Stealing Jake

by Pam Hillman

  He clawed his way to full consciousness. He had to get to the others, see if they were safe. “Pa?” he rasped. “Thorndike? Seamus?”

  No one answered.

  He struggled to remember. There’d been an explosion. Where were the others? Had he alone been spared to face a slow, agonizing death, buried alive?

  His heart pounded. His mother had begged them not to buy shares in the mine, but Jake and his father knew they could make a killing if they owned their own mine. They’d be able to make their own rules and keep all the profit to boot. They hadn’t banked on tragedy.

  His mind slammed back to the present.

  The thugs. The kids. The explosion meant to kill them all.

  Sheriff Carter.

  Jake moved, and the rubble on top of him shifted. He struggled to his knees, bracing his hand against the jagged dirt-and-rock walls. Tears gathered in his eyes and slid down his cheeks. “Oh, Lord Jesus, help me. I don’t want to die, not like this. It would have been better if they’d shot me.”

  The thought of never seeing the light of day closed in on him, and fear bubbled up as strong as he’d felt two years ago. What were the odds of being rescued twice in one lifetime? He doubled over, his forehead pressed to the ground.

  “Please, Lord,” he whispered. He stayed still, reining in his fear. Years-old training kicked in. Breathe slowly. Conserve energy. Don’t panic.

  “With God all things are possible.”

  Jake stilled, the pounding in his heart slowing, the fear subsiding as he grasped at the lifeline. “Lord, what are You trying to tell me?”

  The truth rolled over him in slow waves, clearing the fog in his brain. If he’d lived through the explosion, those children would have. And they’d be terrified. They wouldn’t even have hope of being rescued. A hope he could offer them if he could find them. If his presence brought them comfort, so be it.

  “For such a time as this.”

  Jake took a deep breath, stood on shaky legs, and started inching his way deeper into the bowels of the mine.

  * * *

  “There’s a body here! Somebody bring a lantern.”

  Livy scrambled over rocks and debris, hoping and praying they’d found Jake. Please let him be alive, Lord. Please.

  “It’s Sheriff Carter.”

  Men crowded around.

  “Is he dead?”

  “He’s still breathing, barely. I don’t see any injuries, either. A couple of you guys hitch up a wagon and get him to the doctor.”

  Livy watched the men ease the sheriff into the wagon. Lord, where will it end? Sheriff Carter was supposed to be back at the jail. Not here. She bowed her head and prayed for the sheriff, for Jake, for the children, and for the men risking their lives to get into the mine.

  The rescuers carted load after load of rocks and dirt away, trying to clear the opening obliterated in the explosion. Some men brought wheelbarrows and more picks and spades to help the work go faster. Word circulated among the rescuers that Jake and the children were trapped inside, and more men showed up, some coming straight from working in other mines to help.

  Livy wanted to help dig, but her limbs had turned to jelly. She’d never been afraid of much of anything. She wanted to pitch in and do whatever needed doing, but the thought of losing Jake paralyzed her to the point that she could only sit and stare at the rubble. She closed her eyes and tried to let God’s peace waft over her. That’s all she could do. She was too drained to pray, too fearful.

  After a while, she felt a stirring at her side and opened her eyes. Gus watched the commotion. He threw a shy glance her way. “What happened?”

  “Some bad men blew up the mine. Several children and Jake are inside.”

  “Mr. Jake?” Gus’s voice trembled. “And some kids?”

  “Yes.” Livy patted his arm. Dear, sweet Gus. Such a tender heart filled with compassion.

  “What were they doing in there?” A confused look crossed his face. “It’s been closed for a long time.”

  “A man named Gibbons brought the kids here to work for him in the glove factory, but when Jake started asking questions, he moved them to the mine to keep Jake from finding them.”

  “They’ll never get in that way.” Gus shook his head. Dirt and rocks from the entire hillside covered the opening to the mine.

  His observation hit her square in the chest. “There’s no hope, then.”

  Oh, God. Oh, God.

  “There’s another way.” Gus motioned for her to follow him.

  “Oh, Gus.” Livy sighed. The old man didn’t know what he was talking about.

  “Come on. I’ll show you.”

  Livy followed simply because she didn’t know what else to do. He led her down the hill and around the bend to a shack. He opened the door to the stable attached to the side of the cabin. Little Bit stared at her from the stall. How could Little Bit help get Jake and the kids out? Maybe Gus thought the donkey could help haul the debris away. It would take a hundred donkeys to clear the entrance to the mine.

  “Gus, I appreciate you trying to help, but—”

  “Look.” He motioned her forward, moved aside a stack of crates, then a cobbled-together barrier revealing an opening in the side of the hill.

  Livy peered at the black hole, hope tickling the edges of her heart. “Where does this lead to?”

  “The Black Gold mine.” Gus grinned, as excited as a child on Christmas morning.

  Hope became a full-fledged giggle. “Can you lead the way to the old mine?”

  He nodded.

  Livy threw her arms around him. “Oh, Gus, thank you, thank you, thank you. We’ve got to tell Smitty.”

  * * *

  “For such a time as this.”

  Jake stumbled forward in the dark, his only thought to find the children and comfort them. His hands, scratched and bleeding, tracked along the rough rock walls searching for a cache of emergency supplies.

  The miners stashed torches and lanterns all through the mines for emergencies. He kept moving until his hands felt a depression in the rock. His questing fingers located the carefully wrapped provisions lashed against the rock shelf.

  For such a time as this.

  * * *

  “Please.”

  McIver and Smitty looked at each other, and Livy knew they weren’t going to let her go.

  “Please take me with you. The children will be frightened enough as it is. I grew up on the streets of Chicago. I know what they’ve been through.”

  A wiry young man stepped forward, miner’s hat in hand. Determination glinted in his hard gaze. “I’m from Chicago too. I’m going in.”

  Four more miners stepped forward, tough men looking like they’d fight anyone who dared tell them they couldn’t go after Jake and the children.

  “All right. Grab a lantern and line up.” Smitty stabbed a finger at Livy. “And you, young lady, stay right by my side and do everything I tell you to.”

  Livy scrambled into line. “Yes, sir.”

  They eased into the mine, Gus leading the way, humming as he moved forward. Smitty sandwiched himself and Livy in the middle of the pack. The miners carried lanterns to light the way.

  Livy tamped down the surge of panic rising in her throat as soon as they entered the darkness. She’d been in some tight spots, but she’d never been underground before. She didn’t know what she expected, but the coolness and the dank smell surprised her. And complete darkness so thick she could almost reach out and touch it.

  The only light came from the lanterns the miners held high. She shivered. How could these men work like this day in and day out, living their lives underground?

  Gus turned left, then right, then left again until Livy’s head spun with confusion. She looked back at Smitty, his face illuminated by the flickering light. “I hope he knows where he’s going.”

  Smitty clenched his jaw, looking none too happy to be underground. “I do too. Otherwise, Jake and those young’uns might not be the only ones lost in this mi
ne tonight.”

  * * *

  Thankful for the lantern he’d found stashed among the emergency supplies, Jake kept moving, searching for the children. His thoughts cleared, and memories long suppressed clamored for his attention. There were two or three logical places to stash the children. But he wouldn’t take any chances. He’d search every nook and cranny, just to be sure.

  Systematically, he went from right to left, moving from one tunnel to the next, not leaving any area untouched. He slowed when he reached the scene of the explosion two years ago. He paused, forcing himself to look at the collapsed shaft to his right. The entire thing had imploded on itself, sealing everyone inside fifty feet below the surface of the mine.

  He broke out in a cold sweat, not wanting to check the area, but the children’s safety demanded he leave no stone unturned. He climbed over the rubble. He’d gone another fifty feet before shifting rock and dirt blocked his way. He held the lantern high. The collapse wasn’t new, so tonight’s explosion hadn’t triggered it. The children couldn’t be in this part of the mine. Jake turned away, thankful he didn’t have to go down that particular tunnel and face the demons of his past.

  Tunnels branched off in several directions. He took an opening on his immediate right. If memory served, it wouldn’t take long to search this area. There were a few more places he figured Gibbons might have left the kids, and he was anxious to check them.

  He went down four more dead ends before staggering into a hollowed-out place half the size of the office at the jail. Fifteen or twenty boys and girls stared at him, their faces gaunt, eyes sunken in their heads. Silent. Scared out of their wits. Cold. And hungry.

  Someone coughed, the sound loud in the stillness.

  Jake lifted the lantern high so they could see his face. “I’m Jake Russell. I’m here to help you.”

  To break the ice, he told them about Bobby, Jessica, and the little girl Luke had left at the orphanage.

  Then he met Luke’s little brother, Mark.

  * * *

  After what seemed like an eternity, the tunnel widened, allowing them to fan out. Livy breathed easier in the open space. Ore carts that hadn’t been used in over two years sat silent. Broken ax handles lay inside one cart, a man’s tattered coat draped over the edge of another.

  One of the miners pointed to a pile of rubble. “There’s the shaft that collapsed two years ago.” His gaze sought and found Livy’s in the lamplight. “Jake Russell and Seamus O’Leary were the only two to survive. Rescuers pulled ’em out ten days later.”

  Livy swallowed hard against the lump that formed in her throat. Oh, Jake. And you were willing to risk your life to save the children?

  Gus led them down another tunnel, moving single file again. A murmur, a ripple of excitement—something—coursed through the men in front of Livy. She strained to see over or around them.

  A single light cast from a mining lamp shone in the distance.

  * * *

  The children stirred, the older ones moving quietly to shield the younger. Jake calmed them. “It’s all right. They’re here to rescue us. Trust me, okay?”

  “Will they take me to Luke?” A fragile hope tinged Mark’s voice.

  “Yes.” Jake hugged the child to him. “As soon as we get out of here, we’ll go find Luke.”

  Seventeen pairs of eyes trained on him, filled with trust he didn’t deserve. He’d been their only hope, their only lifeline to cling to. Tears stung his eyes. Lord, help me to be worthy of such trust.

  “Jake!”

  His head jerked up at the sound of Livy’s voice.

  Livy? Here? He stumbled to his feet and caught her as she launched herself into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her tight, not sure he’d ever let her go.

  “Oh, Jake, I thought I’d lost you for good this time.”

  “I guess I’m a lot like that cat of yours. Got nine lives, it seems.”

  She grimaced. “You’re fast using them up, Jake Russell.”

  He hugged her close, marveling that he had another chance to hold her. Hot tears stung his eyes, and he rested his head on the top of her head. “We lost Sheriff Carter.”

  She lifted her head, her eyes shining. “No, he’s alive. They took him to Doc Valentine.”

  Jake’s heart swelled with gratitude. God had abundantly blessed all of them.

  A cough reminded him they weren’t alone. Reluctantly he loosened his hold on Livy and motioned toward the children huddled behind him.

  “I’ve got some friends here I want you to meet.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Mrs. Brooks took Luke by the shoulders. “They’ve found the children.”

  “Where? Is Mark with them?” Luke’s heart slammed against his rib cage. “Is he alive?”

  He needed to go to him. Now. Mark was just a little kid. He’d be scared, and it had been so long since they’d seen each other. They had a home now, a home with Mrs. Brooks and the other children.

  He couldn’t wait to tell Mark. His little brother would be so happy.

  “In one of the mines. Word just came that they’re out of the mine and headed this way.”

  “I’ve got to go to him.” Luke ran to the door but turned back. Hot tears stung his eyes. “If it’s okay with you, that is?”

  Mrs. Brooks smiled. “Of course it is. Go to your brother.”

  Luke grinned and was out the door like a shot. He ran toward the mines, feeling like he could fly. His steps faltered. What if Mark wasn’t with the other kids?

  Please, God. Please let him be all right.

  Long before he got to the mines, he saw the lights. It looked like half the town had shown up. Then he saw a group headed toward him, the lights from behind blinding him to their faces. Some of the figures were tall, others small.

  And some were being carried by the others.

  They neared, and he spotted Mr. Jake and Miss Livy. Mr. Jake carried a child. When he saw Luke, he said something.

  The child lifted his head, and Luke saw his brother in the shifting lantern light.

  “Luke.” A huge smile split Mark’s face. He scrambled from Mr. Jake’s arms.

  Luke ran forward and scooped his brother up. Mark’s thin arms wrapped around his neck.

  Luke hugged him tight, blinking back tears.

  He’d finally found Mark.

  * * *

  Livy bustled about the kitchen, giving instructions, keeping everyone busy. The orphanage overflowed with children. She glanced at the girls they’d rescued from the mine, and her heart twisted with compassion. They’d need a lot of tender love and care to get over what they’d been through. But with God’s grace, they’d make it.

  She smiled at a girl named Clara. Clara’s eyes were still red-rimmed from crying. Crying for joy because she’d been reunited with her baby sister, Hannah.

  “Here.” She handed the girl a bowl. “Peel these potatoes. Georgie, run upstairs and help Mrs. Brooks.”

  Mark stuck to Luke like glue. Luke didn’t let on, but Livy had spotted tears shimmering in his eyes when he thought no one was looking. Mark and Clara weren’t the only ones who’d cried buckets of tears the last few days. She’d cried her share.

  They weren’t rolling in food, and certainly not money, but the townspeople had pitched in, bringing what they could spare to help out. More than one had apologized for not realizing the need was so great.

  Thank You, Jesus, for taking care of these boys and girls, for helping us find them, and for allowing Sheriff Carter to live, and for keeping Jake safe, and . . .

  She smiled. Her prayer of thanks was a mile long. She’d been blessed so abundantly this Christmas. More than she’d ever thought possible. God had fulfilled the desires of her heart with a home and a family, and she’d fallen in love with the most wonderful man on earth. She didn’t know what might happen next, but no matter what, God wouldn’t let her down.

  The kitchen door opened, letting in a blast of cold air.

  “Seth, shut th
at door. I’m having a hard enough time keeping the house warm as it is.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” The door banged shut.

  Livy whirled at the sound of Jake’s voice, her face growing warm at the sight of him. “I’m sorry, Jake. I thought you were Seth. The boys have been running in and out of the house all day.”

  Jake dodged Seth and Georgie as they raced through the kitchen, three boys from the mine following at a more sedate pace. They smiled shyly when they saw him. Jake glanced back at Livy. “Looks like you and Mrs. Brooks have your hands full.”

  “We wouldn’t have it any other way.” She smiled, then sobered. “How’s Sheriff Carter?”

  “Chomping at the bit to get back to the jail, but Doc’s keeping him on a tight rein.” He grinned. “And I think he’s enjoying Mrs. Brooks’s visits as well.”

  “They’re a matched pair, if I’ve ever seen one. Have you arrested Sharp yet?”

  He shook his head. “No. Smitty and I have searched everywhere, and he’s nowhere to be found. We figure he skipped town as soon as he heard we’d found the children and arrested Butch and Grady. We probably won’t have to worry about him anymore.”

  “Praise the Lord. We don’t need his kind here in Chestnut, that’s for sure.”

  Jake snagged a biscuit from the stove. Livy swatted his hand, and he grabbed for hers, rubbing his thumb along the soft tissue of her palm. Livy shivered at the touch.

  “I’m going to see Gus. Want to ride along? I imagine Mrs. Brooks and the girls can handle things for an hour or so.”

  “Oh, I couldn’t. There’s so much to do.”

  She glanced around the busy kitchen, at the girls pretending to be engrossed in their work. Little sneaks. Not a peep could be heard out of any of them, they were so engrossed in Jake and Livy’s conversation.

  “I’ll not take no for an answer. Right, girls?”

  “Yes, sir.” Giggles erupted from their audience.