The Gift

by Shelley Shepard Gray

  CHAPTER 28

  Sunday, December 24

  The first thing Neil noticed was the smell. Mildew and musk. Mud and decay. That, combined with the damp chill and the faint sound of trickling water, left him no doubt as to what had happened. They hadn’t fallen down an abandoned mine shaft.

  Instead, they had landed somewhere far more dangerous. They were somewhere in Horse Cave.

  Somehow, they’d fallen down a boarded-up old entrance to the cave. There weren’t lots of old entrances around the area, but there were more than two or three. Most were well marked with NO TRESPASSING signs. Some had even been covered with old stone or cement over the years.

  Others had not.

  He vaguely remembered his father and uncle telling him and Roy scary ghost stories about falling into the cave if they weren’t careful. He and Roy had listened to the stories with wide eyes, shivering as their imaginations took flight. Roy had been scared of the nests of bats he was sure populated the cave.

  Neil's own worries had been more rooted in reality. Everyone knew that the cave could fill up with water in minutes, drowning all the inhabitants inside.

  There had been a glimmer of truth to the tales, which had made the stories seem even more disturbing. Growing up, he and Roy had heard a multitude of stories about how earlier residents of the area used to be quite the entrepreneurs.

  After Mammoth Cave had been discovered and the rest of the county had become “cave crazy,” many residents set up their own travel industry. They’d hastily cleaned out one of the many entrances to the spidery underground caverns, making a slipshod entrance and charging a couple of bits to interested tourists.

  But unlike some of the other caverns in the area, Horse Cave had a tendency to flood. When a couple of locals died, most of the tourism boom had dried up.

  The townspeople had then moved on to other venues, hastily boarding up the old entrances before moving on. When the Commonwealth took over the running of Horse Cave, a couple of men had been paid to carefully seal the other entrances. But outsiders would never know all the entrances, mainly because there were still enough residents who didn’t trust outsiders on their property.

  Therefore, it was a common joke that longtime members of the community could slip in and out of the caves undetected, if that was what they desired.

  Neil figured few people ever did. The unexplored and narrow branches of the cave were treacherous and dark, susceptible to flash floods and even unfortunate receptacles to poor sewage systems.

  So, Neil had known such entrances had existed, but he’d thought the stories about simply falling through the ground into the vast cavern had been greatly exaggerated. He’d always thought the men had told those stories as a way of either scaring them at Halloween or to encourage them not to wander off when they were out walking. But it seemed like it hadn’t been an old wives’ tale after all.

  Finally, clearing his head, he sat up, moaning under his breath as his body protested the movement. He experimentally shifted his limbs, wondering if he’d sprained or broken anything. But though he hurt, he was in good shape.

  Until he realized that he hadn’t heard anything besides the sound of water dripping around him.

  “Susanna?” he called out. “Susanna, can you hear me?”

  Silence.

  He swiped at his eyes, struggled to discern any shape or movement in the dark. But though he was slowly able to distinguish various shades of gray, he couldn’t see her form.

  Worry turned to panic. What if she was grievously hurt? What if she’d hit her head and couldn’t speak? How was he going to be able to get her help? “Susanna?” he called out again, this time even more loudly. “Are you nearby? Can you say anything?”

  After a few seconds that felt like long hours, he heard a scramble followed by a faint moan.

  Tears pricked his eyes, he was so relieved. “Sue, say something, okay? Say anything so I can help you.”

  “Neil?” She coughed, gasped. Then spoke again. “Neil, here I am. Can you see anything? I can’t.”

  “I can’t see much, but I think I’m near you. Sit tight, okay? I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

  She laughed softly, the sound raw and ragged. “Don’t worry. I’m too afraid to move.”

  She was to his right. Afraid to get to his feet in case they had landed on an even more precarious part of the cave than he’d imagined, he crawled toward her. The rock was cold and slick under his hands, coated with condensation and algae.

  “So, I guess we’re in the cave.”

  “Jah.”

  She laughed softly. “I’ve been wanting to explore it, but I would’ve rather picked another way.”

  “And I would’ve rather taken you another time. Preferably in the summer and with some flashlights on hand,” he said as he continued edging toward her voice.

  “What do you think happened? One moment we were walking, the next, I woke up and you were calling my name.”

  She’d woken up. “Did you pass out? Did you hit your head?” he asked anxiously.

  “I don’t know. Maybe I just got the wind knocked out of me.”

  Neil knew she was nearby, though he was also pretty sure she was resting lower than he was. “Keep talking, Sue. I think you might be a little below me.”

  “Below you?” He heard her fumble around. “Eww. It is really wet around here.”

  “How wet? Most times there’s a small rivulet of water down at the bottom. Do you think you landed in that?” Please, God, he hoped not. Because if she was that far down, then not only was he going to have to get down to her but he was also going to find a way to get himself and her back up.

  “Um, let me see . . .” Her first words drifted off as he heard her shuffle around a bit.

  “Be careful!”

  “I am.” After a couple more seconds of knocking, she moaned. “Well, there’s good news and bad news.”

  In spite of himself, Neil smiled. Only Susanna could say things like that in such a scary situation. “Let’s have the good news first.”

  “I don’t think I’m in a creek bed or anything like that. The water is only a few inches deep. That’s gut, jah?”

  “Jah. That’s wonderful-gut.” His right hand reached out, felt the edge of the ledge he now realized he was on. “I think I’m close, Susanna. Keep talking. Tell me your bad news.”

  “Well, I think I hurt my wrist. Nee. I know I hurt it.” She let out a small groan. “I can hardly move it.”

  Inwardly, he cursed. That was bad news. If she only had one arm that she could use, then it was going to be even harder to pull her up. Struggling to keep his voice even, he said, “What about everything else?”

  “Everything else?”

  “Jah. Your back, your legs . . . can you move them?”

  There was another pause as he imagined her moving her limbs experimentally. “I think so.”

  “That’s gut.”

  “Neil, what about you?”

  “I’m all right.” And because he heard the new thread of worry in her voice, he interjected a new note of confidence in his voice. “You know me. I’m too ornery for a little thing like a fall to hurt me.”

  As he’d hoped, she chuckled.

  Shifting slightly, he stuck part of his right leg over the ledge, so he could swing the lower portion of his leg. “Susanna, I think I’m right above you. Now, I know it’s dark, but I want you to try real hard to find my foot. I think it’s swinging above you.”

  “I hear your voice, but I think you’re quite a bit higher. Too far for me to reach you easily.”

  “That means you’re going to have to climb to your feet and reach a hand up for my foot. Can you do that?”

  She made a choking noise that sounded a lot like she was fighting back tears. “It’s really dark. I canna even see my hand when it’s in front of my face.”

  “I know. But you have to have faith, ain’t so?”

  “I know, but—”

  “Susanna, can you feel
for a wall or something? Use it to help yourself.”

  She was panting now. Verging on panic. Neil would’ve been tempted to try to encourage her, but he didn’t know the right words to say. After all, what were the words? It was a scary thing to move around in a house when it was completely dark—in a cave, with water nearby, and when neither of them had any inkling of what was near them . . . ?

  He figured it was verging on terrifying.

  “I would give a lot right now to have on pants instead of this heavy cloak and dress.”

  “I’d tell you to take it off, but I fear you’d get too chilled.”

  “Neil, I can’t believe you said that.”

  He smiled, because now there was a note of humor peeking through her tear-filled voice. “It’s shocking, but it ain’t like I could see ya. True?”

  “Maybe.” He heard a wet-sounding smack of her hand. “Oh! I found a wall.”

  Forcing himself not to add to her anxiety, he worked to keep his voice calm. “That’s gut. Use it to help you get to your feet.”

  “Okay. Hold on. I don’t know why, but I can’t seem to talk to you and concentrate on getting to my feet at the same time.”

  “I understand.”

  “Do you?” she asked after a pause. Endless minutes passed as he heard her shuffling below him. With each shift he felt his worry for her increase. Dozens of things could go wrong and he’d have no way to help her.

  At last, she spoke. “Okay, I’m on my feet now. Please, God, let you be close.”

  Her artless comment made him realize that he should have been praying. Quietly, he asked the Lord to be with her. To be with them.

  “Neil?”

  “What?”

  “I’m looking for you. You’ve gotta keep talking.”

  He chuckled. “Sorry, I was just thinking I should start praying.”

  “You haven’t started? Neil, all I’ve been doing is praying!”

  That made him smile. “It’s working, jah. You have made good progress.”

  “That’s a good point,” she said. “I’m going to have to start praying to get rescued quickly.”

  Her faith in the midst of their situation was inspiring. “Do you think He intends to answer our prayers?”

  “I don’t see why not. We are good people. And we are believers. Oh!”

  “What?”

  “Oh, I hit my arm on something. It really stung.” Her breath hitched. “Okay, I’m taking another step toward you.”

  “I’ll keep talking, then.” Of course, now that it was his turn to chatter on, his head felt like it was made of cotton. Why couldn’t he focus?

  Because he was afraid for her.

  “Neil?”

  “Sorry. I was, um . . . I was just thinking about you,” he said at last.

  “Me?”

  “Jah. I, um, I was thinking about how glad I am to know you.”

  “I wouldn’t have guessed you saying that. I haven’t brought you anything but pain and trouble.”

  “That ain’t true. You’ve been a lot of things to me. A lot of good things.”

  “Even if I have been, I’ll never be able to return the favor. After all, you rescued me that night after Thanksgiving.”

  “Sometimes I think you’ve rescued me, too,” he admitted. “Before we met, I was so consumed by pain and embarrassment that I had stopped feeling hopeful. You changed that.”

  “I had no idea.”

  “That’s because I’ve been too afraid to tell you. But the truth? Well, the truth is that you arrived in my life like a gift.”

  “A gift? Really?”

  Liking the comparison, he nodded, though of course she couldn’t see him. “Jah. I thought you were a pretty girl, all wrapped up in dark hair and green eyes. But when I learned what you were like underneath all that pretty wrapping, well, it was a treasure I couldn’t have imagined. You are positive and full of energy and a goodness that I’d forgotten was in me, too. I just want you to know that I’m grateful for you. I’m glad we’ve gotten to know each other.”

  “Me, too.” She sighed. “Neil, I don’t know what to do. I keep feeling around, but I—”

  He felt her hand push his boot. “You found me.”

  She laughed. “I did, didn’t I? Well, what do you think we should do now?”

  “I’m going to help you get up near me. And then we’re going to do the only thing we can. We’re going to wait to be rescued,” he said as confidently as he could.

  Because inside? . . . Well, he had no idea if that was a possibility or not.

  CHAPTER 29

  Sunday, December 24

  Dale Kaufmann had almost gotten up the nerve to kiss Amanda when the double doors to the hearth room swung open and half his family strode in without a second’s hesitation.

  With a little squeal, Amanda pulled away from him on the couch. Blushing furiously, she pressed her palms to her cheeks.

  “Don’t worry, Manda,” he said quietly before getting to his feet.

  She averted her face. It was obvious that she wished she was absolutely anyplace else.

  He knew the feeling.

  Seeing as his eldest brother, who was practically married off, was in the lead, he unleashed his anger on him. “Max, haven’t we moved on from these games?”

  Max’s eyes darted from Dale to Amanda, then back again. “Sorry to, uh, interrupt, Dale, but we’ve got a problem.”

  Right then he realized that not only were Max and Beth in the room, but also his sister Esther and Neil’s brother, Roy. Every one of them was staring at Amanda with concern. “What happened?”

  “Amanda, there’s no way to tell you this easily. Your sister and Neil Vance are missing.”

  While Dale felt his body stiffen with shock, she shook her head. “Nee, they aren’t missing. They’re delivering cookies for Mrs. Vance. I mean, for your mother, Roy.”

  “They did do that, but they left hours ago. They should have been back by now.”

  Her eyes widened. “Are you sure?”

  Taking Amanda’s hand, Dale said, “I bet they went to Bill’s Diner or something. There ain’t no reason to get everyone worried for nothing.”

  “Someone found the wagon Neil had been pushing and brought it to our house almost two hours ago,” Roy said, his expression grim. “My mother, Daed, Uncle Joseph, and I went right out and started asking if anyone had seen them. The trail ended just off of Sixth Avenue.”

  “Your uncle?”

  “Jah. It surprised me, too. But Joseph acted as if he was surprised that we didn’t think he’d want to go.”

  Amanda squeezed Dale’s hand. “Roy, where are my parents?”

  “At your haus. My mother wanted to tell your mother right away.”

  “Our parents just went over there, too,” Esther said. “They’re going to come up with a search-party plan.”

  “I need to go home,” Amanda said.

  Dale gazed at her in concern. She was sounding shaky. “Of course you do,” he said gently. “I’ll walk you there right now.”

  Esther held out a hand for Amanda to take. “Let me help you find your cloak and boots. With so many people in this house, everything gets lost or mixed up.”

  “All right,” Amanda said. As she started following Esther, she looked over at Dale again, her blue eyes looking languid. She was close to tears. “Dale, you coming?”

  He nodded. “I’ll be right there. I promise, Manda.”

  “Come on, Amanda,” Esther said kindly. “I promise, it’s easier just to give Dale a moment to talk to the men. Then, he’ll be along. I bet by the time we sort out all the boots.”

  When the girls were out of the room at last, Dale stared at Roy. “I hate that she’s so scared. Are you sure about this? I know Neil almost as well as you do. He does everything slow and methodical. I can’t imagine him deciding to take Susanna somewhere private and losing track of time.”

  “I’m sure.” Lowering his voice, Roy said, “We have a pretty good idea about wh
ere the two of them vanished. Well, we’ve narrowed it down to two places.”

  “Where?”

  Roy hesitated. “I think it would be better if you asked the sheriff or Deputy Beck that. They’re already searching the area.”

  “The authorities are already involved?” Even he knew that most authorities wouldn’t start searching for missing persons until they’d waited at least a couple of hours.

  “After the deputy’s wife got attacked last year, I don’t think he’s one for taking chances anymore.” Roy shrugged. “I, for one, am really glad that they aren’t wasting time. It’s really cold out. The temperatures are supposed to be in the low twenties tonight.”

  “This news is getting worse and worse.”

  “Jah,” Roy said around a sigh. “This has been one of the worst evenings of my life, for sure.”

  Dale stared at him closely. Of course Roy was going to be upset and anxious about his brother. That was to be expected. But Dale would bet a dollar that he was worried about something else, too. Roy’s expression was too ravaged, his manner too tense. “Hey, are you all right?”

  “Dale, come on, if you’re coming,” Esther called out.

  “I want to talk to you, but I’ve got to go,” he said. “I know Amanda’s anxious to be with her parents.”

  “Of course she is.” Roy stared at Dale a moment longer, then seemed to come to a decision. “If you don’t mind, I think I’ll go with you over to the Schwartzes’ house.”

  “You are really worried about Neil and Susanna, aren’t you?”

  “I am. But to be honest, it’s not just that.” He swallowed hard. “I fear I know who is behind this.”

  “Really? Is it . . . Is it someone you know?”

  He nodded. “Unfortunately, I fear it’s someone I know very well.”

  CHAPTER 30

  Sunday, December 24

  At least two hours had passed since Neil had gripped her arms and helped her scrabble up the ledge to reach his side. It hadn’t been easy. The walls of the cave were damp and slick, her dress and cloak were ungainly, and her left wrist and hand throbbed painfully.

  She’d cried out in pain when he pulled, which she knew had made Neil feel worse. She’d felt terrible for not being able to hold back her cry and apologized several times.