by Tara Ellis
The trek back seems to go faster, and Sam is surprised when they reach the trailhead. Stumbling out onto the blacktop, she almost falls down before staggering to a stop. Ally and then Cassy crash into her back, their legs too tired to respond fast enough to avoid the collision.
Laughing, the three of them catch each other, and then stand huddled, bent over and gasping for air.
Still feeling an urgency that she doesn’t quite understand, Sam fumbles with the flashlight, afraid for a moment that the batteries are dead. Hitting the side of it into the palm of her hand, it finally sputters to life. Relieved, she steps back from the other girls and trains it up onto the archway that they’re standing under.
Curious as to why Sam is being so cryptic, Ally is about to demand that she explain herself, when she notices where Sam is shining the light. The horseshoe!
“Of course!” Cassy exclaims, all the pieces falling into place for her at the same time. “Jack Covington would have had this made at the same time that he built the ranch. The C in the sign is a horseshoe. The same design as the one on my mom’s grave!’
Shaking her head in astonishment, Ally smiles approvingly at Sam and quotes the last sentence of the engraving.
“The same luck that guards our home, and holds our precious daughter close.”
Grinning back, Sam lowers the flashlight before turning it off. “We have to see what’s inside that horseshoe.”
Suddenly, the darkness that’s been creeping around them is pushed back by an intense light. Shocked, the girls turn as one towards the head of the driveway, where a car sits with its high beams on. In their excitement, they failed to notice it in the shadows.
“Yes, Sam,” Peter Covington’s voice booms from the darkness. “I agree. We really do need to see what’s inside it.”
More headlights fall on the scene, but this time from the other direction. Turning to look for its source, Sam sees a large truck lumbering up the drive, coming from the ranch. It’s pulling a horse trailer.
It stops less than ten feet from where they stand. Once dark and silent, the door opens and a large man steps out. It isn’t Mr. Hartford, but a middle-aged guy with a broad face and mean eyes.
Fear stirs in Sam’s chest, making it hard to breathe. But when the distinct whiny of a horse erupts from the trailer, the fear turns to anger. “That’s Orion!” she shouts, looking from the stranger to Peter. “What are you doing with him?”
“That’s not your concern,” the large man says menacingly, coming around to stand at the front of the truck, mere feet away from Sam.
Sam has her hands in her back pockets, trying to appear relaxed, but her resolve wavers. Ally and Cassy edge in closer, standing behind her. Their increasing fear is palpable.
“Michael’s right,” Peter agrees, stepping forward so that the girls are now effectively blocked from both directions. “None of this is any of your business. It’s a family matter. But … since you’ve insisted on sticking your head where it doesn’t belong, you may as well make yourselves useful. I can’t let you run off and go tell stories before securing that ruby, can I?”
Michael! Sam stares back at the man, knowing he must be the former ranch hand who abandoned Lisa to go start a new business with Peter Covington. The same one that went bankrupt because of the shady stuff he was doing. Now, he’s trying to steal Orion! Pretending to be scared, she stuffs her hands in her sweatshirt and turns away from Peter, her head down.
Grinning, Peter waves his hands at the girls. “Come on!” he shouts. “Don’t let me stop you from your little escapade. Climb up there and get it. Once I have The Eye of Orion, it won’t matter what my niece says. Because if she tries to expose me, I have some evidence that will ensure she goes to jail. Is that what you want?”
Whether it’s random, or because the horse hears his name, Orion picks this moment to start kicking at the side of the horse trailer. The racket is startling and Sam, who’s already been slowly edging her way towards the woods, takes advantage of it.
Breaking out into a sprint, Sam heads for the back of the trailer. Trying hard to remember the sequence of actions she watched Lisa make earlier in the day, Sam pulls at one lever and then twists another, before lifting up on the rod set into the floor.
Michael reaches her as she grabs for the handle to swing the door open, his large hand clamping down on her arm. Just as he yanks her back and away from the trailer, there’s a horrific sound as Orion kicks the door, causing it to swing out and collide with the man’s left shoulder.
Grunting in pain, Michael stumbles to the side, stunned. Sam lunges in the other direction, barely escaping the hooves of the panicked horse that leaps from the trailer. Neighing loudly, Orion’s eyes roll so that the whites flash in the dark. He then crashes into the woods and out of sight.
Michael recovers quickly, again latching onto Sam’s arm before she has a chance to run away. Practically dragging her, he pulls her back around the truck and into the light.
Ally and Cassy stare open-mouthed at Sam, speechless. But Peter Covington appears untroubled.
“Let the horse go,” he says almost casually to Michael. “We don’t need it anymore.”
“You mean you couldn’t even figure out that all you needed was a picture of the brand, so you were trying to steal the whole horse?” Sam surprises herself with the level of mockery in her voice, but she needs to drag this out for as long as possible, before being forced to climb up to the horseshoe.
Peter growls, taking a slow step towards her. His demeanor changes from almost bored, to dangerous. “You know, I’m getting tired of your snobbish attitude. You’re going to do what I tell you, and then you’re going to run along and keep your mouth shut, unless you want to see your dear teacher in jail. Do … you … understand?”
His face moves closer to Sam’s with each word until he’s less than a foot away. The steel in his eyes is all too clear. She nods slowly, not daring to say anything in return. Her attempts at diversion are over.
Reaching out, Sam first takes Ally’s hand and then Cassy’s. They walk together until they’re standing at the base of the arch. Turning to face them, Sam sees that they are both near tears. She wants to tell them not to worry, but doesn’t dare say anything to set Peter off again.
“Cassy,” she says, instead. “I think you’re tall enough that I might be able to reach the bottom of the R if I sit on your shoulders.”
“Okay,” Cassy whispers, and kneels down while Ally helps Sam get on her shoulders. Using the side of the arch to help her stand, Cassy is wobbly at first, but then manages to maneuver under the sign.
It takes some stretching, but Sam finally wraps her fingers around the cold metal. It’s made out of handcrafted steel, a thick, high-quality material with solid welds on the edges. Grunting, Sam pulls herself up until she’s standing on Cassy’s shoulders.
Now she’s at eye-level with the large top loop of the R, where it dangles from the crook of the horseshoe, turned slightly to represent the C. Squinting, Sam studies it, trying to find anything that looks out of place. At first, panic starts to claw at her throat. What will Peter do if she’s wrong, and the ruby isn’t here?
Her eyes stinging with the first hint of defeat, Sam takes a deep breath and wipes at the horseshoe, trying to expose any unusual features.
Wait! This sculpture is an accurate depiction of a horseshoe, including the evenly spaced holes around it. There is an odd color to the center hole, at the nape of curve, and when Sam wipes at it more, a faint red color is revealed under the dirt and grime of nearly twenty years accumulation.
The Eye of Orion!
Gasping, Sam nearly falls off of Cassy’s shoulders. “I found it!” she shouts, happy at first, but then immediately crestfallen. Time is running out. She can’t let them leave with it!
Looking more closely at the ruby, Sam determines that the horseshoe is hollow, and the jewel is set inside of it, with it showing through the hole on the opposite side. There has to be a way to open
it. Stretching as far as she can, Sam runs her hand along the welded seam and then switches to the other side, stopping when she finds a clasp, discreetly set in the crook of the horseshoe.
Holding her breath, Sam presses the release and pushes up gently on the top until it lifts. It creaks in protest, but opens about four inches before being stopped by the top loop of the R. But it’s enough. Reaching inside, Sam places her hand over the palm-sized ruby and after fiddling with it briefly, twists it off its base.
“Hurry, Sam!” Cassy groans. “I can’t hold you much longer.”
Doing her best to not give away her success, Sam switches the large jewel to her left hand to free her right and then focuses on what she suspects to be a more important find. A small metal box, about two by four inches, is nestled in the rest of the space. Gripping it, she lifts it out and holds it close to her chest.
“Here it is!” Sticking her left hand out so that the headlights catch the color of the jewel, Sam waves it around dramatically, while discreetly sliding the box down into the large front pocket of her sweatshirt, where her phone also rests.
The distraction works, but almost too well. Cassy looks up, and then staggers back, squealing as she loses her balance. Ally lunges forward, catching Sam and softening the blow as they both hit the ground.
Ignoring the possible injuries, Peter reaches out and yanks the Eye of Orion from Sam’s hand. “Finally!” he yells, looking almost maniacal in the yellow cast of the light. “We have it, Michael! Now no one can ever prove that the other was a fraud, and I know plenty of buyers willing to make this one disappear.”
Slowly getting to her feet, Sam then helps Ally up, who appears unhurt. They join Cassy, and then try to creep towards the trail.
“What do we do with them?” Michael barks, ignoring the older man’s rambling words, and pointing at the cowering girls. “We really aren’t going to let them go, are we?”
Cringing at the terrifying meaning behind his words, Sam begins to feel desperate. What has she gotten her friends into?
“What we’re going to do is…”
Peter’s words are cut off by a crashing from the woods. They all turn towards the dark trail as Orion plunges out onto the road and heads directly for Peter!
Peter throws his hands up to protect himself as the huge Arabian horse collides with him. Orion barely slows before continuing forward, as Peter is launched through the air, the Eye of Orion spiraling in an arc in the opposite direction.
Everyone else is frozen in shock, but Sam is spurred into motion before the collision is even over. Her eyes riveted on the jewel, she leaps forward and catches it just before it hits the ground!
“Go!” Sam shouts to Ally and Cassy, after rolling to a crouching position. “Run!”
The two other girls head for the trail behind them, but Sam is cut off by Michael, who steps in her way. Stretching a hand out towards her, he tilts his head and then makes a ‘come here’ motion.
Sam looks at her fleeing friends, down at the moaning form of Peter Covington, and then back at the menacing man before her, trying to decide what to do next. But before she can make a decision, the space around them is suddenly filled with the flashing of red and blue lights!
22
A FAMILY DEFINED
“I still don’t understand how you did it,” Ally whispers sleepily to Sam. The girls are sitting together on the same sofa they shared the week before, in the den of Covington Ranch.
“Well, like I told you, I texted my mom before we left the cemetery and told her we were going to be at the ranch,” Sam replies, tapping her foot impatiently. They’ve been waiting there for over an hour now, while the police finish speaking with all of their parents and Lisa.
“When Peter Covington first showed up, I snuck my phone into my sweatshirt. When I turned my back on him, I was able to look at the screen briefly, but the text was short and garbled. I’m glad my mom was able to figure out that we needed the police.”
“It did the trick,” Cassy observes. She’s standing at the window, staring out at the strobing lights. She wonders, briefly, why they haven’t turned them off. The two men were carted away a while ago.
“Well, I’m learning,” Sam laughs. “There’s a reason why our parents want to always know where we are!”
“Especially with you!” Ally pokes good-naturedly.
“I’m sure the department will do a three day investigative hold,” a loud voice announces, breaking into their conversation. It belongs to the sheriff, a tall, robust, middle-aged man. He enters the room with a group of avid listeners behind him.
“After that, it will be up to the judge to determine which charges to bring against them.” Turning so that he can address their parents and Lisa, who followed him in, he spreads his hands wide. “The whole family ruby thing is likely an issue that the original insurance company will pursue. We’re going to be looking at robbery, since they used force to try to steal the horse. Michael Stuart will also be cited for resisting arrest, plus assault for grabbing Sam. Both men will be charged for holding the girls against their will.” The sheriff looks down at the girls when he says this.
“You’re lucky, Sam, that no one was seriously hurt tonight,” the sheriff says. When Sam opens her mouth to protest, he adds quickly, “I know, you weren’t doing anything wrong. Just do me a favor. Next time, when you think you know the whereabouts of a multi-million dollar item that questionable men are also hunting for, tell your parents instead of trying to get it yourself. Okay?”
Blushing now, Sam can’t think of anything to say to counter his logic. Instead, she simply nods.
“Alright, I think this belongs to you,” the officer continues. Stepping next to Lisa, he pulls the Eye of Orion from his front breast pocket and hands it to her. “I would suggest contacting the insurance company first thing Monday morning.” Tipping his hand to the side of his forehead in a salute, he makes his exit.
Lisa is speechless as she holds the large, star cut ruby. Although it’s covered in a layer of dirt, it’s still luminescent.
Kathy Wolf sits down next to Sam, her freckles standing out against her pale skin. Putting an arm around her daughter, she gives her a squeeze. “You sure you’re okay?” she asks, studying Sam’s face.
“Yeah, Mom. I’m sorry for scaring you like this. Where are the twins?”
“Across the street at Mrs. Kirkpatrick’s. She was happy to take care of them for me.”
Sam watches as Lisa turns the gem over in her hands several times, and then notices that Cassy is still standing in front of the big picture window. Her back is to them, almost as if she’s reluctant to turn around.
“Did you bring it?” Sam asks her mom, her voice low.
Kathy nods, and lifts her canvas shoulder bag onto her lap. Reaching in, she withdraws Cassy’s small shoebox. It was one of the few items from her home that she brought to Sam’s. “Are you sure about this?” Kathy cautions.
Sam gave her mom a quick summary of events earlier, when she first called her after the police arrived. While Kathy knows there may be something important in the box, she doesn’t know what it is.
Brandon and Elizabeth Parker look tired, and motion for Ally to come with them, but before Ally can respond, there’s a fresh commotion from the foyer, and Lisa’s Aunt Clara makes a grand entrance.
“Lisa!” she exclaims, running up to her niece. “I told the sheriff that man was a scoundrel! Maybe now he’ll believe me. What in the world happened?”
“He figured out that Orion was a key to where the ruby was,” Lisa says, directing Clara to one of the high-backed chairs. “So he and Michael came up here and stole him while I was away!”
“But Sam was way ahead of him,” Ally says proudly. She sneaks a sideways glance at her parents, and is relieved to see that they’ve found chairs to sit in, apparently deciding to stay a while longer.
Clara listens intently as Lisa retells the whole story. Sam steps forward to give her the plaque at one point, and then Li
sa reveals the Eye of Orion, nestled in her palm.
“So it was here all along,” Clara breathes, her eyes transfixed by the gem. “But, Sam,” she questions, directing her attention to the young girl with some effort. “I don’t understand the connection between Cassy’s mother’s headstone and the ranch. How in the world could you have figured that out?”
Cassy finally turns from the window, and the mixture of confusion and hope on her face is too much for Sam. Whether she’s right or wrong, she has to tell Lisa what she suspects, and let her determine if it’s true.
“There were all sorts of clues,” Sam admits, stuffing her hands in her sweatshirt pocket. “I didn’t realize it until tonight in the cemetery. But,” she says hastily, approaching Lisa, “Before we talk about that, I think it’s important for you to see this.” Pulling out the small tin box, Sam hands it to Lisa. “This was also in the horseshoe, but I hid it while everyone was distracted by the ruby because …” Pausing, Sam runs her hands through her hair, anxious to see its contents. “I think what’s inside is more valuable to you than The Eye of Orion.”
Her eyes wide, Lisa’s face brightens as comprehension forces a huge smile. She eagerly snaps open the old box, and withdraws several sheets of folded paper. Everyone leans forward, watching intensely as Lisa carefully unfolds the brittle documents.
“Is it?” Clara is the first to ask, her voice thick. “Have we finally found the adoption papers?”
Nodding, her eyes welling with tears, Lisa quickly scans the top sheet and then the second. “They’re from an attorney’s office in a town a couple hundred miles from here,” she explains. “It’s mostly legal jargon, but it outlines the agreement and terms of the adoption. The last paper here is a copy of what must be my birth certificate. It simply lists ‘baby girl’, for a name, but the birthday is the same as mine. Tomorrow!”
Sam’s head snaps up at this, and a shiver of anticipation races along her spine. Going back to her mom, she picks up the shoebox. When Cassy sees it, her eyes get big, and she tilts her head questioningly at Sam.