Chapter 20
Leslie winced and held her throbbing head as she walked toward the back of the cave to retrieve more water. Her mouth felt parched, yet she shivered despite the fire.
“You can’t get sick. The boys need you,” she chanted as she collected the water.
Owen never returned her call, and she didn’t know what else to do.
Thinking about dialing nine one one again, she recalled the night before when the police showed up on her doorstep.
It took her fifteen minutes to drive into the town, and the cops made it there in less than ten.
Nobody patrolled the road she lived on at the base of Wolfe Mountain.
With Jeremiah gone, who bothered to patrol a dilapidated resort?
The knot in her stomach twisted. She realized if Tucker hadn’t stepped in when he did, she might be with Jeremiah, singing with the angels right now.
The intruder rushed her, as if he expected her to hear the noise.
Did he plan to kill her? It’s not as if anyone questioned a random break-in where she startled a stranger and he hurt her.
She shivered again and screwed the cap on the canteen before heading back to where the boys slept. Leslie took her sleeping bag and placed it in front of the boys. No one knew of this cave, and after hours of keeping watch, she needed to sleep a bit before the boys woke up.
Climbing inside, she relished the warmth as she zipped it.
Maybe after she rested, she’d figure out what to do about the intruder at her house and then the people at Jeremiah’s.
Feeling her phone in her pocket, she debated whether to contact Owen again.
He left her alone before. Maybe he took off again after hearing about his son.
Her heart shattered into a million pieces for Tucker, who seemed excited to know about Owen.
Closing her eyes, she murmured, “You can’t hurt me anymore. Please don’t hurt the boys.” Exhaustion overtook her, and within minutes she fell fast asleep.
Tucker stretched and scanned the cave, searching for his mom. Conner raised from his sleeping bag and said, “I have to pee. Will you take me?”
Seeing his mom wrapped inside the sleeping bag, Tucker put a finger to his lip and motioned for Conner to follow him.
“Let’s not wake her,” he said to Conner. “I’m sure she kept watch last night. When we return, I’ll make us some breakfast. Grandpa left us a good stash of beans.”
“Can I make the coffee?” Conner asked hopefully.
“I saw hot chocolate. It’ll be easier, and Mom likes it too,” Tucker replied, waiting for Conner.
“Will they search for us up here?” he asked. “I wish Dad still lived. He’d know what to do.”
“Grandpa taught us what to do. Maybe he did it for this reason,” Tucker suggested. “We can help mom because we’re not babies anymore.”
“All right,” Conner said, mulling it over. “What happened to her calling Owen?”
“She said she’d call him after we got settled. If he’s getting his brothers, he may already be on his way,” Tucker surmised. “Let’s see what we can find to eat and let her rest a bit. Then we’ll keep watch.”
“Dad left binoculars in the bin. Can I bring ‘em?” he asked.
“Sure. They might come in handy,” Tucker said, patting Conner’s shoulder. “Good thinking.”
Conner grinned as he ran back to the steel container and opened the lid, finding his favorite cereal, granola bars, and freeze-dried fruit. “We can eat this. I’ll warm up the hot water for the hot chocolate. Then do you want to wake Mom?”
“No. We’ll let her sleep a bit longer. Let’s take our drinks and food while we keep watch,” Tucker suggested, helping his brother load a bucket with their breakfast while Conner poured water into the kettle, stoked the fire, and then added the kettle to the grate.
A few minutes later, they sat inside the cave, watching over Wolfe Mountain.
“Remember when Dad told us our blood runs through this place?” Conner asked, munching on the fruit.
“Yeah,” Tucker said, tearing a granola wrapper and taking a bite.
“Do you think someone wants our mountain? What about my brothers? Why did they leave if the mountain’s important to us?”
“Mom said Grandpa made a mistake. Sometimes saying sorry doesn’t make up for it. You have to wait until your actions show you mean to change.”
Nodding, Conner pulled out the binoculars and searched the area.
“I didn’t see any possums last night. Maybe we’ll catch a mountain lion today,” he said, scanning the terrain.
“You’re supposed to watch for strangers, dummy,” Tucker chastised. “We can see animals all the time.”
“I’m searching,” Conner argued. “I’ve only seen a couple of rabbits and a goat.”
“We’ll take turns,” Tucker suggested. “Finish up your hot chocolate before it gets cold. I’ll watch for a while.”
Conner passed him the binoculars while he sipped on his drink.
An hour later, Tucker saw a man walking over the ridge with a rifle strapped along his arm.
“Get back,” he whispered to Conner, pushing him farther into the cave.
“What’s the matter?” he whispered.
“We need to wake Mom. There’s a man on the other side of the ridge. I’ve never seen him before,” Tucker said. “Can you wake her while I watch him?”
“Yeah,” Conner said, rising and running toward the middle of the cave.
Tucker watched the man scan the area, knowing Grandpa Jospeh found a great hiding spot. Tucked inside the Wolf shaped head of the mountain, he sat above everything else. Unless someone knew the path, they’d never find their way here.
Conner ran toward him, and his face appeared pale. “You gotta come with me. Something’s wrong with Mom. She won’t wake up and she’s sweating.”
Tucker’s heart leaped in his throat as he raced toward his mother. He knelt at her side and pressed his hand to her head. “She’s burning up with fever,” he whispered. “Where’s the phone?”
“I don’t know. Who do we call?” Conner said, appearing as if he was about to cry.
“I’ll call Owen and he’ll tell us what to do,” he said confidently. “Help me find Mom’s phone.”
Together, they searched the area and didn’t find it.
“Where else does Mom keep her phone?” Tucker said aloud, thinking of when he saw her with it last.
“When we’re at home she charges it at night in the bedroom and in the kitchen. If she doesn’t have it there, she usually…”
Both boys ran to Leslie’s side. Conner unzipped the bag, feeling guilty when his Mom’s body shivered. He gently rolled her over and pulled the phone from her pocket.
“I got it,” he said excitedly. He rolled her over and Conner zipped her up in the bag again.
“Dad says to starve a fever. Maybe leave the bag unzipped?” Conner asked, glancing at Tucker.
Shrugging, he assessed his mom. Her head burned with fever, but her body seemed frozen. “Let’s make the call. Mom usually beats us awake. Even if she stayed up late, she’d wake by now.”
“Call him,” Conner agreed.
Tucker went toward the cave’s entrance and dialed the last number his mom called, reasoning he knew the other people listed. All except for his Dad’s.
The phone rang and rang before it went to voicemail.
“Ummm, Hi, Owen. It’s me, Tucker. We’re in trouble. Please call me back. Something’s wrong with mom.” Tucker glanced behind him to make sure Conner didn’t hear him. “We’re scared. Please come help us.”
He stuffed the phone in his back pocket, grabbed the binoculars and searched for the man again. The stranger walked the common trails and seemed to stop every now and again, searching for something.
Tucker sank back into the cave and hoped Owen called them soon.