20

Soft spotlights lighting up the parking lot at Bob’s Diner lent a tranquil glow to the trees and foliage next to the white truck. The strangers climbed into it and pulled out of their parking space as a parade of vehicles drove through the entrance. An old sedan, a van, and an SUV blocked Philip’s view of the thieves. He clenched the steering wheel and gritted his teeth. He couldn’t lose them again. Finally, the incoming traffic settled, and he backed out. “Watch for the pick-up.”

Eve leaned forward and swiped her forehead as Philip turned right.

“I believe it’s in front of the black SUV. Thank goodness, we’re going downhill. Maybe we can pass.”

The SUV turned onto a side road.

Philip’s muscles tensed with a sense of urgency as he closed in on the suspects’ vehicle. At last his headlights hit the back of the truck and he took a sigh of relief. “Write down the license number.”

Eve pulled a pen and piece of paper out of her purse and moved to the edge of her seat. “Got it. Back off.”

Philip slowed down and cruised behind the truck until the strangers turned onto the expressway leading to Merchantville. Cars, vans, and SUVs whizzed by as the vehicle darted in and out of lanes.

Eve sat straight up. “Get closer. We’re losing them.”

The truck whipped onto a ramp.

Following, Philip glanced at the directional sign. “Have you ever been to Chapsburg?”

“Oddly, I haven’t.” Eve sat back in her seat. “When I was in high school, it was in an area known as a hotbed of crime. Can you imagine that around here?”

“After having the money stolen, sure, I imagine there are major league criminals in these hills.”

“I haven’t thought about the place in years, but it’s all coming together. I knew it would.” Eve snapped her fingers. “Years ago we heard the gangsters they caught were convicted of car theft, making counterfeit money, and gambling.”

Philip could smell Mr. Jacobsen’s cash. “Looks like the feds left a little dirt behind.”

“Big-time mobsters, I think.” Eve’s voice sounded shaky, but Philip’s dogged purpose drove him onward.

“I don’t want to put you in danger, but I have to tail this vehicle. I can do it, and they’ll never know.” He followed the truck onto a dirt road.

Eve gasped. “There’s no telling where we’re headed now.”

Philip rode farther into the dark passageway, and his stomach knotted at the danger of getting trapped in this isolated area. He cut his headlights. “I understand. I’ll creep along and stay back.”

The pick-up’s taillights moved to the left.

Philip zipped in behind the vehicle, and beams of light illuminated a long driveway from the corners of an old, wooden house. “It looks as though they pulled into a residence, clicked on the lights from a remote, and got out.”

“Uh-huh.” Eve mumbled softly.

Thank goodness, the men were facing away from the car as they motored toward the home. With a shaky hand, Philip shoved the gear shift into reverse. Please don’t make racket. Don’t stall. He backed into the shadows in tall grass on the shoulder of the road.

The guys meandered onto the front porch, put something in a wooden box, and went inside.

He’d found the thieves. Thankfulness seeped into Philip’s pores as he got out and closed the car door. “I’ll be right back. I’ll take a closer look.”

Eve bounded out. “You’re not leaving me.” Terror filled her eyes.

He’d never forgive himself if anything happened to her. “Now I know where they live. I’ll come back later.”

“It’s OK. I’m fine. I don’t want you out there alone. I was a little nervous at first, but you’re so smart. I trust you. If we’re quiet and careful, we can do this.”

The way those hoodlums disappeared inside without even a glance around the yard, they didn’t suspect a thing.

“Follow me.” Philip pointed to a row of pines and hardwoods. “Let’s duck behind those trees where the lights aren’t as bright.”

“OK.”

“When we get close to the house, we can’t talk. If you’re afraid and need to leave, or if something looks dangerous to you, tap my arm three times.” Philip demonstrated. “I’ll do the same.”

Eve’s breath sounded ragged as she whispered, “All right.”

They squatted behind a huge towering oak.

Philip crept from one tree to another with Eve on his heels. He didn’t stop advancing until they were parallel with the rear of the house.

The two men stood on the back porch. Bright spotlights shone on their lips as they spoke, but Philip couldn’t make out the words. They wandered into the yard and tramped no more than five feet from Philip and Eve. Philip’s heart thumped so hard he worried they’d heard it.

“We’ve staked out the car lot. It’s time to make our plan and do it.” The man wearing the blue-checked shirt tapped the red-headed guy on the arm.

Red Head stopped in his tracks. “Let’s go over their inventory one more time.”

“Why? We saw the ones we want to strip.” Blue-checked Shirt paced back and forth through the tall grass.

Red Head shrugged his shoulders. “Ta’ make sure they didn’t get in anything new.”

The two men meandered away from Eve and Philip toward a narrow, steep canyon with a swinging bridge. They stomped onto it, and the planks and ropes swayed with every step they took. Yet, they crossed it, and disappeared.

Philip tapped Eve three times. “Come on.”

“Come on? I thought you were alerting me to danger.” She knitted her eyebrows. “You said we couldn’t talk.”

“I know, but they can’t hear us now. We need to follow them.”

Eve stood and brushed off her jeans. “Believe me, when you start across that flimsy, homemade contraption, you’ll wish you’d never set foot on it. Look, it’s still swinging from the two guys walking over it.”

“It’s intimidating, but I have to find the money.” Mr. Jacobsen’s cash and the future Philip wanted for Eve and him pulled him toward the scant framework.

“Where will we hide if they start back across?”

She had him there.

“Can we drop down and hold onto the planks?”

“Yeah, and get our fingers smashed when they stomp on them. You don’t want to fall. The canyons around here are rocky and at least one hundred feet straight down.” Authority lined Eve’s voice.

Philip’s insides churned for wanting to trace the thieves’ footsteps and find the cash.

“Whoo-whoo.”

An owl perched on a tree limb in the glow of the moonlight. This was a forest filled with God’s creatures, and they were at peace. “We’ll wait here. When they come back and enter the house, we’ll go across.”

The muscles in Eve’s face relaxed. “Yes. We could do that.”

Philip gave her a hug. “God will protect us.”

“Then nothing can stop us.”

They squatted down behind the trees. The owl’s whoo, whoo cut into the quiet night again, and this could have been any backyard. The tall grass moved as a brown rabbit hopped toward Eve and Philip. Three feet from them, it sat up straight and wiggled its nose. Philip glanced at Eve. “Does it know we’re here?”

“Uh-huh. Probably. Us, the possums, and raccoons.”

“My legs are tired.” Philip dropped down on the ground. “I hope I’m not sitting on ants.”

“I’d worry more about snakes. I wish those creeps would come back, so we could get this over with.” Eve joined him.

Philip put his finger over his lips. “Shhh. I hear something.”

Checked-Blue Shirt and Red Head trudged across the backyard and went inside. The spotlights blinked off, but the glow from the porch bulb still shone. It along with the moon and twinkling stars lent enough light to see.

Philip stood and sticks broke underneath him. “That bridge held both of those guys. The red-haired fellow weighs at least two hundred pounds, and the other one about that much. It’ll support the two of us.”

Eve rose and they crept toward the rickety structure, staying in the shadow of the house.

Philip halted. Seeing the apparatus up close made his blood run cold. “Don’t worry. We’ll be fine.” Philip meant to reassure Eve, but he said the words with more hope than certainty. “I’ll go first.” If the whole thing collapsed, maybe it’d do it before Eve set foot on it. He sucked in air and tapped a plank with one foot. The entire frame shook. His nerves cracked as he placed both feet on the wobbly pedestrian walkway and grabbed a rope. The wooden crossing rocked, and his head spun, but Eve’s hot breath fell on the back of his neck. Courage raced up his spine.

A spotlight brightened the backyard.

Philip’s heart pounded. “Swing below.”

“I’m not…”

“Hurry. I won’t let you drop.” He spoke softly when he wanted to scream as he grasped two slats, lowered his body, and hung in mid-air above the rocky canyon.

Eve eased down and clasped two boards as another spotlight illuminated the entire yard and bridge. Her left hand slipped off. Horror radiated from her eyes.

Philip reached out and pushed her toward the structure. “You’re fine.” His calm tone disguised the panic surging through him.

The planks wiggled, and Eve’s free hand flew back.

Philip’s pulse throbbed in his temples as fear gripped him. He let go with his right hand and propelled her forward. “Grab hold.”

Her fingertips swiped a board.

“Take it.”

Her arm swung backward.

Philip’s brain froze. A force inside him moved his body as though he wasn’t in it. He bumped into Eve and thrust her toward the lumber. “Reach out. Clench it. Do it.”

Her head slung forward. Her torso followed. Her fingers touched the wood, and she clutched it.

How long could she hold on? If anything happened to her, the money didn’t matter.

The two men headed toward them. “Where do you think you left it?”

Philip recognized the red-haired man’s voice.

“It’s in the warehouse. You hurried me,” the man in the blue-checked shirt said.

“Yeah, yeah, every time you do something stupid, it’s my fault. I have on my pajamas already.” Red Head’s voice sounded angry.

“You don’t have to come. I’ll go alone.” The structure moved as Blue-Checked Shirt stepped on it.

Philip squelched a gasp and prayed for God to hold up Eve and him.

“Na, I’m comin.’ Or we could wait ‘til tomorrow. There ain’t nothin’ out here to shoot but rabbits and possums.”

Philip stopped breathing. What was he thinking getting this close to two criminals and bringing someone who meant so much to him? He’d acted on the spur of the moment because he believed finding the money was the most important thing in his life. Only after he landed Mr. Jacobsen’s account could he pursue the dreams he had for Eve and him, and live with the peace he’d found in Triville. He’d let his vision cloud his mind, but he could see clearly now.

“I guess I ain’t goin’ to need the gun while I’m sleepin’.”

“Oy, that’s the phone ringing. Get back in the house. We’ll get it tomorrow.”

Philip exhaled.

Leaves rustled and then the spotlights went out.

“Eve, are you all right? Can you climb up?” She looked like a statue with eyes popped as far open as they would go. Guilt gushed through Philip. He gave her as much of a boost as he could, and she pushed her upper body onto the rocking bridge. He hoisted himself up, pulled her close, and held her tight while she shivered. “I almost lost you. It scared me so bad. We’ll leave as soon as we rest a minute.”

Eve sucked in a deep gulp of air. “They’re not coming back out here. We’ll find the warehouse then tell Chief Grimes where it is.”

Philip brushed her hair from her face. “No. I can’t put you in danger again. I couldn’t stand it if anything happened to you.”

She gave him a light jab on the shoulder. “Nothing will happen. We’re doing the right thing, and we’ve come too far to turn back now. The hard part’s behind us. Remember, God’s protecting us. Come on.”

Eve’s words plus the strength and faith radiating from her tone soothed his nerves and convinced him she was right, especially about the worst already occurring. It did appear those goons had gone to bed. “OK, but I have to get the money first. If we tell Chief Grimes, everyone in Triville will know. I can’t let that happen.” Philip couldn’t keep his voice from quivering.

“We’ll ask him not to say anything.” Eve patted Philip’s shoulder.

Philip couldn’t help but chuckle. “You mean you, me, and Chief Grimes will have the first secret ever kept in Triville.”

Eve snickered. “Come on.”

Philip stood. Then he and Eve trod carefully to the other side of the homemade bridge.

He linked arms with her as they proceeded into dense forest. “We’re losing the light from their back porch.”

“The stars are bright. Our eyes will adjust then we can follow this path.”

A ragged boulder stuck out of the ground a few feet ahead.

Philip squeezed Eve’s arm. “Get behind me. We’ll go around that stone single file.” He took one step and fell into a hole up to his waist. He nearly choked, gasping. Where was Eve?

She grabbed his hand and yanked. Thank God she was all right. Starlight and moon-glow shone across her face, tears glistening in her eyes. He planted his feet in the side of the chasm, but the soil beneath him gave way. “I’ll find another position then you pull.” Philip secured his left foot in the embankment, and once again the earth crumbled. He tumbled back into the pit, and his hand broke loose from Eve’s.

Leaves to the right of him moved. A snake slithered out from under them. Terror exploded like fireworks inside Philip, adrenaline rushing through his veins. He placed his hands on the top of the pit and pushed with all his might while he dug the toes of his shoes into the earth and moved his feet as though they were motorized. He slid down, his mind swirling in fright. He grabbed a tree root at the top of the hole and pulled his body upward with strength he didn’t know he had. He heaved his legs to the edge of the ditch, rolled out, and stood upright. “OK, I’ve had enough. Let’s leave.”

“Look.” Eve pointed to the right.

Fifty yards away outdoor lights beamed around a huge concrete block warehouse surrounded with bumpers, car hoods, windshields, and other car parts.

Philip felt a rush of relief. “We made it. We found Mr. Jacobsen’s cash.” He clutched Eve’s hand, and they hurried to the metal side door. He pushed on it with his foot, and it creaked. “I can’t believe it’s open.”

“Why not? No one ever comes out here.” Eve followed him through the doorway.

The illumination from outside spotlights shone through a large window exposing a pile of engines and a heap of radios with CD players scattered on the cement floor.

“I’m surprised some hunter hasn’t stumbled on this place.” Philip shifted a mirror with the toe of his shoe.

“Treacherous terrain few humans have ever trod lies in these hills. I think we’re standing on some of it.” Eve’s eyes widened as she scanned the room.

Philip put his hand on his hip. “How’d they haul all these car parts up here?”

Eve shook her head. “I don’t know. I don’t see a way, but maybe they have a make-shift road somewhere out back.”

“Could be. It doesn’t matter. What matters is finding the money.” Philip turned over sheets of scrap metal then picked up radiators one at a time and laid them aside. Nothing. His shoulders slumped as he put everything back so the thieves wouldn’t notice anything amiss. He peeked under two old car seats. “Where’s the money?” He hadn’t intended for the ire to spew into his voice. He ventured to a tiny room that stuck out from the wall. “It’s padlocked. It’s probably in there.” He gazed around. “Do you see the gun Blue-Checked Shirt mentioned?”

“No, and I don’t want to. The money is either locked up or not here. We have to tell Chief Grimes about this.”

Fear and anger swam deep inside Philip, but of course, he’d never let that surface in front of Eve. He might lose Mr. Jacobsen’s account, but what could he do? He stood in this bed of thievery as useless as one of those dead motors. He put his arm around Eve’s shoulders, and they trod outdoors. He stopped. No matter what, he must keep Eve safe. “Get behind me and hold onto to my waist.”

Eve put both arms around him and marched in his footsteps. They veered to the right to miss the hole and passed by the boulder on the left. Branches and forest underbrush crunched underneath their shoes, but there was no one out here to hear except the wood’s creatures. They hiked back onto the path worn smooth with footsteps and reached the bridge. Philip grabbed hold of a rope, keeping the structure as steady as possible for Eve.

She took in a deep breath, planted her foot on the end of a plank and broke into a near run. Philip took off right behind her, the slats rattling, the ropes swinging. He bounded onto the yard and clasped her hand. Then they raced to the car.

The squeak from the old car’s door resounded into the quiet night. A light lit up the front porch. Philip rushed to the driver’s side and slung himself in, his gut rumbling. He turned the key with a shaking hand then drove away with no headlights until he reached the end of the dirt road.

He failed to breathe easy until they pulled onto the expressway. What time would it be when they arrived at Eve’s house?

Her head tilted to one side.

Philip smiled at the sleeping beauty. It looked as though they’d postpone the conversation about Jordan yet again. He’d forced Eve to help him and put her life in danger. He hadn’t even discussed their relationship. How selfish was that? He didn’t know how he would make his plan work if he lost Mr. Jacobsen’s account, but he could think more clearly tomorrow. Turning off the freeway, he headed into Triville. Then he pulled onto the road leading to Eve’s Clips and hit a speed bump.

Eve flinched and rubbed her eyes as Philip wheeled into her driveway, gravel crunching underneath the tires. “Where are we?”

He cut the engine then patted her shoulder. “You’re home safe and sound.”

Dew on the grass between the car and the porch sparkled underneath the spotlight on the corner of the house. Crickets chirping cut into the quiet night as he helped Eve from the passenger’s seat. He placed his arm around her waist and they trudged to the door. “We’ll see Chief Grimes tomorrow. Then you and I will talk.”

“He doesn’t keep office appointments on the week-ends. We’ll have to wait until Monday.” Eve grinned. “Unless my idea works.”

“What idea?”

“I’ll tell you tomorrow after church.” Eve unlocked her front door.

Philip pulled her close to him and kissed her with all the strength he had left. She fell limp and laid her head on his shoulder. He stroked her hair then released her. “I’ll pick you up at ten-thirty. Get some sleep.”

She unlocked her door and went inside.

What plan could she possibly have? Hope trickled into his tired bones on the way to the car and he picked up his pace.