48

 

With God all things are possible. With God all things are possible.

Jamie whispered the mantra again. No way was she giving up. She was determined to get Andrew home. Her hands were tied behind her back. Her feet were tied together, and then looped through the open slats at the top of the gate in the stall.

Andrew was sitting across from her, tied up and not able to move, either. Tears ran down his face.

“Andy, it’s OK. We’ll get out of here.”

“No, we won’t.”

“Do you believe in God?”

He nodded.

“Good. You pray, and I’ll pray, too. God will give me direction on what I can do.”

The men hadn’t bothered to check for weapons. The knife was still in her pocket. She scooted towards the stall door allowing the rope to grow lax. She wiggled her hands down her backside. At the same time, she moved her butt upwards. Years of stretching exercises were finally paying off. Sweat trickled down her back as her hands journeyed down the backs of her legs.

Andrew’s gaze was glued on her maneuverings.

She was scrunched up like an accordion, but her hands were nearing her feet. Only a few more inches. Finally, her hands slipped over her feet to the front of her body. The rope was in the way, but her hands were up enough to reach her pocket. No, not quite able to reach. She scrunched her feet up. That gave her a few more precious inches of rope.

Her fingers grasped the knife in her pocket. Thank you, God. Using the knife, she sawed through the binding.

The rope fell away.

When she was free, she moved to Andrew and started cutting his bonds. “I told you the prayer would work.”

He nodded with a smile. “Thanks, God.”

“I’ll second that.”

When he was free, she lifted him up. “Ever been on a horse?”

“Daddy took me riding horsies.”

“Great.” After finding the tack, she saddled up one of the horses. It had been many years since she’d been on one, but this gelding seemed gentle enough. He hadn’t fussed as she put on his saddle. Lifting Andrew up, she waited for him to swing a foot over it. She led the horse to the back of the barn. The horse whinnied.

“What’s going on in there?”

No time to waste and no time to figure out which way to go. She put her foot in the stirrup and into position. She leaned down to the horse. “Come on, boy. We can do this.” She urged the horse forward.

He surged to the front of the barn.

Their guard stepped in the middle of the barn doorway.

Jamie pulled a rein and the horse swerved. She kicked the horse’s side and urged it to go faster.

The man screamed something unintelligible.

Gunfire popped as the horse thundered into the darkness.