River's Recruit (The Sanctuary Series)

by Abel, Charlotte

  The permanent scowl etched on Eli’s face melted. He reached for the medallion. “May I?”

  Jonathan nodded. “It’s a constant reminder of Franklin’s death.”

  “Heavy of heart and body broken.” Eli pointed at Jonathan’s stump. “You only have one hand.”

  Jonathan rolled his eyes. “Thanks. I hadn’t noticed.”

  Gabriel snickered then cried out in pain.

  Jonathan nodded his head at the boy’s back. “Don’t let me keep you from taking care of that.”

  Eli let go of the medallion then dipped the rag back in the bucket. “You better go before Reuben catches you in here.”

  “Why would Reuben care? I sleep here.”

  Gabriel whimpered when Eli pressed the rag to his back. “It’s part of the punishment. Pa doesn’t want anyone but Eli to relieve my pain.”

  “Reuben did this?” Reuben was strict with his sons but it was easy to see that he loved both of them with all his heart. How could he do this to Gabriel? “You need stitches.”

  “Pa will take care of it tomorrow, when we have better light.”

  “How can you even consider letting him touch you after what he did?”

  “I’m glad it was Pa and not Jesse.”

  “Is there anything I can do to help?”

  “Not yet.” Eli gave Jonathan a poignant look.

  “What’s your woman’s name?” Jonathan didn’t usually refer to a woman as ‘woman’ but it would be easier for the men of New Eden to accept him if he fit their expectations.

  “Aspen.”

  “I’ll do what I can.” Jonathan opened the door and peeked outside. He didn’t want to run into Reuben. He wasn’t afraid of him. But he didn’t want to make things worse for Gabriel. “I need to go take care of Lightning.”

  ~***~

  The sound of quiet weeping met Jonathan’s ears before he opened the stable door.

  “Paul?” Jonathan’s chest ached when his eyes adjusted to the dim light and he saw his little friend curled up in a fetal position, lying in a pile of straw next to Stormy.

  The filly stood up and greeted Jonathan with a puff of air on his neck when he entered her stall. He sat down and pulled Paul onto his lap. “Hey little man, what’s wrong?”

  Jonathan searched the child’s face for some clue that would identify him as Eli’s son. But Eli and Reuben looked too much alike for there to be any obvious differences.

  “Pa whipped Gabriel.”

  “You saw that?” Phantom pain shot out of Jonathan’s wrist as he clenched his fist.

  “No. Pa made me stay in the house, but I heard Gabriel scream.” Paul tightened his grip around Jonathan’s neck. “I could hear the whip crack, too.”

  Paul needed comfort, not Jonathan’s righteous indignation; so he swallowed his rage and forced himself to speak with calm reassurance. “It’s gonna be okay, kiddo. I promise.”

  “Momma used to sing to me when I got scared. Can you sing to me?”

  Jonathan sang every song he could remember from childhood until Paul stopped crying. “Can you sit here by yourself for a little bit while I take care of Lightning? I rode him hard then put him up wet and hungry.”

  Paul’s little shoulders trembled but he nodded his head and crawled off Jonathan’s lap. He popped a dirty thumb into his mouth.

  Jonathan cringed, but the kid had survived this long. He probably wasn’t in any immediate danger—at least not from bacteria or parasites. Jonathan wanted to bust Reuben’s nose for what he’d done to Gabriel. If he laid so much as one finger on Paul; he’d do more than just smash his face.

  “Jonathan?” It sounded more like ‘Jon-a-fun’ with his thumb in his mouth. “Can you sing that dragon song again? The one ‘bout that little boy that grows up and don’t come round no more?”

  Jonathan smiled for the first time in what felt like days. “Sure, kid. As long as Lightning doesn’t mind.”

  He didn’t. He was too busy eating his double ration of oats to care about anything else.

  “Puff the Magic Dragon” was the song Mom had always relied on when Jonathan and Frankie were sick or scared or just too riled up to fall asleep. Jonathan didn’t know if it was a product of his coma-rattled brain, a dream, or a true memory—but it was also the song he’d heard her singing while he lay in the Intensive Care Unit in Landstuhl.

  By the time Jonathan finished rubbing down Lightning, Paul was asleep.

  Jonathan scooped him up and carried him back to the house.

  Paul wrapped his arms around Jonathan’s neck and his legs around his chest. He snuggled his head into Jonathan’s shoulder and whispered, “Momma.”

  That one word nearly ripped Jonathan’s heart right out of his chest. He felt the pain of Franklin’s death every day. But Paul was only four. His mother was dead and his father was a monster.

  Jonathan kissed Paul’s cheek and whispered, “It’s going to be okay. I’ll never let anyone hurt you like that. I promise.”

  ~***~

  Jonathan balanced Paul on his hip to open the front door. His heart skipped a beat when he noticed the flickering rectangle of light creeping into the hall from under the door of Reuben’s office. The monster was awake and hiding in its lair.

  Jonathan refused to be intimidated. He marched down the hall, past Reuben’s office toward Paul’s room.

  The creak of an opening door made his ears twitch in anticipation, but the only other sound was a deep and weary sigh.

  Jonathan turned sideways and shifted his weight onto his back foot. He didn’t want to fight with Paul in his arms, but there was no way he was letting Reuben anywhere near the child. “Stay back.”

  Jonathan was angry but he hadn’t meant to sound so…threatening.

  Reuben’s eyes widened. “I’m not going to hurt him. I just want to put him to bed.”

  “If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to do it myself.”

  Reuben’s eyes flashed with anger, but he nodded his assent and stepped out of the way when Jonathan growled at him.

  He balanced Paul on his hip and pulled down the covers on his bed. But when he tried to lay him down, Paul clung to his neck.

  He laid down beside him and hummed a few bars of “Puff the Magic Dragon.”

  When Paul relaxed his grip, Jonathan slipped out of the bed.

  Reuben was still standing in the doorway—watching. “You seem to have a way with him.”

  “Maybe that’s because he knows I’d never beat him with a bull whip.”

  Reuben put a hand on Jonathan’s shoulder. “Come to my office. We need to talk.”

  Jonathan shrugged it off and glared at Reuben but gave him a curt nod and followed him down the hall. He’d talk to the man alright. With his fist.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Betrayed

  “Have a seat, Jonathan.” Reuben looked and sounded exhausted. He should be, Jonathan thought bitterly, beating people was hard work.

  “First of all, I don’t have to justify my actions to anyone, least of all an insolent, disrespectful kid.” Reuben scrubbed his face with his hands and sighed. “But I like you, Jonathan, and I think it will help you adjust to our society if you understand that I punished Gabriel because I love him.”

  Jonathan’s stomach churned. What a pitiful excuse. He’d been spanked a couple of times as a kid and even then it was with an open palm, not a bullwhip. Both times Dad had claimed, “This is going to hurt me more than it will you.” Jonathan hadn’t believed it then and he didn’t believe it now.

  “Your parents had the luxury of raising you with gentle discipline. In a world where individual rights are respected, a headstrong, stubborn child will usually mature into an independent and valuable member of society.

  “But here, in this harsh world, the head that does not learn to bow to authority is more often than not severed from the body. I don’t want to witness the torture and execution of my sons…or the man that has stolen River’s heart.” Reuben leaned back in his chair, folded
his arms across his chest and stared at Jonathan.

  The silence and tension grew increasingly more uncomfortable. Jonathan’s pulse raced, but he refused to verify or deny Reuben’s unspoken accusation. He didn’t want to cause problems for River. Besides, their relationship was none of Reuben’s business. Jonathan didn’t glare, but he didn’t look away either. He refused to let this man intimidate him. Reuben finally gave up and started talking again.

  “When punishment is only an abstract idea, the consequences of future transgressions seem unreal. It is better for a person to suffer painful beatings, and learn to obey every command instinctively; than to enjoy an idyllic childhood and pay for a thoughtless mistake with their life as an adult.”

  Reuben’s eyes bored into Jonathan’s. “Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  Jonathan understood the theory, but the practice still seemed disproportionately harsh. “Couldn’t you just talk to him? Give him extra chores or something?”

  Reuben rubbed his brow and sighed heavily, as if the act of breathing required a herculean effort. “What happens to you, Jonathan, if you break a minor law? Say, you get caught driving an automobile too fast.”

  “I get a speeding ticket, go to court and pay the fine.”

  “How many times have you been caught speeding?”

  Jonathan scratched his head and thought about Reuben’s question for a minute. “If you just count the times I was actually given a ticket, only three. I don’t know how many warnings I’ve gotten.”

  “It doesn’t look like you learned anything from these ‘tickets.’ What if the first time you got caught speeding you were jerked out of your car and given three lashes with a bullwhip. Do you think you would be inclined to speed again?”

  Jonathan didn’t answer, but he was beginning to see Reuben’s point.

  “Do you know what happens in our community when someone breaks a minor law, equivalent to speeding?”

  “Why don’t you enlighten me?” Jonathan cleared his throat to cover the growl. He didn’t know where all the animal sounds were coming from, but he needed to get a handle on it.

  Reuben clenched his jaw. He obviously didn’t like Jonathan’s tone of voice, but he seemed willing to let it pass.

  “Let’s say someone steals an apple from the communal food supply, what do you think might happen?”

  Jonathan felt all the color drain from his face. River must have stolen that apple they shared. Why on Earth did she take such a chance? Surely she knew what would happen if she were caught. In spite of his best efforts, Jonathan’s voice shook when he whispered, “I don’t know.”

  “If it were their first offense, they would only lose a finger.”

  Jonathan would fight to the death before he let anyone lay a hand on River. Could he pull the son of Ephraim crap on Reuben? No. Reuben already knew about the prophecy. He’s the one that pointed it out to River.

  “What if the person that stole the apple didn’t do it for their own benefit, but gave it to a friend?” Jonathan’s heart pounded so hard he could barely hear his own words over the roar of blood rushing through his veins.

  “In that case, the friend could step forward and sacrifice their own flesh on behalf of the thief’s. Seeing someone you care about suffer for your sins is often a better deterrent than personal injury to one’s own self.”

  Jonathan nodded resolutely and glared at Reuben. There was no way in hell he would let River pay for that damn apple with one of her fingers.

  “River gave the apple to me. I accept full responsibility.” Jonathan’s blood ran cold, but he did not waver in his determination to protect River at all costs. “Let’s get this over with.”

  Reuben’s expression softened. “Relax, Jonathan. No one is going to lose any fingers this time. River did not steal from the community. That apple came from my own rations.”

  Jonathan was relieved, but he didn’t want to see River whipped either. “Well, whatever the hell you’re planning to do to her, you can do to me instead.”

  “River traded three arrows for one apple.”

  An audible whoosh of air escaped Jonathan’s lungs.

  “That was a mean trick.” Jonathan’s heart gradually resumed a normal pace.

  “It wasn’t a trick. It was a test.”

  Jonathan’s eyes narrowed into slits. “What kind of test?”

  Reuben scratched at the stubble on his chin, then leaned back. “I had to be absolutely certain that you would protect River no matter the cost.”

  “I would give up my life to protect her.”

  “Will you also give up your values, your freedom and your compulsion to right every wrong?”

  “I can’t change who I am.”

  Reuben sighed. “I didn’t think so. And even if you could, you wouldn’t be the man River deserves.”

  “What’s your point?”

  “You need to take River and leave.”

  “What about the son of Ephraim prophecy?”

  “I don’t want River mixed up in that. It’s too dangerous.”

  “She won’t leave willingly.”

  “She will if you tell her to.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  Reuben placed his palms on his desk and leaned forward. “Did you mate with River?”

  “Not exactly.”

  Reuben narrowed his eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

  Something told Jonathan that now was not the time to lie, mislead or leave out important details. He told Reuben everything, including the fact that he’d bitten River, not just once, but twice.

  Reuben leaned back and stared at Jonathan. “And you’re sure her fever broke?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “And other than glowing eyes, fever and petting a wild wolf, you didn’t experience anything…extraordinary.”

  “Nope.”

  Reuben scrubbed his face with his palms. “I don’t know what to think. Maybe I shouldn’t interfere?”

  “Did you have a plan of how to get River and I out of here without the council killing you and Gabriel?” Jonathan held his breath.

  Reuben nodded. “Shula has some herbal concoction that simulates death. I’ll have her administer it to you and River; show your bodies to Jessie and Eli so they can testify of your deaths; then take you to Red Cliff to recover. Can you find your way home from there?”

  Jonathan shook his head. He cleared his throat twice then swallowed. “I agree that we need to evacuate River. But I’m staying. Someone needs to take out Zebulon. Will you help me?”

  Rueben was quiet for a long time. When he finally spoke, his voice was heavy with grief. “Gabriel and Paul need to leave, too. If we fail, I don’t want them to be punished.”

  “There’s plenty of room at my father’s house and he’ll take good care of everyone.” Jonathan didn’t know what else to say. “How soon do you think the pass will open?”

  “We can’t wait for the snow to melt. Sanctuary will open before the pass does. All deaths must be certified by a council member unless the mountain is sealed. You’ll have to take River and the boys out another way.”

  “What other way?”

  “There’s another tunnel. Eli and I are the only ones that know about it. When he set off the bomb inside the McKnight Mine, it blew an opening into my gold mine.”

  Terror squeezed Jonathan’s chest as he pictured the narrow tunnels, rotting support beams and never-ending darkness so thick you could taste it. “Is there no other way?”

  Reuben stood up and strode around his massive desk. He grabbed Jonathan’s shoulders and lifted him to his feet.

  “I know about your claustrophobia. You’ll be unconscious during the journey through the mines.”

  “What about when I return?”

  “Can’t you take something to calm your nerves?”

  “There’s not enough Xanax on the planet to get me through two mines on my own.” Jonathan smiled as he thought of a solution that would keep him out of the tu
nnels…and give him more time with Dad and River. “There’s no reason I can’t wait for the pass to open before I come back.”

  Reuben frowned and quoted that damn lullaby again. “Look to the East in your darkest hour for a humble man to rise to power.”

  “What does that have to do with anything?”

  “I need to know the exact hour of your return so I can have witnesses in place. I want every surface dwelling man, woman and child to be there when you emerge from the eastern face of Sanctuary Mountain and claim your birthright as the son of Ephraim.”

  “You want me to make some sort of grand entrance? That doesn’t sound like something a humble man would do. And I have no intention of starting a rebellion. This is going to be a surgical strike, with as few casualties as possible. All I need are a few good men.”

  “If all the surface dwellers unite behind you before Sanctuary opens, we might be able to unseat Zebulon and the council without bloodshed.”

  That would be worth any sacrifice.

  Jonathan didn’t know how he would manage it, but somehow he’d find the courage to face his irrational fears. He would crawl back to New Eden on his hands and knees if he had to. “Alright. I’ll do it.”

  Reuben pulled Jonathan against his chest and hugged him so hard it squeezed the air out of his lungs. “Thank you, Jonathan, son of Ephraim.”

  Jonathan thumped Reuben’s back to signal his need for air. He sucked in a lungful as soon as he released him. “How long can I stay, before I have to come back?”

  “Three days.”

  “Why not three weeks?” Three days wouldn’t be enough time to get River and the boys settled with Dad…or to say goodbye.

  “I can’t predict the weather that far in advance. If you make your grand entrance in the middle of a blizzard, no one will be there to see it.”

  ~***~

  River burst into Reuben’s office without knocking. She grabbed Jonathan’s vest in her fists. “I forbid you to proxy for Gabriel.”

  Reuben closed his eyes then opened them slowly and stared at Jonathan. “You were going to proxy for my son?”

  “Yes.”

  Tears leaked out of the corners of Reuben’s eyes, but either he didn’t notice, or he didn’t care. He let them slide down his cheeks without blinking.