by Strauss, Lee
We drove into the parking lot of our motel, our eyes automatically darting to our room window.
My heart stopped. I swore I saw someone move the curtain. “Did you see that?”
“Damn!” Noah slapped the steering wheel, giving me my answer.
He didn’t slow. He drove back onto the main road, leaving our stuff behind, including our newly acquired laptop.
“Grandpa must’ve seen your blog,” I said.
“Yeah. He’s better than I gave him credit for.”
Noah’s eyes searched the rearview mirror. I swallowed, and turned to stare out the back window. It didn’t look like anyone was following us, but it was hard to be sure.
“What now?” I asked.
“We have to get off the grid.”
Farther off than we already were? “And how do we do that?”
“I did some research,” Noah said, running a hand through his hair. “I think I know a place.”
Chapter 5
NOAH
Fugitive.
That was a word I’d never have dreamed would be attached to my name. Yet, here I was on the run in a used two-seater electric car with a weak battery, and a beautiful girl in the passenger seat.
As we crossed into Utah, my eyes shifted from the I80 to Zoe, whose head rested up against the passenger door window. She had her eyes closed but I could tell she wasn’t sleeping.
The tear tracing down her cheek was a giveaway.
I cursed myself.
It wasn’t the first time I second-guessed my decision to steal her away from her insane family.
I’d wanted to help her. I wanted her to remember, and she did. But not really. I glanced at her again, still not used to her shorter brunette look. She wasn’t anything like the strong, feisty girl I used to know. This girl was fragile and damaged.
My pulse jumped as I recalled the shadow in the window of our motel room in Reno. Damn, Vanderveen was quick. I was sure I’d secured my connection. He’d broken in somehow. I must’ve really pissed him off.
I’d almost made Zoe stay behind at the room. My throat closed up at the thought. They would’ve caught her if she hadn’t insisted on coming. A part of me, a sliver-sized part, wondered if it wouldn’t have been for the best. Maybe she should go back to her family. My gut squeezed with the idea of them violating her mind again and that she’d go back to not remembering me.
Because despite everything that happened, despite everything that Zoe no longer was, I still loved her.
I had to keep her safe.
I reached for her hand and threaded my fingers through hers. I waited for the squeeze of acknowledgement—something to signal things could be fixed between us, but it didn’t come.
A half-hour later I turned off the main road onto a rougher side road that cut through a forest. The bumpy surface roused Zoe. She straightened and yawned, pulling her hand free to cover her mouth. “Are we in Utah yet?”
“We crossed the border twenty minutes ago,” I said. We’d driven through the night and the horizon was just beginning to brighten. “We’ll be there soon, which is a good thing, since the battery is low again.”
“Where exactly are we going?”
“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “A place I found online that’s supposed to be off the grid.”
The GPS guided me farther down a dirt road leading to an open parcel of land with a large wooden structure centered on it. Dawn had just broken and I hoped we weren’t arriving too early. I saw movement near the front of the building. A guy wearing a flannel jacket and old jeans walked over to greet us.
“Sorry, folks, we’re shut down.” He motioned behind him and that was when I noticed the building was boarded up. “They’re gonna tear it all down.”
Another dead end. Zoe flashed me a worried look.
“Can you recommend somewhere else?” I asked. “Off the grid?”
“Off the grid, huh?” He smiled crookedly before giving directions to another place two hours away. “I’ll warn ya, though. The folks there are different.”
I thanked him and prayed our battery would make it that far.
Zoe reached for a water bottle rolling around by her feet. “We’re almost out,” she said. She squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her forehead.
“Another headache?” I asked. I worried that they came too often. If I ever saw Jackson Pike again, I’d punch his face in for what he did to her.
“I’ll be fine,” she said. “Just tired.”
I fiddled with the media center. It didn’t respond to my touch or my voice commands. “Nothing’s working,” I said. “Must be the mountains.”
A light tap, tap, tap hit the windshield. More rain.
I switched the wipers on. “Or it could be the weather. The sky looks pretty dark.”
Zoe ducked to peer out the front window and stared at the brooding, gray clouds that had fallen into the valley.
She shivered in her light jacket. “Utah’s cold.”
“Take my hoodie,” I said. “It’s behind my seat.”
“Don’t you need it?”
“I’m not cold.”
She tugged the hoodie out from behind my seat and put it on under her coat. I liked seeing her in my clothes; it was intimate somehow. I hoped it reminded her of how she used to feel about me.
We traveled in silence and I was glad when the weather cleared a little.
“This must be it,” I said as I turned onto a narrower, dirt road. It had deep grooves and I had to slow right down to avoid bottoming out. Dust ballooned behind us as we approached a very rudimentary wood building. It had a porch with a straight-back chair, but nothing decorative. No shutters or flower boxes. There were horses fenced off to one side. Everything looked hand built.
A tall man with a heavy beard and a crooked nose came out through the front door. He was followed by a lady in a long dress with mousy, brown hair pulled tightly off her face. They were soon joined by a group of similarly clothed people.
It was a strange welcoming party. I felt like we’d stepped back in time two hundred years.
“What are they?” Zoe said.
“They look…Amish?”
“Amish Amish?” she said with a hitch in her voice. “As in no tech, no gene alteration, no chip inserting, Amish?”
“Or Mormon. Or something like that. We need a place off the grid, remember. And the guy did warn us they were different.”
“They’re not going to like me.”
I shot her a look. “We should keep your personal history to ourselves.”
I got out first and raised my hands a little, in case someone decided to shoot before asking questions.
The man in the front shouted gruffly. “State your business.”
“We need food and shelter for one night, sir,” I said. “Off the grid. We can pay.”
The man tugged on his suspenders and stepped off the porch toward us. “Are you in trouble, son?”
“Define trouble.”
“You just answered my question.” He bent down to peer through the open car window at Zoe. “Is that your wife?”
“No, sir,” she said. “I’m not.”
I felt a flash of disappointment. The old Zoe would’ve jumped at the chance to pose as my wife.
She got out of the car and stood by me.
“Well, then,” the man replied. “I’m hoping you’re siblings?” His eyes pointedly scanned my darker skin and then Zoe’s pale coloring. His expression was skeptical.
“No, sir,” I said. “We’re not.”
The man stroked his beard then shouted over his shoulder, “Dorothy!”
The woman who’d been standing behind him on the porch picked up the skirt of her dress and ran toward us. He motioned to Zoe. “Take this young lady and get her proper attire.”
Zoe turned away from them and mouthed, “Seriously?”
“One night,” I mouthed back. One night.
Chapter 6
Zoe followed the woman and the other people
on the porch parted like she had a disease. She stood tall, thrusting her shoulders back, a move I’d seen from her often as she prepared to defy authority. My lips pinched together in a hopeful smirk. Maybe old Zoe was still in there somewhere.
“I’m Brother Finnegan Ranger,” the man said, regaining my attention. “I’m the leader here. I’ll introduce you to the clan.”
He tapped the hood of my car. “But, first we dispose of this.”
I frowned. “Dispose?”
Finnegan Ranger chuckled. “Not destroy, son. Remove. We don’t allow the use of electricity here.”
No electricity at all? I supposed that was necessary to staying off the grid.
I opened the driver’s door, but Finnegan held up a hand to stop me. “We’ll push it.”
Two other guys from the group of spectators ran over to help. They were beardless and looked to be around my age.
“This here is my son, Simon,” Finn said, pointing to the tall, dark-haired guy with a similar shaped but smaller nose. “And that there is Taylor.”
The other guy was blond and blue-eyed and reminded me a little of Jackson Pike.
Which was why I automatically mistrusted him.
The shed was located to the left of the house. It was narrow and empty outside of a few non-power tools. It belonged to a cluster of out-buildings, including a barn that held horses, cows and goats. Everything was tucked into the forest. A chicken coop was nearby, and on the opposite side of the house, Simon informed me, were the outhouses.
“His is on the right and hers is on the left.”
So, no electricity and no plumbing. Zoe was going to love that.
We pushed the car into the shed just as the rain started falling in sheets. I ran after Simon as he darted to a door at the back of the house. We entered a mudroom full of coats and boots that opened up to the kitchen.
A puddle of water formed at my feet and I worried I was about to make a bad first impression. A girl with a long, dark braid hanging down her back rushed toward us with towels.
“Oh, Simon, look at you,” she said, but she wasn’t looking at Simon. She was looking at me.
“Thanks, sis,” he said.
The girl passed me a towel and her eyes rested on my bare biceps as I mopped myself dry.
Her eyes narrowed, like my mere presence angered her. Maybe it did.
“This is Noah,” Simon said and then to me, “My little sister, Rebecca.”
“Noah?” she raised an eyebrow. “Don’t tell me you’re bringing the flood?”
Coming from California where it hardly ever rained, I was fortunate to rarely be the butt of flood jokes.
I raised an eyebrow in return, and she folded her arms.
“That’s younger sister, not little sister,” she added. “I’m fifteen.”
Good to know.
“No guys in the kitchen,” she continued.
I held up my hands in surrender. “I wouldn’t think about it.”
I followed Simon through the house. These people didn’t believe in paint. The walls were bare boards, much like the flooring. Not a single picture hung on the wall. The furniture I spotted was also made of wood and appeared to have been made by hand.
The house smelled funny, like onions and mold. We headed down a dark hall until we reached an opened door. “This is where the unmarried guys sleep,” he said, guiding me in. I saw two sets of bunk beds. He pulled a cot out from underneath one of them. “You can sleep here.”
I said good-bye to the notion of getting a good night’s sleep if it meant sharing a small room with four other guys who probably snored.
At least there would be food. I could smell something amazing coming from the kitchen. “When’s supper?” I asked Simon.
“Right after we milk the cows.” He laughed at my expression. “Don’t worry. We don’t make guests work on the first day.”
I removed my pack and jacket and laid them on the cot. Simon fished through a drawer and then tossed me a shirt. “We don’t expose our bare arms around here.”
I put it on over top of my T-shirt. It was pocketless and colorless, with a row of hand sown buttons down the front. I marveled. Someone had actually made this by hand.
“Oh, to answer your question,” Simon said. “We don’t have a way to tell time here. Supper time is whenever the chores are done and the food is cooked.”
Simon left me to wait in the dining room. There wasn’t much to look at. Like the rest of the house it was unadorned. A long, plain wooden table surrounded by mismatched wooden chairs filled the space. Stout candles burning on either end were the only light source. A locked cabinet sat in the corner and I wondered what was inside. Religious ceremonial objects, perhaps?
Women’s voices bled through the adjoining wall to the kitchen and I hoped Zoe was with them. I hadn’t seen her since Dorothy had taken her away.
Finally, I heard the heavy footsteps of the men coming in from outside. Finn led the way into the dining room where I was standing.
“Take a seat,” he said. The rest of the guys joined me, Finn, Simon and Taylor, plus two others. They nodded but said nothing to me. Shortly afterward, the doors from the kitchen swung open and a line of women entered, each carrying a dish in their hands.
Zoe was among them and I almost burst out laughing when I saw her. She had on a starchy dress that reached the floor and a stiff white bonnet on her head that looked like an arts and crafts project. Buttons ran up to her neck over a well concealed chest. I’d never seen her dressed so…completely. She shot me a warning look when I caught her eye and I bit my cheek to keep from smirking.
The thing was, despite the get-up, she was still beautiful. I was afraid her physical perfection was a billboard announcing “GAP here!”
Once we were all seated, Finn Ranger said to me. “Please introduce yourselves before we bless the food.”
“I’m Noah Brody, and this is…” I glanced at Zoe who sat opposite me. “Zoe...Morgan.” I couldn’t very well announce that they had Senator Vanderveen’s granddaughter under their roof. Morgan was one of Zoe’s aliases and it felt safer.
“Noah and Zoe. Neither married couple nor siblings,” Finn said. He seemed fixated with that fact.
Finn cleared his throat and went on to introduce the table. I noticed then that all the women sat on one side of the table and the guys on the other, with Finn at one end and a large, black guy opposite him.
“My wife, Dorothy—Mrs. Ranger to you—and my daughter, Rebecca. The young lady beside her is Hannah Blake, daughter of the Galloways.”
Mrs. Galloway was a plain-looking woman with graying, brown hair. I didn’t know why her daughter had a different last name.
Ranger continued, starting with the elderly man, “Mr. Galloway, his son Taylor Blake and my sons, Simon and Philip.” He lifted his chin toward the sturdy guy at the end. “Ike Miller.”
Ike’s eyes narrowed when they landed on me.
“Mr. and Mrs. Galloway are the guardians of Hannah and Taylor Blake,” Finn clarified. The girl Hannah resembled Taylor and was clearly a sister.
I nodded at each one and noted how they nodded back, first to me, then to Zoe. The guys’ eyes naturally lingered on Zoe, and my gut tightened as Taylor stared at her a moment too long.
Worse yet, Zoe stared back.
Everyone bowed their heads while Finn said a blessing. Thankfully, they closed their eyes, so they didn’t see that Zoe and I didn’t close ours. I offered her an encouraging smile and mouthed once more, “One day.”
After a chorus of “Amen,” Mrs. Ranger dished out bowls of chicken and corn soup while Mrs. Galloway cut up thick slices of homemade bread. My stomach settled a little more with each delicious bite. I hated being hungry.
With the exception of the scraping of metal spoons along the bottoms and sides of porcelain bowls, it was quiet around the table. I imagined that there would be more chatting and social camaraderie, but everyone kept to the task of eating. Though most eyes stayed on their own
dishes, I was openly looking around. I caught Rebecca sneaking several glances at Taylor while he was busy trying to keep from getting caught looking at Zoe. I suppressed a growl that formed in my throat.
I focused on my soup, dipping the bread and filling my mouth. Satisfying hunger had a drug-like effect, a sloppy headiness that masqueraded at peacefulness. I took in my motley companions chewing and slurping, my eyes settling on Zoe and her ridiculous costume. She and I needed to get out of this strange community as soon as possible.
When the meal looked like it was wrapping up, I decided to speak. “Thanks again for taking us in without notice like that. It’s very kind of you.”
Finn petted his beard. “It is our duty to help.”
“Is there a place nearby where I can get my car battery re-charged? We don’t want to presume upon your generosity much longer.”
Finn paused as if to consider my question. “There is a charging station in Marley, the next town down the road. You can borrow the carriage tomorrow.”
Borrow the carriage? I’d never touched a horse before in my life, or any farm animal for that matter. My eyes moved to Zoe and smirked.
“Is it possible that someone could go with us?” I asked, not wanting to admit my incompetence.
“I’ll go,” Taylor Blake said. Of course, he would offer.
“Pa,” Rebecca said. “Shall I go also? We need supplies for the kitchen.”
“Unescorted with two lads? I think not.”
“She’ll be with me,” Zoe said. “I’m going.”
Zoe said this like it was a done deal, like obtaining permission from this group, from Finn, was unnecessary. The whole table went quiet and the frown lines around Finn’s mouth turned into valleys.
He must’ve decided it wasn’t worth getting into a row with a stranger because he finally said, “I suppose it’s a good opportunity for you to get supplies, Rebecca.”
The women rose to clear the table and do the dishes. Zoe gave me the evil eye as I watched her work. Apparently, the privilege of being a guest for the first day didn’t apply to women. Her long sleeves barely concealed the bandage on her right hand, between thumb and forefinger and I frowned.
