“I’m nervous too. My feelings are all over the place right now. But I do have a question for you. No matter the answer, please give it to me honestly.” He raised his eyebrows at her.
She nodded, uncertain of what the man would ask.
“I want to know if you . . . I mean, does Luna know—” he stumbled on his words, and Linda had no idea what he was getting at. His voice lowered to a whisper. “Did you tell her what I wanted you to do?”
Still, she had no idea what he was . . . “Oh, you mean back in high school? That you wanted me to abort her? Blake, why would I tell her something like that? I could never hurt her like that, not even to hurt you.”
“Thank you. I didn’t think you would, but I just had to be sure.” Blake eased back in his chair. “Do you think they really found her?”
“I don’t know. I hope so.” Linda put her head in her hands. “I’m so scared.”
Her head pounded. She should have known better than to have that drink. What had she gained from it? A broken phone, a quarter less gas in her car, and a raging headache. Not to mention Blake looking down on her in disapproval.
That wasn’t who she was. She wasn’t the person who resorted to a substance to drown all her problems. At least not anymore. She’d changed all of that. Become a different person.
“It’s going to be the longest wait of my life.”
“I’ll be here for you.” Blake put his hand on hers and squeezed.
Were they kidding themselves? Would— no could — anything ever come of it?
With God, all things are possible.
That was true . . . for other people, not for Linda Ferris.
Chapter 35 - Jacob
“It must be today. Now. We must go now,” Jacob whispered to Luna and Jonathan as they watched the supply building.
“But we are not ready yet.” Jonathan shifted nervously. “We have not even figured out how we are going to get through the front gate.”
“Are you serious?” Luna stared darts at Jonathan. “Do you really want me to be your mother? Because if we don’t get out of here before the evening meal, I will be.”
“And I shall be married to Abigail. I cannot put her through that.”
“What do you want me to do?” a voice startled them from behind.
The three of them turned on their heels and stared at the girl standing only an arm's length away.
“Abigail, go home. I do not want you involved,” Jacob said.
“You are not my husband yet Jacob Mills— and if I have anything to say about it, you never will be.”
“She has a point,” Jonathan smirked
Luna slapped at him. “This is not funny, Jonathan. You are not the one being married off like . . . like . . .”
“No, you are correct. It is not a laughing matter. I am only wondering when you become my mother, will you still allow me to kiss you?”
Luna raised her hand to her mouth.
“Stop playing around you two.” Jacob’s face wrinkled into an angry grimace. “And Abigail, go home.”
“I will not! I want to help. And you must tell Rachel that I did so.”
“Maybe she can help,” Luna said.
“How?” Jacob asked.
“SHE IS THERE. I CANNOT believe you are requiring this of her,” Jacob accused Luna.
“I’m not requiring anything. She wanted to. Besides, it’s the only way we will get out of here without being noticed.” Luna glared back. “Now be quiet and wait for the signal.”
Several minutes later, smoke billowed from the sky above the old Smithfield barn. Fires were a considerable danger for the community. Besides the fact that they had no running water and lived in a dry desert, a fire would cause plenty of undue attention in the outside world.
Every person in the community would be tasked with putting it out, including the gate guards. Jacob had to agree. It was a good plan. He just didn’t like the fact that Abigail was involved in it. What if she were caught? Suspected? Burned?
Orange flames licked at the sky. It had begun. Warning bells rang through the community. People from all over ran in the direction of the blazing barn, carrying containers of all shapes and sizes. The three of them ducked down as the men from the supply building ran toward the flames.
They waited a bit longer until the area was completely deserted.
“Let’s go,” Luna prompted as she got up from the ground and dusted off her dress.
“Give me the keys,” Jacob said. He was not going to allow a girl to drive the vehicle. She’d get them all killed.
“I’m driving,” Luna said as she stormed to the back of the supply building.
“You are not driving!” Jacob followed behind.
“Wanna bet?”
“The Chosen do not bet,” Jacob threw back at her.
“If you want to be Chosen, Jacob, then you should stay. Because out there,” she pointed past the main gate. “There are no Chosen. Now, are we leaving while we have the chance, or are you going to argue with me some more?”
“Fine!” Jacob spat. “You better know how to drive!”
As the flames grew higher and smoke billowed in the sky, they ran to the spot where each of the trucks were parked.
When they reached the vehicle Luna had said they were taking, Luna shuffled frantically through her dress. “Where are they? The keys. Where are the keys?”
Chapter 36 - Luna
“They were right here. They were just — they must have fallen out on the way.” Luna stared at the boys.
“Are you serious? I knew we could not count on a girl to—”
“Stop, Jacob. We must back-track to find them. Come, let us spread out and look.”
Luna was grateful for Jonathan coming to her rescue, yet still, why did Jacob have to be such an egotistical jerk?
“I found them,” Jonathan yelled, holding up the keys.
“I am driving!” Jacob ripped them out of Jonathan’s hands and headed back in the direction of the vehicles.
Jonathan shrugged at Luna. “I guess he is driving.”
“Get ready to greet your new mother.” Luna rolled her eyes, but inside, she shuddered at the thought of the coming ceremony. She’d rather live on the streets a thousand years than marry Naaman.
Jacob jumped into the driver’s seat. Luna got in the middle and Jonathan sat next to her.
“Let’s go,” she shouted.
Jacob searched the steering column frantically. “Where do you put the key?”
“Are you serious? Get out! We don’t have time to mess around.”
“You have never driven either,” Jacob accused.
“No, but I’ve seen my mom do it a million times. How many times have you been in a vehicle?”
Jacob got out of the truck and ran to the passenger’s door. Luna and Jonathan scooted over to let him in. Luna inserted the key and started the truck. Now what? She tried to envision her mother driving her car. Why hadn’t she taken her up on the offer to teach her to drive? She’d been too cool to be seen in the car with her own mother. If only . . .
“Come on! What are you doing?” Jacob yelled. “We must go now!”
Luna stomped her foot on the brake and slid the gear into drive. She hit the gas, and the truck slammed forward, jerking the boys almost through the window.
“Better get your seatbelts on, boys.”
As she whizzed down the dirt road that led to the gate, a lightheadedness came over her. In a few minutes, she would be free. She glanced back in the rear-view mirror. The glow of the burning barn rose. Abigail had saved their lives. She turned to focus on the road ahead.
“Oh, Jackrabbit!” Jonathan cried, turning his head. “Luna, they are coming after us!”
Jackrabbit?
Luna looked in the rearview mirror. Sure enough, behind the dust and dirt kicked up by their vehicle was the faint outline of another vehicle. Two lights beamed through, slicing the dust into pieces. They were coming after them. Someone was. Luna slammed on th
e gas, and the truck spun as the tires slid on the dry dirt.
Adrenaline charged through her as the truck weaved back and forth. Determination fueled her. As a vision of herself dressed in wedding attire, standing next to Naaman entered her head, she forced the truck to go faster. She would not marry Naaman.
The gate was almost in range.
Sure enough, it was closed.
“What are we going to do? There is no time to get out and open the gate,” Jacob shrieked.
“I guess we’re going through it then.”
Jacob looked around Jonathan, whose face was plastered to the back of the cab and stared at her in stunned silence.
“Do you want to get out of here or not?” Luna glanced back.
The vehicle was right behind them. The truck spun as she pushed it to top speeds, barely able to keep it on the road.
The gate was only thirty feet away. Would they all be roasted like marshmallows the moment they hit the electric fence? Was that better than marrying Naaman and having his babies?
Absolutely.
She closed her eyes and pressed the gas to the floor.
A few seconds later, the truck rammed into the gate, jerking them into the air. Their heads banged on the ceiling as the vehicle came down on top of the fencing.
“Keep going! Keep going!” Jonathan punched his fist in the air.
The crunch of the gate under the tires stopped, and Luna looked back to catch a glimpse of it flying through the air. The truck behind swerved to miss it, and the gate crashed into the side of the vehicle. Whoever was in the truck behind them was sure to have much more experience than she. Still, she refused to give in. If she had to, she would die trying.
Luna glanced back behind her just as the vehicle jerked forward. He’d caught up. She turned to Jonathan. He smiled sadly at her. It looked like the gig was up. She hammered the gas and kept going. She would do her best to get away.
As she swerved around the curve going over eighty miles an hour, she lost control. The truck slid back and forth across the dirt road.
Out of nowhere a travel trailer appeared, turning in the middle of the road.
"Stop!" Jacob screamed.
Luna hit the brake and the truck slid sideways, careening right into the travel trailer.
The crash was so loud it made her ears ring. Glass and metal parts flew from both vehicles on impact. Luna’s head hit the windshield and glass shattered inside the truck. When finally it was all over, silence ensued.
Was everyone dead? Her head spun, and her eyes blurred, and then everything went black.
Chapter 37 - Chief Collins
“How much longer, Chief?” Tanner asked as Erika drove as fast as she safely could to reach the compound where they were sure Luna was being held.
“Just a few more minutes.”
Would she want to leave? Was she even being held against her will? These questions and more clouded Erika’s brain.
By law, it didn’t matter. Luna was still underage, and therefore, her mother had a say-so in whether she stayed or left. And at that point, Erika had full authority to remove Luna from the compound. Kicking and screaming if need be.
Flashing lights swirled in the distance. Not too far away for Erika to notice that half the county must be in on whatever was going on.
“Must’ve been a huge accident.” Tanner sat forward to get a better view.
A helicopter hovered overhead, kicking up dust and tumbleweeds as it attempted to land in the nearby desert.
“Yeah, it looks bad. I wonder if we will be able to get around it.”
As Erika drew closer, she looked on in shock. Glass and metal were scattered across the ground. The place was a bloody mess. At least six bodies were laid out on stretchers. None of them looked alive. Erika brought her car to a complete stop and rolled down her window as a short, balding, overweight officer walked up to the vehicle.
“What happened here?” she asked.
“Best we can figure is some kids broke through the community up the road. The gates have been blasted off and that truck―” He pointed to the gnarled mess that littered the street. “It’s registered to a Daniel Ross, who from what I know about this sect, is their leader.”
Erika looked at Tanner. His eyes grew huge.
“You think she’s in there?” she asked.
“I sure hope not,” Tanner answered.
She didn’t want to know, but as luck would have it, it was her job to find out. She sighed. “Can we take a look? We’re out here on a call about a possible abduction of a teenager by these same people.”
The officer raised a brow. “You’re welcome to look, but we’ve never had any kind of problem from these people in the past. They’re good folks. Keep to themselves. Don’t bother no one.”
“Well, whatever happened in there, doesn’t look so peaceful to me.” Erika released her seatbelt and opened her car door. “Let’s go have a look.”
Tanner hesitated.
“What’s wrong? Afraid of a little blood?” she joked just to calm him down. There was nothing funny about the scene before them.
Tanner swallowed as his face paled. “I think I’ll sit this one out, Chief.”
“Suit yourself.” Erika followed the officer to the ambulances where victims were being tended to.
“Jones.” The guy turned and extended his hand. “Deputy with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department.
“Collins.” She shook his hand. “Chief of Police, Canyon Rock.”
His eyebrows raised a bit. “Follow me.”
“These two here are snowbirds from Wisconsin. Not sure where they were headed since neither of them was conscious when we arrived.”
“Are they going to make it?”
“Not sure. They have a better chance than the three we pulled out of that truck.” He nodded back toward the debris. “At least they had enough sense to put on their seatbelts.”
“I don’t want to sound insensitive, but if I could have a look at the three you pulled out of the truck to verify it’s not the girl we’re looking for, I'll be out of your hair to finish up your investigation.”
Crews of police and firemen surrounded the area, pulling debris out of the middle of the road, and investigating the scene as EMT’s tended to the injured.
“Sure, Chief. Follow me.” He led Erika toward the ambulances that were tending to the three kids. “He green?” He flipped a thumb to Tanner who sat in the car.
“Yeah, well, you could say he hasn’t seen much in the way of gore.”
“Get ‘em on out here then, this’ll indoctrinate him right quick.”
No kidding.
As the three gurneys came into view, the strong stench of blood filled her nostrils. Something she never got used to. “Did anyone survive?”
“One dead. The other two, hanging by a limb.”
Chapter 38 – Linda
“Oh, God, no.” Linda’s body trembled as she hung up the phone. What would she do without her baby?
“What happened? Did they find her?” Blake asked.
“They found her,” she whispered. “She’s been in an accident. Apparently, she was driving.” Linda broke down in sobs. “She doesn’t even know how to drive.”
“Where is she? Is she okay?”
Linda’s legs went limp, and she dropped to the kitchen floor in a crumpled mess. A vision of her sweet baby, battered and bloody ran through her brain. It was too much for her.
“Linda?” Blake wheeled over to her. “Linny, where is Luna?”
“What’s wrong with Ms. Linda, Daddy?” Ceecee asked from the doorway.
“She’s okay, honey. Go back into the living room and watch cartoons.”
Pull yourself together, Linda. Your daughter needs you.
Linda looked up.
“I have to go. She’s been airlifted to Phoenix Memorial. They don’t know if she is going to live.” Linda broke down in sobs again.
“Okay. Come on, let’s get you to the hospital. Kids!�
� he called out. “Get your shoes on, we’re going on a trip.”
“You don’t have to—”
“Of course, I do. She’s my daughter. Now come on, let’s go.”
“LINDA. HONEY WAKE UP,” a voice spoke as a warm hand squeezed her shoulder.
She looked up to see Blake wheeled up in front of her.
“The doctor says we can see her now.”
It had been five long days that Luna had been touch and go, but that morning, she was finally showing signs of improvement. Linda had prayed nonstop until she had prayed herself into exhaustion.
“We can see her?” She rubbed her eyes. “Is she awake?”
They’d seen her every day, but she hadn’t seen them. She’d been in what the doctors called a medically induced coma to keep her pain minimal while antibiotics and nutrition were pumped through her, and her body tried to heal. Linda had lost count as to how many surgeries the girl had undergone.
Blake’s kids had been so good under the circumstances. Each of them sat quietly with their tablets, coloring books, and small toys. Blake had left with them off and on to get food or stretch. They’d been so kind and patient throughout the entire ordeal.
“Doctor says she’s groggy, but she’s coherent.”
“Oh, thank you, God.”
“You want me to stay out here?” Blake asked. A palpable fear touched his eyes.
“You don’t want to meet your daughter?”
“She’s been through a lot right now, maybe we should ease her into it.”
“She’s not two, Blake. She’s almost an adult.” As soon as it was out of her mouth, Linda thought better of it. “Maybe you’re right. Let me talk to her first, and let’s see how it goes.”
Blake nodded.
“Chicken,” she teased as a giddiness came over her she hadn’t felt in years. Her daughter was alive. God had answered her prayers. “Thank you!” she whispered to the Great Healer above.
“Easy for you to say.” Blake smiled. “See ya in a bit.”
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