Stranded

by Patricia H. Rushford

  “Don’t worry. I’m not going anywhere,” Jennie panted. “Do you think they were shooting at us?”

  “You don’t see anyone else out here, do you?” Eric ran a hand through his dark hair. “I just wish they’d leave us alone.”

  “They?”

  “The farmers around here. Bunch of rednecks who’re scared out of their gourds that we might be some kind of quirky cult.”

  “And you’re not?” Jennie winced. She hadn’t meant to make the comment out loud. Unfortunately she often had a habit of speaking before thinking.

  He grunted some comment she couldn’t hear. “I’m sorry.”

  “Hmm. We can talk about it later. Right now we’ve got to get back inside the compound.”

  The distance to the barn had to be the length of a football field. With the moon spotlighting them, they’d give whoever was out there a clear shot.

  “What do we do now?” Jennie scanned the distance.

  “Wait and pray.”

  Jennie shivered as much from fear as from the cold. “I don’t know. I think we should run for it.” She crouched lower and peered around the rocks. “What’s to keep them from coming after us?”

  “I don’t think they’ll risk it. We’re too close to the compound.” Eric tapped her shoulder and pointed up. “Look. Clouds are starting to cover the moon. In a minute it’ll be too dark for them to see us. We’ll head for the barn.”

  “What about the lights? They’ll see us for sure.” Jennie had no sooner gotten the question out than the lights surrounding the compound went out. At the same time, the moon slid behind the clouds, casting the entire area into an inky black darkness.

  “Let’s go.”

  “Wait. It’s too dark.” Jennie no longer wanted to move, but Eric grabbed her hand again and pulled her forward. “Who turned out the lights?”

  “Who cares? Probably someone inside heard the shot. It doesn’t matter. Just think of it as an answer to prayer.”

  “Well, pray for a little light, then. I can’t see a thing.”

  “Just hold on to me, and I’ll get you to the barn.”

  Jennie stuck close to Eric, stumbling several times over the rocky terrain. Once inside, they took cover in an empty stall near the open barn doors. “Wait here,” Eric ordered. “I’ll make sure the coast is clear and find…”

  His whisper faded. Jennie didn’t much like being left alone and liked it even less when she heard a scuffling sound. At first she thought it might be a critter of some sort sharing the stall with her. A thud shook the timbers. A muffled groan and running footsteps told her the intruder was a lot more dangerous than any rat or coon. What’s going on? Eric, where are you? Talk to me. Jennie couldn’t have spoken if she’d wanted to. She wasn’t certain whether to stay put or go out to try to find Eric. “Eric?” she whispered.

  A door creaked. Jennie ducked back into the stall. Peering around the corner, she saw a figure holding a flashlight emerge from an opening across the way. The flashlight beam jerked over the rough-hewn timbers.

  “Eric?” a woman whispered. “Eric? Is that you?”

  Jennie stepped out of the stall as soon as she realized who iit was. “Lois?”

  The older woman swung around, flashing the light on Jennie’s face.

  “Oh my.” Lois stepped back. “Jennie. You frightened me half to death. Where’s Eric? I thought I saw you two come out here earlier, and when I heard the shot I was afraid that…”

  “Whoever shot at us missed. Eric is here … somewhere.” Jennie glanced around. “Someone else was here too. I heard—” Jennie gasped as the flashlight beam landed on a still form sprawled out on the barn floor.

  “Eric!” Both women rushed forward at once.

  8

  Lois shone the light on him while Jennie checked for a pulse. She found it just as Eric pushed her hand away. Groaning, he covered his eyes. “What happened?”

  “I was hoping you could tell me.” Jennie explained what she had heard.

  Eric rubbed the back of his neck and sat up. “I remember now. I was going toward the door and heard footsteps. Some guy ran into me.”

  “You don’t know who it was?”

  “No. He swore at me and slammed me against the post. Must have knocked me out.”

  “Well, thank the Lord you’re all right.” Lois swept a lock of hair from his forehead. “We’d better get you to the infirmary. Let one of the nurses take a look at you.”

  “I’m fine.” He frowned. “What are you doing out here?” he asked Lois.

  “I heard the shot,” Lois said. “I saw you and Jennie heading for the stables earlier. I was worried.”

  “You shouldn’t have come. You should have asked one of the men.”

  “They were busy dousing the lights and locking the gate—and calming people down. Besides, I’m probably more familiar with the tunnels than they are.”

  “Tunnels?” Jennie looked from one to the other. “What tunnels?”

  “We have an emergency escape route,” Eric answered.

  Jennie straightened and gave Eric a hand up. “This place gets stranger by the minute.”

  “We’ve had to develop security measures.” Eric brushed off his jeans.

  “It didn’t used to be like this.” Lois moved toward the trapdoor from which she’d come. “There were no walls or barbed wire. No locked gates and certainly no need for security. We lived peacefully with our neighbors.”

  “Times change.” Eric sighed and began the descent into the abyss. Jennie followed at Lois’s request, then turned to take the flashlight from Lois as the older woman pulled the door closed.

  “I suppose you’re right. The world is less tolerant now.” Lois took the flashlight and led them through the small brick-lined cellar into another tunnel on the other side. The air smelled dank and earthy. Some kind of animal—a rat, probably—gave a protesting squeal and scurried away.

  Jennie stuffed her hands in her pockets and hunched her shoulders. The passageway was about three feet wide and lined with concrete. Clean. No cobwebs that she could see. Jennie tried to paint a mental picture of where they might be in relation to the buildings. She imagined them going beyond the barn and across the yard from the stable to the compound.

  After several minutes of walking, they came to a T. Lois hesitated a moment before turning to the left.

  Jennie stood at the intersection, peering down the dark passageway. “Where does that one lead?”

  “To Donovan’s quarters and the warehouse.” Lois kept walking. “It’s linked to the hangar.”

  Jennie watched the light from the flashlight fade and hurried to catch up. Curiosity sent shivers up and down her spine. She made a mental note to ask Eric if they could come back later and explore the tunnels more thoroughly. “There is an escape hatch from each building,” Eric explained as they walked along. “We even have a bomb shelter.”

  “A bomb shelter? Like big enough to hold everybody?” Jennie was beginning to feel claustrophobic and would have welcomed such a room.

  “The shelter was built in the fifties, when people were worried about the threat of nuclear bombs,” Lois explained.

  “Sounds like you don’t like the idea.” Jennie brushed her hand against the cold, damp wall and cringed. Putting her hands back into her deep jacket pockets, she moved closer to Eric.

  “I was against it at the time. We use it now to store our herbs before they are shipped out, so I suppose it wasn’t a complete waste.”

  “Where is it? Can I see it?”

  “Now?” Lois looked aghast. Turning, she lifted the light and met Jennie’s gaze. “You’re not serious.”

  “Um … not tonight, I guess. But I would like to see it.”

  “Maybe I could take you tomorrow.” Eric grinned at her. “I’d have to ask Donovan, but I’m sure he wouldn’t mind.
”

  They came up in the kitchen off the common area between the men’s and women’s dorms. Lois turned out the flashlight and hung it on a peg in the pantry. “I don’t know about you two, but I could use some herbal tea to settle my nerves.”

  “Sure,” Eric agreed and took three cups from the huge cupboard. “Sounds good.”

  Jennie agreed. “My Gram and I have tea a lot. Actually, my whole family does. Gram says it soothes the nerves and helps you think more clearly.”

  “This is our special blend, Jennie.” Lois filled a teakettle and set it on the stove, then pulled out a canister full of loose tea. “I’d like to meet your grandmother sometime. Sounds like a woman after my own heart.”

  “She’s great.” And she’s hurt and out there alone. A lump lodged in Jennie’s throat as unbidden tears formed.

  “Don’t you worry, dear.” Lois patted her arm. “God will take good care of your grandmother.”

  Jennie paced the floor until the teapot whistled, then took the tea Lois offered and walked with them into the vast dining room.

  “Where is everybody?” Jennie set her cup down at the end of one of the polished wooden tables.

  “Probably asleep. Or at least in their rooms. Curfew is at ten, and it’s nearly eleven now.”

  “How could anyone sleep? I mean, we’ve been shot at. Doesn’t anybody care?”

  “I doubt anyone knew you were out. Unfortunately, we hear shots like that about once or twice a week. It’s frightening.”

  “Not to me,” Eric said. “Just makes me mad. They’re trying to scare us out.”

  Eric had been plenty scared, but Jennie didn’t bother to remind him. Instead, she wrapped her hands around the hot pottery mug and drew in a deep breath. The tea smelled like fruit. It tasted fruity too, like raspberry with some chamomile.

  “If it were only that simple.” Lois paused to take a drink. “Two of our people have been killed. That’s why I was so concerned about you and Eric. I imagine the authorities are trying to find the killers.”

  “Humph. They don’t care about us. If those guys had poached a couple of deer, the sheriff would have them in jail already. We’re no more important to them than a bunch of possums.”

  “Now, Eric, you’re not being fair. The sheriff has been here several times asking questions.”

  “Yeah? Well, why isn’t he arresting someone?”

  “They have a suspect. Jake Adams.”

  Jennie felt Eric stiffen beside her. “I shouldn’t be surprised,” he said.

  “Who’s that?” Jennie ran a hand through her tangled hair.

  “Our nearest neighbor,” Lois explained. “The Adamses are nice people. Mrs. Adams comes by often to chat and see how we’re doing.” She gave Eric a critical look. “Seems to me you’re being rather judgmental.”

  “Jake is the judgmental one.” Eric gritted his teeth. “He hates this place.”

  “I don’t believe there’s been an arrest yet. To my knowledge there’s no proof he or his father are involved.” Lois glanced at Jennie as if to say they had no proof of anything. “Anger will get you nowhere.”

  A sullen Eric pursed his lips and fixed his gaze on the floor, his anger deflated. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

  As they drank their tea, Jennie felt herself relax again. She yawned several times, and Lois insisted they all go to bed. They brought their cups to the kitchen. Jennie was rinsing hers and setting it in the sink when Lois turned out the light. Her image in the window above the sink faded, allowing Jennie to see outside. It was dark except for a glow of lights above the wall. The hangar?

  “Jennie?” Lois turned the light back on. “Are you all right?”

  “Um … yes. I’m just curious about the lights. They seem to be coming from the hangar.”

  “There’s probably a flight due in.”

  A plane corning in tonight. Jennie tucked the information aside for later. “When Eric and I went out riding, there were lights all around the compound. Who turned them off?”

  “Most likely one of the men responsible for security. During the Second World War they used to have blackouts—all lights out so the enemy couldn’t see where to aim their bombs. We’ve adopted a similar practice since the killings.”

  “It’s supposed to keep us safe.” Eric rubbed the back of his neck. “But I sure wish the lights had been on in the barn so I could have seen who hit me.”

  Jennie wished she could have seen him too. Had the man in the barn also been the shooter? After promising Lois he’d check in with a nurse before going to bed, Eric headed toward the men’s dorm. Lois accompanied Jennie to her room and waited until Jennie had gone in and closed the door before leaving.

  Jennie tried the door. It stuck a little but opened just as it had before. At least they hadn’t locked her in. She shuffled over to the bed, where someone had laid out a cotton nightgown. After putting it on, Jennie went into the women’s rest room to brush her teeth and use the toilet. Once back in her room, she reluctantly climbed into bed.

  Although the tea had a calming effect on her nerves, her mind still churned. Twice now she’d heard gunshots. Once at the cave just before Eric showed up, and tonight while she and Eric were riding. It made no sense that someone would be after her. Logic pointed to Eric as the intended victim. But who would want to kill Eric, and why? Was the gunman specifically out to get Eric? Would they try again? And who was this Jake Adams Eric seemed so suspicious of?

  What concerned Jennie even more was that Gram was out there somewhere. Had she wandered off? Was she safe? Where was the rest of the family, and why hadn’t they come to get her? Tomorrow she would get some answers. She had to. Donovan had said she could go to the crash site. Maybe she could persuade Eric to ride to this nearest neighbor with her-or at least give her directions. They might not have any answers, but they’d at least have a phone.

  They might also have guns.

  That reminder kept her awake for a long time.

  9

  Jennie awoke the next morning to the sound of chimes and a dull, persistent ache in the middle of her forehead. She felt dazed and confused. Why were there chimes playing? Slowly, the events of the days before unfurled. Gram. The plane crash. The night in the cave. This strange religious community. “Oh, God,” she whimpered, “I don’t want to be here. I want to go home. Why haven’t Mom and Dad come for me?”

  Someone knocked on her door.

  “Go away.” Jennie groaned, then rolled out of bed. “Jus-a-minute,” she mumbled. She’d gotten halfway to the door when it opened.

  Marilee poked her head in the door. “Good morning, Jennie. I see you’re awake.”

  Jennie ran a hand through her tangled hair. “Not by choice.”

  “Lois told me to check on you. It’s a good thing I did.” Sounding far too perky and cheerful, she rambled on. ‘“We’ll be eating in ten minutes. You’ll have to hurry.”

  Jennie rubbed her eyes. “What time is it?”

  “Six-fifty.”

  A quick calculation indicated she’d slept only five hours. Definitely not enough. She’d read somewhere recently that teenagers required at least nine. Less than that resulted in sleep deprivation. Along with that came a bunch of problems like impaired judgment, poor grades, poor health. Jennie brushed aside that useless piece of information and focused back on Marilee, who was still going on about something.

  “I thought you might need a clean dress. I hung one up near the shower. I can bring it in here if you want. Maybe you should eat first and shower later. Otherwise you’ll be late.”

  “Marilee, will you shut up?” Jennie snapped. “I’m taking a shower.”

  “But—”

  “I don’t care if I’m late. What are they going to do? Kick me out?”

  “I …” The girl seemed on the verge of tears. She backed out of the door. “I just
didn’t want you to miss breakfast.”

  Jennie covered her eyes and dragged her hands down her face. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have gotten upset. I’m so tired and … I have a headache.”

  “I understand. I’m sure the headache will go away once you’ve eaten.”

  “I doubt that. It’s probably from lack of sleep.”

  Marilee stiffened. “That’s why we have rules. Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”

  “Oh please.” Jennie went back to sit on the bed. “I didn’t exactly choose to get in late.”

  “Didn’t you?” Marilee folded her arms and leaned against the doorpost. “You don’t have to lie to me.”

  Jennie frowned. “What are you talking about? I’m not lying.”

  She sighed. “I saw you and Eric go out to the stables.”

  “So?”

  “Nothing. Just don’t expect me to feel sorry for you.”

  “Did you also know we were shot at?”

  “Yes …” she hesitated. “But you shouldn’t have been out there at that time of night.”

  Jennie was wide awake now and worried. Marilee liked Eric—a lot. Could jealousy have driven her to follow them out to the barn? Could she have been the one who fired at them? Marilee didn’t seem the gun-toting type. Still, Jennie didn’t quite trust her.

  The chimes gave way to the dinner bell. Marilee unfolded her hands and reached for the doorknob. “You’d better hurry.”

  “Wait. I … I want my clothes.”

  “I told you, I hung a dress—”

  “Not a dress. My own clothes. The ones I wore here.”

  “We’re not allowed to wear jeans here.”

  “I’m not staying. I have to search for my grandmother and find a way to contact my parents.”

  Marilee opened and closed her mouth. “I … you need to talk to Donovan—or Lois.”

  Jennie’s heart hammered. “I can leave, can’t I? I’m not a prisoner. Donovan said I could come and go as I please.”