If she thought that puny stick might be used as a weapon against him, she was sadly mistaken. Micah could have that stick out of her hand and broken in half before she ever saw him coming.
As he stepped close enough for her to see him, she looked up and gasped, her green eyes widening in abject terror.
“I won’t tell,” she exclaimed fervently. “Please don’t hurt me. I swear I won’t tell anyone what I saw. Just let me have my other son and we’ll go far away from here. I’ll never speak your name again.” Her voice cracked as she focused on his gun and he realized she believed he was Samuel.
Certainly it was dark enough that anyone could mistake him for his brother. When the brothers were together it was easy to see the subtle differences between them. Micah’s face was slightly thinner, his features more chiseled than those of his brother.
At the moment, Micah knew Samuel kept his hair cut neat and tidy while Micah’s long hair was tied back. He reached up and pulled the rawhide strip, allowing his hair to fall from its binds.
The woman gasped once again. “You aren’t him…but you look like him. Who are you?” Her voice still held fear as she dropped the stick and protectively clutched the baby closer to her chest.
“Who are you?” he countered. He wasn’t about to be taken in by a pale-haired angel with big green eyes in this evil place where angels probably couldn’t exist.
“I’m Olivia Conner, and this is my son Sam.” Tears filled her eyes. “I have another son, but he’s still in town. I couldn’t get to him before I ran away. I’ve heard rumors that there was a safe house somewhere, but I’ve been in the woods for two days and I can’t find it.” The tears spilled a little faster. “I need to get someplace safe, where Sam can get something to eat and I can go back into town and get my other son.”
Micah was unmoved by her tears and by her story. He knew how devious his brother could be and Micah would do everything possible to protect the location of the safe house. There was only one way to know for sure if she was one of Samuel’s “Devotees.”
“I need to see your right hip,” he said.
Once again her eyes opened wide, but it was obvious she knew why he’d made the demand. The people closest to Samuel, the people who were a part of his “cult” were all tattooed on their right hip with a letter D. Before he took her anywhere, he needed to see that she wasn’t wearing Samuel’s mark.
She pulled the sling over her neck and placed the baby on the ground where he sat up and gazed at Micah with a drooling grin. Olivia stood, dwarfed by Micah’s six feet two and as she looked up at him, he saw the fear that still simmered in the depths of her eyes.
Her slender fingers trembled as they unfastened her jeans and slipped them down low enough to expose one pale hip. Micah pulled a flashlight from his pocket and shone it on the area, wanting to be absolutely sure that he didn’t miss any tattoo that would mark her as one of Samuel’s closest followers.
Confident that there was nothing there, he motioned her to refasten her jeans. “You never told me who you are,” she said as she fastened the jeans and then pulled on the sling and the child back against her chest.
“And you never told me exactly how you came to be in the middle of the woods in the dead of the night with only one of your two children,” he countered.
In the light of the moon he saw her eyes darken and fear once again shine from the depths. She hesitated, as if unsure what to tell him, then finally released a weary sigh. “I was on my way to the child care center to pick up my three-year-old son Ethan when I saw something that shocked me…something that frightened me so badly I just ran. Please, I need help. We’re hungry. My baby is hungry.”
Micah knew he was a good judge of character and more than once that quality had saved his life. There was a genuine desperation in her eyes, and that, coupled with the absence of the telltale tattoo, allowed him to put away any misgivings about her credibility.
“What was it that you saw that scared you so bad you ran?” he asked.
She lifted her chin a notch and although her lips trembled slightly there was defiance in her stance as she straightened her shoulders and squared off to him. “I’m not saying anything more until I know who you are and what you intend to do with me.”
“I’m Micah Grayson, Samuel’s brother. I’m here to take him down, but right now I’m going to take you to the safe house. Stay close, move fast and keep quiet.” With these words he turned his back to her and began to move.
* * *
Samuel’s brother.
Those words were enough to shoot complete terror through Olivia’s heart. She had no idea if she could trust him or not, but she knew with certainty that she and her baby boy couldn’t survive much more time in the woods all alone without food or water. She hadn’t slept for two days and nights, afraid of each and every sound the forest made as she’d tried to find the safe house and stay hidden from danger at the same time.
At the moment she felt as if she had no other choice but to trust him and so she hurried after him, her heart pounding a million miles a minute.
The only thing that gave her comfort was that he was leading her in a direction deeper into the woods rather than back toward the little town she’d recently escaped.
She cuddled Sam to her chest, hoping he’d fall asleep. He’d been fussy off and on throughout the evening and she knew he was hungry and tired of the sling. She’d managed to stave off some of his hunger pangs over the last couple days with the snacks she always kept stored in her backpack, but earlier that evening she’d given him the last of the crackers and the last sip of juice.
Nights on the mountain weren’t kind at this time of year. Although a September day could be warm and pleasant, the nights turned cold and she hadn’t been prepared or equipped with the supplies or the survival skills she’d needed.
She had to trust Micah because she had no other choice. He was a daunting man, tall and with shoulders the size of a small county. In the moonlight his green eyes had looked icy cold—deadly—but she had run out of options.
He kept up a fast pace, moving through the woods like a shadow as she hurried to keep up with him. As he led her to a narrow crevice in the side of the mountain, she realized that if this really was the way to the safe house she would have never been able to find it on her own.
It felt like they had walked for miles in the narrow crevice where only the faint beam of his flashlight lit the way. He paused as they appeared to be at a dead end and once again her heart banged frantically. Had he brought her here to kill her? Was he really working for his brother or had he told the truth and was working against him?
Despite the appearance of a dead end, he twisted his body into a seemingly invisible space and as she followed, she realized they’d entered a cave tunnel. She could feel a faint breeze on her face and knew the end wasn’t far.
He paused once again, this time to pull a radio from his pocket. “It’s Micah. I’m coming in with two.”
“Copy,” a faint voice replied.
Micah dropped the radio back in his pocket and moved forward. Within moments they had left the cave and entered a small valley. The moonlight was brighter now and she could see a man standing in front of a rocky entrance of a half-hidden cave.
He was armed, but greeted Micah by name. “I told June you’re coming in,” he said.
“Thanks, Jesse.” Micah grabbed her by the elbow, his big hand warm on her skin.
They went through another small narrow passage and that opened into a huge cave that had been transformed into living quarters.
Olivia felt her mouth drop open as she took in her surroundings. It was like entering an alien world with huge ceilings and furnished comfortably with wood, bone, animal skins and whatever else the forest could yield.
“Follow me,” Micah said. “June will probably be in the kit
chen area and we have questions for you.”
She had plenty of questions for him, too. She’d expected the rumored safe house to be a little cabin in the woods where people were spirited in and out of the area in the middle of the night.
But, as she heard the sound of laughter coming from someplace in the distance and followed Micah through the huge main room where the scent of something cooking wafted in the air, this place felt more like a thriving community than a pit stop on the way to safety.
Micah led her into a kitchen where the focal point of the room was a huge rough-hewn wooden table above which hung a chandelier fashioned from antlers.
A woman stood at a stove stirring what smelled like some sort of stew. She turned at the sight of them and offered Olivia a tentative smile. “Got the news there were two incoming, didn’t realize it was really one and a half.”
Olivia looked down at Sam, who had fallen asleep against her chest and fought the tears that pressed hot against her eyes.
“She says she’s been in the woods for two days,” Micah said as he gestured Olivia into a chair at the table.
“And you must be starving,” the tall, willowy, red-haired woman said as Olivia took off her backpack and sank into one of the chairs. Micah took the chair next to her and she was instantly aware of two things—he smelled like the forest, fresh, wild, yet clean and utterly male. And even though he looked amazingly like his brother, Samuel Grayson was really just a pale imitation of the handsome, hard-featured man seated to her right.
“I’m June Farrow,” the woman said as she set a bowl of hot stew in front of Olivia. “And I’d be more than happy to hold that sleeping little boy so you can eat.”
Olivia looked down at Sam and for a moment the last thing she wanted to do was relinquish possession of the one child she had with her. Once again as she thought of her missing three-year-old, her eyes welled up with tears that she desperately tried to control.
“What’s his name?” June asked softly.
“Sam. His name is Sam.” Olivia pulled the child from the front sling and handed him into June’s awaiting arms. She had to trust these people, she had no choice and the scent of the food cramped her empty stomach. She’d had nothing to eat for the last two days, afraid that if she took a single bite of anything that had been in her backpack, it might mean Sam going hungry.
Micah sat silently as she ate. She tried not to shovel the savory stew into her mouth like a wild animal. She had no idea what exactly was in the stew, but nothing had ever tasted so good.
When she was finished she looked at June. “Is there milk? I have a bottle for Sam in my backpack but he emptied it the first night we were in the woods.”
The area where she sat was warmer than it had been outside and with her belly full, all she really wanted to do was sleep. She’d only had unanticipated fitful dozes while in the forest; she’d been too afraid to allow herself any real sleep. The forest had been filled with critters, both animal and human.
“How about I get a bottle ready for Sam and put him down in the nursery?” June asked.
Panic once again clawed up Olivia’s throat. “Nursery? Where is that? What, exactly, is this place?”
“You’re safe here and nobody will hurt you or your son,” Micah finally spoke. “Why don’t you and June get the boy settled in for the night and then the three of us will talk some more.”
Olivia hesitated for a long moment, so many questions whirling around in her head, coupled with the crushing fear for the child she had left behind.
She finally got up from the table and rummaged in the now nearly empty backpack for the empty bottle. June handed Sam back to her and Olivia watched as the woman washed the bottle and then filled it with milk. “Come with me,” she then said.
The cave was a maze of rooms, some small, some much larger, some with wooden doors and some without. The temperature was slightly cooler away from the kitchen area, but not unpleasantly so.
They finally came to a medium-sized room that held several cribs and child-sized cots. “We have a couple three-year-olds, but they’re sleeping with their mommy in another room, so right now he’s the only little one we have here,” June said as she motioned for Olivia to place Sam in one of the cribs.
Sam awakened and as always gave his mother a beatific smile and then when he saw the bottle June held, his fingers worked in a gimme fashion. “Bot,” he exclaimed.
June smiled and gave him the bottle and as he began to drink it, his eyes drifted closed once again. The two women backed out of the nursery and June showed her the room next door. “We’ll put you in here, that way you can hear if he needs anything throughout the night.”
This area was small, with a door and a double bed covered with what appeared to be clean sheets and a lightweight blanket. A small rustic wooden table sat next to the bed with an oil lantern burning to light the room. “I’m afraid it isn’t exactly the Ritz, but we all manage.”
“It’s fine,” Olivia replied, still feeling as if she’d entered a surreal world she didn’t quite understand.
“We’d better get back to Micah. He’s probably chewing off his own arm waiting to ask you some questions.”
When they headed to the kitchen, the scent of freshly brewed coffee filled the air. Micah was seated where he’d been when they had left, but three cups of coffee were on the table. “I wasn’t sure how you drank yours,” he said to Olivia.
“Black is fine.” She curled her fingers around the warmth of the mug and then looked at June. “What is this place and what are all of you doing here?”
“The cave was built a long time ago by an architect who went crazy and became an eccentric survivalist—decided to prepare for the end of the world. He was something of a genius when it came to using the natural resources accessible in the mountains. Rumor has it that he died when he’d finished construction and it was left to a distant relative of his. About five years ago, when we realized what was happening in Cold Plains, we knew we’d need a place of safety so we contacted the owner who told us to do whatever we wanted with it. We did a little refurbishing to make it once again livable and here we are,” June explained.
Olivia was aware of Micah’s dark gaze lingering on her, but she wasn’t finished getting answers from June. “So, this is about an investigation of some sort? Are you a police officer of some kind?”
June smiled. “Heavens no. I’m just a widow who, years ago, lost my family to a cult and now I’ve made it my life’s mission running safe houses for members who leave and need a place to hide and to be deprogrammed.”
“A cult? But Cold Plains is just a beautiful small town, a wonderful place to raise children. It’s a place of health and prosperity.” She frowned, recognizing she was parroting Samuel’s words.
She tried not to think about the fact that she’d planned on getting the D tattoo on her hip before she left Cold Plains and that she’d been completely devoted to Samuel Grayson—until that moment two nights ago when everything she’d believed about the man had exploded apart.
“It’s definitely a cult and it’s run by a very dangerous man,” Micah said.
“Your brother.”
He nodded and his green eyes transformed to a darker shade like the deepest forest shadows.
“You look a lot like him,” she replied.
“An unfortunate accident of genes. We’re fraternal twins. I’m here working with the FBI to bring down Samuel and all his cult enforcers.”
Olivia stared first at June and then back at Micah, trying to wrap her mind around the fact that the perfect little town she’d called home was actually run by a group of evil “cult” members. “It’s a beautiful town. Everything shines with prosperity and newness. They’re even drawing in celebrities and big investors. I lived in a charming little house and had a great job. My children were happy and had the best he
alth care available.” Once again she was aware that she was saying what she’d been told, what had been almost a mantra of the townspeople who followed Samuel’s teachings.
Still, she didn’t need to be deprogrammed by anyone. Her break with anything to do with Samuel and his messages and his way of life had happened in a single heart-stopping instant.
“So, what are you doing here? Why were you hiding out in the woods looking for the safe house?” Micah asked.
Olivia’s heart began to beat an unsteady rhythm as she remembered what had happened, what she’d seen two nights before. “I worked at the Community Center as a secretary. That day Sam had been fussy so I’d kept him with me at work. Samuel never minded if I needed to have him with me. As usual Ethan, my three-year-old, had gone to the Cold Plains Day Care.”
She took a sip of her coffee, hoping the warmth would heat the icy chill that had suddenly gripped her heart. “I worked a little later than usual, so it was dark when I finally left the Community Center. The day care wasn’t far away and I took off walking, knowing that Ethan would be eager to see me and his little brother after such a long day.”
Emotion once again pressed tight in her chest, rising up the back of her throat, but she swallowed hard, needing to get through this before she allowed herself to completely fall apart.
She took another sip of the strong coffee as Micah and June waited patiently for her to continue. She set the cup back on the table, aware that her fingers were trembling.
“There was an alley adjacent to the street,” she continued. “I saw Samuel and another man standing there talking and I didn’t really think too much about it. They didn’t look angry or upset, but as the man turned to leave, Samuel pulled a gun and shot him in the back of his head. There was no sound. He must have used a silencer, but as the man fell to the ground, I ran.”
She had run like the wind, with panic stealing away all rational thought. Get away. Get away, that had been her only thought. She’d dashed away, praying that Samuel hadn’t seen her, fearing not just for her own life but for Sam’s life, too.
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