Chapter 11
Whether Sophie wasa fool or not was still up for debate. She checked the time. Fifteen minutes after eight. The sparse gravel drive that led up to what was left of the one-room schoolhouse was empty. Well, except for Sophie inside of her truck. She hadn’t called Marley because she didn’t want to get her hopes up until she’d seen Lewis.
But it looked like the teen ghosted Sophie.
The tree line behind the school stood like a darkened army, guarding the woods. But there almost looked like a path between the trees on the left-hand side. If this were a movie, she would be yelling at the character to not even think about going into the woods.
But Sophie needed that phone. She needed to call the person her brother had to get a message to. The sooner that threat was finished, the sooner her brother could return to her.
The wind rustled the branches above, and her heartbeat rang like a gong in the quiet night.
Wait. Was that a light ahead? Maybe Lewis was here as he said.
She got out of her truck and walked to the edge of the pathway into the woods. Her ankle no longer ached as it was safely nestled inside of her ankle support brace. She squinted into the rows of trees. Yes, there was a light. But was it getting closer or farther away?
She checked her phone. No response from Houston. He wasn’t coming. She had to face another battle by herself.
Well, not really alone. God was with her, and Marley had been right. She did tend to run. To hide from her problems. But she needed to stop fearing God in the wrong ways. He wasn’t out to cause her harm, even when things didn’t go her way. She needed to be brave and trust Him fully.
She dialed Marley, but it went to voicemail. “Hey, I just wanted to let you know Lewis left a message for me to meet him at the old one-room school. I probably should have told you sooner, but I didn’t want to get your hopes up about his location. I see a light in the woods. He must have a hideout out there or something, so I’m going to go find him.”
And get her brother’s phone.
After ending the message, she crept along the path, weaving in and out of the trees. She used her flashlight app to light her way. “Lewis?”
A faint voice had her feet entering the path. By the time she was deep enough to no longer see the outline of her truck behind her, the light she’d spotted from the driveway had split into two. Then four. Or rather the lights became a group of lit tiki torches spaced around a building that was more a metal lean-to. A blue tarp, which was fastened to the front of the building, flapped in the wind. There were two piles of dirt in the center of the lit area. But there were still plenty of low-hanging branches near the tiki torches.
Apparently, Lewis wanted another forest fire.
She rested her palm on a tree whose trunk was as wide as Sophie was tall, and something seemed to stop her from calling out to Lewis.
At the sound of a hearty laugh, Sophie shut off her flashlight. She tucked herself behind the tree. Squatting down, she peered around the rough bark.
Someone grunted. “How much longer do I got to dig?” A younger male voice wailed. A teen’s head popped up from out of a hole beside one of the piles of dirt. “And why aren’t you digging, Finn?”
If Finn was there, then the first one was probably Preston. The kids Houston said he’d found setting off firecrackers with no regard for the wildfire and Lewis’s so-called friends.
Finn walked out from behind the tarp, pulling something behind him on the ground. “Because someone’s got to watch Lewis before he runs off again.”
Lewis was the squirming something being pulled on the ground. Not only were his feet tied together, but also his hands.
Finn released him, and Lewis sat up. His shirt was stained with grime, and if the light wasn’t playing tricks on her, a darkening bruise decorated his cheek. “I didn’t run off.” Lewis’s tone was gruffer than she’d ever heard. “I got info that can get us money. You gotta believe me.”
Sophie froze with her hand on a branch.
The phone. Or maybe even her too? Had Lewis called her, knowing she’d come and be spotted?
She heard someone snort. “As if you know anything. You’re why Ozzy hasn’t paid us anymore.”
Then Preston’s head popped up from behind the pile of dirt. He wiped his forehead. “At least get Lewy in here and let him dig instead of me.”
Lewy. The motorcycle man had called Lewis that as well.
It was all coming together. Motorcycle guy, probably named Ozzy, was these kids’ boss or leader—mentor—that’s what the man had said at her ranch.
She pulled up the sheriff’s personal number he’d given her after he’d stopped by her house, then sent him a message to hurry out to her location.
“You’re wasting your time.” Lewis pushed himself up, but his feet tangled together, and he tripped. “If another cave entrance was here, you’d have already found it.” He snarled from his position on the ground.
Finn marched over. He picked Lewis up by his shirt, only to shove the smaller teen back down. “Not another word until Ozzy arrives. He’ll decide what to do with you for going off without us.”
Lewis opened his mouth, but Finn drew out a gun from his pocket.
Sophie pressed her fingers into the tree bark. She needed to get out of there. She didn’t trust Finn without a gun, much less with one. But what about Lewis?
Lord, please send help, quick.
With his other hand, Finn pulled out a knife. “Pretty sure Preston would love to stop digging and hold you down while I cut out your tongue.”
Preston flung out a shovel full of dirt, which thudded against Lewis’s back. “Better than being over here doing. All. The. Digging.” With a grunt, he climbed out of the pit and threw the shovel down at Lewis’s feet. “Get in there before Finn does what he says.”
As they untied his hands, Lewis obeyed his so-called friends. Sophie leaned farther around the tree. How was she going to help? Lewis had made his choices, and Crispin could deal with his national security threat. She was hardly qualified to help with that. Her past good deeds hadn’t exactly been giving her blessings lately. But still, she couldn’t leave the kid.
When she turned to check on Lewis, a hand covered her mouth.
Sophie thrashed, but an arm circled around her. She twisted. Thrashed some more. But the arms only held on tighter.
“It’s me,” the voice whispered beside her ear.
Houston.
She stilled. He’d come. But knowing that he’d snuck up on her didn’t exactly bode well.
She relaxed her shoulders, and he released her.
He kept his head near hers and whispered, “Sorry I’m late, and by the way, you are never a bother.”
She leaned into the man she’d come to depend on. She had been right to call him.
Houston pulled back, and even in the moonlight, his eyes seemed to say more than his words. His hand drifted down her arm, and then he laced his fingers through hers. He peeked around the tree and then tugged on her hand, leading them back toward the school.
She crept after him as they weaved around the path, keeping a tree between them and the lit area.
Sophie squeezed Houston’s fingers, tugged him behind another enormous tree trunk. “We have got to save Lewis. They have him tied up. They kept talking about someone else coming. And we need to get Crispin’s phone back. If it can lead someone to my brother in any way?—”
“They also have a gun, Sophie. Teens or not, I can’t win against bullets.” Houston pressed his back against the tree and yanked out his phone. He touched a few things on the screen and then placed the phone by his ear and whispered, “Sheriff? It’s Houston and Sophie. We have Lewis in sight, but we can’t get to him because his buddies have a gun.”
Sophie’s heartbeat thundered louder in her ears than Houston’s soft tone. She watched the boys from around the tree. Finn remained watching Lewis while Preston took a drink from a can. Neither of them looked like they could hear Houston.
Except…was that another light? Had Ozzy already arrived?
She inched toward them, but as she did, a branch she hadn’t seen whacked against the stitches on her head. A groan rushed from her mouth. She bit down on her lip and jumped back behind the tree.
Houston’s arms wrapped around her. “You okay? I knew I shouldn’t have left you at the hospital. Did you have a concussion after all?”
“I’m fine.”
“Soph.” She didn’t have to look at Houston to hear the plea in his murmur.
“I just scraped my stitches.”
She heard Houston swallow. His arms tightened around her. His head lowered toward hers. “I hate that you’re hurt. I?—”
The sound of someone spitting made Sophie whip her head around, making the side of her head ache.
“Interesting to find you out here. Little far from home, aren’t we?” Not one of the boys, but a familiar voice. “Why don’t you head toward the camp?”
His evil tone shuddered through her, and Houston tugged her even closer to his chest.
The man stepped into the moonlight, and the gun in his hand shined as bright as the tiki torches. He aimed it at Houston, then Sophie. “I’ll get to thank you proper for that gas you provided and for the intel inside your house.” The man who had been at her ranch just a day ago raised his gun. “Move slowly, Romeo. Or first I’ll shoot your Juliet. Then I’ll kill you. Slowly.”
Why did Sophie keep putting the man she’d fallen for in danger?
* * *
Houston knew he needed God’s help in keeping Sophie alive. The man held his gun steady like he’d done this before. More than likely, the gunman wasn’t going to ever let them go. They’d seen his face.
Sophie inched her chin closer to Houston’s. “If you?—” Her words were only a breath, but the man, behind them, tsked.
“I’ve got a clean shot, Ms. Lamb. I think I’m being mighty nice by reminding you to withhold from speaking to Romeo, or I’ll make you watch him die instead of letting you have the easier death.”
She shuddered against him. Houston gripped her hand tighter.
Lightly, she loosened her hold, and she moved her thumb until it was pressed by his palm. She drew a circle with her thumbnail. Then over again. He glanced down at her, but she kept her face forward as they walked in front of the gunman.
Her fingers repeated the exact motion again.
It almost felt like she was tracing a letter. Wait. Of course, she was writing letters against his skin.
He tapped his thumb against her hand to let her know he understood.
Her thumb danced again. The first letter was ‘I’.
Then an ‘F’.
As they marched closer to the two lit tiki torches, Houston’s foot hit a stick. The snap echoed through the woods as Sophie had finished tracing the letter ‘Y’.
Finn charged toward the edge of the cleared, lit space. “Who’s there? Is that you, Ozzy?”
“Boy,” Ozzy gritted out from behind Houston. “You’ve done missed the opportunity to ask that question. You never let anyone sneak up on you. And I don’t like to be awakened from my nap, so your news better be about how you found that cave entrance. You won’t like the outcome if you boys keep failing me.”
Preston scooped up a handful of dirt and flung it at Lewis down in a hole. “As always, it was Lewy’s fault, Ozzy. He’s the one who makes us look bad to your cousin.”
From inside the pit, Lewis’s eyes widened for a second. Houston stepped into the light with Sophie at his side. Sweat dripped from the boy’s forehead. One of his wrists had a rag tied on it, and his hands were tightened around a shovel. He didn’t say a word in defense, only dropped his gaze to the dirt piled around him.
Ozzy kept his gun pointed at Sophie and Houston as he walked toward the pit. “Did you find it yet?”
“Won’t be long, Oz.” Finn flipped his wrist, sending his blade out and then pushing it back in with his thumb. He then pulled out his gun from his back pocket. “Please tell me I get to use this finally?”
Ozzy grunted. He pointed his gun at the ground beside Preston. “Ms. Lamb. Get on your hands and knees. Romeo get beside Finn over there. Let’s find out what you know.”
“We don’t know anything. Just let us go,” Houston said.
Sophie didn’t drop her hand from his. Neither did Houston.
He just needed a second for a plan. Or rather, another miracle.
Lord, we need another Red Sea moment. I’m trusting in Your plan.
A gunshot cracked through the night.
Sophie squealed and pressed her head against him. Houston’s breath evaporated. He hadn’t been shot, but had she?
His hands went to her shoulders, to her chin, only to see her eyes staring at him with the fear that coursed through him.
“If I wanted to shoot you, I would have,” Ozzy spat. “Wow, I’m being an awfully patient man. Get over by Finn, or the next time I won’t be aiming at the sky.”
Sophie released her hold, and Houston inched away.
Finn leaned over. His breath smelled like sweat and alcohol. “I’m pretty sure I’m about to have more fun than yesterday’s squirrels.”
Ozzy motioned to Lewis, and he threw the shovel out of the pit toward Houston’s side and scrabbled out.
“Did you lead these two out here?”
Lewis’s gaze darted toward Sophie.
Finn kicked some dirt at Lewis. “Course he did. He can’t do nothing right.”
Except Lewis had been the one to run for the four-wheeler when Finn was in Orion’s grasp, but Houston pressed his lips together.
Ozzy turned his gun around and held it out toward Lewis. “Then you fix the problem. Show me you can handle this life. Shoot Romeo first.”
“No, Lewis!” Sophie pushed herself up, but Preston grabbed her by her ponytail.
Ozzy swung his gun around and was in the middle of aiming it at Sophie when Lewis said, “I got some information that your cousin is gonna like. Enough to pay all of us.”
Ozzy scratched the side of his temple with the butt of the pistol. “Spit it out, then.”
Lewis wiped his forehead. “I think I found information on one of the guys the brothers want.”
Ozzy ran his tongue over his teeth. “Think or know?”
Preston wiggled his fingers toward Ozzy’s gun. “Let me shoot Romeo. Lewis is too much of a wuss.”
Lewis glared at Finn. “We might need both of them.” His eyes tracked to Houston and then to Sophie. “They met with someone at the film set. They were given instructions to call a connection. I was in her horse trailer listening, but I couldn’t hear it all.”
Finn put his gun in his pocket, but then flicked out his knife. He stepped toward Sophie. “Can I be the one to get the information out of her?”
Houston gritted his teeth. “Don’t you touch her.”
Lewis stepped forward. “I know where the burner phone is that’s needed for the contact.”
“I ain’t seen no phone. His aunt took his away because the little boy got in trouble.” Preston mocked.
“Shut up, Preston. It’s safe in the shed.” Lewis pushed back his shoulders before he tilted his head toward Finn. “I didn’t trust these two?—”
Finn huffed. “That’s funny coming from?—”
“Enough.” Ozzy snarled. “If all three of you don’t grow up, I’m not keeping any of you. My cousin already thinks you’re all not worthy of the cause. Preston, go with Lewy. No funny business. Just get me the phone.”
As Preston passed Sophie, he grinned wickedly. “Too bad I don’t have any more firecrackers, right, Mr. Hotshot?”
Finn shined his knife on his jeans and winked at Sophie. “Don’t worry, after we take care of you, we’ll take good care of your horses.”
Sophie jumped to her feet. “Leave my horses alone. Let us go right now.”
Ozzy cocked his gun.
Houston stood, and Ozzy aimed the gun at Houston’s chest. “The authorities are on their way. It will go better for you if they don’t find us under gunpoint.”
“Good try, liar. No one is coming to save you.” Ozzy chuckled. “And trust me, little Lamb. Your horses are the least of your worries. Get down. Both of you.”
By the time Finn stopped laughing, Preston and Lewis reappeared from the shed. Lewis held out Crispin’s phone and brought it to Ozzy, who flipped it open.
“About time you’re showing your full potential.” He sent a smirk in Sophie’s direction. “See what happens when people give me what I want?”
“We don’t have anything you need.” Houston fisted the dirt beneath him. If Finn would turn back toward Houston, he could fling the dirt into the teen’s eyes and tackle him. But then, he’d probably be shot by Ozzy, and that would leave Sophie more defenseless.
Lord, how will You use this for Your good?
Was there something Houston wasn’t seeing?
Ozzy leveled his gaze on Lewis. “The contact we need is on this phone?”
Lewis nodded.
“Then there’s no point keeping these two alive.” Ozzy flicked his chin out. “Finn, you get Romeo. Preston shoots the girl.”
Preston yanked Sophie’s head back. At Sophie’s whimper, Houston sprang up and tossed the dirt in Finn’s eyes.
A gun shot ripped through the air at the same time Houston lunged for Sophie. Pain sliced through his forearm. And before he reached her, Finn tackled Houston from the side.
Houston landed on his bad hip. A moan escaped his mouth as Finn rolled into one of the tiki torches. The pole snapped. The flame fell and instantly lit a pile of dry leaves.
Dirt caked Finn’s mustache as he grabbed the broken tiki torch. “I think I’ll shoot you in both legs so you can’t run.” He stood and touched the lit flame to more leaves on the ground. “But don’t you think fire will be the perfect way for you to actually die?”