimes bullets can be traced to a specific type of gun. Maybe even a single gun, if it’s registered.” He rolled his eyes at that.

  “You don’t think this will happen?”

  A wry chuckle slipped out. “I find it highly unlikely that anyone would shoot someone with a gun registered in their own name. Unless it was an accident. And I doubt very much that this shooting was an accident. It’s more likely that whoever shot Horn intended to kill him all along. Horn threatened her, but I don’t think that made a difference.”

  “Her?” Levi’s eyes sharpened. Martha gasped as she walked into the room and heard the last comment.

  Seth colored. What a time to forget himself. That was not information he had planned on sharing. The Millers would be safer the less they knew.

  “I can’t be sure. But I thought I heard a laugh. It might have been a woman’s. Or it might have just sounded that way because I was so far away.”

  “What was the name of the man who was killed?” Levi took a gulp of hot coffee, nodding his thanks to his mother, who continued to unobtrusively fuss over the men and straighten up the large, cozy room. Sitting so near the warmth of the fire as the scents of coffee and pine mingled in the air was making him feel a little drowsy himself. It was no wonder Jess had fallen asleep.

  What had Levi asked? Oh, yeah. The name.

  “Vic Horn. I assume that’s short for Victor. I had never seen him before this weekend, and I thought I was pretty well acquainted with the horse crowd.”

  Levi rubbed his chin between his thumb and his forefinger, deep furrows creasing his forehead. “I have heard that name before.”

  Seth sat up, the sleepy fog that had started to envelop him disappearing.

  “You have? Where?” In his excitement, he unintentionally raised his voice. Both Levi and Martha looked at him, startled. Flushing, he realized he had come half up out of his chair, his hands clenched on the wooden arms. “Sorry,” he muttered, lowering himself back down into his seat.

  Martha returned to her chores. Levi flashed an unexpected half smile at him. It transformed his solemn face, making him look youthful.

  “I understand. You are anxious to find the person who would hurt Jessica. I do not remember where I have heard the name. I will try to remember so I can help you.”

  Disappointed, Seth nodded. How he wished he could do more.

  Right now, though, he was too tired to do anything.

  Martha had anticipated his needs. A bed in the small guest room had been made up with fresh sheets.

  “Jessica can sleep in Rebecca’s old room,” the motherly woman announced.

  Gently, Seth shook Jess’s shoulder. She jerked awake, eyes wide with fear.

  “Easy, Jess,” he signed to her. “You’ll be more comfortable in a bed. Mrs. Miller said you can sleep in Rebecca’s room.”

  She reminded him of a little girl as she yawned and used her knuckles to rub the sleep out of her eyes.

  “Where will you be?” She caught her lower lip in her teeth. Seth had seen that expression so often, yet now, seeing her tug at her lip made him wonder what it would be like to lean down and kiss her...

  Whoa, boy! This is no time to be thinking of romance. And you are certainly not the man to be considering any long-term relationship. The old argument felt false now. He wished he could make a different choice. The decision to remain single and unattached had seemed so logical, but now it seemed like a cold future.

  “I’ll be down here, Jess. Don’t worry. I will still be here in the morning.”

  He gave her what he hoped was an encouraging smile. Her smile back at him was somewhat confused, so he probably hadn’t completely succeeded. But she let Martha lead her up the stairs without comment. He was strangely heartened when she looked back over her shoulder at him before she entered the room.

  Then guilt struck. If she was starting to develop feelings for him, it would not end well for her. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her, again. Deep down, where he kept his feelings locked up, a round ball of fear festered. That fear that said he could never make any woman truly, lastingly happy. That he would never be worthy of a woman’s love.

  Jess’s words in the woods wove through his brain, making his heart ache with longing for what he had always believed was out of reach. Could she be right? Was God watching over them, prompting them softly like a father? Was God just waiting for him to make the next move?

  A wave of exhaustion crashed over him, and he felt himself swaying where he stood. Well, he was of no use to anyone like this.

  A hand on his shoulder jerked him alert.

  “Come,” Levi said, “I will show you where y
ou will sleep.” Levi led him down a hall to a small bedroom near the back of the house. The room was big enough for a bed and a dresser, and not much else. Fine with him. Looking closer, gratitude seized him. A pair of plain blue pajamas had been set on the bed. He hadn’t expected more than a place to rest for the night. Overwhelmed by the hospitality shown to him by these strangers, he thanked Levi in a choked voice.

  Wishing Levi a good night, he entered the room and prepared for bed. Changed and comfortable, he took a closer look at his clothes, shaking his head. It was a wonder these people let him into their house! They were covered in mud, and he counted no less than five rips in his shirt. Probably from rock climbing without protective gear. Well, he couldn’t regret that. Leaving a rope tied around a tree while he climbed down would have been like leaving a neon sign pointing directly to where he and Jess had been hiding. No. He would gladly accept a ripped up shirt if it meant that Jess was safe.

  As tired as he was, he should have fallen asleep immediately. Instead, he tossed and turned, the events of the past couple days rumbling around in his head, like equations that he needed to solve. But he didn’t have all the variables. Piece by piece, his mind sorted through the facts. Finally, he fell into a troubled sleep, dreaming of people falling off cliffs, bullet holes in their chests.

  He was jerked from his restless slumber several hours later, heart pounding. Faint light was streaming in through the window. It had to be closing in on five in the morning.

  Several dogs barked and growled ferociously right outside his window. A moment later, he heard something crashing. Running to the window, he was in time to see a shadowy figure limp away and disappear behind the barn. The dogs lurched forward on their chains, enraged, before they were jerked back by their collars. It couldn’t be a coincidence that an intruder would come to the house mere hours after they had arrived. And that meant just one thing.

  They had been found.

  NINE

  Seth rushed from his room, intent on stopping whoever was outside.

  Levi beat him to the back door. Without wasting time, the Amish man handed Seth a lantern and headed outside. Even though the sun was coming up, it was still dark in the woods and in the barn. Soon they were joined by an older man. Mr. Miller, Seth assumed. It was hard to make out the man’s features in the morning light. But what he could make out was the shape of a shotgun grasped in the older man’s large hands.

  Seth was shocked. He thought the Amish didn’t believe in violence. He said as much to Levi.

  “We will not shoot at a person, it is true,” Levi explained in his slow, deep voice. “We have had trouble with foxes getting to our chickens.”

  Mr. Miller nodded. “I am certain that is what has upset the dogs.”

  The three men carefully circled the house.

  “I don’t know. I have a bad feeling that whoever is after Jess might have found us.” Seth’s eyes scanned the horizon. Shadows danced near the woods, playing tricks on his imagination.

  Mr. Miller clucked his tongue. Seth knew disapproval when he heard it. “You must trust Gott. He will protect us.”

  Doubtful. Seth bit back a stinging retort, partially because he didn’t want to be disrespectful toward the man who was allowing Seth and Jess to stay in his home. But also because, in spite of himself, a small sliver of doubt had managed to wedge itself into his soul. He could no longer ignore the questions that had started to plague him about faith. Questions, he realized, that he had locked deep inside for years, but which had never really gone away. Somewhere in his heart, he had always wanted to believe.

  “I thought I saw someone limping away through there.” Seth pointed in the direction of the barn. Levi inclined his head. Seth understood. Lead the way. A sigh of relief burst from him. They might not believe in violence, but they would stand by his side as he tracked whatever he had seen from inside the house. He set out at a quick walk, almost a jog, carefully scanning the area around them as he moved. He was aware of Levi and Mr. Miller silently jogging at his elbows.

  Half an hour later, the men returned to the house, no closer to figuring out who or what the dogs had seen.

  Mr. Miller didn’t seem concerned. He mumbled something about trespassers as he shrugged out of his jacket. Then he replaced his gun and returned to his room.

  Seth stared after him, unsure what to do. “Levi, what if the trespasser was whoever’s after Jess? I can’t shake the feeling that we’ve been found.”

  “How?” Levi said in his calm, reasonable voice.

  Frustration bit at Seth. How on earth was he supposed to protect Jess when he couldn’t even tell where the danger was coming from?

  Why not ask God?

  No longer shocked by such thoughts, he paused.

  Fine. God, please help me protect Jessie.

  It was amazing, the sense of release that came with the thought. Huh. Maybe there was something to all this praying stuff, after all.

  “Seth, we can do nothing at the moment. Get some more sleep, and after we take care of the chores and eat breakfast, I will help you look again.”

  Sighing, Seth gave in. What else could he do?

  “I think even if you have been found, you are safe here, jah? The dogs will keep strangers away from the house. Jess is on the second floor. I do not believe anyone can get into her room without us knowing about it.”

  And with that, he had to be satisfied. Reluctantly, he went back into his room, knowing going back to sleep was impossible. Dragging a chair to the window, he sat, keeping watch.

  * * *

  Seth left his room, tucking the clean shirt that had been left for him into his trousers. Levi’s, he assumed. Good thing the Amish fellow was about his size. He followed the soft voices speaking in Pennsylvania Dutch to the kitchen.

  He braked as he entered the large room. There were a whole lot more people than he had been expecting. Mr. Miller came in the door, stomping his boots as he crossed to the table. He was followed by two younger men. Seth guessed their ages to be mid-to-late teens. A girl of around ten was near the counter with her mother. An older girl stood directly behind her. She didn’t spare Seth a glance as he entered, intent on fixing her sister’s hair. Neither girl wore a prayer kapp, although they were fully dressed in every other way.

  The rest of the room’s occupants waved greetings at him as he came to a clumsy halt. None of them showed any surprise at the sight of him, so they had probably all been made aware of their guests.

  Speaking of the guests... Seth felt someone at his shoulder, and knew without turning that it was Jess. He cast his eyes over his shoulder. His breath caught as he met her clear hazel eyes. The night’s sleep seemed to have done her good. Her eyes were bright, and there was color in her cheeks.

  She doesn’t know. The sheer cheekiness of the smile she tossed at him told him that she was completely unaware that her attacker might have found them. Now was not the time to let her know. Too many people around. He would wait until they had more privacy.

  Brushing past him, her fingers bumped into his hand. Electricity jolted through him. Her startled eyes met his. So she felt it, too. His fingers twitched.

  Not. Going. To. Happen.

  Distance, dude. Distance.

  Giving her what he hoped was a nonchalant smile, he returned his focus to the Millers.

  The door opened and Levi stomped in, his movements nearly identical to those of his father. He gave a small shake of his head at Seth. The pit of his stomach dropped. The message was clear. Levi had found no more trace of their early morning visitor.

  “The mare is lame this morning, Dat. Her left front leg seems to be paining her,” Levi announced.

  “Would you like me to look at her for you?”

  Seth blinked. He was a bit cowed surrounded by the large family. But Jess? She looked completely at ease
, even though she was back in her dirty clothes from the day before. Maybe no one here was her size.

  Levi ducked his head at Jess. “Jah. I did not see you. But I would like you to look at her.”

  Mr. Miller opened his mouth. He’s going to object, Seth thought. But Levi cut him off.

  “She knows more about horses than either of us, Dat.”

  Seth held his breath. If he went with her, then maybe that would be the opportunity to tell Jess about the trespasser. If she became emotional, there would be fewer eyes to see. He knew her well enough that she would hate others to see her in a weak moment.

  “It is time to eat.” Martha smoothly moved between the two men. Perfect timing. Seth wiped his mouth on his sleeve, hiding the smile that threatened to erupt at Martha’s obvious intervention. Out of the corner of his eye, Jess mimicked his movement.

  “Will you join us for breakfast?” Levi waved an arm toward the wooden table. Still off-balance, Seth waited until Jess sat, before placing himself at her side. Only when he was beside her did he remember his decision to distance himself. It didn’t matter that he had meant emotional distance. Sitting so close to her was like putting a cookie jar in front of a child with a sweet tooth.

  “Jessica, you are feeling better this morning, jah?” Martha asked.

  Silence.

  Frowning, Seth turned to Jess. It wasn’t like Jess to be rude and ignore her hostess. Jess met his gaze, a puzzled wrinkle creasing her brow. Adorable. Mentally shaking his head, Seth repeated the question, signing.

  Rich color flooded her cheeks.

  “Oh! I’m so sorry, Mrs. Miller! I didn’t hear you,” her mortified face whipped around to meet the older woman’s understanding gaze.

  “I understand. I forgot to get your attention before I spoke. You are gut?”

  “Yes, ma’am. I am feeling well today.”

  Martha brought a heaping plate of pancakes to the table. Seth’s mouth watered as the aroma hit his nose. Closing his eyes, he inhaled deeply. Then his eyes popped open again as his stomach growled. Loud.