Barely touching her chin with my fingers, I told her the truth. “Yes. You can ask God for forgiveness no matter what you’ve done and He will forgive you instantly.”
“I want God to forgive me,” she said just above a whisper.
Jesse huddled with me around this dear child while we took turns leading her in prayer.
We hugged each other when we concluded. I wiped a few tears away.
Mary grinned. “I feel… lighter. Happier.”
“Like a lifetime of sin has been lifted off your shoulders?” Jesse laughed. “Come on. Let’s find Molly.”
After several minutes, the four of us neared the complex with boldness. Of course, One of us was invisible. But very present, all the same.
Soon, a rooftop peeked through the trees. Floodlights on tall poles illuminated the quadrangle. From the edge of the forest, we studied the buildings. Using hand signals, Mary guided us to the side that housed the vehicles.
Jesse kissed me long, more passionately than usual. That scared me.
“You come right back,” I whispered.
He smiled and saluted.
God, protect him please!
Mary and I cowered in the middle of a thick stand of birches. A few times, we heard voices and marching feet, but we didn’t budge. Soldiers patrolled at regular intervals. The noises sounded like military maneuvers.
What if they’d caught him? Could we save him? Would our cell phones work to call for help?
“Shouldn’t he be out by now?” I whispered in Mary’s ear. “How long has it been?”
Shadows hid her face so I couldn’t see her expression. “Not that long.”
I shivered and wished I’d brought a coat. My fingers felt frozen.
A door slammed.
Between the buildings, a group of soldiers gathered in a huddle. Straining to listen, my body stiffened with fear. But we
were too far away to hear what the men said.
“Which building did they come out of?” I whispered as close to Mary’s ear as I could get.
She shook her head, not being able to see any better than I could.
Another door slammed and the soldiers collectively turned toward the long building. A new man joined them. They conversed for a minute or two, before exchanging salutes. The newcomer strode purposefully out of sight in the opposite direction.
Something about that stride looked familiar. Could that be Jesse?
Leaves rustled nearby.
We froze again, barely breathing.
Presently, Jesse tiptoed past, stopping directly in front of us to peer around.
“Pst! Jesse!” Tears of gratitude formed in my eyes.
He turned. “There you are! Good hiding place.”
We disentangled ourselves from the trees and followed him away from the buildings. When we had gone a little distance, he stopped to grin in the moonlight. Apparently, his charade had exhilarated him.
“Well?” I whispered. “Did you get into the parking garage? Did you find Molly?”
He shook his head.
Mary joined us, crowding close.
“The door was locked. I got all the way into the underground lab though. Man! You should see the setup. It’s quite extensive! But Molly wasn’t there.”
“How’d you do that?” I asked. “Get in, I mean. With all the soldiers around.”
“Piece of cake!” He grinned again. “I pretended I’d come for an unannounced inspection. I threw around a few names
real fast. Names I read from a file I found when I first went in. I accused them of sleeping on the job because I could walk right in without anyone stopping me. No one questions an impromptu inspection when they think their career’s on the line. I guess enough new people come and go that they don’t question orders from someone they never saw before.”
“Shh!” Mary said.
She tiptoed toward the compound.
“I didn’t hear any...” I started to say but then I heard voices and a deep dog bark.
The German shepherd!
“This way!” a muffled voice yelled.
Jesse grabbed my arm, tearing through the woods so fast I could hardly stay on my feet. I felt like a rag doll being yanked through a tornado.
“Jesse!” I tried to stop him but the wind caught the word in my throat. “Mary! We can’t leave Mary!”
He didn’t hear me, blazing through the undergrowth and vaulting over logs. Branches tugged at my hair and clothes, trying to slow us down. Still he raced on.
Were we running in the right direction? I didn’t recognize any landmarks. Why didn’t I leave a breadcrumb trail to follow?
When Jesse finally stopped, I couldn’t hear the dog barking any longer. Sweat dribbled down my face. I panted so hard I didn’t think I could ever breathe normally again.
“Jesse!” Hands on my thighs, I turned to peer at him and said between gulps of air, “We can’t leave Mary. We have to go back and get her.”
He dropped his head. “Oh, no! Mary.” His legs buckled and he fell to his knees.
Guess he just remembered we arrived as a threesome.
“I’m sorry.” He shook his head. “I panicked. Everything was going so well and then I heard the dog. Sorry.”
We allowed ourselves a short respite to return to normal breathing before venturing back the way we’d come. Back toward the compound, the dog… and the soldiers.
Chapter Fourteen
Jesse and I crouched in the cab of a rusty crane on the east side of the compound. We peered tentatively out the window. A clear view of the buildings spread out below. Floodlights lit the quadrangle as bright as a sunny day in the desert.
“We need a diversion,” Jesse whispered.
“Like what?”
“A good fire would do nicely.”
I shivered in the chilly night air. I’d never gotten over my fear from the night our kitchen caught fire just after my seventh birthday. “No! Definitely not a fire. Not in these woods.”
He frowned at me. “Got a better idea?”
“We should have come prepared for diversionary tactics.”
“Ha! Wait, the flares!” He climbed down the backside of the machine, holding his hand for me to come. I slid into his arms.
“What flares?” I whispered once I reached him.
“We’ve got highway flares in the Jeep. You know, in that roadside emergency kit.”
Trudging through the trees in silence, we followed the road once we passed the compound, bringing us back to the
car. Sure enough, in the rear of the Jeep, three unused highway flares nestled in the emergency kit.
“So… what do you propose to do with these?” I asked with no small measure of trepidation.
Jesse put his hand on my shoulder. “We better ask God’s help.” He bowed his head. “Lord, we’re going back for Mary and hopefully Molly too. We need protection for ourselves, for Mary, and for Molly. Please give us wisdom, courage, and supernatural speed. In Jesus’ name.”
I mentally echoed his words, wondering about the speed part.
“Okay.” Jesse picked up one of the flares. “Here’s my idea. I’ll circle around to the south end of the compound in the trees and make loud noises when I light the flares. Then I’ll hightail it out of there.”
“Meanwhile, I’ll be here at the north end watching,” I said, catching his enthusiasm. “When they see the flares, they’ll send someone to investigate. Maybe they’ll send a lot of people. As soon as they clear out, I’ll run in and find Mary.”
“No, no! You will not run in to find Mary. You are not fast enough and besides you have no idea where Mary is.”
“Then how will you—”
“You will be waiting here in the car where you’re safe. I’ll circle back around the compound. Then I can dash in and search from the north side.”
“You think you’re fast enough for that? Racing all the way to the south end and back?” I shook my head. “I’m sorry, Jesse. You’re two years older than I
am, remember? And your knees are bad. You’re not that fast, either.”
I watched Jesse pace, just a few feet one way and then back the other like a caged tiger. “You’re right. You’re right. Of course. Where would I look for Mary and Molly anyway? Okay, let me think about this a little longer.”
I slumped onto a stump, resting my tired head on my knees.
We’d have to come up with a better plan if we hoped to find Mary and Molly. Shivering in the cold, I wiped away a couple of stray tears. Why didn’t I remember to bring a jacket?
Presently, Jesse stopped pacing and plunked down beside me. “Okay. Men who practice war games in the forest all day have to sleep sometime... most of them anyway. We’ll wait until one or two in the morning. They should be asleep by then. I’ll circle down to the south end, make noise and light flares like I said. It’ll take some time for them to respond. During that time, I’ll come back to the north end where you’ll be watching. You’ll report how many have gone into the woods or whatever else happens.”
“Okay,” I said. “That’s better.”
“If it looks like I can go in to look around, I will. Otherwise—” He embraced me and kissed my forehead. “We’ll have to get help.”
Jesse and I climbed into the backseat of the Jeep to rest a few hours before venturing toward the north end of the compound. Snuggling close together for warmth, Jesse fell asleep within seconds, his even breathing giving way to light, even snores, just like at home. I felt reasonably comfortable and protected with Jesse’s arm around me, but the tension of the situation kept me awake. I closed my eyes anyway, hoping to give them a break.
The sounds of the night forest whispered and wailed in the stillness around our Jeep. Wind in the trees, scurrying creatures, pine cones falling, branches snapping. After a couple of hours, I could no longer keep my eyes shut.
As I contemplated the stirring shadows, I refused to consider the possibility of being discovered by roving guards. Instead my imagination created all sorts of monsters converging on our unprotected vehicle. To keep from scaring myself into a coronary, I whispered hymns. To my delight, I discovered quite a few stored in my brain from childhood. It’s amazing how much courage those powerful old words impart.
According to the luminous dial on Jesse’s wristwatch, he woke just before one-thirty. “Oh!” He bumped his arms on the roof when he attempted to stretch in the small space. “I forgot where I was.”
I moved out of his way. “It’s amazing that you actually slept.” Lack of success in that department always left me feeling deprived. I climbed out and extended my arms over my head.
Jesse followed me out. “You didn’t get any sleep?”
“Not a wink.”
He flexed once he’d grounded himself. “Kind of a small space for sleeping, wasn’t it?”
I nodded. “Good thing that didn’t bother you.”
“Sorry, Christine.”
He flashed a tired version of his incredible smile and I forgot about being jealous of his ability to sleep when I couldn’t.
Mustering cheerfulness, I offered a salute. “What now, Captain? Your army awaits instructions.”
He pointed in the general direction of the compound. “Onward to the battle, troops.”
We’d just spotted the first glow of the stadium lights when a piercing whistle split the night silence. We froze.
I turned toward the sound. “What was that?”
Jesse’s faulty hearing made the direction of sound impossible to decipher. He circled, listening. “I don’t know.”
The piercing whistle shrieked again, closer this time. A boy’s whistle. Just like my cousin David tried to teach me in the fifth grade.
I suddenly remembered our conversation in the car. “Mary!” I pulled Jesse’s sleeve. “Remember when she said her brother taught her to whistle like a boy. That’s got to be Mary.” I pulled Jesse toward the sound. “This way, hurry.”
We barreled through the woods. Soon, we heard one final whistle blast, closely followed by crashing noises. A tiny figure raced toward us.
Mary.
Rarely have I felt such relief in a reunion.
We chattered simultaneously and locked arms in a threesome bear hug.
“Where have you been?”
“What happened?”
“Are you all right?”
Mary’s little laugh trilled into the air.” I’m fine. Except I thought you went off and left me.”
I squeezed her arm. “We would never leave you. But where did you go?”
“Didn’t you hear my whistle?” She glanced behind her. “We’d better get out of here. And fast. I think it’s about…”
The end of her sentence drowned in an explosion so powerful that I felt the jolt from my feet to my scalp. Mary dragged me from my surprised stupor toward the Jeep. The blast apparently rendered Jesse motionless because Mary dropped my arm after she’d gotten me moving and ran back to where Jesse stood as if his feet had melted into the ground. Grabbing his arm, she tugged him along until they caught up to me.
“We’ve got to get going!” she yelled. “Now!”
Something about her urgency penetrated our stupefied minds enough that we turned from the explosion and sprinted toward the car. From the safety of the front seat, I watched a red pillar of fire rising high into the night sky.
Those old buildings were as dry as tinder. They’d all burn to the ground before the firemen arrived. Would Molly get out? What about the soldiers? Surely we should stay and assist.
Jesse broke his own speed record racing away. Still numb with shock, I held on with both hands. We hurtled through the darkness for several miles. In fact, no one spoke until we reached North San Juan.
Then I spoke first. “We need to tell someone about the fire.” Back at the mill during the long sleepless night, I had checked my cell phone. It displayed “No service.” “Do cell phones work here?”
Jesse tugged his flip phone out of his pocket. “I’ve got service.” He handed the phone to me. “Don’t give your name, though.”
Taking his phone, I called 911 and reported an explosion at the old Gleason Mill. “I think the buildings are burning. People are sleeping inside.”
“Don’t stay on too long,” Jesse whispered. “They might try to trace the call.”
Right away, I closed his phone, disconnecting the call. “That feels wrong. I should have identified myself.”
“Maybe later.” Jesse glanced into the rearview mirror at the tiny form huddled on the back seat. He pulled off the road just past North San Juan and extinguished the lights. “We need to hear what happened first.” He turned toward Mary. “Tell us.”
She sat stiffly, arms locked across her chest. “You, you ran when the dog came into the woods. I didn’t know what to do, so I asked God to help me. I took off in the opposite direction, thinking they couldn’t follow all of us at the same
time. I guess they actually gave up without following any of us. Then I hightailed back around and hid in that stand of trees where Christine and I were before. From there, I had a fair view of the compound. The guys and the dog came back after a little while. They must have figured they had nothing to worry about ’cause they all shuffled off before long.”
Sirens shattered the night’s stillness. Mary stopped talking while we observed a fire engine whizzing past us. The truck turned toward the mill, lights blazing.
Jesse turned back to Mary. “Go ahead.”
“I only saw the regular patrol guard come and go. When the voices pretty much died down, I thought it must be lights out for the guys and decided to find your dog.”
Dread over what she might tell us filled my stomach. “Oh, Mary, you didn’t.”
“Did you find her?” Jesse looked worried too.
She shook her head. “I checked one of the mine shafts first. They must have put her in the big dog cages in the other one. Either that or…”
I filled in the blank with the terrible possibility I’d been try
ing to keep from considering. “Or she’s gone.”
Mary hung her head and nodded.
Jesse kept staring at her. “But you searched for her.”
“I looked everywhere I could think of. I’m small, so I can squeeze into places where no one would think a person could hide.” She laughed a nervous, mirthless laugh. “When I got to the lab, I almost got caught. I knocked over some chemicals that started dripping together. I knew they weren’t supposed to do that so I ran out fast. Didn’t think it would make such a big explosion though. I whistled for you, but you didn’t come. I kept whistling and heading toward where I thought we parked the car.” She paused to look from Jesse to me and repeated, “I thought you left without me.”
“I told you. We would never leave without you.” I reached back to squeeze her little hand. “We were trying to figure how to get you out. But you’re quite a resourceful young woman, aren’t you? And very brave.”
Jesse eased the car onto the road. For several miles as we jostled along the winding highway in silence. I heard the tremble of emotion in his voice when he spoke again. “Did anyone see you, Mary?”
“I don’t think so.”
He glanced in the rearview mirror. “How about the surveillance camera? Did you run in front of the camera?”
My heart skipped a beat when she paused.
“I—I did go through the compound once,” she said. “Not through the center. Just the very edge. I forgot there was a camera there. I don’t know if it saw me.”
For the first time, I realized that I’d also scurried through the compound on my way in and out of the garage building. Did the surveillance camera catch me on tape? The bottom dropped out of my stomach.
Even if they saw me, what harm could that do? They didn’t know me.
But Mary! Please, God! Please don’t let those people identify Mary.
Chapter Fifteen
The story of the explosion at the sawmill had been buried on the back page of the local section of the newspaper. A mere blurb recorded a nocturnal disturbance in a wilderness area near North San Juan. Apparently chemicals stored in a warehouse at the former site of the Gleason Mill spontaneously combusted. The blast resulted in several injuries, but no casualties.
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