Hidden in Plain View

by Diane Burke

  Jenkins shouted to Muldoon. “Get her back in the house, and don’t let her come out until we know what’s going on!” His voice brooked no argument. Muldoon nodded.

  Sarah watched the patrol car, lights flashing, speed down the lane.

  “C’mon, Mrs....Sarah, let’s get you inside.”

  They were hurrying toward the house when Jacob rushed past. Sarah reached out to stop him. “What’s happened?”

  “I don’t know.” Jacob pointed in the distance to a large plume of black smoke. “There’s been some kind of explosion in the west end of my cornfield. But nothing is there to cause such a thing. Stay calm. It will be all right. We will follow the police officers and find out what is happening. Stay inside with the rest of the women.” Before Sarah could respond, he hurried to a buggy hitched at the rail, climbed aboard and snapped the reins, leading the horse in the direction of the smoke.

  When they reached the bottom step of the porch, Officer Muldoon released her arm. “Go inside, Sarah. I’m going to make a fast check of the perimeter of the house and the barn, and then I’ll be right in.”

  Before she could reply, he disappeared around the corner of the house.

  * * *

  Sam leaned against a bale of hay and glanced toward the house. The loft of a barn had been his favorite spot as a child to find a quiet, private place to be with his thoughts, and he found it worked for him as an adult, too. The slow, steaming anger he had felt toward Rebecca at her blatant request for him to leave slowly dissipated.

  She was right. How could he be angry with someone who spoke the truth? So he cooled down and gave her words some more thought. It didn’t take long for him to realize that he’d never really been angry with Rebecca. He was angry with himself.

  What had he been thinking? He knew better than to mix his professional life with his personal life. That was rule number two in undercover work. Rule number one was to stay alive at all costs. He should never have allowed himself to get too close to Sarah, to care about her. He shouldn’t have—but he did.

  He rubbed a hand over his face. He couldn’t deny it anymore. It had begun as sympathy for a wounded widow, then admiration for her spirit and determination. It had progressed to appreciation of her gentle nature and enjoyment of her sense of humor until, without knowing exactly where or when, he’d fallen in love with her. When he looked into her eyes, he could see that she had fallen in love with him, too. That was the worst part.

  The fact that he had never intended to hurt her didn’t mean much when he knew that he would. There was no future for them. He couldn’t return to the Amish way of life. He’d left it more than a decade before, and although he still retained a love for the Amish people, it was no longer his world.

  And Sarah...

  Even though she had no memory of this life, she still had strong, loving ties. What was he supposed to do? Take her away from the people who loved her? Ask her to sit in his small apartment all alone because he was off for days, weeks, sometimes even months on undercover jobs? What kind of life would that be for her? For her child?

  No. Rebecca was right. If he loved her—and he did—then he needed to leave as quickly as possible, just as soon as this was over. One broken heart was enough. Best it be his.

  Satisfied that he was making the right decision, he began to crawl out from behind the bale of hay. He intended to climb down the ladder, relieve the other two officers and have a heart-to-heart talk with Sarah.

  The sound of an explosion froze him in place.

  He scrambled toward the ladder, but stopped when he saw a stranger enter the barn. It was the stealth of the man’s movements, the way he kept looking over his shoulder, that made Sam pause.

  Mary and William Miller were playing on the barn floor below.

  Sam couldn’t believe what he was seeing, and he had to force himself not to move when the man grabbed Mary roughly by the arm and dragged her toward the far end of the barn. The intruder stood just below him, which made it difficult for Sam to get a clear view of what he was doing without exposing his presence and putting Mary at greater risk.

  Sam’s brain raced a million miles an hour. Who was this man dressed in Amish clothing? He’d seen him before. It definitely wasn’t Benjamin. As strict as Benjamin was, he loved his children and would never treat them in such a rough, unkind way. Sam was just about to speak up and reveal his presence when recognition slammed into him with the force of a semi truck.

  This was the man he’d fought in Sarah’s hospital room. Even though it had been dark and he’d only seen him for a moment, he was sure it was the same man.

  This was their killer.

  As he watched in horror, trying to formulate a plan, William ran to Mary’s defense. Like a charging bull, he pushed against the man, then yelped like an injured puppy and pulled his hand back. The man had sliced the palm of William’s hand with a knife.

  Fury seethed within him. It took every ounce of strength he had to stay where he was. But he’d seen the silver glint of a blade pressed firmly against Mary’s throat. Sam knew this man wouldn’t hesitate to use the weapon if he were startled or if he discovered his presence.

  Sam dared to lean forward. He took another glance at the situation. His heart melted when he saw tears streaming down Mary’s cheeks. He hoped she’d do what she was told and remain still. This particular intruder had no conscience. He wouldn’t care in the least that the life he ended would be that of an innocent child.

  As quietly as possible, Sam crept back into the shadows. He needed to signal for help. He moved to the loft door to see if he could spot the other officers. He didn’t catch sight of either one of them. But what he did see turned his blood to ice.

  * * *

  Sarah had reached the top porch step when she thought she heard someone calling her name and turned around. William stood at the base of the steps, looking up at her.

  “William?” Sarah’s heart clenched. The boy’s face was as white as the sheets on the line, and his entire body trembled. She hurried down the steps, crouched in front of him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. “What’s wrong?”

  The little boy’s lips trembled. He spoke in a whisper, and she had to lean closer to hear. “He...he told me to get you. He told me to bring you to the barn.”

  Sarah glanced toward the barn and then back to the boy, who was literally shaking in his boots. “Who told you, William? What man?”

  “A bad man, Sarah. A very bad man.” William’s eyes were wider than she thought his little face could hold.

  “Okay, honey. Let me get Officer Muldoon, and we’ll come into the barn.”

  As Sarah started to rise, the boy grabbed her arm with both his hands. “No! The man said nobody could come but you.” Then the boy collapsed into her arms and began to cry.

  “Shh, William, everything will be okay.” She held the child against her, rubbing his back in comfort while searching the yard for help. Seconds ago there had been people everywhere. Since the explosion, there wasn’t a person in sight. Sarah continued to pat William’s shoulder. “Your parents are inside. Let’s go talk with them.”

  “No!” William looked terrified. “We can’t tell my parents. We can’t tell anyone or he’ll kill her. He told me so.”

  Sarah felt the blood in her body drain away. “Kill who? William, tell me everything, please, right now.” She tried to remain calm and keep her voice controlled so the boy wouldn’t panic. The strength seemed to drain out of her legs, and she didn’t know how much longer she trusted them to hold her up.

  “We were playing in the barn when a man ran in, grabbed Mary and pulled her into one of the horse stalls. He held her real tight so she couldn’t run away. He told me to come and get you. He told me to make sure we didn’t bring anyone else.”

  “We don’t listen to bad men, William. Of course
we are going to bring people with us to help Mary.” Sarah placed one foot on the lower step, but William threw himself at her, almost as if he were trying to tackle her.

  “Please, no.” His eyes pleaded with her. “If you tell anyone, then he said he will cut her worse than he cut me.” He held out his left hand.

  Sarah took hold of his tiny hand. Her eyes could barely pull away from the sight of the thin red line slashed across the boy’s palm.

  “Dear Lord, help us. Why didn’t you tell me that he’d hurt you?” For the first time, she noticed the stark droplets of red on the ground at the boy’s feet. She quickly untied her apron and used it to tend to the boy’s wound. She applied a steady pressure against his palm.

  After a moment, she lifted the material and breathed a sigh of relief. The cut had been superficial and not deep. The bleeding stopped immediately. No permanent damage had been done. He wouldn’t need stitches or even have a scar.

  “Danki, Lord.”

  William couldn’t hold back tears anymore, even though they both knew his father would find it a sign of weakness for a boy to cry. His breathing came in hiccups. “He...he is holding a knife against Mary’s throat. She can’t even try to run away, or he will cut her. Please. You have to help Mary.”

  Sarah hugged him close. When she released him, she held his forearms and stared hard into his eyes. “I am going to go into the barn and try to help Mary, but you must help me. Do you understand?”

  The boy nodded.

  “Good. You stay here. You count to ten very slowly. Then you run inside and tell your father everything. Counting to ten will give me time to get into the barn. After the bad man sees that I am alone, he won’t be expecting anyone else. It will be safe for you to tell your father and let him bring people to help me.” She gave William’s shoulders a gentle shake. “This is important, William. Do you understand? Count to ten slowly, and then go inside and get help.”

  Although the boy nodded, she didn’t like the dazed expression on his face. This was not a time for William to get distracted or daydream as he frequently did, but she didn’t have a choice except to trust him. If this man had used a knife on William, she had no doubt that he’d use one on Mary, and she couldn’t let that happen. She offered up a silent prayer that the boy would do as she’d requested, and she hurried to the barn.

  Stopping right outside the entrance, she took a deep breath to steady the trembling that seized her body. She glanced over her shoulder. William stood right where she’d left him, his eyes riveted on her. She did her best to smile reassuringly. She nodded in his direction and then, slowly pushing the door open, stepped inside. Her breath caught in her throat the moment she spotted the stranger. He stood at the far end of the barn in the entrance to one of the stalls. The knife he held pressed against the little girl’s throat was clearly visible.

  “Don’t cry, Mary. Everything is going to be all right. Try not to move, honey.” Although the beat of her heart galloped like a wild stallion on stampede, Sarah kept her voice steady and her outward composure calm.

  Please, God, be with this child. Please keep her as still as possible until William can bring help.

  “Come in, Sarah. Shut the door behind you.” The tenor of the intruder’s voice rose and fell in a singsong rhythm. “I’ve been waiting for you.”

  SIXTEEN

  Fear danced up and down Sarah’s spine. “Please. Let her go.” She took several steps toward the man. “She is just a child. She has nothing to do with any of this.”

  The man stepped out of the stall, dragging the girl with him. He sneered, and for a moment Sarah couldn’t believe she was even looking at a human being. He seemed to have no heart, no compassion. She found herself looking into the eyes of pure evil.

  “Where are my diamonds?” he demanded.

  Sarah had to take several breaths before she was able to calmly answer. “I have never seen your diamonds. The police told me they found them on my body when they took me to the hospital. They must still have them.”

  “Police, huh. Figures.” He yanked the child closer, and she whimpered with fear. “So what are you going to do to make it up to me, Sarah? What can you offer me in exchange for my diamonds...and for the life of this girl?”

  Sarah’s legs shook so badly that she felt they would dump her on the dirt floor at any moment. Her mind raced, but she couldn’t come up with any plan of action that would ensure the girl’s safety, and she knew there was little hope for her own. She prayed that William had done what she requested and that help would be racing through the open barn door at any moment. She moved closer so she could throw herself against the man and try to save Mary as soon as she heard help coming.

  “Stop right there!”

  The command in his voice froze her in place.

  “Do you think I’m stupid? I can see exactly what you have in mind. It’s written all over your face. You think you can wrestle this knife from me and save the child. I may even let you do it.” He let out a maniacal laugh. “I’ll even do one better. I’ll give you a choice. I can slit this child’s throat right now...or you can step forward so I can claim the life of the child you carry.”

  In horror, Sarah’s hands flew to her belly, and for a moment she couldn’t move, couldn’t think.

  “That’s what I thought. So it will be the girl.” Before he could move his hand across her throat, a small voice echoed in the barn.

  “No! Let my sister go!” William had crept into the barn behind Sarah and now stepped out into the open, drew something from his pocket and, before anyone could blink, launched an object into the air.

  It took only seconds for Sarah to realize that William had a slingshot in his hand, and his stone had hit its mark.

  The stranger groaned and automatically lifted his right hand to his forehead, freeing the knife from Mary’s neck. The girl dropped to the barn floor and scrambled away on all fours. Sarah and William raced forward to help her. At the same time, a large, dark object fell out of the loft and landed on top of the stranger.

  “Help! Somebody help us. Help!” Sarah screamed at the top of her lungs as she pulled William and Mary toward the open barn door. It wasn’t until they’d cleared the barn and were standing safely in the yard that Sarah sent the children racing to the house for help and dared to turn and look behind her to see what had fallen on the intruder.

  Her eyes widened in horror. It wasn’t a thing. It was Samuel. Both men were in the fight for their lives as they wrestled on the dirt floor of the barn.

  Glancing over her shoulder, she saw the children burst into the house.

  Sarah ran back into the barn, grabbed a pitchfork and hurried toward the men. She never had to wonder whether or not she’d be capable of piercing the man with it. She couldn’t get a clear poke at him. His back would be toward her for a split second, then just as quickly it would be Sam’s.

  Sarah danced around the two men looking for an opportunity to help, but she needn’t have worried. After a few well-aimed punches, Sam had the situation under control. He straddled the man, holding the stranger’s hands behind his back.

  “Sarah, place that pitchfork on the back of this man’s neck.”

  Nausea rose in Sarah’s throat.

  “Do it. Now,” Sam commanded.

  It took a moment of supreme trust in Samuel, but Sarah did as he asked.

  * * *

  Sam grabbed the weapon from Sarah’s hands. “I’m holding this pitchfork now, and I will not hesitate to use it on the likes of you. Understand?” He exerted a little more pressure, and the man stayed absolutely still. “Smart decision,” Sam said. Then he glanced up at Sarah. “Find Officer Muldoon and get him out here. Then go and get my gun.”

  Sarah ran from the barn just as a half-dozen Amish men rushed past her into the barn. When she returned, the gun held at arm’s leng
th in front of her and hanging gingerly from her fingers, Sam looked like he was trying not to laugh at her. The Amish men, armed with sticks, baseball bats and a second pitchfork, had formed a circle around him and the intruder. They seemed to be doing their best to look threatening, but Sam knew that not one of them would connect a blow, and the entire scene was staged for support, not protection.

  Sarah hurried forward, and he took the gun from her fingers. He loosed his hold on the pitchfork, ordered the other Amish men to step away and hauled the intruder to his feet.

  Officer Muldoon stumbled into the barn. The back of his head and the shoulder of his jacket were coated with blood. Despite his injury, he moved forward, drew his weapon and stood next to Sam.

  “I’m sorry, Detective King. I was checking the perimeter of the house when someone got me from behind.”

  “Meet the somebody who clocked you. You okay?”

  “I will be.”

  “Good. Cuff him and get him out of here.”

  Sam supervised the cuffing and had started to walk with Muldoon to the car when Jenkins raced into the barn, assessing the situation in an instant. He stepped forward, replaced Sam’s hold on the perp’s arm and helped escort him to his patrol car.

  Sam thanked the Amish men for their support and watched as they filed out behind the police officers. Sam smiled again.

  Finally, he had a chance to focus his attention on Sarah. He clasped her forearms and felt the trembling beneath his fingers cease. Her eyes, filled with concern and caring, caught his gaze and melted him to the spot. His heart thundered in his chest. His pulse raced.

  Before he could give it a moment’s thought, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her. This kiss wasn’t tender or tentative. All of the emotions he had tried to hide surfaced in an embrace of passion and fire and need.