Imprints

by Rachel Ann Nunes

  “Only if they stay forever, and that makes it no choice at all.” I set my hand on her shoulder. “Imagine—if people kept what was theirs before they joined. If they actually owned part of the farm or received some kind of wage for their work. You’re good at leading, you and Gabe both, and part of what you have created here is wonderful, but even in a family there has to be some recompense and agency.”

  Her anger died in the face of my earnestness. “We do have a problem,” she admitted. “I know that. But you have to understand that it wasn’t always like this. Dar changed things. Slowly, so we didn’t realize how far we’d gone.”

  The story of humanity, walking closer and closer to the edge until they don’t even realize when they fall.

  Spring had been following the conversation, watching our faces intently, wiping her watery eyes on her sleeve. “I really loved it here,” she said softly, “but thinking that I was never going to see my mom again . . .” She didn’t finish.

  Gabe was coming toward us now across the clearing, running. “It’s clear,” he said when he reached us.

  He carried Marcie to the barn, and with effort we got her up the stairs to the loft. The loft was long and empty-looking, with only a few dozen bales of hay remaining. These stood to the left of the large sliding door at the far side of the barn loft, where I’d learned the men used winches to pull up the hay from outside. The few bales must mean the farm was nearly ready to harvest another crop of alfalfa. It also meant not enough coverage for a proper hiding place, but we settled Marcie behind them anyway, still wrapped in her smelly blankets and clutching her pretend baby.

  All the time, I kept wondering where Jake was. If he had the motorcycle, he should have been here by now.

  “Harmony,” Gabe said, “I think you should stay with Marcie. She shouldn’t be alone.”

  Harmony nodded reluctantly. “What will you do?”

  “We’ll check out the house and see what our options are. He can’t be everywhere at once. Don’t worry—we’ll be careful.” Gabe caught my eye. “We’d better go. Maybe your friend will meet us out in the trees. If not, Harmony can tell him where we went.”

  As Spring and I climbed down the ladder, Harmony clung to Gabe, and he clung right back. “Be safe,” she whispered. “Please come back to me.” Caught up in a world all their own, they hugged and kissed.

  I averted my gaze, a longing in my chest swelling to unmeasurable proportions. Ridiculous proportions.

  I turned my mind back to the problem at hand. If Jake ever showed up, the wisest thing would be for him to drive the motorcycle into town. Well, a phone would be better, but unless Dar was a complete idiot, he was protecting his new satellite phone. Unfortunately, there were a lot of variables in my plan. Rome might not have a proper police force, or they might be under Dar’s control. If Jake had to drive to yet another city, that would leave Marcie and the rest of us at risk for far too long.

  Besides, what about Spring and Gabe? Spring wasn’t about to leave her child behind, even to hide temporarily in the woods, and Gabe’s eyes shone with a vengeful glint I didn’t trust.

  I joined Spring outside the barn, the clearing lit by the moon. The earth here was soft against my bare feet and still warm from the earlier sun, unlike in the trees where the earth had been cooler. My feet were the only things warm on me, though Spring, also in short sleeves, didn’t seem much bothered by the evening air.

  Where are you, Jake? I thought. I was really beginning to worry now. If anything happened to him, I’d never forgive myself. I took as deep a breath as I could, my ribs aching.

  “You okay?” Spring asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  She took a step toward me, reaching out her hand. Gently, she probed the area beneath my left breast. When I winced, she nodded and moved to the next rib. “I think only one is damaged,” she said at last. “Cracked, but not completely through. It’ll take four to six weeks to heal, and there’s really nothing you can do about it except to try not to hurt it again.”

  “How do you know?”

  She frowned, a forceful thing that seemed to be in lieu of tears. “I broke two ribs once.”

  “You mean Jim broke them.”

  She looked down and nodded. At that moment, I wanted nothing more than to break all of Jim’s ribs.

  “You’d make a good nurse or doctor,” I said. “You have a gentle touch.”

  She smiled and opened her mouth to speak, but our attention was distracted by a moving light at the edge of the trees. Someone was standing there. Was it Dar? Fear shot through me, tingling to the tips of my fingers. I wanted to run back inside the barn and out one of the stall doors. Run forever so I could be safe. I reached out and grabbed Spring’s hand. I heard Gabe inside the barn, nearly to the door. I’d need to warn him before he was seen.

  The figure stepped out and began running toward us. Immediately, I recognized Jake’s easy lope, and the fear turned to joy. I ran to meet him, stifling a cry of greeting in case our voices carried. He grasped me tightly, lifting me up in his arms, and all the happiness of seeing him turned into white-hot pain. “Put me down, Jake,” I said, gasping.

  “What’s wrong. Are you hurt?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “She’s got a broken rib.” Spring came up behind us with Gabe.

  Jake scowled at me. “Why didn’t you tell me?” Trust him to spoil the moment.

  “I didn’t know you were going to—” My voice choked and tears threatened. “Never mind.” But I didn’t need to say any more. He shoved his flashlight in my hands and once again the comforting memories of that night at the store appeared in my head, fainter than before but still present. Not my imagination. I smiled at him gratefully.

  “What took you so long?” I said, regaining my voice. “Where’s the bike?”

  “Had to cut the motor before I reached the main house. Ethan really did a number on the muffler when he drove it, and now it’s too loud. I ended up pushing it to those trees right in front of the house and left it there.” Under his breath he added, “Should have known a math teacher wouldn’t know beans about riding a motorcycle.”

  “Come on,” Gabe said. “We shouldn’t stay here.” Yet as we hurried across the clearing toward the trees, he glanced back at the barn, as though he could see Harmony kneeling by Marcie in the loft. I knew where he really wanted to be, and the fact that he could leave her because of the responsibility he felt for the others at the farm made my opinion of him soar. On the other hand, given that glint in his eyes, he could simply be thirsty for revenge.

  “So, what’s the plan?” I asked no one in particular.

  “You and I will go for help,” Jake said. “The others should hide somewhere.”

  “I want my son.” Spring’s voice was tense with stress.

  “You go,” I told Jake. “I promised to help her.”

  “I’m not leaving without you! Gabe can go with Spring.”

  Gabe shook his head. “I’m going to find Dar. These are my people, and I have to protect them.”

  Jake stopped moving, blocking our path. “Are you guys nuts? That madman tried to kill you! He still might.”

  “I don’t care.” Spring pushed past him and strode into the forest.

  Another thought occurred to me. “Jake, if Dar’s talking to someone in his office, maybe he’s got Ethan. We have to save him.”

  “Isn’t that what the police are for?”

  “Dar’s got a gun.”

  “My point exactly.” He glared at me, his face barely discernible in the darkness under the trees. I wanted to put my arms around him and hold on with my eyes closed, forgetting any of this ever happened. But first I had to keep my promise to Spring.

  “They’ve left,” I told Jake. Sure enough, Gabe had ignored our argument and hurried after Spring. My teeth clicked together with the words because I was seriously cold now, though the temperature didn’t seem as low as the night before.

  Jake muttered something uninte
lligible as he peeled off his jacket and helped me into it. Then, avoiding my wrapped wrist, he put his hand under my elbow, and we hurried on through the trees. Jake picked the easiest path, careful of my ribs and my bare feet, though the pain in my ribs far outweighed any other discomfort. The warmth from his jacket had made my shivering stop, and I felt grateful for that. It was easier to think now.

  We caught up to Gabe and Spring at the married housing, where they were peering around the corner. No one was in the square, but lights were coming from somewhere inside the main house, though not from any of the rooms whose windows faced the square. That meant perhaps the hallway or the main room or one of the offices. We couldn’t be sure exactly where.

  “There’s a window to Dar’s office,” Gabe said. “We can go around and look in.”

  “What good’s it going to do if we find him?” Jake said. “He’s got a gun, remember?”

  “If I can get inside my office, I’ll have a gun, too.”

  Jake started moving. “Okay. You women stay here. Keep an eye out.”

  Spring shook her head. “I’m going after my son.” Before any of us could stop her, she was darting across the square. I started to go after her, but Jake grabbed my arm.

  “Someone’s coming!” he gritted as I struggled to free myself.

  Sure enough, the light on the back porch had come on.

  Chapter 24

  Spring hesitated when the light flipped on but then picked up speed. She reached the stairs to the women’s side of the singles’ house, vaulting up them in one leap. She didn’t even look back as she opened the door and flung herself inside.

  I waited for the bang of the door, but she had the presence of mind to put her hand out behind her and it closed without a sound reaching us.

  Meanwhile, the back door to the main house opened, and Dar and two of his goons emerged. No sign of Ethan. I held my breath to see if they’d notice the door to the women’s dorm closing, but they were too involved in their own conversation. They weren’t attempting to be covert, and the murmur of their voices carried to us, though we couldn’t make out the words.

  They were coming our way, so we had no choice but to circle around to the far side of the married house to stay away from them. We crouched at the end of the structure in the dark and waited for them to disappear into the trees. Jake’s arm was against mine, and I felt that everything about him was on alert, from his taut muscles to the grim expression on his face. I had no doubt that if I was safely back in Portland he’d be following Dar, waiting his chance to attack.

  “If they’re going to the cellar, they’ll soon find out we aren’t there.” Gabe’s face showed his age and more. There was something in his expression, a burning ugliness that I felt echoed in my own heart, as only a person who’d been locked in a cellar and left, perhaps to die, could understand.

  “Then we’d better get Spring and get out of here,” Jake mumbled.

  “There’s enough time to check the office,” I said.

  Gabe nodded. “And for me to get my gun.”

  Frustration gleamed in Jake’s eyes. “Fine. Let’s do it. But I don’t like the way that porch is lit up.”

  “We’ll go around.” Gabe started forward, slowly at first to be sure Dar was gone.

  We sprinted to the front of the main house. It seemed to take far longer than I expected. My ribs burned horribly, but I had no choice except to continue on. Ethan was in danger—I just knew it.

  Once in the front, we took the time to go around to the side and check Dar’s window. Light streamed around the edges of the blinds, but we couldn’t see inside. “Follow me,” Gabe whispered, heading back to the door. He went in first, his shoes clunking on the wood. I went next, soundless on my bare feet, and Jake followed almost as quietly.

  Beyond the main room, the hall light was on, and every few steps we took the floorboards creaked. “Better use cushioning in your next building,” Jake muttered.

  “Shhh,” I said.

  “Be careful,” Gabe whispered. “Dar had a third man with him earlier.” He slipped into his own darkened office, while we continued down the hall to Dar’s. Gabe came out again before we reached the door, his face pale and his hands empty except for a carved wooden statue. He shook his head, and I knew that meant Dar had found his gun. Of course he would have planned ahead.

  That’s when I noticed Jake had also picked up a short, sturdy branch from outside. Not much of a weapon against a gun.

  Jake put a hand on the doorknob to Dar’s office. “One, two, three,” he mouthed, and sprang forward. Gabe followed him, statue raised. I was on his heels, numb with dread.

  Ethan sat in a chair in front of the desk, the chair angled so his side was toward us. Ropes secured both hands and feet to the chair. I’d scarcely had time to notice Dar’s third man, surprise etched on his face, before Jake launched himself toward the man, knocking him to the floor. His fist drew back and pounded. Once, twice. A sickening crunch and the struggle was over.

  “Autumn.” Surprise registered on Ethan’s face. “You’re okay!”

  “What happened?” I asked. “Why didn’t you get the police?”

  He looked down at the ropes. “Well, I’ve been a bit tied up.”

  “You weren’t here earlier,” Jake said. “Where were you?”

  “Those men found me right after I left you last night. I tried to tell you, but there wasn’t an answer.”

  “Your radio was back at the van,” Jake said.

  “Well, yeah. They followed me back, and I’d put it down before they got me. They actually kept me tied in the van until just a few hours ago. But I swear I didn’t tell them anything about you two.”

  I was working at the ropes on his hands, but his fingers grabbed mine. “What happened to you, Autumn? Are you okay? What about Marcie?”

  “She’s alive—barely.” His fingers felt warm and strong, confusing my thoughts. “We need to get her to a hospital or she won’t survive.”

  “Then we need to hurry.” He rubbed his wrists, but they didn’t look too sore. He was lucky they hadn’t cinched the ropes more tightly—or thrown him into a dark pit.

  While Jake tied up the unconscious man on the floor, Gabe untied Ethan’s feet. “Where did Dar go?” Gabe asked Ethan.

  “I don’t know. I tried to convince him that I’d pay to have my sister back, but he didn’t even confirm that she’s here. I don’t know where he went.”

  “She’s been in a root cellar for at least a month.” My eyes went to Dar’s desk where the three prescription bottles sat, the same ones I’d seen in Ethan’s van. “You brought her medication? I thought you said it wouldn’t be safe to give them to her.” I reached out for the bottles, but he caught my hand in his, tracing the cuts on my fingers.

  “I know she has to see a doctor first, but I thought the pills might convince them to let me see her, so I asked Dar’s men to bring them along. Look, was she really okay? Did you tell her I was coming? Did she say anything?” Sadness filled his face. “I just hope she forgives me for all my mistakes.”

  “She was too far gone to tell us much.” I rubbed my hand up and down his arm, and he took that opportunity to pull me closer.

  “You look like you have quite a story to tell.” His fingers touched my cheek near the cut. “This looks a lot worse than the last time I saw you. Something else happened, didn’t it?” I nodded, feeling a bit weepy at his tenderness, and yet, as I glanced at Jake, I felt sorry he was witnessing this display.

  “Sorry to interrupt this tender reunion,” Jake growled, “but we really need to get out of here.”

  Ethan kept his hand on my arm, where I imagined I could feel the heat of him through Jake’s jacket. “Where’s my sister?” he asked me.

  “In their big barn. That’s out to the left beyond the trees, if you’re looking at the house straight on.”

  “I know where it is. I did a little reconnaissance before you called me last night.” He smiled, and I felt more at ease. We
had evened the odds a little. Four to three now. Five if we counted Spring.

  “Come on,” Jake said. “We have to move.”

  We were walking down the hall on our way out the front when we heard steps on the stairs. My heart shifted into high gear, a heavy thumping in my chest. “Great,” Jake muttered. Shoving me into the dark confines of Gabe’s office nearly opposite the back entryway, he jumped across to the other side of the hallway and stood poised to attack. Gabe and Ethan waited on the side closer to where I hid in the dark office.

  I considered my options. Even if I dared to make noise trying to get out the window, I wasn’t willing to leave Jake and Ethan. I stood with my back against the wall, steeling myself for the confrontation to come. I kept seeing the little pistol in Dar’s hand and that froze me in place. Would I be able to move when the time came?

  An odd sound came from outside the half-open window. A thrumming sound. Something else Dar had in store for us? Or was it just my heart?

  With a burst of shouts, the fighting began. The cries and grunting compelled me into the hall. Gabe was down on the ground, apparently unconscious, and near him Ethan wrestled with the big man who’d attacked me last night, the one whose belt buckle testified of the terrible things he’d done to others. Jake was on the far side, struggling with the other guard, a blur of punches and maneuvering. I couldn’t see Dar, which made me even more nervous. Had he found Marcie and Harmony?

  Ethan cried out as the big man landed a punch to his stomach. For a man who’d supposedly trained in martial arts, he wasn’t making much headway. I scooped up Gabe’s fallen statue, and with all the strength I could muster, slammed it at the base of the man’s skull. To my surprise, his eyes rolled up and he collapsed.

  “Thanks,” Ethan wheezed.

  “No problem.” I touched my right wrist gingerly, wondering if this time I’d broken a bone with the impact.

  Jake was standing over the other man. “We need to get some rope.” But even as he spoke, he was turning to new movement at the back door.

  Dar stood there, his customary ponytail partly loose from its elastic and framing his wide face with wisps of stringy hair. He wasn’t alone. Spring was with him, her arms around her sleeping child, her eyes bright with terror. Dar’s pistol pointed at her head. “Nobody move,” he ordered in a deceptively calm voice, as though he’d asked us if we’d like bacon with our eggs.