Desperate Rescue

by Barbara Phinney

  “That’s not true.” Even as the words tumbled from his lips, he knew they were a lie. He swallowed, hating himself and disturbed that Kaylee could so easily snap out the truth.

  But was it still the truth? In the past week, he found himself caring more and more for her, until he reached the point he dared not cross. The point of admitting his feelings to her. A very dangerous point for both of them.

  “It is true,” she snapped back. “That’s the only reason you don’t want me to leave. You’re not trusting God, either! Vengeance is mine, says the Lord, remember? So what are you doing? Getting back at Noah under the guise of freeing your sister! If you trusted God, you wouldn’t be doing things that go against His teaching. So stop telling me what the Christian thing to do is, because you’re not doing it, either!”

  With that, she slapped down the bag.

  Then she dropped into the chair beside the dresser.

  Eli swallowed hard. Twice. Lord, is what she saying true? I want to be in Your will, so help me, Lord.

  There was no wash of warmth, no comforting hand of God on his shoulder saying softly that what he was doing was right. God was as silent for him as He’d been for Kaylee. Eli just stared at her, until she looked up at him, her own stricken expression a mirror of his.

  She was right. He was desperately trying to get back at Noah. How many times over the years had he considered hurting Noah, or worse?

  “You’re right,” he finally whispered. “So right.” He knelt down in front of her.

  She held out her hands and he took them. “And so are you.” Wetting her lips, she continued. “I am running away. I’ve always done it. The only time I didn’t run from my problems, I tried to fix them by going to The Farm. I ended up held captive and fell under Noah’s sway. Running away is usually easier for me, but in that compound, it was easier to stay. I was too scared to take any risks. But then when I did take one…”

  “No,” he said softly. He didn’t want her to go through all that again. “You think that the Lord is punishing you for all the things you said, but part of it is humiliation, too.”

  She looked at him, obviously confused by his words. He explained himself. “You were humiliated by Noah. He not only tricked you with his blasphemy, but after he killed Trisha, he went the extra mile by claiming that he spurned your advances.”

  Tears slipped free of her eyes and flowed in two even tracks down her cheeks. They cut sharply into his heart. “Noah humiliated me, too, and I’ve been fighting back for years, trying to get even with him for it. He stole our sister and rubbed my nose in it.”

  She clung to his hands, then, a breath later, lifted them to her cheek. “We’ve run out of hope, haven’t we?”

  He brushed her cheek with the back of his hand, reveling in the peachlike feel of her skin and the warmth of her tears. “No. There’s always hope.”

  “Lois told me that God promised us life more abundantly.”

  “And we’ve had that.” He drew her hands closer to his chest, to keep at bay the temptation of holding her close, kissing her and starting something they shouldn’t start. “Kaylee, sometimes God takes us to the absolute end so that He can show us He loves us and wants to help us. He takes us to the limit of our strength to show us His, so that we can finally admit that we need Him.”

  “And have you reached the end?”

  He nodded. There was so much he wanted to say to her, so much fear he’d felt himself, especially with her announcement that she was leaving. And just as importantly, he could now see the extent that the driven nature he despised in Noah was in him, too. Only one thing could help him conquer it.

  A wealth of sudden insight bombarded him and he found himself searching for words, the words that could explain the thoughts racing through him.

  “I’ve just realized everything, Kaylee. With your help. I’ve been trying to get revenge on Noah all these years. And you’re right, I haven’t trusted the Lord. I’ve been afraid I was like Noah, expecting that I would be like him and not really believing God could change me.”

  “We’ve both reached the end,” she whispered, clinging to his hands. She shrugged, looking self-conscious. “Maybe I need Jesus in my life. I know that I can’t go on by myself anymore.”

  He stared at her, too stunned to speak. Finally, he said, “You need Jesus, Kaylee, and He wants to be a part of your life.”

  The emotion of the moment overwhelmed him. He wasn’t used to sharing his spirituality with anyone, let alone a woman he’d just met, tried to use and suddenly come to care very much for. He’d never before brought anyone to the Lord.

  He dropped his head down, but she lifted it up, cradling it in her hands. “Pray for me, Eli. I think I need it.”

  His heart swelled, catching him in his throat and not letting go. “Oh, sweetheart, everyone needs prayer. Especially me right now.”

  “Then pray for both of us.”

  He prayed, his words so soft he wasn’t sure Kaylee could hear them. But they weren’t meant for her.

  Kaylee was so right when she said he was after revenge. He prayed for guidance, wisdom, strength to do God’s will. And he prayed for God to remove the vengeance in his heart, to change him.

  When he lifted his head again, Kaylee was smiling.

  “Thank you.”

  He wanted to kiss her, to hold her and tell her every thought racing through him. But all he could do was stare at her.

  She touched his cheek with her palm. “I don’t think I could have done this without you. You have such strength and commitment and know what’s right.”

  He laughed, a short one with a shake of his head. “You just told me I didn’t trust God.”

  She turned sheepish. “I was mad because you were right about me.”

  “Just like you were right about me. I have been looking for revenge. But more than that, I’ve been scared.”

  “Of what?”

  “Of turning out like Noah. Of being so driven that I don’t know what God wants for me. And the more determined I got to stop Noah, the more I lost sight of what God wanted me to do. It wasn’t until this moment that I could really see what He wants for me. He wants me to stop trying to do everything myself—and that includes getting revenge on Noah. He wants me to trust Him.”

  “You are trusting Him, just like I am now.”

  “It’s more than that. I was using you and even though I knew it, I couldn’t stop myself. And because I felt I couldn’t stop myself, I figured I was as bad as Noah. But all I needed to do was ask for help.”

  With that, he bowed his head.

  His prayer was louder this time.

  “Phoebe interpreted my fear as jealousy and selfishness. Maybe there was a bit of both there. I was really trying to keep myself from being like Noah, instead of letting the Spirit change me.”

  “There’s so much I want to ask you about this.”

  He chuckled. “I feel like a bit of a novice, myself. But we’ll find the answers together.”

  “Yes.” On an impulse, she leaned forward and kissed him warmly on the lips. He returned it. And however brief their kiss, it touched his very soul.

  Kaylee reached for a tissue and wiped her eyes before smiling at him again, relief pouring from her grin like water over Niagara Falls. “I just realized I still have to lock up the gym. Feel like driving me down there?”

  “I’d love to.”

  They took their time leaving the motel, Kaylee pausing for a moment to fix his collar where she’d rumpled it. Then, they drove down to River Road.

  The main street of the town had been temporarily repaired, thankfully, and they didn’t have to detour. He swung the car in front of the line of stores, to park by the candy store.

  She’d just given her life to Christ, he kept on thinking. It still stunned him. He’d been a committed Christian since he was a teenager. He’d seen this kind of thing before and yet, this time, it touched him so intensely.

  He loved her. He truly loved her. He’d been w
alking around the issue for days. It wasn’t supposed to happen this fast. Love came after the long term, after a deep inspection of both souls.

  And hadn’t they just done that?

  They walked past the candy store. Kaylee stopped, only feet from the front facade of the gym.

  He looked down at her. She was staring at the side of the building. He followed her gaze. All he could see was the alley, and at the end of it, part of the unused shed at the back of the gym. Nothing unusual. “What’s wrong?”

  “Smell that?”

  He sniffed. “Sweet-smelling. It’s candy.”

  “Yes. They’re made right there in the back of this store. They must have made some today.”

  Uneasy, he sniffed the air again. “What are you saying?”

  She shook her head, before grabbing his hand and backtracking down the line of shops. At the end, they ducked into the next alley, only to come up behind the block.

  He wanted to ask her what was going on, but she put her finger to her lips. They moved behind a medium-sized Dumpster. Ahead stood the back of the gym and, beyond, the playground and basketball courts.

  “What are we doing here?” he asked softly.

  She bit her lip. “I think I know where Noah’s been hiding.” She pointed down the alley.

  He peered after her, not understanding. “Where?”

  “The shed.”

  He looked down toward the right. The old shed stood with its back pressed into the forest. On the side closest to them was a narrow trail that led through the woods to the street across from Kaylee’s cul-de-sac. He shook his head. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”

  “The same thing you’ve been thinking all week. I’ve been smelling candy at the rec center. And when Noah showed up in my backyard, I smelled it again. But now they’re making a new batch, so they couldn’t have been making one this past week or earlier today. They don’t sell that much.”

  “Maybe they’re planning for the Christmas rush. It’s only a couple of months away.”

  “No. You know what I mean. Jenn told me when I first came here that this business isn’t that big. Besides, I’ve found the wrappers in the gym and down the hallway and outside the back of the building. I’ve been blaming the kids, but that candy isn’t popular with them.” She nodded toward the only door ahead of them, then fastened her gaze on him. “You’ve suspected he’s been around here. Does Noah like candy, Eli?”

  He nodded.

  She turned toward the shed. “He’s been hiding in there.”

  There was no point in denying that he’d considered what she’d just realized. “What’s it used for?”

  “I think it was originally meant for outdoor equipment, but the lock is no good and someone decided it wasn’t big enough.”

  “Was the lock ever fixed?”

  She lifted her shoulders briefly. “I don’t think so. No money, I would say. There may not be anything in there now at all. But apart from the woods around here, where else could he be? He was handy when Hec Haines saw him in the park and when we think about the incident with the dryer, it had to have been deliberate. I’m sure of it.”

  “Kaylee—”

  “No, listen. Jenn said she pulled it out, but the cord is so long that you’d have to pull it out much farther to have the wires get ripped out. Even if the dryer had been vibrating, it was odd that it should choose that moment to short out.” Her voice grew more excited. “And the candy wrappers. You said that Noah likes to toy with people. He did it with the candy. Jenn and I swept out behind the dryer and the wrappers were fresh. I could still smell the candy on them. And he was clean. He’s been using the gym’s facilities. He’s somehow got a key and the alarm code and has been in every night. He moved the dryer memo, the dryer, the sandbags—”

  “But why flood the gym?”

  “Because I’m in charge of it. So I would get fired, be forced to move home—”

  Eli held up his hand. “And become so despondent, you’d commit suicide.” He sighed. “Yes, I suspected that he’d been coming into the rec center, but I didn’t say anything.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I didn’t have proof and I didn’t want you to take off before I could use you to lure him out.” He looked sheepish. “I was selfish, remember?”

  She touched his face. “And it’s all forgiven now.”

  “But how’s he getting into the rec center?”

  “The same way he got into the shed. He picked the lock. Inside, he could easily find a spare key.”

  “He could be hiding in the woods. He took a survivalist’s course once.”

  “But when I saw him, he looked clean and neat. He could have been cleaning up in the center at night. He’d have to in order to impersonate you.”

  Eli found himself frowning. Could Noah really be so close? Right under their noses all this time?

  He stared at the storage shed. Kaylee had thought she’d seen Noah at the compound before it exploded. Was it possible that Noah was there, like she said?

  Yes, it was possible. Noah was resourceful and he was also the type to take full advantage of a situation.

  He liked to be comfortable, too.

  And he had a sweet tooth.

  He pointed to the door. “Does the door open inward or outward?”

  Kaylee bit her lip and shook her head. “I don’t know. The hinges are on the outside. I think it swings out.”

  “We need a plank of wood. Something to jam the door.”

  “We don’t have anything like that here.” She brightened suddenly. “We should call Officer Reading.”

  “And if Noah’s not in there?”

  She stiffened. “Look!”

  Eli peered through the dusk. A sliver of dim light suddenly winked on under the door. It spread thinly out across the dark asphalt.

  Someone was in the shed, all right. Instinctively, he drew her down in a crouch behind the Dumpster.

  This was it. He drew out his cell phone and quickly tapped in the officer’s number.

  He explained the situation and Reading said he would be there within a few minutes.

  Eli hung up. “He’s on his way.” He looked across at the door, blowing out a sigh. “It’s been seven years since I talked to Noah.”

  Kaylee touched his arm. “Remember your prayer.”

  Yes. He’d asked for God to wipe away the revenge in his heart, to give him the wisdom that he’d need to confront Noah after all this time.

  Strength surged into him. “I remember. Yes, I can face him now.” He turned to look into her face. “I would have killed him before, I was so angry at him. I’d have destroyed both our lives with my angry need for revenge.”

  She scanned his face, wonder in her expression. “Do you think there’s a chance he’ll see the truth, like what you’ve shown me tonight?”

  “With God, all things are possible. Let’s go.”

  “Go where?”

  “I’m going to confront Noah now, before the police get here. I may never have the chance again.”

  Her smile faded. “Now?”

  “Oh, sweetheart, it’s okay. Trust the Lord.”

  TWENTY

  Kaylee’s heart pounded in her chest. Lord, help us. Let us do the right thing here, for You.

  A peace settled over her, smoothly, like a warm comforter. Her heartbeat gently mellowed to a calming rhythm.

  Yes, she could face Noah. He no longer had a hold on her. His threats were hollow, weak compared to the strength resonating in her.

  She pressed her fingers into Eli’s arm. “Okay, but first—this.”

  He looked down at her questioningly. She drew his face close to hers and touched his lips with hers, gently, gingerly.

  Against her, he started slightly, causing her to smile as her lips brushed his. She’d caught him off guard.

  But not for long. Eli wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to return the kiss. Suddenly giddy, she tightened her own embrace and reveled in the delight his ki
ss gave her.

  But they weren’t huddled behind a Dumpster to share an intimate kiss. She drew back and, taking her cue, he set her away from him.

  “Whew!” he said, breaking out into a wide grin. “You have quite a way of prepping a man for the biggest confrontation of his life. Now, where were we?”

  She smiled. “Sorry about that. We were ready to face Noah.”

  He stood, bringing her up with him. “Never be sorry for kissing me like that, woman.” He sobered. “Ready?”

  “Yes, but shouldn’t we wait until the police come? It’ll only be a few minutes.”

  “No. I need to face him and so do you. There are some things I need to say to him before the police arrive. Like I said, trust the Lord.”

  They crept toward the shed. Reaching it, with its thin line of light at their feet, Eli grabbed the doorknob and pulled it open.

  Noah spun around, surprise slapped on his face. He was crouched down over some cans, a section of metal pipe and other junk Kaylee didn’t recognize encircling him. The room was strewn with candy wrappers and empty soda cans. In the far corner lay a rumpled, handmade quilt. She recognized it as one from her own house, donated by Lois. She shivered at the thought of how he’d stolen it.

  Eli stepped ahead of her. “It’s over, Noah.”

  She held her breath. Noah stood, slowly, his lips turning up in the same strange smile she’d seen on his face that evening in her backyard.

  “Well, good for you, Eli, for finally putting everything together.” As if to taunt him, he slowly unwrapped a candy and popped it into his mouth. “Looks like you’re actually getting smart.”

  Beside her, she felt Eli stiffen. “Smarter and wiser than you realize, Noah. This time, you’re going to face the police and you won’t be able to talk your way out of murder like before.”

  Noah flicked a glance in her direction. It barely landed on her before he discarded it, as if she meant nothing to him. “Murder? Whose murder?” he asked Eli.

  “John’s and, of course, Trisha’s.”

  He laughed and flicked his head in her direction as he picked up some wires he’d dropped. “Is that what she told you? She’s delusional. She doesn’t even know what to believe herself.”