by Mary Alford
The phone’s light reflected the lack of service. She kept it hidden in her covered hands in case anyone were to happen this way again. They’d think it odd that an Amish woman would possess a phone, and she didn’t want to give anything away.
Willa started for the barn first. She wouldn’t go inside unless necessary. Staying in view of the living room, she glanced down at the phone. So far, the service bar hadn’t moved. As she neared the structure, her eyes darted around the farm. Though she wanted to be brave for Mason and Samantha, these criminals scared her. She’d barely kept it together during their last interrogation. Would she be able to convince them she had no knowledge of Samantha or the marshals should they come upon her again?
Her attention returned to the phone. The indicator bar hadn’t budged. What if they couldn’t find service?
She changed direction in hopes of picking up something in another spot on the property.
Willa moved to the side of the barn near the wagon. Still nothing. Would Mason be able to see her here? As she debated how much farther to go, a noise in the woods near the back of the house halted her steps. Voices came her way through the drizzly weather. More than one person was heading for the house. She froze briefly before running for the barn. Two men’s voices grew closer. As much as she wanted to warn Mason about the danger, if she did, they would hear her.
Willa grabbed the door handle and turned it. The door wouldn’t budge. This one rarely saw use and had become warped over time. Another thing she needed to fix before the next winter came upon them.
Putting her shoulder into it, she tried to force it to open. Though only two men spoke, Willa couldn’t tell how many were actually tromping through the woods, but it sounded like a lot.
After another try proved useless, Willa gave up and ran to the opposite side of the barn and closer to the advancing men. Would Mason see her? Willa grabbed the handle. Before she could open it and slip inside, someone came up behind her. Willa whirled in time to see Mason standing close. She bit back a scream and covered her trembling mouth.
“Sorry,” he mouthed, and pushed the door open. They stumbled inside. Mason quickly closed the door as quietly as possible.
“Do you think they heard us?” she whispered.
“I hope not.” He looked around the space. The cow mooed as if expecting her morning meal. Both mares nickered. Would the noise of the animals give away their intrusion? If Bartelli’s people heard the animals complaining they’d come inside to investigate. She and Mason had to find a hiding spot quickly.
Daed had built an upper level onto the barn to store hay. A ladder led up to it.
“Up there.” Willa pointed to the stacks of hay. “We can hide behind the square bales.”
Mason kept watch below until she reached the landing above, then started up the steps.
“There’s all sorts of footprints around out here. Look,” a voice said close to the door.
Mason scrambled up the rest of the way as the door opened. He ducked down beside her.
The animals continued to complain about the additional intrusion without any food being provided.
“I don’t see anyone in here,” another man said.
“Still, someone’s been around recently. Look at the footprints. Let’s take a look around the place before we leave.”
“It’s probably that Amish woman.”
Willa held Mason’s gaze and understood what he wished to convey. If the men came up here, they wouldn’t have a choice but to shoot them.
Movements could be heard from the ground floor. The cow let out several stressed sounds when the men got too close.
“Filthy animal. Why would anyone want to live like this?” Disgust filled the man’s tone.
“They don’t know anything else, I guess.” The second man sounded close to the ladder. A stair creaked. Willa clutched Mason’s arm. They were coming up the ladder. “I’m going to check up here real fast.”
She and Mason got as low as they could and away from the view of the stairs.
“All that’s up there is a bunch of hay. I say we check the house again.”
Please, no. The house wasn’t locked. If they went inside, they’d see Erik. They’d find Samantha. She closed her eyes and prayed her heart out to Gott.
A footstep hit the landing. Willa bit her bottom lip. If they came a smidgen closer...
“We won’t bother the Amish women. Would they be harboring two marshals and a child?” He laughed. “The rest of the team is coming soon. Let’s fall back to the road near the edge of this property and wait. Once they arrive, we’ll search every square inch of this miserable country if we have to.” The man made his way down the ladder. “They’re here somewhere.”
Sounds of the two moving across the barn were followed by the door opening and closing.
As much as Willa wanted to believe they’d gone for real, she couldn’t move. Not after everything they’d been through. “Is it a trick?”
“I don’t think so. They’re waiting for others, which means we have to get everyone out of here now. Those two might not want to bother you and Beth, but who knows what the others will do, especially if Ombra shows up here.”
Willa pulled out the phone and looked at it. “Still nothing.” She shook her head. “Why can’t we pick up a signal?”
Mason took the phone from her. “My guess is the weather could be playing havoc with the cell tower. Hopefully, it will affect their communication, as well. That’s something.” His blue eyes held hers. “Help me get the enclosed buggy ready. We won’t have long to get everyone out of the house and away before those men return with an army.”
He rose and held out his hand. Once they reached the bottom floor, Mason moved to the door and cracked it as he listened. He turned back to Willa. “I don’t hear anything. Let me look around outside to be sure.” He stepped out of sight. She stood in the middle of the barn and counted off every second of his absence in her head. When he came back, Willa somehow resisted the urge to hug him.
“There’s no sign of them for now.”
The chances of them making it to the neighbor’s without being spotted would be small, but staying here was no longer an option.
“Let’s get the animals tended to as fast as possible. We can’t afford not to milk the cow. The animals won’t survive without food and water until we can return,” Willa told him.
While Mason fed the animals, Willa did her best to milk Buttercup in record time. With the task completed, she led Peppermint out of her stall. Every second it took to get the horse ready had Willa wondering if their efforts would be in vain. Would those two men return before they had the opportunity to leave the property?
Though she’d harnessed Peppermint countless times without thinking about it, her fingers fumbled over the steps. Staying focused on what was necessary became nearly impossible when all she could think about was the danger that could be waiting for her and Mason beyond the door.
She struggled so long with latching the harness strap that Mason took over.
“Here, let me.” He quickly finished the job.
“I’ll get the milk. Can you open the heavy doors with your arm?”
“I can manage.” He did his best not to show any pain, but she could see the way he favored the injured shoulder.
Willa grabbed the pail of fresh milk and placed it inside the buggy while Mason moved to the front and slowly opened the double doors.
“You should guide the mare from the barn. I’ll close the doors,” she told him.
With her help, Mason made it up to the seat and took up the reins. The glimpse of the gun holstered inside his jacket was another reminder of the danger facing them.
He shook the reins. Willa followed behind until the buggy cleared the doors. Just as she turned to shut them, a sound nearby had her spinning in the direction of the noise.
> The mare must have sensed danger, as well, because she nickered loudly while her nostrils flared.
Two men materialized from the side of the barn and Willa bit back a scream. While her heart threatened to jump from her chest, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Mason climbing from the buggy.
One of the men she recognized from inside her house stepped forward. “Sorry to frighten you, ma’am, but as I told you before, we’re looking for some people. Have you noticed any strangers hanging around your property since earlier?” The hard look on his face gave her the creeps. He glanced toward Mason who had eased toward the back of the buggy. Near enough to reach her if there was trouble, but still in the shadows to keep the men from recognizing him.
Willa lifted her chin and prayed the thrashing of her heart couldn’t be heard. “There’s been no one here. Just you.” She noticed a gun peeking out of the man’s jacket. No doubt both men were armed.
The man’s gaze narrowed at what she’d said. He stepped closer and into her personal space. “I thought you said only you and your mother lived in the house? Who is this?” He eyed Mason suspiciously.
While her body threatened to hyperventilate, Willa struggled to get words out. She made eye contact with Mason. He warned her to stay calm. Easier said than done when facing down armed men.
The man took a threatening step toward Mason while sizing him up. The Amish disguise helped, and Mason had the black felt hat tugged low on his head.
Mason kept his head down and didn’t make eye contact. “I’m her husband. There’s been no one around the farm. Just me and my wife and her mother.”
The man raised his eyebrows, his full attention on Mason now. He stepped closer to get a better look. Recognition immediately turned his frown to shock. “You’re one of those lawmen.”
The man whipped his weapon out, but Mason beat him to the draw and fired twice. He dropped without getting off a single shot. The second man, fearing the same fate, took off toward the woods while firing wildly.
Willa hit the ground and covered her head as bullets sailed all around her.
Mason hurried over and lifted her to her feet. “Are you hurt?”
“No, I’m fine.” But the attack had left her shaken.
“Stay here. I’m going to see if I can capture him before he has a chance to warn the others.” Mason ran after the man, who continued shooting at him.
Willa stayed hidden behind the buggy and prayed Mason wouldn’t be struck by a bullet.
In the woods separating her place from the road, gunshots were exchanged. They continued for a little while longer and then silence.
Gott, please keep him safe.
A rustling sound from the nearby woods had her ducking low. Someone emerged from the trees and rounded the back of the buggy. Willa pointed the handgun taken earlier from one of the deceased men. Her finger rested on the trigger ready to fire.
Mason stopped short when he spotted it. “It’s me, Willa.”
She lowered the weapon and exhaled a huge sigh before she dropped the gun and ran into Mason’s arms. “I was so sure he’d kill you.”
He held her close. “I’m unharmed. I hit him in the side, but he got away. Once he makes his way to his partners, he’ll warn the rest of Bartelli’s men that we’re here.” She could feel his heart racing. “That man now knows Samantha’s here. How hard will it be for your mother to get into the buggy?”
Willa pulled away and looked at him. “She can’t really walk without help.”
“I’ll carry her. It will be faster. Unfortunately, the journey won’t be an easy one. We’ll have to travel through the pasture behind your house, and the rain won’t make it easy.”
The thought of her mamm’s frail body bouncing around in the back of the buggy worried her.
He brushed his hand across her cheek. “I’m sorry. I know it’s not ideal, but we no longer have the choice. We’ll have to find a way to your neighbor’s place.”
Willa stared at the dead man while a fear that wouldn’t go away told her time was critical.
“Let’s get the buggy to the house.” He reached for the lead rope while Willa grabbed the handgun once more and kept him close. They covered the space between the barn and the house swiftly.
Willa lifted the milk pail and hurried up the steps while Mason tied off the animal and followed. He closed the door and locked it.
She carried the milk into the kitchen and placed it on the table. Willa retrieved the pitcher from the battery-powered refrigerator and filled it, then fumbled around the top cabinet to get the extra pitchers. She stopped. Why was she worried about milk when their lives were in danger?
“Here, let me help you.” Mason leaned past her to grab the two pitchers before they landed on her head. He sat them down and slowly faced her. As much as she wished she could hide her fears from him, she couldn’t. The difficult circumstances facing them terrified her and he saw it.
“Hey.” He gathered her close. “We have a chance.”
But she wasn’t nearly as certain. Willa struggled to keep her composure. Mason was trying so hard to be strong for her. She had to do the same for him. Giving in to the panic wouldn’t help anyone.
“I’m sorry.” She shook her head.
His hands cupped her face and he looked into her eyes. “You have nothing to be sorry for. You’re doing great. I’m not going to let them hurt you, Willa. I would never let that happen.” Something unreadable entered his eyes.
“Do you ever miss this life?” She searched his face and caught a glimpse of the boy she’d once loved.
“More than I can ever say, especially during a case like this. Nothing about it makes sense and it just seems so horrific.” He stopped and shook his head. “I wish I could come home to the past I left behind. To this simple world.”
The admission filled her with hope she couldn’t accept. Willa tamped it down. Mason’s future did not involve her. She placed her hand on his arm. “You can. There’s no reason why you can’t.”
His laughter held a brittle quality about it. “I’ve come too far from this life to go back. I’m not the same person you knew back then. I’ve done some things.”
After witnessing the events of today, Willa understood clearly what Mason’s job entailed. She struggled to reconcile the rambunctious boy from the past with the skilled and hardened law-enforcement agent standing before her.
“Nothing is impossible for Gott. If you want to return to your Amish faith, Gott will make a way. But it must be your decision.” She turned away, poured the extra milk into the pitchers and placed them into the refrigerator.
“I wish it were that simple.”
She believed him.
“Truth is, I’m not sure I know how to be Amish anymore. And more importantly, I don’t deserve to be called Amish.”
She rejected his answer with a shake of her head. “You will always be part of this community and part of your family—and mine. Nothing you do or choose will take you from us.” She pointed to her heart. “Because you are in here.”
SEVEN
He didn’t deserve her loyalty. The life he’d chosen went against everything he once believed in.
Mason didn’t know how to answer her and so he did what he had for the past thirteen years. He pushed it aside and told himself it was a discussion for another day—when Bartelli no longer posed a threat. Yet the gnawing in his gut assured him that day might never come.
“I’ll get Erik ready to travel. Can you prepare Beth for the trip? She’ll need some extra blankets to keep warm and to make her comfortable. Bring Samantha now. I’ll come back for your mother once Erik is settled.”
In the living room, Erik’s eyes remained closed. He hadn’t moved at all when they’d come in and didn’t stir now as Mason knelt beside him. Would his decision to move them all be another mistake? His insecurities had him wav
ering. How could he leave Willa here to protect three people against so many?
“You weren’t able to find any service,” Erik murmured, and opened his eyes.
“No, and we’re out of options.” He explained about the last attack. “Bartelli’s men know we’re here with Samantha. Staying is no longer an option.” He told Erik about what he’d overheard Bartelli’s men saying. “I have no idea how many more are coming.” He pointed to Erik’s side. “That’s getting worse. You need proper medical care.”
Erik rubbed his damp forehead. “I know. How do we get out of here without a car? I don’t want to die here, Mason. Not like this. I can’t leave my family.”
The admission ripped through Mason. “Hey, that’s not going to happen. I won’t let it.” But at this point, getting them all out safely felt like the fight of his life.
Forced from one safe house after another, he’d had little time to sleep. The effects of the constant running and the tension, as well as being shot, had caught up with him. His energy was almost nonexistent. Thinking clearly took extraordinary strength.
“Willa’s family buggy is waiting for us outside. I’m going to help you get there. Willa will bring Samantha and then I’ll come back for Beth.” It sounded so easy, but it wasn’t anything close and Erik’s reaction didn’t appear confident.
“Sure, it could work. What choice do we have?” Erik always had his back no matter how desperate the situation they faced.
Mason patted Erik’s shoulder. “I’ll be right back.” He rose and went over to the window.
Outside, the dreary day made visibility around the farm difficult. He struggled to see past the yard. The woods where the man had fled made a natural barrier between the Lambright place and the small road that ran beyond. Bartelli’s people could be out there waiting for him to make a wrong move.
Mason slipped into his jacket and grabbed Erik’s.
Tucking the weapon he’d taken from the dead man inside his pocket along with the phone, he readied himself for what would follow.
Willa still had the handgun she’d pointed at him earlier. As added protection, he’d take Josiah’s shotgun. He rummaged around the kitchen until he found the stash of extra shells. Stuffing them into his pocket, Mason returned to his partner.
