The Girl Behind the Red Rope

by Ted Dekker

  “I will be back,” I said.

  He smiled. “Good.”

  Chapter

  Twenty-Three

  I REACHED MY HOUSE WITHOUT BEING DETECTED. The stars were out overhead, and the skyline was finally void of sunlight. Bunching up my skirt I climbed the small oak tree that stood outside my bedroom window. Then shimmied along the thick branch adjacent to the roof overhang, and in through the window I’d left open. The moment my feet hit the carpeted floor I felt a rush of relief.

  I stood in the darkness, trying to calm my breathing, listening for any sound that might spell trouble. The house was quiet.

  Rose had murdered Ben. The horror of it flooded me again, conflicting with thoughts of what I’d just done in defiance of Rose. I could hardly hold on to both ideas at the same time. I was sure Rose had her reasons, just like I had my reasons. Was I wrong, then? Was she?

  I couldn’t imagine Rose being wrong.

  I forced the questions from my mind and focused on the fact that I had a brother named Eli who was depending on me. He might be dangerous, but so was everything in my world right now.

  A gust of cool night air reminded me my window was still open and got me moving. I closed it tight and yanked the curtains together as though doing so would conceal evidence of my betrayal. Then I removed my shoes and shoved them into the back corner of my closet where they wouldn’t be discovered. But my dress was the worst—dusty and dirty from the basement and train car.

  It took me less than a minute to undress, hide my clothing, and shrug into a clean dress.

  What about my hair? And my hands! I could see several dark smudges across my palms and mud under my nails. I needed to wash before I was collected for dinner!

  A hard, rapid knock on my door made me jump. My heart stopped. I dropped to my bed and crossed one leg over the other. “Yes?”

  The door opened, and I did my best to appear as nonchalant as possible. And I would have pulled it off if it had only been my mother.

  But it wasn’t only her. Rose entered my room behind her.

  “As I said”—my mother indicated me—“she’s been here all along.”

  I flicked my eyes from my mother to Rose, slowly tucking my fingers in toward my palms and moving them into the folds of my thick skirt to hide the smudges. Rose was here, in my home. She knows. She knows it was me.

  Rose brushed past my mother, face drawn. “When did you get home?”

  I think I would have answered well enough, but Bobbie appeared over Rose’s shoulder, staring at me, and I was so taken aback by her sudden entrance that I struggled to speak.

  “Tell as much of the truth as you can, but say nothing of Ben or Eli,” Bobbie said. “It’ll get you killed.”

  “Grace?” Rose said, and I shifted my gaze back to her eyes.

  I cleared my throat. “Sorry. I came straight home from your house this afternoon.” Truth.

  “And you haven’t left since?” Rose asked.

  “No.” Lie.

  Rose was taking me in carefully. “You’ve been here? In your room?”

  “Shift the conversation to your guilt regarding Levi and Stephen,” Bobbie said. “Speak some truth.”

  I spoke quickly, allowing guilt to swallow me. “I did exactly as you asked after letting you down at the house,” I said. “Please . . .” I could feel my lower lip quiver. “I know it was wrong of me to leave the boys alone, but I didn’t think to take them up to Evelyn’s room. She was so distraught. I wanted to take care of her as best I could.”

  Rose blinked. For a moment, no one said anything. They were likely trying to follow my logic. But Rose knew what I was talking about.

  “She hasn’t left her room all evening, Rose,” my mother said, answering Rose’s original question for me. “Jamie and I have both been here.”

  Rose kept her gaze on me as my mother spoke. I could practically feel the heat rising from her shoulders. She took a step toward me. I wanted to flee, but I remained on the bed. She was only two feet from me now, drilling me with her glare.

  “Would you lie to me, Grace?”

  “No,” I answered, my voice barely above a whisper.

  “But you have lied to me before.”

  “Careful, Grace,” Bobbie interjected. “She’s trying to trap you.”

  “Yes,” I said. “And I’m horrified by it.”

  “You aren’t hiding anything from me now?” Rose pushed. “Not a single detail?”

  “What do you mean?” I tried to appear confused. “No. I don’t understand what you’re talking about.”

  Rose hesitated. “Lies always come to the surface, Grace. Promise me I won’t discover any more of yours.”

  “Never,” I said. And I meant it. Eli was now my secret and my secret alone.

  We stood there, holding one another in locked gazes, as the rest of the room stilled. Then the intensity in her eyes eased a tad, and she broke the hold with a nod.

  “Good,” she said.

  “What’s this all about?” Jamie asked from the door, arms crossed. Bobbie was gone.

  Rose took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “Ben Weathers died earlier this evening, and the boy traveling with him is missing,” she said.

  My mother gasped, snatching her hand to her mouth. “No!”

  “I’m afraid so.”

  For a long moment, my mother stared at Rose, unbelieving. I watched as she surrendered to the simple truth. Her husband had come back from the dead only to be snatched away again before she could make sense of his return.

  “How?” she whispered.

  “His heart apparently gave out. He was terribly ill.”

  My mother let out a gut-wrenching sob.

  Rose gave her a gentle nod. “I know this must be difficult for you, and for that I am sorry.”

  As pain twisted my mother’s face, anger rose in my chest. Yes, I thought, my father’s dead because Rose killed him. I pressed my fingernails deeper into my palms.

  Rose continued. “I believe the boy may have had help in his escape.”

  That shut the room down.

  “And you thought it was Grace?” Jamie asked, looking at me.

  My mother recovered enough to express outrage. “That’s absurd!”

  “Is it, Julianna?” Rose snapped. “Didn’t both of your children recently betray this community? Do I not have good reason to question their loyalty?”

  My mother stared at her without offering a defense. Because Rose was right.

  Jamie was looking at me with suspicion, just as Rose had done moments earlier. He thought I could be guilty as well. Little did he know how right he was. He, perhaps more than Rose, might be my greater challenge now.

  “I have to ask the hard questions,” Rose said, pacing to her right. “But it appears Grace was here. And I suspect that you will attest to that, Jamie?”

  He hesitated, then offered a reluctant nod. “She came home this afternoon.”

  Rose nodded. “Which means that either the boy did escape on his own or someone else helped him. We will begin home searches at first light tomorrow.”

  “Tomorrow?” Jamie interjected. “Why not tonight?”

  “If he’s being held in someone’s home, he’ll be there in the morning. If he escaped on his own, he’s likely gone to the wind.”

  “Or hiding in one of the abandoned buildings,” Jamie said. “For that matter, he could have found a way into any of our public buildings. Let me take a team out tonight and search everything but the homes. If he’s on his own, we’ll find him.”

  She eyed him, impressed, I thought. Surely he wouldn’t go to the trains, not so far out at night.

  Rose gave him a nod. “Alright. Take Claude and any guardians he recommends. Search every vacant building, every storehouse, every nook and cranny of the farm—everything but the homes inside the perimeter. We start with the homes at first light.”

  She stepped past Julianna and paused at Jamie’s side. “You were right to be concerned. We’re not s
afe as long as that boy is at large.” She glanced back at Julianna and me for a moment. “Stay inside, and be on guard.” And then she was gone.

  We stood there as her footsteps clopped down the stairs, across the main floor and out the front entrance. The sound of the door closing echoed up the stairs.

  Jamie dropped his arms to his sides. “Promise me there’s no truth to her accusations,” he said, looking directly at me.

  “How could you even think such a thing?” our mother demanded.

  “What accusations?” I cut in, wanting to deflect him. “Rose was just looking for clarity and I told her the truth. I failed her this afternoon, and I’m willing to pay for that, but I don’t think she actually believes I helped the boy now. That’s ridiculous.”

  “Is it? You think he’s your brother.”

  “He’s your brother too,” I snapped.

  “Says who? A man who abandoned me?”

  Our mother turned and left us, crying into her hands.

  Our time beyond the perimeter had divided my brother and me and built a wall between us. It was almost as if all the years we’d had before didn’t exist.

  What had the Fury done to him?

  “I’ve done nothing wrong, brother,” I lied, suppressing my frustration.

  “I pray for your sake that’s true, sister,” he bit back, and stepped out of sight.

  I SPENT HALF THE NIGHT PRAYING THAT JAMIE wouldn’t take his search beyond the perimeter in defiance of Rose’s instruction to stay within. Claude was with him, and I knew the guardian would be loath to venture beyond the red marker at night. But still . . .

  I finally fell asleep and dreamed of Eli. In my dream he was a Fury. A kind one at first, but at the end of the dream, he grew fangs and destroyed Bobbie and then went after my mother.

  I woke with a start and hurried downstairs to find my mother drinking tea, dark circles under her eyes. She brightened and asked me how I was feeling. Hugged me and told me she was proud of me. When I asked her why, she smiled. “That’s Ben’s grandson inside of you,” she said. “I think he would be as proud of you as I am. Not just because you’re carrying our grandbaby, but because of who you’ve grown up to be.”

  I think I found a whole new love for my mother in that moment.

  But my mind was mostly on the boy.

  “Did they find Eli?” I asked.

  Her eyes drifted to the window. “No sign of him, Jamie said. They’re already going house to house.”

  I nodded, trying not to sound too interested. “I hope they find him. I can’t imagine him being alone out there.”

  “No. But I’m not sure being found will be good for him. Or whoever helped him.” She looked at me. “These are dangerous times.”

  “The worst,” I said. And then, after a pause, “Do you think he really is my brother?”

  She hesitated. “I don’t know, but I don’t think Ben would lie.” She looked away, eyes misted. “Sometimes I wonder if I was a fool to resist him the way I did.”

  She gathered herself and nodded at me. “With everything going on, you’re free today. Take this time and rest. Stress isn’t good for the baby.”

  “I will. What about you?”

  “I have a prayer meeting,” she said, rising. “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

  I would be alone. Which gave me the window I needed to see to Eli.

  My heart was already beating hard. I had to figure out what to do, but for now he needed food and some basics. And then we would see.

  My mother left twenty minutes later, and I immediately began collecting items I thought Eli could use. Fresh clothes, older and smaller items that didn’t fit Jamie anymore. A blanket, a flashlight, some matches, and a canteen of water. I carefully stole pieces of leftovers here and there, so that not too much of one thing was missing, then packed it all in a backpack and zipped it shut.

  Odd as it sounded, I was thankful that the community was steering clear of me, because it gave me reason to stay clear of them. I was just the girl who was spending time alone in her room, repenting of her sin.

  “What’s the plan here, Grace?”

  Bobbie. Behind me as I stood at the back door.

  I gripped the backpack and shut my eyes. If I turned, I’d see her beautiful and worried expression. The wise voice that continued to remind me of the reality I was facing.

  The reality that I didn’t really have a plan here.

  “You know as well as I do that Eli can’t survive in a train car indefinitely. And he’ll never be safe in Haven Valley.”

  I faced her, jaw set.

  “You have to send him away,” Bobbie said. “Give him enough supplies to make it to the city.”

  “It would take him days, and you know better than I what lies in wait out there,” I said.

  “What other choice do you have? You can’t keep him here.”

  “I know,” I said, shifting the pack on my shoulder. “I just haven’t figured out what comes next.”

  Bobbie frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. “Well, you need to, and quick.” She took a couple steps toward me, her dark eyes holding mine in place. “The longer you protect him, the longer you place yourself in danger. If he stays close to Haven Valley, they’ll find him. And when they find him, they’ll find out you’ve been helping him. Imagine what Rose will do then.”

  I knew she was right. I knew the threat against me had only begun, but there had to be a way out where I didn’t risk Eli’s life any more than I already had.

  “What about your life, Grace?” Bobbie asked.

  I dropped my eyes.

  “What about the life inside you? You’re playing with fire.”

  “You don’t have to stay if you don’t want to,” I snapped.

  “Don’t be foolish.” Bobbie took another step forward. “You need me now more than ever. If I left you’d be facing this completely alone. Is that what you want?”

  As I had multiple times before, I felt the warmth of having her near. The sense of security she offered, a companionship that I still didn’t fully understand but longed for.

  “No,” I said.

  “Then don’t forsake me,” she said.

  I had always viewed our relationship as protector and victim. But maybe we were more alike than I’d first seen. Partners who needed each other’s cooperation. Without my agreement, she was powerless to help, which was her purpose.

  “I won’t forsake you,” I whispered.

  “Then you’ll never be alone,” Bobbie said with a gentle smile. And I knew she wanted our partnership as much as I did.

  We shared a final moment of knowing, a silent oath that tied us together. Then I slung the backpack over my shoulders and opened the back door.

  Be careful, Grace, her voice whispered.

  I glanced back over my shoulder to see that she was gone.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Four

  IT WAS MIDMORNING BY THE TIME I REACHED THE northern perimeter. It had taken me longer than expected, weaving between the buildings and avoiding being seen by anyone, especially the guardians who were sweeping the town. My stomach was in knots when I finally reached the train.

  I quickly crossed toward the car in which I’d left Eli, praying he was still there and safe. I hauled myself up and scanned the car, expecting to see the boy.

  “Eli?” I whispered, hoping he’d pop out from the darkness. But nothing. I scanned the entire train car as I moved to the corner where he’d been the night before.

  “Eli,” I called louder. Nothing.

  There was an imprint left on the dried leaves against the far wall, as I’d expected to find, but the train car now sat empty. He’d left? Or been discovered! No, I would have heard.

  A whole new possibility crashed through me at the thought. The Fury!

  I hurried to the door and jumped down, glancing in the direction of the town. No sign of anyone. Good. Scurrying along the tracks, I checked under the cars.

  “Eli?”


  The day was utterly quiet. He was gone. Just . . . gone.

  I reached the last car and crossed the tracks to the backside of the abandoned train. No sign of him anywhere, not along the tracks, not in the grass leading up to the trees. In that moment I felt completely lost. What now?

  “Now is when you head back to the safety of your house.”

  I jumped at Bobbie’s voice. “Stop sneaking up on me.”

  She shrugged. “Sorry. But you’ve had your little adventure, and now it’s time to get back to safety.”

  “I have to find him!”

  “Do you? He’s managed to survive all this time out in the wild without your help.”

  “He had my father to help him.”

  “Or maybe he was helping your father. Either way, you’re not in a position to help him now.”

  I heard a faint sound then, just as I was about to tell Bobbie how wrong she was. A human voice, soft and distant. Singing?

  I strained to hear again, but the breeze had died away and only the sounds of nature reached me.

  “Did you hear that?” I asked, staring at the forest.

  She was listening as well. “Be careful. Trust nothing. You have to get back, Grace. Now, before you’re lured into terrible danger.”

  “It sounded like singing.”

  The bushes and leaves swayed with the breeze. Yellow and white flowers grew in clumps that were scattered here and there at the base of large tree trunks. It was quite beautiful. Was I being lured by the Fury, or was it Eli?

  “You’re assuming he’s not a Fury,” Bobbie said. “The worst of them come as angels of light, whispering of love and wonders in a fearless world. Give your heart to them and they will ravage you in the deepest imaginable hell.”

  The distant voice came again and I held my breath, turning toward the sound. Then again—a faint song—and this time I knew the voice had to be Eli’s.

  “Be careful, Grace.”

  But I was already moving toward the forest, drawn by that faint, sweet voice. My brother’s voice. Eli couldn’t be the kind of Fury Bobbie was warning me about. And I wouldn’t give my heart to him or anyone anyway. Right?