Catch the Girl

by Melinda Woodhall

  Barker opened his mouth to protest, when he noticed that the tall woman on the porch was calling to someone inside the house. He held his breath, expecting Taylor’s face to appear in the door frame.

  Instead he saw a man’s face; it was the man he’d met the previous day. The sun reflected off Brother Eli’s white-blonde hair as he joined the women on the porch.

  “Hey, Brother Eli,” Barker called out, looking over Jacob’s broad shoulder. “You get that truck fixed yet?”

  Leo placed a firm hand on Barker’s arm and squeezed.

  “He’s got a gun,” Leo muttered under his breath. “Stay calm.”

  Eli held the rifle casually in his right hand, the barrel pointing down, almost touching the wooden floor. When he noticed Barker and Leo staring at it, he lifted the rifle and cradled it in the crook of his arm. He ignored Barker’s greeting.

  “This is private property, and you’re not welcome here.”

  Eli began to descend the steps, the rifle still held loosely in his grip. The tall woman on the porch watched the scene with wide eyes. As Eli reached the bottom step she called out.

  “Eli, you be careful, now.”

  Eli didn’t look around.

  “Don’t worry, Mama. I know what I’m doing. We can’t let these men bring their worldly problems into our congregation.”

  The woman in the rocking chair nodded in apparent agreement.

  “Leave him be, Judith. Your son’s a man now, like my Jacob. They have to keep the evil out, you know. They…they…”

  The weak voice trailed off, and the older woman’s head slumped toward her chest, falling against the long white braid that snaked across her shoulder and ended in her lap.

  “Ma Verity?” Judith knelt beside the rocker. “You okay, Ma?”

  She put a solid hand on the older woman’s thin shoulder and gave a slight shake. Verity moaned and nestled deeper into the chair.

  “I think she needs a little nap.”

  Judith looked up with a rueful smile; it faded when she saw that Eli stood only a few feet behind Jacob, the gun held firmly in both hands.

  Jacob studied his mother’s slumped form, impatience seeming to override any concern he was feeling. He turned to Judith.

  “Go to the back garden, Sister Judith. Make sure everyone stays there until I give the all clear. I don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

  He watched Judith scurry down the steps and around the building, then swung his gaze to Barker.

  “I’m going to ask you politely for the last time. Please leave.”

  Eli raised the rifle, the barrel pointing straight ahead, his face impassive. Barker wondered what lay behind Eli’s stony exterior.

  What’s happened to cause this supposedly religious young man to feel comfortable holding a gun on two strangers?

  Leo pulled on the sleeve of Barker’s jacket.

  “Let’s go, Barker. We don’t want any trouble.”

  But Barker wasn’t so sure. Maybe trouble was the only thing that would lead him to Taylor. Sitting around and playing it safe certainly hadn’t worked. He laid a big hand on the butt of his own gun.

  “Something’s way off around here,” Barker said, his eyes boring into Jacob’s. “You profess to be a congregation of love, and here you are threatening us with a gun? And your mother’s up there almost comatose and you don’t seem to give a damn? What’s going on here? What are you hiding?”

  Jacob narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw.

  “The only thing wrong around here is you. We’re doing just fine on our own. We don’t need you causing problems.”

  Out of the corner of his eye Barker saw Eli begin to shake. The rifle trembled in the young man’s hands, and he couldn’t seem to keep it steady. If Eli pulled the trigger, even accidentally, someone could get hurt. Leo might be shot. Barker was willing to risk his own life, but he couldn’t risk anything happening to Leo.

  “I’ll be back,” Barker said, his voice hard, “and next time, I’ll bring the police with me.”

  Jacob’s handsome face twisted into an exaggerated smirk, but Barker saw fear behind the scorn.

  “You just be sure any cops you bring have a warrant with ‘em. If not, they won’t be allowed in either. This is a private community and it’s gonna stay that way as long as I’m in charge.”

  Leo pulled Barker toward the Prius.

  “Come on, this isn’t getting us anywhere. Let’s go for now.”

  Barker allowed himself to be propelled toward the car. As he opened the driver’s side door a thin voice drifted through the air.

  “You fellows want to have some tea? It’ll warm you up.”

  Ma Verity was once again awake, squinting at them with a vague smile. Barker didn’t bother to respond. He sank into the driver’s seat, pushing back the feeling that he was missing something important. As he backed out of the compound, he saw the chair on the porch begin to rock back and forth.

  Chapter Eleven

  The gates closed behind the Prius with an unsettling clang that echoed inside Jacob’s head. He shut his eyes and breathed in deeply, trying not to panic, forcing the photo of the girl out of his mind. He needed time to think.

  “Brother Jacob?” Eli’s voice broke the silence. “You think they’ll really bring the cops out here?”

  Shaking his head, Jacob glanced at Eli, then looked away.

  “Nah, they’re just bluffing. They don’t have justification for a warrant. And we sure as hell won’t let ‘em in without one.”

  He stomped toward the barn, his boots crunching over gravel and dirt, fear burning through him at the thought of the cops raiding the place. He replayed the conversation, wondering how the two men had found their way to the compound. He straightened, then turned to glare at Eli.

  “That man recognized you. He asked about the truck…”

  “Yeah, he’s the one I told you about. The one that stopped and offered to help. I sent him on his way though.”

  Understanding washed over Jacob.

  “You and Zac are the ones that led him here. Ya’ll must’ve told him something that made him suspicious. What was it?”

  Eli frowned and shook his head.

  “We didn’t tell him nothin’. He was asking questions. Showed me that picture-”

  Without thinking Jacob reached out and grabbed Eli’s arm in a tight grip.

  “You saw the picture?”

  “Yeah. I saw it.”

  “What’d you tell him? You admit you knew her?”

  Wrenching his arm away, Eli regarded Jacob with hot, angry eyes. A flush turned his pale skin red.

  “I didn’t tell him nothin’,” Eli snapped. “The old man smelled like a cop to me. And besides, I wouldn’t go tellin’ a stranger our business.”

  Jacob sighed; he believed Eli was telling the truth. He’d kept his mouth shut about knowing the girl in the photo. The young man was strange, but he’d proven himself trustworthy time and time again.

  And he hates cops just as much as I do. Maybe more.

  Regarding Eli with solemn eyes, Jacob wondered how far he could push the young man. He had no choice but to find out.

  “We can’t let anyone from the outside ruin our congregation,” Jacob said, his voice dropping. “That’s why I need your help.”

  A wary look entered Eli’s eyes, but he remained quiet, as if sensing he wasn’t going to like Jacob’s request.

  “I need you to go find Sister Candace and Sister Ruth. I need you to bring them back here.”

  “Why the hell do you want me to do that?” Eli’s voice shook with outrage as he frowned up at Jacob. “Them girls took off and abandoned the congregation. They don’t wanna be here, and they don’t deserve to be here.”

  Jacob nodded his agreement, knowing he had to placate Eli if he was going to manipulate him into finding the two runaways before they could cause more trouble.

  “I know,” Jacob said, adopting the stern, disapproving expression he’d seen his father wear countl
ess times. “I’m pretty disappointed in their behavior as well. They’ve already caused a lot of people distress, which is why I need you to bring them back before they cause any more harm.”

  “I told you from the beginning that Sister Candace was nothing but trouble,” Eli insisted. “I thought you’d be happy to see the back of her.”

  Eli crossed both arms over his thin chest and cocked his head before continuing.

  “And I bet Sister Naomi wouldn’t be pleased to see that…that Jezebel back here.”

  Jacob blinked, then let out an involuntary bray of laughter. He hadn’t been prepared for the old-fashioned word to come out of the little man’s mouth.

  “What the hell are you talking about, Eli?”

  But an unpleasant thought began to form in the back of his mind. Once again he gripped the smaller man’s arm.

  “What do you know about Sister Candace anyway?”

  Eli tried to throw off Jacob’s hand, but the bigger man tightened his grip and pulled Eli closer, lowering his head so that he was staring into Eli’s wide, scared eyes.

  “You know something about Sister Candace that I should know about? You know where she went?”

  “No…I just know…she was trying to…”

  Jacob pushed Eli away, watching with narrow eyes as Eli lost his balance and sat down hard on the dirt floor of the big barn. Looming over Eli with both hands balled into fists, Jacob stared down at him with contempt.

  “I didn’t bring you here to sit in judgment of me. I brought you here to be my…my right hand. I brought you here because I thought you’d have my back, no matter what.”

  “I do Jake…it’s just-”

  “Don’t call me that here, you idiot,” Jacob spit out, raising a big boot, tempted to kick the man cowering before him. “I’m Brother Jacob now.”

  He stepped back, frustration building at the thought that he might have misjudged Eli’s abilities. When he’d met Eli in prison, Jacob had discovered that the simple man was easy to manipulate, and that he was unafraid to do almost anything if he thought Jacob would be pleased.

  Then, once Jacob had been paroled, he’d decided to ask Eli to join the commune. Even back then, when Jacob had been determined to rebuild his life in a way that would please his father, he’d suspected he would eventually need someone on his side that wouldn’t ask too many questions. Someone desperate enough to do whatever was asked.

  “After everything I’ve done for you, you’re gonna try to tell me what to do? You think you should be running this place?”

  Eli shook his head, but his eyes still held a defiant gleam that worried Jacob.

  “Just what is it about Sister Candace that you think you know?”

  Standing up and dusting off the back of his faded jeans, Eli dropped his eyes and cleared his throat.

  “She…she was trying to…to steal you away from Sister Naomi. And she was trying to cause trouble around here. Talking about you to the others…”

  His voice trailed off and he raised his eyes to Jacob’s.

  “I don’t think Sister Naomi will like it if you bring Sister Candace back here.”

  Keeping his face carefully neutral, Jacob shrugged.

  “Sister Naomi is my wife, and a member of this congregation. She will submit to the decisions of her husband and her spiritual leader.”

  Jacob watched Eli’s reaction, choosing his next words carefully.

  “In fact, all members of this congregation must abide by the decisions I make. I’m the leader now. My father’s gone, and it was his wish that I lead his flock. It’s the sacred duty of the congregation to follow.”

  The words flowed from Jacob’s mouth in a rough imitation of his father. He enjoyed using the authoritative tone that had come so naturally to Jedidiah Albright, feeling as if he was a child playing dress up.

  Only instead of wearing my old man’s clothes, I’m wearing his holier-than-thou attitude.

  A twinge of shame passed through Jacob as he remembered his father’s kind face and worried eyes, but he pushed the image away, fixing his face into a grim mask as he waited for Eli’s response.

  “Okay,” Eli agreed, his voice resigned. “I’ll go out and look for them tonight.”

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Dinner in the big dining hall was normally a cheerful affair, the airy room resounding with the conversation and laughter of men and women pleased to be relaxing after a long day in the gardens and workshops. But the atmosphere in the commune had grown increasingly tense after the disappearance of Candace and Ruth, and the unexpected arrival of the two strangers in the courtyard earlier in the day had prompted a flurry of rumors to spread through the congregation.

  Jacob noted the whispered conversations and anxious faces around him with concern and realized with dismay that Sister Marie wasn’t at any of the tables. He wondered what she was doing.

  Maybe she’s in her room. Maybe she’s undressing right now.

  His eyes glazed over as he pictured the long, graceful legs and shapely figure Sister Marie hid under her modest dress.

  “Brother Jacob?”

  A soft voice behind Jacob made him pause with a bite of boiled potato halfway to his mouth. He put down his fork and turned to see Judith Dunkel hovering behind his chair.

  “Yes, Sister Judith?”

  Jacob tried to keep the irritation out of his voice. He was anxious for dinner to end so that Eli could begin the search. If the girls were still hiding out in the woods or the swamp, they needed to be found soon, if they had any hope of being found at all.

  Unless the gators have already got to them.

  The thought fluttered through his mind as he waited for Judith to say whatever it was she had to say and let him get back to his dinner.

  “Eli says he’s got an errand to do tonight, and I was just wondering if that is such a good idea. It’s cold outside and I think-”

  Jacob winced as a high-pitch laugh pierced the air next to him, obscuring the rest of Judith’s words. Naomi was seated at the table to his right. He’d almost forgotten she was there.

  “Stop being such a nag, Sister Judith.” Naomi’s teasing tone didn’t match the hostile gleam in her eyes. “Your son’s a grown man now. He doesn’t need his momma speaking for him I’m sure.”

  Jacob resisted the urge to slap the spiteful smile off Naomi’s pretty face. Instead he turned back to Judith.

  “Sorry about that, Sister Judith. You’ll have to excuse my dear wife. She doesn’t understand what it means to be a devoted mother.”

  He couldn’t suppress a smile when he felt Naomi stiffen at his words. He motioned for Judith to continue.

  “Well, I don’t mean any disrespect, of course. I’m just worried about Eli’s health. He hasn’t seemed well lately.”

  Glancing over at Naomi, Judith bit her lip and twisted her hands in front of her. Her eyes widened as she took in the pale, stricken expression Naomi now wore.

  “But then maybe Sister Naomi is right. Perhaps it isn’t my place to interfere. I’m sure you know what’s best.”

  Jacob watched Judith’s tall, solid back retreat into the kitchen, then turned to Naomi. She stared down at her salad, her eyes wet with tears.

  “You know better that to insult a member of the congregation. She’s just trying to look out for her son. Something you wouldn’t know anything about.”

  Not waiting for a reaction, Jacob stood and left the room, striding toward the sanctuary of his office with long, impatient steps. Locking the door behind him, he sat at his desk and once again pulled out the laptop. He clicked on a folder and waited for the files to display.

  A collection of thumbnail images appeared, each one showcasing Candace Newbury’s supple young body in a different pose. Candace was smiling in some of the photos, and in others she was looking directly at the camera with a seductive pout.

  It was fun while it lasted. But then nothing lasts forever.

  Jacob clicked on the Select All option, then, with only a slight pa
use, he tapped the Delete key.

  “Bye-bye, Candy,” he muttered, moving the cursor to the live-stream app. “Hello, my sweet Marie.”

  The whispered words had just left his mouth when he heard an angry rap on the office door, and the familiar whine of his mother-in-law’s voice filled the room. In a panic he slammed the lid closed.

  “Brother Jacob? I need to speak to you. It’s about Naomi.”

  Jacob banged his fist on the desk, then forced himself to stand and shove the laptop back into the drawer. He took a deep breath and tried to smooth out his features. He opened the door wearing a stiff smile.

  “Sister Priscilla, what a lovely surprise.”

  Priscilla Putnam looked remarkably like her daughter. Her hair was just as dark, and her eyes just as green. In the soft, intimate light of Jacob’s study he wondered if he should have chosen the mother over the daughter.

  She’d know how to treat a man properly. And she wouldn’t be obsessed with having a baby.

  But his mother-in-law had other things on her mind. She was worried about Naomi. The girl hadn’t been acting like herself lately. Had he noticed anything wrong?

  Quickly growing bored with Priscilla’s barrage of questions, Jacob let his mind drift. With Candace gone, and his wife growing increasingly hostile, there was no reason he couldn’t begin his seduction of Marie right away. As he ushered Priscilla out the door, he’d already determined his next move. It was just a matter of time.

  Chapter Twelve

  Angel bent to scoop up another egg, her basket already heavy with the morning’s collection, her back and legs still aching from her recent mission into the swamp. The air in the chicken coop was icy, and she pulled her shawl tighter around her shoulders, shivering as she walked back into the early morning sunshine.

  Just a quick stop in the potting shed and I’ll be ready to go.

  It was her turn to get the eggs to Chester Gosbey’s diner before the morning rush began, but she wanted to check on the devil’s weed first. She had feared they would succumb to the cold weather, knowing the toxic plants were sensitive to frost, so she’d been careful to cover all the pots the previous evening.