“You lied, Dad. You lied.”
A cold shiver shook Sam’s body as though she’d been dropped in arctic water. It hit her, he hadn’t done it. He hadn’t killed himself. It was a lie.
Stunned but elated and unsure how to unravel all that she’d been told about her father, she was about to stand, when her flashlight drew her attention to something. Pulling the boots out so she could look closer, she realized it was just a marble. One she and her sisters had probably lost. They used to steal from the boys, who would fling the little missiles at them with a pea shooter.
Smiling, she put the boots back but accidently knocked them over. They hit the floor with a loud thunk as though they were filled with something. Curious, she focussed the light inside them. Each held a packet, a faded brown envelope that she was sure they didn’t even make anymore. She pulled them out. Each was wrapped with a rubber band.
The sound of a car engine startled her. Her instincts kicked in, off went the flashlight, the envelopes got stuffed into the back of her pants. She made her way into the living room, DD was slouched over on the couch, sound asleep. Sam grabbed her sleeping bag which was tossed on the chair in the corner and draped it over her niece. Hopefully, no one would look too closely.
The sound of the vehicle was louder, which meant that someone had pulled into the yard. Her heart jumped into her throat as she took one last longing look at DD, before making her way out of the cabin. She quickly padlocked the door. Sneaking down the stairs she we went around the front of the deck. Two men got out of a black SUV. Knowing she might not be so lucky this time, she lifted the panel under the deck and tossed the two envelopes in as far as she could throw them. Then ran for the trees, loudly. She had to pull them away from the house. “What was that? Leave the headlights on, so we can see something.”
The other guy grunted.
Sam ran across the yard and dove for cover just as the high beams hit where she’d just been standing. She scourged around for a stick. After taking several steps down the path, she snapped the twig in her hand. She grunted as a sliver slid into her index finger.
“What was that?”
“Go check it out.”
Sam took off down the path, not waiting to see if she was being followed. As she rounded the corner in the trail, she was essentially thrust into darkness. The suddenness of it caught her off guard. She stopped. The tread of someone who was trying to move quickly but cautiously was clear and distinct. Whoever it was, was right behind her. She tapped around with her foot, searching for the edge of the path. Carefully she made her way off the trail and into the bush. She moved several feet back as quietly as she could. Her fingers curled around the twigs she still clutched in her hands.
The sound of him moving forward stopped. The light from the flashlight danced through the leaves as it scoured the area. She wiggled backwards pulling the underbrush in front of her. He was walking slowly now, scanning the area. Her heart was thudding so loudly in her chest it reverberated through her head, making her deaf to any sounds. She feared he might hear her soaring pulse.
He stopped moving. His head cocked as though listening intently. Sam held her breath, praying he’d move on. She brought her right hand up in front of her, ready to strike. She realized that unless he found something or heard something he wasn’t likely to move on. Blowing out her breath, softly, she knew it was now or never. She lunged out of the bush, her arm held high. Only she barely made it two feet when her hand clipped a tree limb and her hair got caught yanking her sideways. Surprised, the guy jerked around, dropping the flashlight as he pulled out his gun. A bullet whizzed past her ear.
Adrenaline shot through her body, like a rocket. She ripped herself free of the entanglement and charged him. Her head struck him in the side just above his hip bone. He staggered sideways but not before his elbow crashed down on her head. She grunted as she went down. The pain was intense and gave her an instant headache. It was dark, the flashlight was either buried in the thick foliage, or it had busted when he’d dropped it. She couldn’t see anything. Not sure where he was, she started kicking out with her feet. She spun around on the ground until she connected with something.
“Ouch. Jesus.” He stumbled and from the sound of the crashing, he’d fallen into the brush.
Feeling like she could puke but knowing she had to move, she was about to climb to her feet when she saw the flashlight a little bit further down the path. She dove for it. So did he. The air whooshed out of her as he landed on top of her. He grabbed a fistful of hair.
She yelped. She reached back with her left hand, digging her fingernails into the soft spot between his knuckles. He howled. She kicked upward with her foot. She flipped over and drove the heel of her hand into his nose. He slumped sideways. She patted him down. The gun wasn’t on him. She grabbed the flashlight and scanned the area. She didn’t see anything.
“An Sam. Aunt Sammmmmmm.”
Her heart stopped at the sound of her niece’s stressed call. “No. No. No.” She ran full out back to the clearing. The other guy had a hold of DD, they were standing on the deck. He had to have shot the lock off. DD was screaming and fighting for all she was worth. Sam used the diversion to race across the lawn to crouch down beside the deck. She waited for them to come down the steps. DD came first but the guy was close behind her.
“Look, I don’t want to hurt you. I just need to find your aunt.”
“Aunnnnnnn Saaaaammmmm. Aunnnnnnnn Saaaaaaammmm. He’s bad. Aunnnnn Saaaammmm.”
“Stop screaming, dammit.”
Sam gave a quick sharp whistle.
DD dropped down to the ground like clothes that had fallen off a hanger. It had been a game they’d played when she had been younger. The guy stumbled and fell over the top of her. Sam leapt up, slamming the flashlight on top of his head. It flew apart into a hundred pieces.
“You bitch,” he grunted as he went down.
Sam grabbed her niece. “Go. Go. Go.” They ran toward the lake, entering the cool water without slowing down.
“It’s cold.”
“I know, sweetheart but ssshh. We need to do the lip lock thing. Very quiet.”
When she didn’t respond Sam knew she’d understood. The lights from the truck gave them a clear view. She used it to her advantage, knowing they had to get out of the main beam soon. She placed her niece’s hand on the back of her pants before veering off to the left. The sand bars that her and Cathy had discovered, with the help of Cathy’s grandma, were somewhere in that direction. She just hoped that she could find it, in the dark. They moved steadily and slowly. The water creeping higher and higher. Soon lapping at their waists. She shuddered as the chill or maybe it was the adrenaline, shot to her core.
With every step she took, she had to rip her foot free of the weeds and keep her balance while DD kept kicking the back of her leg. The going was slow but Sam kept them moving away from the light. Suddenly the water wrapped around her rib cage, jolting her with the sudden drop. It was too deep.
She didn’t know what to do. She looked back and forth for a clue as to where the sand bar could be. It had to be close by. She took another tentative step, only to find herself floundering in one of the many holes, that dotted the lake. She ripped DD’s hand from her pants, so she wouldn’t follow. Sam kicked frantically as she dog-paddled before finally finding her footing. DD had stayed where she’d left her. She grabbed a hold of her niece again and helped her to skirt the hole. A shot rang out. There was no way of knowing how close it was but since neither of them had gone down and DD wasn’t screaming, they were okay. Sam picked up the pace.
“Hold my shoulders.”
The whole experience was too much for her niece. She launched herself onto Sam’s back. She floundered and went under. Kicking for all she was worth, she tried to push them upwards. DD’s arms were now wrapped around her neck, not only choking her but placing her full weight on her. Sam’s ears felt like they were being pumped full of air, the pressure was getting unbearable. Her arms flailed madly. Her feet kicking with all the strength she had. She knew the minute that DD’s head went under water. With her hands and feet, she used Sam like a launch pad. The air left her body with a whoosh as DD went up and Sam went down.
A lethargic feeling invaded Sam’s limbs. She stopped fighting it.