Josiah, Mara, and Katie all carried full loads as they rounded the corner of the cabin and finally stopped at a square of wood almost covered by the thick grass around it.
Josiah dropped the lanterns and blankets on the ground and sank to his knees to raise the wood. A dark hole gaped up at him, with a dank, earthy smell wafting up to his nose. The opening couldn't be more than four or five feet across. Would they all fit down there?
He fumbled through the supplies on the ground and found the matches. After lighting the lantern wick, he turned the flame to a low height to conserve oil. When he lowered it into the hole a few feet, the dirt walls illuminated, showing a rope hanging from the edge. Thank you, Lord.
But was the rope strong enough to hold them? It looked to be tied to a spike in the ground, and the braided leather cords seemed to be fairly new. Maybe Zechariah installed it for this purpose when Indian attacks became a concern. He could only hope. And pray.
To make sure the ground below was dry, he grabbed a small rock from the ground and dropped it down the hole. A quiet thunk sounded when it landed. No splash. There was dirt in at least that one spot.
Josiah reached for the rope. They had to get down quickly. Did he dare let Mara go first? He gave the cord a hard jerk. He’d have to.
Turning to face her, he allowed his eyes to drink her in. Stray hairs framed that beautiful face, accentuating her wide brown eyes. Those eyes were windows to her soul, showing her apprehension…but also trust. That trust he’d been praying to see for months now. Josiah's heart tightened. Lord, please don’t let me fail her.
He touched her arm. "Do you think you can go down first? I'll need to help Katie down."
Mara's chin dipped firmly. "Fine."
She reached for the rope and Josiah helped her position her knees at the edge of the hole, but misgivings welled in his chest. What was he doing letting Mara take the first plunge? He had no idea what was at the bottom, other than one small piece of ground. "Maybe I should go first."
She stopped adjusting her skirts and looked up at him. Her face revealed a calm determination, and she laid a hand on his arm. "It's all right, Josiah. I can do this."
Oh, his chest ached. He swallowed past the lump in his throat, then set his jaw. He’d have to put her in God’s hands. "All right."
She looked at her daughter, who kneeled behind Josiah. "You do exactly as Josiah says. All right, honey?"
"I will."
Without another word or glance, Mara slipped her arm through the lantern handle, gripped the leather rope, and lowered herself down.
Josiah held the top of the rope secure, and didn't breathe for the eternity it took her to reach the bottom. But he did pray. Just three words, over and over. Father, protect her.
His chest was close to bursting by the time Mara's lantern stopped descending.
"I'm here. The bottom's dry."
Thank you. And then to Mara he called, "I'm gonna drop the blankets down."
"Go ahead."
Each quilt fluttered into the hole, and he could see Mara better now as she stood in the little circle of light. She must be at least thirty feet below the surface. Somehow, they would all need to eventually get back out of that hole. But that would be a blessed problem to have.
He turned back to Katie. "All right, Katie-girl. How would you like to ride down on my back?" They would need to get the rest of the supplies down, but the men could help him with that once he was at the bottom.
And where were the men? He looked around. Ezra jogged toward them, another rope in his arms.
With Ezra at the top of the well opening, and Katie's arms wrapped tightly around his neck, Josiah lowered them down the rope. He leveraged his feet against the side of the wall as they descended, his muscles straining as the depth seemed to stretch farther and farther. "Keep your legs tight around my waist, Katie-girl." The little limbs tightened around his midsection, easing his worries a tiny bit.
When his feet landed on solid ground, he almost kept going to his knees. Only propping himself against the dirt wall kept him upright as Mara lifted her daughter from his back. He pushed against the side to turn and wrap them both in his arms, protection welling up in his chest. Please, God. Keep my girls safe. Mara snuggled into him, and Josiah inhaled the faint scent of roses and loam.
"I'm dropping down the food bundle, English." Zechariah's voice sounded from above.
Josiah pushed Mara and Katie back away from him. "Stay against this wall until we get all the supplies down."
Mara nodded, but there wasn't much room to stand back in this tiny dirt hole.
Josiah squinted up to the opening where light flooded in. "All right."
The huge bundle of food stuffs blocked the light for a moment, and Josiah positioned himself underneath. He caught it squarely, but almost tumbled backward with the force of it. Dropping the bag next to Mara, he called, "What's next?"
One after another, the men tossed down the supplies they'd grabbed from the barn, along with a few personal items. No telling what the Indians would take if they showed up at the house, or how long they would be there.
Ezra fastened a second rope above and dropped the end down, then lowered himself. Zeche was the last to come, and stopped to settle the wood covering over the well opening before he descended.
Mara had arranged the supplies in a stack and spread a blanket over them, so two people could sit on top like a bench. She eased down on the floor though, and snuggled Katherine on her lap.
Josiah sank down beside them. "You don't want to sit on the blanket?" He kept his voice soft, the sound almost intimate as the dirt walls absorbed the noise.
She turned those wide eyes to him. "We're comfortable here."
How was it that no matter what disaster happened around them, one look through those windows to her soul could warm his insides? Josiah slipped Mara's hand into his own, and threaded his fingers through hers. The warm touch of her skin, the way she curled her fingers securely around his, she calmed his nerves like nothing else could.
He turned to look at the men. Ezra perched on the stacked supplies and Zechariah leaned against the wall between his siblings. The fit was tight, but at least they were safe. Lord willing. “What’d you do with the horses?”
Zeche’s mouth pinched in a grim line. “Let ‘em out.”
Josiah’s mouth pressed in the same expression. Would they be able to find all the stock once this trouble was over? How much money and hard work would be lost in this skirmish? But maybe by releasing the horses, they would save more than if the Indians got their hands on them.
"How many Indians did you say you saw in the woods, Zeche?" Ezra regarded his brother.
"It was hard to tell. Mostly looked like shadows moving through the trees. Just saw one on horseback clear enough to know he was Cheyenne." He turned to Josiah. "We would have been fish bait if you hadn't come to warn us."
A knot tangled in his gut. He hadn’t realized Indians were spotted within sight of this place. "Do you think they saw us hide?"
Zeche squinted. "Don't think so. They were in the trees on the other side of the barn, so they wouldn’t be able to see this spot from there. As long as they don't have men by the creek."
"What do you think they have planned?" Josiah’s voice rumbled in the small space.
Zeche exhaled a long breath. "I would imagine they'll take whatever they can get. Supplies, for sure. We're not up there to be murdered, but I'm sure that was part of their plan."
A sharp inhale came from Josiah's left. He turned to see Mara's face so pale it almost glowed in the lamplight. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze, but it trembled inside his own. So he unthreaded his fingers and slipped his arm behind her back. She snuggled into the crook of his shoulder, fitting so perfectly. His lips found her soft hair and planted a kiss. "We can only pray, love." He whispered the words for her ears only.
"Josiah?" Katie's small voice pierced the silence.
"Yes, Katie-girl?" He spoke in a hushed tone, grazing her soft cheek with a finger from his free hand.
"Will you tell me a story?" She turned those blue puppy-dog eyes on him.
"Hmmm… What kind of story?"
"From when you used to live here and ride the horses."
Ah, his favorite memories. "All right." He paused for dramatic effect, scrunching his forehead as if he were thinking deeply. "Once upon a time, there was a young knight who lived in a very cold land, where snow covered everything. He lived in the castle, near the princess and her family, and the knight had to travel a long distance to slay the dragons."
Katie sat enraptured as he told the story of the Princess and her brother, the Prince, rescuing the Knight from certain death in the icy mountains. Every so often he snuck a glance at Mara and found her watching him with a warm look in her eyes. Looking every bit the princess she was.
Just when he got to the part about the Knight helping the Princess with her chores, a low rumble sounded. It was almost as if the ground around them shook. Bits of dirt began to rain from overhead.
A high-pitched cry sounded from the opening above, muffled by the wooden covering. An army of screams and cries and yells permeated their hideaway, sending Josiah’s pulse into a gallop.
Katie whimpered, and Mara snuggled the child's head to her chest. Josiah pulled them tighter into the circle of his arms and prayed like he'd never prayed before.
Make them blind to the covering over this well. Send an army of angels to fight this enemy.
The commotion overhead seemed to last forever. At one point, it grew in volume, if that were possible.
And then a series of mighty bangs sounded. The ground shook again and more dirt rained down from above.
Screams pierced the air. The booms didn't stop—just continued in rapid succession for at least a minute. Was this the end? Had the apocalypse begun, and the earth was being destroyed? Oh, God.
And then with no warning—silence.
The booms stopped. The shaking of the ground slowed until all was still. No screams. Nothing.
Josiah turned to the other men, the apprehension on their faces matching what thumbed in his own chest. What was happening up there?
A whimper sounded from Katie, but Mara shushed her with a soft whisper, rocking gently within Josiah's arms.
After a few moments, a new sound worked its way into Josiah's awareness. A popping noise. The pops were random, and accompanied by a low hum. What in the world? Fear gripped his chest, even as his eyes met Zechariah's. It was plain from his expression, he heard it to.
Josiah threw his gaze up toward the sky, hoping Zeche caught his message that he would go up and check. The other man gave a slight shake of his head, and glanced at Mara and Katherine. He mouthed the word Stay.
Josiah frowned, but gave a quick nod. The hum grew louder. If Zeche was going up, he needed to move quickly.
"I'm going up to check on things." Zechariah spoke in a loud whisper as he turned his back to them, grabbing the new rope Ezra had tied at the top. He tested it, then reached as high as he could and lifted himself up, one handhold at a time. The muscles in the man's arms and neck flexed and bulged as he moved, evident in the dim light even through his shirt. Josiah swallowed. If there was ever a fight in the area, he wanted Zechariah Reid on his side.
When Zeche reached the top of the hole, he eased the covering to the side and raised his head above the ground. The moment daylight shone into the opening, the hum became a low roar, and the popping sound became easily identifiable.
Fire.
If the noise wasn't clear enough, the acrid smell wafting down into their hiding place was a sure giveaway.
Mara's body tensed under Josiah's arms, but she didn't speak. He stroked her forearm with his thumb as they waited for a report from Zechariah.
The man finally looked down at them. With the sun behind him, his face was completely shadowed. "The whole place is going up in flames. I'm gonna climb out and see if they're gone."
"Be careful." Mara’s words were almost swallowed in the roar from overhead.
Zechariah wriggled over the edge and into the smoky air above.
"Is Uncle Ze gonna be all right?" Katie's voice came out in a loud whisper.
"I hope so, honey," Mara answered. "We should pray for God to keep him safe."
"Dear, God." Katie bowed her head to rest on her pressed hands. "Please keep Uncle Ze safe, and don't let him be burned up."
Tears stung Josiah's eyes as goose bumps pricked his arms. Katie and her pure faith were right on target. Lord, answer this little one's prayer.
It was an eternity of prayers and pounding hearts, but Zechariah finally appeared at the top of the well opening. "It looks like they've left, but the buildings are all ashes."
Josiah hesitated before asking questions. The last thing he wanted to do was alarm Katie. But he had to make sure things were safe before he let Mara and Katie come up. "Do you think they're watching from the trees?"
"I don't see anything moving. Can't say for sure unless I ride out there, though."
"I'm coming up." He had to get a look at things himself before he'd take a chance with the girls. He planted a kiss in Mara's hair before loosening his hold on them. His hands didn't want to untangle themselves, but he pulled free and pushed to his feet. Gathering his strength, he gripped the rope Zechariah had used. Lord, I'm not asking for the same show of strength Zeche had. Just help me not to fall and make a fool of myself with this thing.
Through sheer determination, he made it to the top. Although he was out of breath, and possibly missing some of the tooth powder he'd ground off by clenching his jaw with the effort. The air outside was gray and smoky, and didn't do anything to help his lung capacity. The first deep breath left him coughing, but he struggled to his feet and stood next to Zechariah.
It took a long moment to absorb the destruction around them. The barn was a flaming skeleton, with timbers dangling from the few rafters still in place amidst the flames. They would likely fall at any moment. The old bunkhouse still glowed too, although it was reduced to only the floor and a foot or two of walls. Where the storage building once stood, now lay only a few smoldering boards. The house on the end of the half circle was in much the same condition as the bunkhouse. Still on fire, but utterly destroyed. Josiah had to force himself to swallow past the lump clogging his throat.
"I'm thinkin' those loudest booms were the ammunition exploding in the storage building." Zechariah's voice rumbled, despite the background noise of the crackling fire.
Josiah looked at the smoking wood in front of them again. "Likely so." Then he eyed the distance between the burning house and the dry well opening, a new fear creeping in. "Do you think there's any chance of fire getting down in the well shaft?"
Zechariah examined the same distance. "We better get them out, just in case."
Zeche tied a series of knots in the rope to help with climbing, and Josiah leaned over the edge to help pull each person up. Mara came first, followed by Ezra carrying Katie.
Mara struggled to her feet outside the well, and stepped out of the way so Ezra could come up while she absorbed the images around them.
Desolation.
Everything they had. Gone. A whole lifetime. Dissolved to ashes.
She scanned the pastures as far as she could see. A few forms grazed in the distance to the right, a sight that brought a burning sensation to prick the backs of her eyes. They had at least a few horses left. Maybe the others had gone that direction, too.
An arm slipped around her waist and pulled her close. Josiah. What would she have done without him beside her through this ordeal? She looked over at him, trying to force a cheerful look onto her face. Katherine sat perched in his other arm, both small hands clutching his neck.
His eyes searched hers, overflowing with concern and love. She'd been a fool to shut him out. A fool to live in fear that she might get hurt again. Who knew what tomorrow would bring? Or if they would even have a tomorrow? Only God knew, and He'd sent Josiah back to her.