Chapter 32
Friday morning, the lab where they took the rocks called Owen.
“They want us to come there,” he told the group. “Tonight’s our last night together before I call the attorney and tell him we plan to sell next year. What do we want to do?”
“I found some cool stuff in the cabins while I fixed one for Dillon. Do you want to check them out? I finished a couple of chairs.” Wyatt grumbled.
“Why didn’t you tell me you set up a cabin?” Dillon punched Wyatt in the arm. “I’ve slept outside on the swing.”
“Owww, Owen, don’t you have something to say? He hit me,” Wyatt grumbled.
“Next time, hit him harder for whining,” Owen replied. “If we leave now, we can be back before lunch. Everyone think of something to do and we’ll vote on it. And we’ll definitely be checking out those chairs, little brother. You have a talent there.”
Wyatt grinned and put his head down, seeming embarrassed by Owen’s praise.
Approaching her, Owen made no bones about hiding his feelings for her as he gave her a kiss. The boys and men gagged behind them, making her giggle.
“I’ll be back soon. I want us to talk to the boys this evening before bed. Maybe they’ll want to ride with me to pick up my belongings,” Owen said. “Do you plan to go back to work this weekend?”
“If I don’t, I’ll lose my job,” she reiterated.
“We’ll figure it out,” he said, kissing her head. “Think of me while I’m gone.”
“I’m gonna be sick,” Dillon said, gagging. “They’re getting so sweet my teeth ache from watching.”
Owen slapped him upside the head as he walked by, heading to the truck. “Then avert your eyes.”
Leslie shook her head as the men climbed into their truck. Wyatt headed to the cabins to work on a new project, while Elias went to his office. The twins played on the ground while Tucker and Conner battled some imaginary aliens.
Jeremiah wanted this. His grandchildren enjoying the mountain and his sons happy. Noah rubbed his eyes, and she went in to feed the twins before they fell asleep.
“You two stay where Uncle Elias can see you,” she called as she led the twins inside.
“All right, Mom,” Tucker called.
“I’m putting the boys down for a nap, and then I’ll join you. Maybe we can get Uncle Wyatt to join us.”
“I’ll get our gloves and ball,” Conner said, racing up the stairs.
“When do you think they’ll leave?” Tucker asked.
“I don’t know,” she replied, setting the lunch in front of the twins. “We can visit them, and they can come stay at our house whenever they want,” she assured him.
“I’ll miss them,” he said.
“I will, too,” she said, recalling their time together.
When the twins finished throwing more food on the floor than into their mouths, she washed their faces and hands, then settled them in the playpen for a nap.
The house felt eerily quiet as she glanced outside to check on the boys.
Leslie walked upstairs to check if they went to their rooms to play video games.
Unable to find them, she knocked on Elias’ door, hoping he saw them on the monitor.
“Elias, have you seen the boys?” she called out.
Turning the handle, she peeked around the door to find Elias on the floor and bleeding from the head. Rushing to his side, she turned him over.
“Elias, wake up,” she said, patting his cheeks.
Stirring, he moaned as he faced her. “The boys…”
Leslie gently placed him on the floor and flew down the stairs. “Tucker, Conner, answer me,’ she called out desperately as she ran around the house in search of them. “Tucker, Conner,” she cried.
Wyatt must’ve heard her as she saw him racing down the path.
“Have you seen them? Elias got hurt,” she cried out. “The boys are missing.” She patted her pants pocket, searching for her phone, and realized she removed it when she fed the twins.
A shot rang out, and she saw Wyatt fall to the ground. She screamed as she ran toward him, watching him fall off the steep side of the path. A pair of arms closed about her waist, and she struggled to free herself.
“Let me go. I have to help him,” she screamed. Feeling the cold blade of a knife held to her throat, she swallowed.
“Where’s my boys?” she asked, panic seeping from her voice.
“Why don’t you tell us?” a familiar voice asked as he turned her around to face him.
“Sheriff Dalton,” she exclaimed. “What did you do?”
“I didn’t do anything,” he said, gripping her arm tightly. “Tell me where the old man put the map,” he ordered.
“I don’t know,” she exclaimed. “I don’t know anything about a map.”
Dragging her toward the porch, Sheriff Dalton whispered in her ear. “You have ten minutes to tell me what I want to know, or I’ll kill those two rugrats of yours.”
“Let go of my mom,” Tucker said from behind the sheriff as he swung his bat. Releasing her arm, the sheriff grabbed the bat, but didn’t count on Conner swinging another at his private area. Sheriff Dalton bent over as Tucker grabbed his bat and swung it hard against his shoulders.
The man slumped to the floor. Leslie grabbed the boys and ran outside. “We have to hide,” she told them, pushing them up the trail. She wanted to help Elias and Wyatt, but she needed the boys safe first.
A gun fired, and the bullet hit the rock, too close for her comfort. “Run,” she shouted to the boys.
Glancing back, she saw the two men who posed as police officers and Sheriff Dalton charging toward them.
“Tucker, take your brother and run. Don’t come back no matter what,” she yelled as she ducked behind a rock.
She watched as they disappeared over the hill and waited for the dirty cops.
She leaned against the boulder and pushed with all her might.
It teetered but refused to fall. She shoved harder, knowing if she didn’t succeed, the men planned to hurt them.
The rock began to roll, and she grunted as she pushed it over the ledge.
“Look out,” one of the men shouted as it rolled toward them. The second officer glanced up and screamed as the stone gained momentum and rolled over him.
Leslie took off running. When she cleared the hill, she saw the boys waiting for her. Motioning for them to run, she glanced behind her to see Sheriff Dalton gaining speed.
When she reached the boys, Conner grasped her hand as his little body trembled.
Seeing one of the mining caves ahead, she removed a loose board, helped Conner inside, then Tucker.
When she cleared the boards, she set the loose one haphazardly against the others, hoping it appeared as if it rotted and fell.
“We can’t see,” Conner cried.
“It’s all right,” she soothed him. “I’m here. When we get farther into the cave, we can find a lantern to use.”
They held on to each other’s hands as they felt their way in the dark. Listening for any sign of getting followed, Leslie only heard the sound of their harsh breathing from running.
She stopped the boys, letting them catch their breath. “Don’t talk,” she whispered. “Your voice will echo on the walls. Let’s see if we outsmarted them,” she said, hunkering down against the cavern wall.
She heard noises but couldn’t tell where they came from. Then she heard, “Come out, come out, wherever you are,” Sheriff Dalton called. “It’s my last warning. If you don’t come, you’ll regret it.”
They stayed huddled together, saying nothing.
“Light the fuse,” the sheriff ordered. Leslie panicked.
Barely able to see, she didn’t know how far back the cave went.
A large boom sounded at the entrance, and she listened as the cave rumbled deep inside its belly.
Feeling with her hands, she felt one of the old coal cars.
Taking Conner, she placed him inside and grabbed Tucker.
A large piece of wood lay beside her, and she pushed it over the car as rocks began to fall.
The ground beneath her began to shake, and Conner screamed.
Tucker jumped out, determined to help her.
“Get in, Tucker,” she cried as larger rocks fell to the ground. She pushed the car and grabbed Tucker, covering him with her body as the angry cave shifted beneath them, making wooden beams and rocks fall around them.
Conner screamed, and Tucker shouted her name as she caged him with her body. Something struck her head, and darkness consumed her.