by Cindi Myers
She shoved at the window sash again, and scowled at the wire mesh that covered the glass. If only she was strong enough to throw up the sash despite the nails. Would it help if she had listened to her friends and taken up weight training?
A scraping noise outside the RV made her freeze. Heart racing, she rose on tiptoe again and took a look outside. A scream stuck in her throat as a figure loomed up on the other side of the window. She jumped back, then sagged with relief when she recognized Phoenix. The other woman held up a hammer, then used it to pry the nails from the sill. Moments later, the sill shot up and Phoenix leaned her head in.
“I couldn’t sleep,” she said. “I’ve been thinking about what you said—about your sister. Do you think the Prophet really killed her?”
Hannah wanted to suggest Phoenix help her get out of the RV without Metwater knowing, and then they could have this discussion, but she couldn’t be sure whose side the other woman was on. She was such an ardent fan of the Prophet that the odds seemed about even that she would alert him of any attempt Hannah made to escape. Better to try to win her over to Hannah’s point of view. She moved closer to the window and kept her voice low. “I don’t know. She died in the hospital emergency room, of an asthma attack.”
Phoenix looked thoughtful. “I remember she had an inhaler she used. She said she was going to get her prescription filled while she and the Prophet were in Denver.”
“Maybe he didn’t let her fill it.”
“Why wouldn’t he? I mean, it wasn’t as if she used it very much at all.”
“No, but stress can make asthma worse. If she and the Prophet were fighting, she would be stressed.”
Phoenix frowned. “But that doesn’t mean he killed her.”
“No. But he left her at the hospital alone.” Hannah struggled to hold back her anger. “And he lied to you and everyone else here about what happened to her.”
“That’s what troubles me most,” Phoenix said. “Why would he do that?”
“I don’t know. Help me down, will you?”
“I’m not sure I should help you leave.”
“I don’t want to be here. The Prophet is holding me against my will. Do you think that’s right?”
Phoenix hesitated so long, Hannah began to despair. Maybe she should rush the window and try to move past the other woman. “He’s not going to like you leaving,” Phoenix said. “He’ll probably send Kiram and others after you. They might even try to hurt you.”
“I know. They might already have hurt Walt. But I have to risk it. I can’t stay here.”
“All right, I’ll help you,” Phoenix said. “But wait just a minute. I’ll be right back—I promise.”
Before Hannah could protest, Phoenix shut the window and climbed down the ladder. By the time Hannah had the window open again, Phoenix had laid the ladder on the ground and left. Hannah moaned softly. The sun was already higher in the sky. She had no idea if Metwater was an early riser, but what if he was and decided to pay her a visit?
* * *
THE RAIN SLACKED off and Walt fell into a doze. When he woke again, stiff and cold, the sky was pale with the first hint of dawn. Standing, he pushed out of the underbrush and studied his surroundings. Nothing about this area looked familiar. Maybe if he had been on the job longer he would be more familiar with the wilderness backcountry, but his work thus far had kept him mostly in the national park and along roads. Before him spread a landscape of brown dirt, red and gray rock, and clumps of gnarled trees and sagebrush.
He tried to retrace his steps from the night before, and found the place where Kiram had left him, drag marks in the mud clearly showing where the bearded man had dumped him. Following the drag marks, he came to the impression of tires, showing where Kiram had parked his vehicle. The treads led away from the parking spot in a clear path across the prairie.
Heart pounding, Walt moved faster, trotting now, ignoring the pain in his feet as he followed the faint impressions in the mud. With a little luck, he’d be able to follow these tracks all the way back to the road, and from there to the camp.
An hour later, just as the first hints of pale blue were showing in the sky, Walt crept into the woods on the outskirts of camp. Moving stealthily, seeking cover behind trees and the random piles of junk that had accumulated among the trailers, tents and shacks, he peered out at the center gathering area. No one was moving about yet. A tendril of smoke rose from the remains of last night’s bonfire, and the air smelled of wet ashes and earth.
Satisfied that no one was about, he made his way to his tent and quickly dressed. His only shoes were in Kiram’s shack, along with his gun. Not wanting to be unarmed, he crept to the camp kitchen and found a knife. Suddenly ravenous, he ate some bread and cheese he found, then stuffed his pockets with several energy bars. Then he headed for Metwater’s RV.
Barging into the motor home would be a bad idea. Reports he had read at Ranger headquarters indicated Metwater owned at least one firearm, and Walt couldn’t be sure the Prophet was in the RV alone.
Alone except for Hannah. Walt needed to find out where she was, then make a plan for freeing her. He crept around the motor home, listening for any sign of movement inside. Most of the windows were too high up for him to see into, and he couldn’t tell much about the layout of the vehicle. He thought the bedroom or bedrooms were to the left of the door, but he couldn’t be sure.
He stood at the back of the RV, considering his next move, when a voice from behind him made him freeze. “Walt! You’re not supposed to be here.”
Slowly, he turned and stared at Phoenix. She stood at the far end of the RV, paler than ever in the early-morning light. And was that a bow and arrow she had trained on him?
* * *
HANNAH LEANED HER head against the windowsill and listened for any signs of movement in the other parts of the RV. If she heard anyone coming, she would jump out the window. Maybe she’d get lucky and wouldn’t break any bones.
She wasn’t sure how many minutes had passed when she heard voices outside. She looked toward the end of the RV where they seemed to be coming from and gasped as she recognized Walt and Phoenix. He was standing with his hands over his head, and Phoenix was pointing something at him. Hannah craned her neck for a closer look and gasped. Was that a bow and arrow?
* * *
THE BOW AND arrow Phoenix held looked crude, but effective. Walt had no doubt the arrow could do serious damage, especially at such close range. “I’m here to help Hannah,” he said.
“Phoenix, what are you doing?”
Walt didn’t dare turn around, but he recognized Hannah’s voice behind him. Phoenix shifted her gaze to over his shoulder. “He’s not supposed to be here,” she said.
“No, I’m supposed to be dead,” Walt said. “Kiram took me out into the desert and left me to die of exposure or thirst or whatever it took.”
“How did you get back?” Phoenix asked.
“He was too stupid to realize his truck would leave tracks in the fresh mud. As soon as it was light enough, I followed his trail back to camp.”
“Could we discuss this later?” Hannah asked.
Phoenix lowered the bow, and together she and Walt hurried to the window where Hannah waited. He spotted the ladder and propped it against the RV, then together he and Phoenix helped Hannah climb out.
She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I was so worried about you,” she said.
He held her close, unable to let go. “Are you okay?” he asked, studying her face.
She nodded. “I am. Especially now.” She turned to Phoenix. “What are you doing with that bow and arrow?”
“Some guys made them a while back to hunt rabbits. They didn’t have any luck but since you said you were leaving camp, I thought you might want one. You know, for self-defense.”
“Is that
why you left—to get something to help me protect myself?”
Bright color flooded Phoenix’s normally pale cheeks. “I wedged the front door of the motor home shut. If the Prophet saw you escaping, I wanted to slow down his pursuit.”
Hannah moved from Walt’s arms into Phoenix’s. “Thank you,” she said, and kissed the older woman’s cheek.
“We need to leave before everyone wakes up,” Walt reminded her.
“First we have to get Joy—Vicki.” She squeezed Phoenix’s arm. “She has to go with us.”
“No!”
Walt flinched at Phoenix’s loud cry, and looked around to see if anyone had heard.
“Yes,” Hannah said. “Emily—Freedom—wanted me to have the baby. She said so in her will.”
“If the Prophet finds out I gave her to you, he’ll punish me.” Phoenix looked on the verge of tears.
“Then tell him I stole her.”
Phoenix shook her head, tears streaming down her face. Walt clenched his jaw, hating how helpless he felt. He wanted to tell Hannah to leave the baby—that they would come back for her later. But he might as well have told her to leave her right arm behind. She wouldn’t go without the child, and he wouldn’t go without her, so they were stuck at an impasse.
“Mom, we have to give Vicki to her.”
Sophie stepped from the edge of the woods, the baby cradled on her shoulder. The girl was barefoot, dressed only in a thin cotton nightgown.
“Sophie!” Phoenix cried. “What are you doing here?”
“I saw you take the bow and arrow from under the bed and I wanted to know what you were doing.” She moved closer. “You always said you would give Vicki back to Freedom if she came for her,” she said. “If Hannah is her sister, she’s the next best thing.”
Phoenix touched her daughter’s cheek, then laid her other hand on the baby’s back.
“You always said children belonged with family,” Sophie said.
“I did, didn’t I?” She turned back to Hannah. “You’re not lying to me, are you?”
“Everything I’ve told you is the truth,” Hannah said.
Except that she and Walt weren’t really husband and wife, he thought, but what bearing did that have on any of this?
Phoenix handed the bow and arrow to Walt, then took the sleeping infant from Sophie and put her in Hannah’s arms.
Sophie slipped the diaper bag onto Hannah’s shoulder. “Some of her things are in here, including some bottles of formula and some diapers.”
“Thanks,” Hannah said, and patted the girl’s hand.
“Take good care of her,” Phoenix whispered.
“I will,” Hannah said. “And thank you—for being my sister’s friend, for taking care of her baby and for helping me. You’re a good woman, Phoenix.”
She said nothing, but took Sophie’s hand and turned away. “I’ll light a candle for you,” she said.
“Wait!” Hannah called.
Phoenix looked back over her shoulder.
“You should come with us,” Hannah said.
“No.” Phoenix took a step back. “This is my home. This is where I belong.”
“But what if someone tries to hurt you?” Hannah asked. “Because you helped us?”
Phoenix smiled. “I’m sure that won’t happen. We’re safer here than we would be anywhere else.”
Walt could see Hannah didn’t believe that, but he doubted she would ever convince the older woman she was in danger. Phoenix still believed in the Prophet, despite everything that had happened. “We’ll stay in touch,” Hannah said. “We’ll make sure you’re all right.” She would ask the Rangers to keep an eye on mother and daughter—to make sure no harm came to them.
* * *
WALT SHOULDERED THE crude bow and arrow, then took Hannah’s hand. “Come on,” he said. “We’d better go.”
“I can’t wait to get out of here,” she said, hurrying along beside him.
“We have to stop by Kiram’s place first,” he said.
She balked. “Why do we have to go there?”
“I have to get my shoes—and my gun.”
She glanced down at his bare feet. “Are you sure it’s worth the risk?”
“We won’t let him see us. You can hide somewhere nearby while I go inside.”
She tucked the blankets more securely around the baby. “Let’s get it over with, then.”
They found a spot in the woods away from the camp but close enough to give them a view of Kiram’s shack. People were beginning to emerge from some of the other trailers and tents, but there was no sign of life around the makeshift dwelling. Walt was beginning to wonder if they had missed the bearded man. “Maybe I should see if the place is empty,” he said.
“No.” Hannah’s fingers dug into his arm. When he turned to look at her, she fixed him with a fierce gaze. “I almost lost you to that bully once,” she said. “I don’t want to risk it again.”
Her words made him feel a little unsteady, as if reeling from a punch. He wanted to demand she explain what she meant, but now didn’t seem the right time. Instead, he covered her hand with his own and nodded. “All right. We’ll wait a little longer.”
Just as he turned back to the shack, the door opened and Kiram emerged. As usual, he wore the knife at his waist. He looked around him, then headed away, toward the center of the camp, where other Family members were gathering for breakfast.
As soon as he was out of sight, Walt rushed forward. He took cover around the side of the shack for a moment, catching his breath. No one shouted or gave any other sign they had seen him. Quickly, he moved to the door and slipped inside.
He went first to the rafter where he had hidden the gun, and breathed a sigh of relief when he found it still there. He checked that the weapon was still loaded, then tucked it into the waistband of his jeans. His shoes were also where he had left them. He put them on, then looked around to see if he had missed anything. Moments later, he rejoined Hannah. “Let’s get the bike and get out of here,” he said.
“Do you think it’s safe to take the baby on the motorcycle?” she asked as they made their way along the creek toward the parking area.
“It’s not the safest choice,” he said. “But I don’t think we have any other option.”
“No. I don’t suppose we do.”
On the way to the parking area, he dumped the bow and arrows into the brush. “I appreciate Phoenix looking out for you,” he said. “But I’m more comfortable with my service weapon than those.”
“I guess a gun would be more reliable,” Hannah said. “Though I hope it doesn’t come to that.”
They emerged on the edge of the gravel parking area. As usual, the area was empty. They kept to cover until they came to the place where Walt had left the bike, camouflaged with branches. He peered into the thick underbrush and saw a few loose branches on the ground, but no bike.
“I don’t see it,” Hannah said.
He swore under his breath and kicked at the dirt, where the imprint of the motorcycle’s tires clearly showed. “It was here,” he said. “Someone took it.”
“Metwater wanted it,” she said. “He must have hidden it away somewhere.”
“That would be my guess.” Add theft to his list of charges against the so-called prophet.
“What are we going to do?” she asked.
“We start walking.”
“That’s right. You can turn around and walk back into camp.” The underbrush behind them moved and Kiram emerged. Though Kiram still wore his knife, he aimed a pistol at Walt. “Start walking,” he said. “Or I’ll take a great deal of pleasure in shooting you.”
Chapter Fifteen
Walt stepped in front of Hannah and the baby. He had to give them a chance to get away. Metwate
r wanted Hannah, but Kiram hated Walt, and Walt could use that fact to his advantage. “What’s with the gun?” he asked. “I thought you were a peace-loving guy focused on spiritual matters.”
“Shut up and start walking.” Kiram motioned with the gun toward camp. The way he was waving the weapon around made Walt think he hadn’t handled guns a lot—or at least he hadn’t been trained to handle them safely. Which made him more dangerous, but less likely to be a really good shot.
Walt reached back and took Hannah’s hand. “We’ll come quietly,” he lied. “Just allow us one more kiss before you tear us apart again.” Before Kiram could respond, he pulled Hannah close and kissed her soundly on the mouth. She stiffened, then melted into his arms. He would have liked to prolong the moment, to savor the feel of her lips on his. But they didn’t have a moment to lose. With his back partially shielding her from view, he moved his mouth to her ear.
“When I give the word, run,” he said. “I’ll be with you as soon as I can.”
“Yes,” she whispered.
He released her and turned to face Kiram once more. “Get going!” the bearded man shouted.
“I’m going.” He took two steps toward the other man, then launched himself at Kiram’s legs, sending him flying. “Run!” he shouted, and prayed that Hannah wouldn’t hesitate to flee.
Kiram grunted as he landed hard on his back, but he kept hold of the gun. By the time he sat up, Walt had drawn his own weapon. Kiram fired, but the shot went wild. He rolled to the side as Walt fired, so that the bullet struck him in the shoulder, instead of the chest. Kiram’s eyes widened in shock. He dropped his weapon and clutched at his shoulder, where blood blossomed, seeping through his fingers.
Walt kicked Kiram’s gun away as loud voices approached. The others in the camp must have heard the shots. “Help!” Kiram shouted. “He’s getting away!”
Walt didn’t wait to hear more. He took off in the direction Hannah had fled. He had run several hundred yards, away from the road and the camp, when he heard her call his name. “Walt! Over here!”