Andrea Carter Prescott and the Return of the Outlaws
CHAPTER 9. Go HERE to start this story from the beginning.
Andi hurriedly took up the sheet on her bed and
folded it over. Grabbing a needle and some thread, she sewed the sheet together
with great, sloppy seams. It was a sorry excuse for a bag, but it’d still work,
Andi decided. She crammed her change of blouse and skirt inside, added her
hairbrush, Jared’s few diapers, some hair pins, and an old, worn apron. Then
Andi tied the bag to her shoulder.
Just
as she was stooping to pick up Jared, Lily entered the cabin. At the sight of
Andi, looking worried and desperate, with her messy bag knotted over one shoulder, Lily’s brows drew
together in confusion.
In hasty, clipped sentences Andi explained. “I have to leave right away,” she finished.
“Oh,
Andi!” Lily’s green eyes grew wide with horror. “How I pity you! But you are
running away? What about your husband? Surely he will—”
“No,
Lily, it’s been too long,” Andi broke in. “I have to go now.” Then, on a sudden impulse, she cried pleadingly, “Come with
us, Lily. Together, we’ll reach freedom, safety…and our families. Please, Lily,
come with me, away from this horrible, horrible place.”
Lily
chewed on her lower lip. Her eyes, always so clear that they gave away all of
her thoughts, told Andi she was greatly tempted by her request.
A
moment later, Lily smiled. “I reckon so. Why not? I haven’t run yet out of fear
and longing for a companion. But you have courage, Andi, and…” Suddenly, tears
began stealing down Lily’s cheeks. “You clearly care for me.”
“Of
course, I do, Lily! Why wouldn’t I? And don’t you want to be back with your
family?”
“Oh,
there’s nothing more that I want than to be with my husband and my baby again,”
sobbed Lily. She swiped at her tears. “Thank you, Andi.”
She
added her own change of clothes to Andi’s bag, then offered the sheet from her cot. “Use it
to bundle up Jared,” she said.
Andi
did so. Afterwards, she whispered her plans.
“Night
has not yet fallen, but we haven’t a moment to lose. Sofia could come in at any
moment. Quickly, now, here’s what we’ll do—we’ll creep by the shed and take
some food items for the journey. We’ll also, if possible, get rope and a gun of
some sort, but that’s closer to impossibility, so we’ll keep the food as top
priority.”
“Right,”
Lily agreed.
“And
we’ll have to be absolutely quiet through it all,” Andi warned.
Lily
nodded.
“Afterwards,
we’ll head for the woods and decide on directions then. You ready?”
“No,”
Lily admitted. “As a matter of fact, I feel really shaky. This is mighty bold,
Andi.”
“Yes,
I know. Let’s spend a moment in prayer before we go.”
They
bowed their heads and each earnestly asked for strength and God’s guidance. It
was hard, but Andi found herself ending with, “But not my will, but Yours be
done, Lord.”
Feeling
more confident, the women left their cabin, Andi leading the way, Lily
following close behind. They tiptoed to the storage shed. Lily slipped inside
and came out a moment later with her arms full of jerky and dried fruit.
“Not
much, but it should last us,” she whispered hoarsely, placing the food in
Andi’s bag.
Andi
nodded her agreement and stepped forward, motioning for Lily to follow.
“We’re
gonna try to get that rope and gun,” she hissed. “Let’s head to Benita’s
cabin. But remember, at the first sign of danger, we run.”
Lily
gave her head two hard bobs, then soundlessly trailed Andi to Benita’s cabin.
But
as quickly as they came, they ducked behind a row of scraggly bushes. A mob had
gathered in front of Benita’s cabin, and Benita was screeching loudly in
Spanish.
Vega
pushed his way through the crowd and neared Benita. “Stop that screaming and be
reasonable!” he demanded. “What’s wrong?”
“It’s
Andrea!” Benita hollered, ignoring Vega’s orders. “She is gone! She has left, and taken the
baby with her.”
“How
do you know?” called out a man in the group.
“She never came back
after I gave her some rags to wash. I sent Sofia, and she found her things gone
in the cabin,” Benita answered. “A hasty search around camp showed no sign of
her whereabouts, either.”
“What of Lily?” Vega
asked. “They are almost always together. Is she gone, too? If not, Andrea
shouldn’t be far.”
“Oh,
I haven’t even bothered to look. My mind is solely on Andrea.”
“Then
let’s not jump to conclusions. Regan?”
A
huge, burly man with an evil face appeared. Andi was suddenly aware of Lily
shuddering beside her. She turned. Her friend was shaking like a leaf.
I know she’s scared, but this scared? C’mon, Lily, stay strong.
“Yes,
what is it, jefe?” asked Regan.
“Check
and see if Lily Chadwick is around.”
The
man’s smile was wicked. “With pleasure, jefe.”
Chadwick? Andi thought to herself. Lily Chadwick? She again looked at the
terrified woman by her side. It’s not the
same Lily, is it? This Lily said—
Suddenly,
Lily gave a small scream, leaped up, and ran. Without thinking, Andi jumped to
her feet.
“Lily!
Wait!”
Then
she clapped her hand over her mouth. Her head spun with horror.
She’d
just given away their hiding spot.
What do you think happens next? Feel free to leave your guesses in the comments below!
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