Forgotten Son

He bided his time, waiting for everyone to go to bed. Tonight Peter took the dogs to guard the fences from unwelcome intruders. Apparently, Ezra and Peter took turns with the nightly chore.

Eli stared up at the stars, wishing for a shower and a shave and a steak. He’d had about all the soup he could handle. Most of all he wished he could find Caroline Whitten. After a while he rolled over and glanced around. The camp was shrouded in darkness. He rose to his feet and made his way to the vegetable cellar. The moon was his only light, so he stepped carefully and quietly.

He drew back with a start as he rounded Buford’s house. Three people stood at the back door—Buford, Ruth and Samuel.

“She’s resisting and she’s singing hymns. I think she’s going insane like the other one.” That was Ruth.

The other one.

“When I was in town today, I saw it was still in the papers and on the news. The congressman is offering a big reward for her safe return.” Samuel’s voice was low, but Eli heard it.

There was a long pause as if they were waiting for Amos’s reply. “Kill her. She’s become a liability and unfit to bear the messiah.”

“Yes, master,” Samuel replied.

“Do it later tonight and we’ll dispose of her body like the others. Then we’ll begin another search for my seventh wife.”

“Yes, master,” Samuel replied again.

Like the others.

How many women beside Ginny had that bastard killed? Eli pressed up against the house as Samuel strolled by. Buford and Ruth went inside. Time was running out. Eli could get past Peter and the dogs to alert the FBI, but that would take too much time. Caroline didn’t have a lot of time left, and he still didn’t know her exact location. He suspected she was in the cellar and he had to get her out—now.

Her life depended on it.

He slipped through the night to the cellar. Gingerly he opened the door, careful to keep it from creaking, then went down the steps into a pitch-black hole. He felt around with his hands and all he encountered was shelf after shelf of jars, the same as before.

The shelves are empty.

Eli remembered Jezebel’s message and began to push on the shelves. They were sturdy and strong and nothing happened. Dammit. Dammit. What the hell was the woman trying to tell him?

The shelves are empty.

But the shelves were full.

He quickly searched again, then found it—an empty shelf near the bottom. He pushed and pulled, but nothing happened. What the hell did the woman mean?

Taking a deep breath, he tried to concentrate. Think. Think. Think.

Ruth was a short woman and Eli was six feet two. So it stood to reason that if Ruth came to feed Caroline, she had to be able to open the secret door, and the latch or mechanism would be lower than where Eli was reaching. He stooped lower, pushing and tugging until he wanted to scream with frustration.

With both hands on the empty shelf, he squatted on the dirt floor and ran his hands along the bottom, testing every nook and cranny. As his fingers touched the left corner, the shelf moved easily.

Air gushed into his lungs. He’d found it. Thank God. He hurriedly squeezed through the opening, hoping Caroline was inside.

“‘Amazing grace how sweet the sound,’” a woman’s voice sang.

“Caroline Whitten?” he asked.

The singing stopped, but she didn’t say anything.

“Caroline Whitten?”

Still no response.

“I’m Elijah Coltrane, a Texas Ranger. Please answer me.”

“Go away. Leave me alone and stop torturing me. ‘Amazing grace…’”

“Caroline.” He had to get her attention. “I’m working with the FBI. We’ve been searching for you.”

“You’re not real. The FBI has been here and they didn’t find me. Now they will never find me. I will die in this darkness because I will never marry him. Never. ‘Amazing grace how sweet the sound.’”

“I am real and I’m trying to get you out of here. Do you understand me?”

Something in his voice must have reached her because she stopped singing once more. It was so dark, though, he couldn’t see a thing.

“Where are you?” she asked. “Let me touch you, then I’ll know you’re real.”

“Here,” he said, and walked into her.

Her hands trembled against him as they traveled over his body, then touched his growing beard.

She jerked back. “You’re one of them.”

“No. I’m not.” He tried to calm her. “Feel my beard. It’s short. I’ve been searching two days for you.”

She didn’t move, but murmured, “How long have I been here? ‘When I’ve been here ten thousand—’”

“Stop it,” he said in a stern voice, knowing she was close to a mental breakdown.

Her voice fluttered to a halt.

“You’ve been missing for four days, Caroline. Touch me again and you’ll see that I’m real.”

His request was met with total silence. “Caroline, touch me,” he repeated, trying to gain her trust. It worked. She ran her hand over his face.

Eli caught his breath as she touched his skin, and he knew his emotions were highly charged. That was the only explanation.

“I’ve been growing my beard to infiltrate the group to see if you were here. I’m not one of them.”

“You’re real. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. You’re real.” Her arms went around his waist and she gripped him tightly.

He held her for a moment with her head tucked below his chin. “We have to go. We don’t have much time. Can you handle a long walk?”

She drew back. “I’ll do anything to get out of here.”

“When we leave, be quiet, very quiet. Don’t make a sound. We have to run for the fence and freedom. The FBI will be waiting, but we have to make it past Buford and his clan.”

“Okay.”

“Do exactly what I tell you.”

“Okay.”

“Caroline, do you understand me?” Eli asked, not sure if she was comprehending him or not. “Say something beside okay.”

“Yes. I understand you. You’re a Texas Ranger and you’re taking me out of here. And we have to be quiet.”

“Good.” Gripping her hand, he led her from the room. He closed the shelf, then helped her up the steps and outside.

Caroline stared at the sky. “Oh my. Oh my. The stars, the moon. I thought I’d never see them again.”

Eli gave her a second to adjust. “Let’s go,” he said, and they slipped into the woods.

They didn’t get far before Caroline faltered and fell to the ground. “Oh, I’m sorry,” she muttered, gasping for breath.

Eli saw how weak she was and realized this wasn’t going to be easy. “Are you okay?”

She looked toward the sky again. “Yes. As long as I can see all that light, I’m fine.”

Eli doubted that. He lifted her to her feet and they diligently pushed on. He had studied the compound and the people thoroughly and knew exactly where Peter was on his rounds with the dogs. He went in the opposite direction.

Caroline fell again and Eli again helped her to her feet, then they trudged on toward the fence.

Caroline stumbled once more, but this time she didn’t get up. Darkness surrounded them and Eli couldn’t be sure that she was aware she was out of the room. Or if she was functioning rationally. She seemed lifeless and spent, but he would not give up on her. He’d get her out of here.

He picked her up and carried her, while she whimpered in protest. He kept walking through the bushes.

Freedom wasn’t far away.

Eli kept his mind and sight on that one thing—freedom. His arms ached, as did the muscles in his back, but he didn’t stop. He hadn’t saved Ginny, but he was determined to save Caroline Whitten.

The farther they went into the woods, the thicker the darkness became, impeding their progress. Eli moved through the brushy areas on pure instinct. Branches scraped their skin and tugged at their hair, but he didn’t pause. He stepped into a hole and almost went down, but managed to stay upright with Caroline in his arms.

Just when the journey seemed endless, Eli saw the silver fence glistening in the moonlight. He stopped beside a fallen log and sank down, loosening his hold on Caroline, who eased to his side.

“You okay?” he asked, taking a deep breath.

“Yes.”

“The fence is about fifty feet in front of us. It’s eight feet high and made of barbed wire and mesh. You have to climb over it. Do you think you can?”

“I’ll try.”

Eli shook his head. “No. You have to do better than that. Ahead is freedom and behind is Amos Buford. If you don’t make it across, he’ll kill both of us.”

She trembled. “I’m so weak and my head’s fuzzy.”

“I know, and I’ll help you all I can, but you have to help yourself. You have to make it over the fence. When you reach the other side, run as fast as you can. Don’t look back and don’t wait for me.”

She wrapped her arms around herself.

“Do you understand?”

She nodded, but Eli wasn’t so sure she did. It didn’t matter. He’d literally carry her across if he had to.

“Rest for a bit, then we have to go,” he said.

“What did you say your name was?”

He was taken aback for a moment, but pleased. She was asking questions. That meant her mind was functioning.

“Elijah Coltrane, but everyone calls me Eli.”

“Thank you, Eli, for getting me out of that room.”

“You’re welcome,” he replied, loving the way she said his name, soft and low with a husky undertone.

“I lost part of myself back there—my pride, my dignity and my self-esteem.”

“It’s called brainwashing. Buford and his cult are very good at it.”

She shivered and tightened her arms.

“It’s almost over. We just have to get over the fence.” He paused. “Are you ready?”

She took a ragged breath. “Yes.”

He stood and cocked his head, hearing a sound in the distance. The Dobermans were coming. Damn. Buford knew they were gone, and the dogs were on their trail.

Their time had just ran out.

“What is it?” she asked in a worried voice.

“They’re coming. I can hear the dogs.”

“Oh no!”

“Remember what I told you. Get over and run, and don’t look back.”

He grabbed her hand and they sprinted for the fence. Eli heard the yelps of the dogs, getting closer and closer.

CHAPTER THREE

AT THE FENCE, Eli caught her around the waist and lifted her in the air. “Reach for the wire and start to climb. Even if the barbs cut you, keep going.”

Her bare feet brushed against him. “Dammit. Where are your shoes?”

“Back there,” she replied, grasping a wire.

There was nothing he could do about that now. He climbed behind her, acting like a shield as he boosted her up. He’d forcefully shoved her to the top when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught movement as the dogs charged toward the fence.

Caroline was over. “Run, run, run!” Eli shouted.

He made to swing over the top, but one of the dogs leaped into the air and clamped its teeth on his right arm, banging him against the fence. Suspended in air, the canine fiercely held on to his prey. Eli struggled to dislodge it, but the dog’s jaws were strong.

Caroline turned and saw Eli struggling with one of the dogs. She ran back. The Dobermans saw her and switched their attention to her, lunging against the fence. This broke the other dog’s concentration and it fell to the ground, freeing Eli, who also tumbled to the ground—but on the right side of the fence. He quickly jumped to his feet and grabbed her hand. They hurried into the woods as the first clan member reached the fence, yelling unchristian words at them.

Eli kept running, pulling Caroline behind him. On and on they raced through the thicket. Eli’s arm burned, but he didn’t pay any attention. He had one goal—to get them to the country road and safety before the clan caught up with them.

They passed through thicket after thicket, then into a valley lined with tall grasses, and into dense woods again. Eli kept a firm grip on Caroline. She was holding up well and he admired her spirit. His own legs grew tired and his chest was tight with exhaustion, but he never wavered or stopped. He wasn’t sure if Buford and his men would follow, so he wanted to get them far, far away.

Finally, Eli tripped, and they tumbled in a heap on the spring grasses. Neither moved—they were too exhausted. Caroline lay on top of him for a moment, then moved to his side to lie on her back.

He sucked air into his starving lungs. “You okay?” he gasped.

“Yes,” she breathed, panting, then pointed to the sky.

“Look, Eli, look.”

He glanced up and saw the sun peeking above the treetops, heralding a new day. He took joy in that. He’d found her and they were out. Buford would not control or ruin her life. Eli took joy in that, too.

“That’s the most beautiful sight I’ve ever seen,” she said, her eyes shining as the morning sun chased away the night, the darkness.

He looked at her and saw her clearly for the first time. Her blond hair was dirty, as was her skin and clothes, but her green eyes were bright with wonder.

“Isn’t it, Eli?”

He lost the gist of the conversation, but quickly recovered. “Yes,” he answered, his eyes never leaving her face.

She brushed back her hair and he caught sight of her hands.

He sat up and reached for them. “Oh, my God.” Both palms were scratched and bleeding, the blood caking with the dirt on her skin.

“They’re okay,” she said, pulling her hands away and sitting up.

His eyes traveled to her bare feet, then he lifted a foot to stare at the bottom. He closed his eyes briefly. The sole was one bloody mess, and he knew she had to be in a lot of pain. Dammit. He should have carried her when he realized she didn’t have any shoes on. But after the encounter with the dogs, he’d just wanted to get her to safety. He unlaced his sneakers.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“You need something on your feet.”

“Your shoes are too big for me.”

“I know,” he said. Pulling off his socks, he gently slipped them on her feet. “That’s not much, but it should help.”

“Thank you.” She touched his arm. “You’re hurt, too.”

His right sleeve was torn and bloody. “It’s just a scratch.” He put his sneakers back on and got to his feet.

“We’d better make it to the road.”

He bent to pick her up, but she pushed his arms away. “No, you’re not carrying me.”

“You can’t walk on those feet.”

She stood. “Watch me.”

He grunted. “God, you don’t take orders very well.”

“No. Now let’s go.” Her eyes held his. This woman was a fighter, a survivor. Buford and his clan would never have been able to brainwash her. She would have died in that dark hole of a grave. Eli wondered about the “others” that Ruth and Amos had mentioned. How many women had died in that makeshift tomb?

Eli shook his head and started walking. Caroline followed. Even though he was perturbed at her stubbornness, he admired her courage. That courage would help her in the days ahead.

After another long walk, the road at last came into view. They sat in the bushes, out of sight in case Buford was looking for them.

“We’ll wait until a vehicle comes along so we can get help.”

“Okay.” Caroline was glad to rest, and she stared down the blacktop road toward a bend in the distance. She hoped someone would come soon, but as long as Eli was with her she could wait. Her hands and feet burned and her clothes were torn and filthy, but freedom was an exhilarating feeling.

Eli had saved her life. Her sanity.

She was out of the darkness, and her thoughts weren’t so disoriented or confused now. Fresh oxygen had cleared away the cobwebs, the near insanity, and she knew this was real. The man beside her was real.

She glanced at him and took in this extraordinary person. He was tall, his features prominent and sharp, as if they’d been carved from stone. He had an aura of strength that would deter anyone from daring to change anything about him. She didn’t know him, but she instinctively knew that Elijah Coltrane did not take well to change.

“How are your hands?” he asked, watching the road.

“They’re burning a little, but they’ll be fine.”

He turned his head caught his left sleeve with his teeth and jerked. The fabric tore at the seam. With his right hand Eli unbuttoned the cuff and gathered the cloth, which he continued to rip into strips with his teeth. She watched in awe.

Without a word, he took her hand and wrapped some strips around it. He did that to the other one, and she knew better than to tell him it wasn’t necessary.

When finished, he asked, “How’s that?”

“Better,” she had to admit. “The burning isn’t so bad.”

“You couldn’t have done all this on the fence.”

She swallowed. “When I was scared, I’d beat on the wall of that room with the palm of my hand, then my fist, hoping someone would hear me. I just wanted out of there.”

“You’re out now and you’ll soon get medical attention.” She couldn’t see his eyes, but she knew he was upset.

“My hands feel much better now,” she said again, to reassure him.

“Good.” He turned his attention to the road.

Caroline watched his unyielding face. He hadn’t removed his shirt, because he didn’t want her to see his right arm. She had a feeling it was bad. Maybe he didn’t want to see it either—not yet.

They sat in silence. A squirrel ran across the road and a crow landed in a tree with a frantic squawk. Everything was peaceful—another spring day in the Texas Hill Country.

But it was so much more to Caroline.

“Did you volunteer for this job?” she asked.

“The FBI asked for my help, since I know the area.”

“Why didn’t an agent volunteer?”

“The agents went in with a warrant and searched the place, but found nothing.”

Goose bumps popped up on her skin as she remembered the prophet’s chilling words and the devastating effect it had had on her.

“How did you know where to find me?”

“A woman in the group gave me a clue. They call her Jezebel, but she’s not one of them. Buford said they found her wandering the streets and they gave her a home. They treat her like a slave.”

“You have to get her out of there, too.”

“I plan to, but right now you’re my top priority.”

The words had a soft, sincere ring to them. She just wanted to keep hearing his voice.

“So the Texas Rangers help the FBI?”

“When they ask. The FBI was getting a lot of flak from Washington and they needed something done quickly. The sheriff knew I had investigated Buford before, so the FBI called me.”

“And you agreed to go undercover?”

“Yes.”

“Why would you do that? You don’t even know me.”

“Usually it’s my job to investigate, but I have personal reasons for wanting to get Amos Buford.”

“Does he know you?”

“No, I’d never met him until two days ago.”

“Then…”

“He killed someone I cared about.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It happened a long time ago.”

She licked her cracked lips. “Was it a woman?”

“Yes. My fiancée.”

“Oh.”

“His men grabbed her from the street because the bastard chose her to be his next wife.” Eli glanced at Caroline. “She wasn’t strong like you. She lasted two days in the room, then agreed to marry him. After a month, she managed to escape.”

He took a long breath, hardly able to believe he was telling her this. But he couldn’t seem to stop. “Then I got the call. She was missing, and I found her not far from our ranch, in a ditch, strangled to death.”

“Oh. I’m so sorry.” Caroline touched his arm. “Why isn’t Buford in jail?”

“The police couldn’t prove anything. It was her word against theirs, and there was no evidence Ginny was ever in the compound. They never found a secret room like Ginny said there was.”

“Ginny was her name?”

He swallowed, struggling with his emotions. “Yes.”

“Since Buford is free, I’m assuming they couldn’t prove he killed her, either.”

“No. There wasn’t one shred of evidence, but the FBI were able to close down his camp. He just moved on to these hills, terrorizing other women.”

“I don’t understand how that could happen,” Caroline said. “Why hasn’t the law done something?”

“They will this time. Buford screwed up by kidnapping a congressman’s daughter.”

“I’ve hated that title most of my life. Today it feels good.” Her gaze swung to the road. “My parents are probably very worried.”

“Yes. Your father has posted a big reward for any information leading to your whereabouts.”

“How is Colin, my fiancé, taking this?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t heard anything about him.”

She bit her lip. “We were having problems. He wanted to get married right away and I didn’t. Now I can’t remember exactly why I was against it. At thirty, a woman should be ready to get married.” She paused. “Are you married?”

“No.”

“I’ll be glad to see Colin.” She glanced at Eli. “Thanks to you, I will.”

“I’m just doing my job, ma’am.”

Blood trickled down the side of his face into his beard. She reached out with her bandaged hand to touch it.

“You’ve scraped your face.”

He wished she wouldn’t keep doing that—touching him. He had to keep this on a professional level, and when she touched his skin, he found that difficult. All he had to do, though, was close his eyes and see Ginny’s face, and everything was fine.

“It’s nothing,” he murmured, trying not to pull away.

She let it drop and he was glad. His arm was on fire, but he couldn’t let her see he was in pain.

“It’s early, but the FBI is patrolling this road, so someone should be by soon.”

She studied her bandaged hands. “I probably won’t see you again after they arrive.”

“Probably not.”

“I want to thank you again for getting me out of that place.”

He shifted uncomfortably. “As I said, it’s my job.”

“But you did it for Ginny, didn’t you?”

“Yeah,” he admitted. “That bastard deserves to be put away for what he did to her and probably many other girls.”

Caroline put both arms around his neck and hugged him. “Thank you, Eli.”

Dammit. Did she have to keep doing that? He closed his eyes, but he couldn’t see Ginny. That scared him. It was the first time that had happened. He was just exhausted physically and mentally, he told himself. He had to hold on to Ginny, but all he could see and feel was Caroline Whitten.

A hum in the distance was a welcome relief. He pulled away. “A car is coming. Stay put and I’ll check it out. Don’t stand on your feet.”

He stood and walked to the edge of the road, recognizing the car immediately. It was Tuck. What the hell was he doing here? He had his own job to do. Then again, Eli was glad to see him.

Tuck pulled over and jumped out.

“Call the FBI and an ambulance,” Eli shouted.

Tuck dashed into his car and was back in a minute. He stopped short when he took in Eli’s appearance, especially his bloody arm. “What happened to you?”

“It’s a long story and I don’t have time to get into it.”

“You found Ms. Whitten?”

“Yes. She’s over here.” They walked toward the bushes.

“What are you doing here?”

“Surly as ever—still the same old Eli. For a moment there I wasn’t sure. But to answer your question, I offered my help. The lieutenant and captain agreed that the FBI could use all the help they could get.”

“What happened to one riot, one ranger?”

“Well, it took one ranger to get her out of there, and Congressman Whitten will want answers as to why the FBI didn’t find her days ago.”

That would certainly come up in the investigation that was to follow, but right now, Eli’s main concern was still Caroline.

They walked up to her. “Caroline, this is Jeremiah Tucker, and Tuck, this is Caroline Whitten.”

“Howdy, ma’am.” Tuck tipped his hat, staring at her bandaged hands.

A string of cars came roaring down the road, and Eli reached down and lifted Caroline into his arms.