by Dana R. Lynn
Hopefully, the person following them, whether it was Mason Green or someone else, wasn’t familiar with the surroundings. If he wasn’t, they might be able to hide out and escape.
Unfortunately, inside a cave hewn out of stone on a cold October day wasn’t a warm place to be. With their clothes damp from the weather, it wasn’t long before teeth started chattering.
Shivering, she moved beside Nathaniel and pulled him into her arms, trying to warm the little boy. She was shocked when Ben stepped to his other side and pulled both of them into his arms. She knew it was just from necessity. There was nothing romantic in the embrace. It was purely for the sake of survival.
Telling herself that, however, did nothing to stop the red tide of hot color that she could feel flooding her neck and up into her face. Her heartbeat kicked up. She was amazed that neither Nathaniel nor Ben seemed to be aware of how affected she was by the group embrace.
A scratching outside the cave got their attention.
Trepidation stole over her. The muscles in her shoulders and neck bunched. Something—or someone—was outside the cave. Whoever it was didn’t seem to be trying to enter. She told herself it was probably an animal of some sort scavenging for the winter.
She didn’t believe it. Whatever was out there was larger than a squirrel.
The hair stood up on the back of her neck. For no animal would have made that noise. It was a footstep, made by human feet.
Ben gestured for them to stay down. He went to peek out.
A second later, he rushed back inside. Unceremoniously, he lifted his son into his arms.
“Move,” he hissed urgently.
She moved. They ran deeper inside the cave.
“We can’t get out without being shot,” he explained as they hurried. “It’s Green. It looks like he’s trying to blow up something at the entrance.”
Horror shot through her. “We’ll be trapped here.”
No sooner had the words left her mouth than an explosion rocked the cave, showering rocks and debris in every direction.
* * *
The cave entrance disappeared in a hail of rocks, stones and debris. The blast knocked all of them to the ground. The cave had been shadowy and dim before. Now it was pitch black. Fear rose up inside Ben. Neither Nathaniel nor Sadie was making any sound. Frantically he sat up.
“Sadie? Nathaniel? Please answer.” He held his breath as he crawled over the floor, searching for the others.
His fingers came in contact with Sadie’s. He gripped her hand, and the backs of his eyes grew hot when she grabbed onto him. Nathaniel called out his name weakly. As quickly as he could, he followed his son’s voice until he found him. The child was terrified, but Ben couldn’t feel any wounds on him. He needed to know for sure.
“Are you hurt?” Ben asked them.
“I’m fine, but I can’t see anything. What about you guys?” Sadie responded.
“I’m not hurt. Nathaniel?”
The dust settled around them. Nathaniel coughed a couple of times. He didn’t appear to be experiencing difficulty breathing, however, and Ben murmured a prayer of thanksgiving. A hand reached out in the dark and touched his arm. Sadie. When her arm suddenly gripped his arm, he lifted a hand to cover it, attempting to reassure her.
“Dat?”
His heart clenched at the quaver in Nathaniel’s voice.
“Jah, I’m here. We’re fine.” He kept his voice low, just in case Mason was standing on the other side of the debris that was now blocking their exit.
“What do we do, Ben?”
He was astounded by the trust in her words. And humbled. She was still trusting him, even after he had led them into what might seem like an impossible situation. Sadie wouldn’t know it, but he had been inside this cave many times in his life. He had explored every inch of it during his teen years.
Hopefully Mason Green wasn’t familiar with the terrain and this particular cave.
“I have an idea,” he assured her. “It would help if we had some light.”
“Light!” she echoed in a voice of surprise. “That I can help you with.”
He heard her fumbling with something in the dark. After a few seconds, there was a click, and a bright beam of white light cut through the darkness, startling him.
“What—”
“I have a flashlight app on my phone.”
Ah. He never knew that cell phones came with flashlights.
“What’s your plan?” Sadie asked.
“I know this cave. If I remember correctly, there should be another way out.”
She sighed. “That’s great news. How deep is this cave until we can get to the exit? Do you recall?”
He scratched his head and realized his hat was gone. His hair was coated with debris. “Nee, I don’t remember. It’s been many years since I was here.” He hoped that the other exit hadn’t become overgrown or caved in. “Shine your light at the ground for a moment, please.”
The light shifted lower. Seeing his hat, he bent down and grabbed it. “Walk close together.”
He wondered if he should mention the possibility of meeting up with a wild critter or two in the cave. Part of him didn’t want to cause them any more worry. On the other hand, it was best to be prepared.
He mentioned the caution to Sadie.
“Yay,” she returned sarcastically. “I’ll probably have a scared bat get stuck in my hair.”
“Do you think we’ll see a bear?” Nathaniel couldn’t quite contain his excitement at the thought.
“Ah, I don’t suppose we’ll run into a bear.”
“I should hope not,” Sadie muttered. He smiled. She was adorable when she grew disgruntled. He had no business noticing that. His smile dropped from his face. Ben was starting to have his suspicions about Sadie’s origins. She had some Plain in her background, he was sure of it. Little things about her told him that she wasn’t unfamiliar with their ways, at least, not completely. Regardless, she was not Amish.
He needed to remember that. There was no future between them, and he could not allow himself to forget that or become overly friendly and give her the wrong idea.
Deliberately, he turned away and kept walking. They went deeper and deeper into the cave. The air was still and damp. There was a musty odor.
“Ew. It smells gross in here,” Nathaniel commented.
Sadie snickered at the observation. Ben chuckled. Reaching back, he patted his son’s shoulder.
“Jah, it does smell gross.”
“Do you think the bad man is waiting for us?”
With a sigh, Ben pondered how to answer. He didn’t want to scare his son, but he would never lie to him, either.
“I hope he has gone away,” he said. “If he hasn’t, we’ll keep hiding from him.”
Even to his own ears, the response lacked substance.
“I’ve been thinking, Ben,” Sadie said into the darkness. “I know you believe that God is with us, right?”
He nodded. “Jah. With my whole being I believe that.”
“So, if He is with us, then it is His job to protect us.”
He wasn’t sure he agreed with that assessment. It seemed too standoffish.
“Nee, not His job. He is our Father. We are His children. Sometimes sin affects the world and bad things do happen. That is true. But Gott is always there, loving His children and trying to keep them close to Him.”
The light glanced off the walls, throwing long shadows against the floor.
“There’s a bend up ahead,” Ben announced, the words echoing around them.
He led the way, listening to the reassuring scrape of their boots on the bottom of the cave. He might not be able to see behind him very well, but at least he knew that they were following closely.
“Ben, is that a light ahead of us?” Sadie said at his shoul
der.
He frowned. There was a light, but it wasn’t as bright as he would have expected it to be. His heart fell at the thought that the second exit might not be viable. Maybe it was just dim due to the weather.
As the small group drew closer to the light, his fears were realized. The second exit was still there. However, the rocks around the exit had caved in. While not completely covered, he could see that they would have to dig themselves out if they wanted to use it. At present, it looked large enough for Nathaniel to squeeze through. Definitely not two full-grown adults.
He set his jaw. Gott was with them. He had shown them a way out. They had to work a bit to use the exit, but it was doable. Cautiously, Ben stepped closer to the hole in the pile blocking their way. Peering out, he looked as far as he could in every direction.
No Mason Green.
He bowed his head and sent up a prayer of thanksgiving.
“Are you praying?” Sadie whispered.
“Jah. I am thanking Gott that we have reached another way out and that no one is waiting for us.”
He knew she’d understand.
“Um, we’re going to have to dig our way out.” She didn’t sound too enthusiastic.
“Jah. We will dig. But we will get out.”
A moment of silence met his declaration.
“You’re right,” she said finally. “I’m a bit embarrassed by my glass-half-empty attitude. Forgive me.”
“Es ist nichts,” he responded, telling her it was nothing. He was curious to see what her response would be. Would she understand the German words? He suspected that she would.
“It’s nothing?” she replied, confirming his suspicions by correctly translating the phrase. “It’s not nothing, Ben. I don’t like knowing how cynical I am. We thought we were trapped, and you were right. God has shown us a way out, like you believed. And here I am complaining because I might have to lift a few rocks.”
He didn’t like the self-recriminations.
“Sadie, you are human. You have also had a very rough few days. It is time to forgive yourself and move on. We need to move these rocks. It will be dark by the time we arrive at my parents’ house.”
It was too bad it wasn’t summer. If it had been, then it wouldn’t have been as urgent. They could have rested a bit, knowing that they had a few more hours of daylight. As it was, he knew that the sky would be dark within a few hours.
It took them almost an hour to dig the hole open enough to allow them to exit, one at a time. Ben went first, figuring that if Mason Green was out there, he would shoot him first, giving the other two a warning. He didn’t even think about using himself as bait to protect the others. Some things, like family, were worth dying for. He was nonetheless highly relieved when he stood outside the cave in the cold, wet afternoon, unscathed except for a few additional scratches.
Nathaniel came out next, followed by Sadie. The weary trio glanced at the cave for a moment. He saw a shudder rip through Sadie.
“We could have died there,” she said when her haunted gaze met his. “We came so close to losing everything.”
“We didn’t.”
She nodded and they continued on with their journey.
They kept silent for the most part. Every now and then, he and Sadie would exchange a glance. They had shared a harrowing experience and both were exhausted. They couldn’t rest, though.
Mason Green might think he had killed them in the explosion. It would be best if he did.
How long did they have until he realized that they were still alive?
NINE
They trudged on until Sadie felt as though her legs would fall off if she had to take yet another step. Still they kept going. Nathaniel had reached the limit of what he could bear with patience and was letting them know it. He whined about being tired and said his feet were frozen. Then he complained about how his stomach hurt, he was so hungry.
Sadie completely understood. Her own stomach was hollow. It had gone past the point of rumbling. Now, she was so weary she wasn’t sure which was harder, the hunger or the exhaustion filling her limbs with lead.
And the thirst. She was also pretty sure she was slightly dehydrated. Her mouth was so dry, when she tried talking it felt as though the edges of her mouth were coated with cotton.
“Dat, my legs hurt.” The strength had leeched from Nathaniel’s protests and complaints. Now his whining had changed into whimpers.
Ben halted. He crouched down in front of his son. The sunlight had faded and now they were moving in the twilight. His features were blurry, but Sadie could detect the gentle care in the eyes glinting up from his bone-weary face.
“Nathaniel, we are very close to Grossmamma’s house. I know this journey is difficult. You have been very brave, and I am proud of you. I need you to be strong for just a short while more. Grossmamma and Grossdawdi will be happy to see you. Can you be strong for a short while longer?” He tapped the boy’s chin.
Nathaniel’s chin wobbled. He nodded. Probably too tired to speak, she thought, pity for him sneaking up on her. Ben tousled his hair and stood, grabbing the youngster’s hand as they continued on. If only Nathaniel were smaller, Ben might have been able to carry him on his shoulders.
Sadie was embarrassed at the tears that swam in her eyes. Yes, his warmth and caring for his child were precious, but certainly she shouldn’t be crying over them.
It must be the exhaustion. That and the fact that her feet were just about numb from the frozen ground. At least it had stopped raining. Or snowing. She thrust her ice-cold hands into her pockets.
“Sadie?” Ben’s quiet voice broke through her thoughts. Had he been talking to her?
“Sorry? I was thinking. Did you say something?”
“Jah. I asked you if you were well. I was serious. My parents live close now. Normally, I could walk there from here in about ten minutes.”
“It’s probably going to take longer with how tired we are.”
Still, ten minutes. Even twenty. She could do it, right? She had to. Even if she wasn’t well, they had no choice but to keep moving on. Telling him her woes wouldn’t improve their predicament. If anything, it would make him feel bad. And what about poor Nathaniel? If she faltered, what sort of example would that set for him? No, she would keep her aches and her problems to herself.
“Don’t worry about me, Ben. I’m sure that we can make it. Especially if we are so close.”
He didn’t respond for the space of a heartbeat.
“I do worry, though. I know we couldn’t wait in the car. It would have definitely been too dangerous for us. And for Braden. However, you were injured recently. This has been a hard journey, even without that.”
Warmth tingled in her heart at his words. She tried not to let them get to her, but it wasn’t working. This man was breaking through her defenses, and he wasn’t even trying. She needed a distraction. She recalled his injured arm. Had that just been this morning?
“How is your arm?” He didn’t seem to be favoring it. But then, maybe he was deliberately ignoring the discomfort.
“Ach. It’s fine. I barely notice it.”
Men. She rolled her eyes. She was pretty sure he was understating the matter.
A few more minutes of silence fell.
“Dat! Is that Grossmamma’s haus?” Nathaniel seemed to regain some of his energy. It was contagious. She straightened her stiff shoulders as hope zinged through her. Could they be nearly at their destination?
The exuberance was clouded briefly by the worry that his family would not want her there. She was an outsider. Not to mention the fact that Nathaniel and Ben had been through horrific things because of her presence in their lives. She should brace herself for their reaction.
She was so tired, though, she’d probably cry and embarrass herself if they didn’t want her around. She shook herself free of her misgivi
ngs as they walked up the driveway of a large white farmhouse.
An image of another white house filled her mind. It was also two stories, but didn’t have the large porch that stretched across the entire front of the house like the one on Ben’s parents’ house. The one in her mind had a small porch, just big enough for two or three people to stand on. She could see the blueish-gray door on the side. And the smell of apple pie, freshly baked. Her mouth watered.
As the memory, for she was sure that was what it was, faded, she couldn’t get rid of the sense of familiarity as they walked up the steps to the door.
She was still in the thrall of these emotions when the door opened and an older Amish woman peered out.
“Ben? Nathaniel!” The woman opened the door, confusion in her eyes, although there was a wide smile on her face as she let her son and his companions into the house. There were no electric lamps inside. Instead, the light in the room was made by natural gas-fueled lights that hung on the walls. She was surprised that Ben’s parents used these; she had expected kerosene lanterns. “Ach! You didn’t tell me you were coming to visit. Where is your buggy?” She peered around them. “Did you already put your horse away?”
Her brow creased. No wonder.
“Nee, Mamm. We walked from the interstate.”
Her eyes widened. “Walked?”
“Grossmamma.” Nathaniel captured her attention. “I’m hungry.”
Her eyes caught her son’s. Sadie could see the questions burning there, but the woman smiled at her grandson and bade him to go into the kitchen. She’d get him some food.
“Mamm,” Ben said as Nathaniel ran to the kitchen. “I will tell you everything, but first I want to introduce you to—”
Ben’s mother turned expectantly to face her. As she took in Sadie’s face, her mouth dropped open to form a round O.
“Hannah? Hannah Bontrager?”
* * *
Ben felt a shock go through him at the long-forgotten name. Hannah Bontrager had disappeared years ago. And so had her young daughter and his childhood friend, Sadie Ann. Was it possible? Could the woman he’d been assisting really be his friend who had disappeared years before?