Robert hopped on his bike and pedaled to the perimeter of the yard as Sam followed closely behind. Stanley sprinted to the end of the driveway and glanced back at Sam. He stood there panting and wagging his tail. Once she got nearer to Stanley, he trotted up to her and nudged his wet nose on her hand. At the outskirts of the property, Sam stepped off her bike and stood a few feet from the dirt road. She glanced behind her at the long dirt driveway to see how far she’d rode from the house. Only yards away, the house seemed so far.
“Mama says we shouldn’t go far,” Sam hollered at Robert who by now had biked down the dirt road several feet. “We might as well stay right here for when she gets home from the store.” Instead of going on a bike ride, she and Robert could stay near the house and trim low-lying branches from one of the oak trees and return to Robert’s room where she could finish her project. She even didn’t mind sharing the space with Houdini so long as he didn’t knock over the wall surrounding the castle.
“Mama won’t be home for a couple hours,” Robert said and stepped off his ten-speed. He wheeled the bike over to Sam and waved an arm behind him to the dirt road. “We’ll just go down to the end and back.”
Sam gripped the handlebars and stood next to the bike then scruffed Stanley’s head, but in one quick instant, he bolted to the middle of the dirt road and glanced back at her. He barked several times until Sam sat on her bike and pedaled up the rest of the driveway.
Robert inched closer to the middle of the dirt road. “Come on, Sam, we won’t go far. Ride with me, and then I’ll get you the best branches for your forest. Maybe I’ll even help you build a moat with real water all around the castle. That’s how they kept out the invaders back in medieval times.” Robert rode away from Sam and yelled a few more words that Sam couldn’t hear. The farther Robert got, the fainter his voice became.
She strained to hear what Robert said and hoped he’d ride back to her. When Stanley trotted to get closer to Robert, Sam had no choice but to catch up to them. The plastic streamers on Sam’s bike handles fluttered in the wind the faster she pedaled. She reached a hand up to pull the knit cap tighter on her head so it covered her ears. Once on the dirt road a ways, she coasted down the slight decline until the road leveled out. Barely out of breath, she pumped her legs with all her might while Robert rode his shiny new ten-speed right next to her. The glossy paint of her own new purple Schwinn sparkled in the light. She relaxed in the banana seat and started to race to try and pass Robert.
The faster Sam pedaled, the more the cold air stung her face. But with each pump of her legs, she got hot, so she unzipped her coat. Rays of sunlight filtered through the pine trees along the road. Sam whooshed through the wind with her puppy trotting beside her. The forest here in Covington County near the Okatoma had become lush in the past couple months. For late December, the air wasn’t nearly as frigid as it had been lately, and this was one of their first total sunny days in weeks. Stanley paused to sniff the mud at the side of the road, his tail wagging furiously as he burrowed his snout in the neighbor’s shrubs. Sam hollered for Stanley to come back, and within seconds he was right by her side.
Although she rarely ever caught a glimpse of the Okatoma anymore, Sam noticed the shimmering light reflected on the surface of the water. Too chilly for swimming and way too cold for snakes to be finished hibernating for the winter, there was nothing Sam and Robert were missing by not scavenging the banks of the creek. Besides, with her new bike, Sam could pedal as fast as she could and be far away from the creek bed. She peered at the long dirt road before her. The bright afternoon sunlight warmed her face. The thick forest to the right became nothing but a blur the faster she pedaled. Soon, she and Robert made it almost to the end of the road.
Robert sped up close to Sam, nearly bumping into her bike. “Wanna ride along the main road? We could get ice cream at the convenience store. You could get one of those drumsticks you like so much. I won’t tell Mama. I bet we’ll still work up an appetite for dinner.” Robert slowed down then pulled a wad of cash from his jeans pocket—some dollar bills, a couple twenties, even a hundred-dollar bill.
Sam slowed her pace when she reached the end of the dusty road. When she realized where that money had come from, she quickly glanced away from the stack of cash in Robert’s hand. She peered behind her to see how far they’d gone. She bit her lower lip and scanned the main street. They were close to the busy boulevard. A few vehicles zoomed past—mostly cars but so far no trucks with rumbling engines. As far as she could tell, it seemed safe to continue. For the first time in weeks, she actually wanted to be out in the fresh air and was hungry for some treats.
“Can I get a drumstick and a Coke?” Suddenly so hungry, Sam thought about all the candy and Coke she could manage to carry back on her bike. She swung her leg over her shiny purple Schwinn and positioned both feet on the ground right behind the front tire. She steadied her body by balancing her hands on the handlebars.
“You can get anything you want,” Robert said and stuffed the money back into his pocket. “You eat as much as you’d like.”
And just like that, Sam hopped back on the banana seat and pressed her feet down on the pedals. Within a couple minutes, she was cruising along the main road—something she’d never done up until today. The chilly air stung her face the faster she went, but she continued to pick up more momentum as her legs pumped down hard on the pedals. A semi-truck barreled right past her, the powerful wind causing her bike to teeter. She gripped the handlebars harder and squinted at the long road before her. By now, her eyes were watering from the cold wind. She didn’t dare take her eyes off the road, but she could hear Robert huffing and puffing right behind her.
Sam traveled a few hundred yards down the street when she realized that Stanley was no longer next to them. In a panic, she skidded to a stop along the gravely shoulder.
Robert nearly ran into her with his ten-speed. “Whoa, Sam! You shouldn’t just stop on a busy road like this.”
“Stanley isn’t with us. We forgot to put him back in the house. I thought...I thought he’d come with us past the dirt road.”
“He’s too young to be on the main road. He’s fine. He’s probably on the porch sleeping or chewing on a bone.”
“But he was with us all the way to the end of the dirt road.” Sam peered at the turnout for their road. When she realized she couldn’t even see the roof of their house, she panicked and turned her bike around. “We have to go back. He’s probably wondering where we are.”
“Really? We’re more than halfway to the store. He’s probably back at the house by now.”
“Robby, he’s just a puppy. Let’s put him back in the house, and then we can come back.”
Robert agreed and looped his bike around so that this time he took the lead on their way back. Within five minutes, they were on the dirt road leading to their house and quickly barreled down the incline nearing their front yard. Sam’s legs burned as she pedaled harder the closer they got to their driveway. Once there, Sam pushed down on her brakes and skidded to a stop.
Stanley was nowhere to be found. Not on the dirt road, not in the driveway, not even on the porch where he always greeted her. Out of breath, Sam hopped off her bike and let it fall onto the lawn. She first did a quick search of the driveway and then scanned the front yard. No Stanley. She bounded up the stairs to the porch and bolted through the front door calling Stanley’s name over and over. She stormed down the hallway and then into Robert’s room. She searched in Houdini’s makeshift cardboard barricade, but even he couldn’t be found. Houdini was probably buried somewhere under Robert’s bed or cowering in a corner.
Sam ran out the front door and again called for her dog. She screamed louder for him, her voice high and panicked. She took a few steps into the yard; she peered at the lush shrubbery. By now Robert was also searching in the yard to find Stanley. Robert followed the side of the barn then lifted the blue tarp covering his unfinished raft.
Still not able to find her dog
, Sam squinted into the glaring sunlight and waited to see if Stanley had squeezed next to the stack of wood in search of his ball or a rat. Then up along the creek, Sam noticed a dark brown blur on the other side of an azalea bush. She stepped closer to the magnolia tree but didn’t go past the thick trunk; she fixated her eyes on what she hoped was her puppy. That brown blob was completely still. Was he sleeping? Did he get hurt? Maybe it wasn’t even Stanley after all.
“Stanley!” Sam hollered as loud as she could. She cowered next to the tree trunk and squinted at the brown mound next to the bush. “Come here, boy. Get over here! Come on, now.”
Robert stomped across the lawn and called after their dog. That brown blur by the shrubs remained still. With Robert now at her side, Sam felt a panic wash over her. She was sure that Stanley had been maimed, that he was lying lifeless at the water’s edge. She took a couple of timid steps closer to the creek to catch a better look at what was happening.
“Sam, he’s probably okay.” Robert marched over to the azalea bush and was soon right next to the creek.
“Is that Stanley? Is he okay?” Sam started to run toward what she hoped was her dog, but then she saw what she thought was someone walking along the perimeter of their yard. Sam stopped abruptly. Maybe it was just the shrubs swaying in the wind? Or the late afternoon shadows of the trees reflecting on the house?
As these thoughts went through Sam’s head, a chill washed over her body when she realized what she saw—a tall man on their property. The hunger she’d felt moments ago turned into nausea. That man had come after her and Robert, just like he said he would. Sam thought about where she could hide. Too scared to move or to call out for Robert, she listened carefully for footsteps on the gravel along the house. When she didn’t hear or see anything out of the ordinary, she took a few timid steps closer to the creek.
Then she heard the chink of a dog’s collar. She looked behind her then hollered for Robert. When he didn’t answer, Sam stepped to the perimeter of the lawn but remained a few paces from the creek—close enough to hear Stanley whining but far enough away that she wasn’t at the water’s edge. Again, she peeked behind her to search for that man. All was still. Maybe it was just the shadows from the trees reflected on the house after all.
Finally, Sam saw Stanley’s long tail wagging as he growled at the ground under the shrub. Sam took a few more steps closer to the water’s edge, finally getting so close she could smell the damp air and hear the trickle of water over the smooth rocks. Stanley pawed at the dirt next to the creek until he unearthed what looked to be a small tool. In a matter of seconds, Sam knew what he’d found: the old trowel Mama always used in the garden, the one left at No Man’s Landing a few months ago. Sam recalled Johnny tossing that trowel into the woods.
At first Sam was confused as to how that tool ended up back here, but she trembled when she started to piece things together. She peered behind her once again, more certain now that Johnny was nearby. “Robby,” she said quietly, “I think I saw—”
“Sam, we best get in the house.” After he shoved the trowel in his coat pocket, Robert looped his fingers through Stanley’s collar and pulled him away from the creek bed.
“Robby, why would Stanley dig that up?”
“He probably smelled some sort of scent, something that didn’t seem right to him. Come on, Sam, let’s get to the house.”
“Good boy,” Sam said quietly. When they neared the yard, Stanley let out a low growl, the sound seeming like it came from a full-grown dog instead of a puppy. Trembling, Sam scanned her eyes across the yard and down to the creek bed. Seeing nothing but the tall shadows of trees, she stepped closer to Robert.
Robert took another look around the yard then stood close to Sam and set a firm hand on her shoulder. “You keep Stanley right by your side. He’ll let us know if anyone is creeping anywhere near the yard.”
Sam gripped her fingers around Stanley’s collar, ready to release him should he sense anyone prowling around their property. “Maybe we oughta tell Daddy.”
Robert didn’t respond but stopped walking for a moment. He glanced behind him and then focused his eyes on the house and the porch. The late afternoon sun cast dark shadows on the yard. Each wintry gust of wind caused Sam to be even more chilled, so she pulled her coat up close to her chin.
With Stanley at her side, Sam traipsed across the yard, but when she neared the front porch, she heard a loud engine nearby. She stopped in her tracks and glanced at the dusty road and saw a big truck idling close to the neighbor’s driveway. The sight of the rumbling vehicle caused her breath to catch in her chest. Robert was by her side within seconds. Sam stood there frozen and focused her eyes on the truck. Whoever was in it revved the engine and then barreled down the road, causing clouds of dust to blind Sam’s view. She leaned into Robert who draped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.
“Robby, I think we should tell Daddy. Maybe he could—”
“Sam, you know what we agreed on. Besides, that’s probably just some guy here to fish in the creek. The Okatoma’s been busy with people fishing here lately being that people are still on Christmas break and all.” Robert led Sam to the porch and guided her through the doorway where she kicked off her shoes and pulled the knit cap from her head.
Stanley trotted up the steps and nudged his way into the house behind Sam. Now safe in the house, Robert bolted the door behind them. Sam glanced through the window above the couch to see the amber rays of the setting sun wash across the sky. Robert flicked on the porch light, even though there was still another hour before dark.
Sam clicked on the TV, the sound of the evening news filling the living room with adult voices. For the rest of the night, she’d make the wall around the castle higher, using the rest of the Lego pieces to ensure that the fortress remained safe from invaders. Tomorrow she’d have Robert fetch some branches from nearby trees so she could create a lush forest outside the tall wall. For tonight, she’d remain in the house. She’d get Robert to build a moat. No intruders would be able to pass through the woods and cross over the trench to enter the castle.
Chapter Twenty-four
Mississippi: Winter 2014
SAM STOOPED OVER to inspect the wheels on Robert’s old ten-speed. Once she pumped some air into the tires, she oiled the chain and spun the pedals around a few times to make sure each link was fully lubed. Then she used a screwdriver to pry the basket from the handlebars of her faded purple Schwinn. After she tossed the basket onto the lawn, she noticed Robert’s unfinished raft from years ago. She lifted the blue plastic tarp and examined the project he’d spent so many weeks designing. She studied the nylon rope tightly wound around the pine logs; then she kneeled on the damp grass and set a hand on the rough wood. Each log had a groove carved into the ends, the pieces fitting together like a puzzle. Even though the raft had been protected under this plastic cover for nearly twenty-five years, the logs and plywood had become weathered from the damp air—the wood porous and splintered at the ends. With a few more twists and knots of nylon rope wound around the logs and another coat of varnish, this raft probably would’ve stayed afloat on the water.
But with no reason to keep the logs intact, Sam would take the raft apart soon. Even though Robert would likely be transferred to an acute care facility within the next week or so, he’d never be able to finish constructing this raft, much less venture down the river on it. Sometime in the next couple weeks, Sam would dismantle the logs and chop up the wood and stack it next to the fireplace. For now, Sam secured the tarp over the raft, tucking the plastic underneath each log. She glanced into the barn to see what was taking Annie so long to get ready then returned to tuning up both bicycles.
Annie had been staying with Sam for about a month. During that time, they fell into a comfortable routine—with Annie snoozing on the couch and Sam sleeping in bed. Annie finally let Sam drive by herself to the hospital, but she still wouldn’t let her go for a bike ride alone—be it on the road or along the cre
ek.
Five days ago, the police got a call that Patterson had shown up in surveillance videos in a convenience store a hundred miles north of Covington County. After investigators searched the area and questioned store clerks, they couldn’t locate Patterson, but other witnesses said they saw a guy fitting his description at a post office in Mobile, Alabama. By now, his image was plastered in public buildings and police stations in a 200-mile radius of Covington County. Annie and her officers continued to be on the lookout for Patterson, but Sam didn’t see the need for Annie to continue staying with her. Although she enjoyed Annie’s company, Sam missed alone time.
Sam lubed the chain on the Schwinn and heard the barn door flap open. She glanced up to see Annie in a bright yellow slicker and grey nylon mountain bike shorts. “Wow, a Gore-Tex jacket? You’re really taking this seriously. It’s not that cold today.”
“Well, it was either this old ski jacket I keep in the trunk of my squad car or just a T-shirt.”
“At least I’ll be able to find you on the trails if we get lost. You sure you’re up for a ride? Part of the trail is pretty rough.” Thrilled to finally get back on a bike, Sam was in the mood to ride as fast as possible, weaving through the woodsy forest and down the narrow trails.
“If I can handle thirty minutes on the stationary bike, I’ll be fine on your old banana seat bicycle. Might feel nice to have something between my legs.” She smirked and hoisted her leg over the metal frame—the bike way too small for her body.
Eager to get some exercise, Sam doubted Annie’s fitness level. She knew trail riding was way different than being on a stationary bike in the gym and didn’t think Annie would be able to keep up with her. They’d be lucky if they made it down the road and back. Sam shook her head and flipped the kickstand up with her foot and steadied the bike. “Want me to leave the streamers on?”
Saving Sam Page 24