Page 10 of Mountain Captive

“I think they might belong to some kind of cult,” Rand said.

Everyone turned to stare at him. “What makes you say that?” Travis asked.

“One of the women told us they weren’t worried about the fire because they were under ‘divine protection.’ That, and the fact that a group of able-bodied men, probably the leaders, left a bunch of women and children to fend for themselves, and the women aren’t questioning—at least not out loud—their right to do so. Blind obedience that goes against all common sense is one hallmark of a cult.”

Thankfully, the sheriff didn’t ask how Rand knew this. “We’ll question them and find out as much as we can,” he said.

“How do you know that? About cults?”

Rand tensed at the familiar voice and turned to look at Chris.

“My sister was in a cult,” he said. “I learned a lot about them when we were trying to persuade her to leave.”

“Did she leave?” Chris stared at him, lips parted, leaning toward him as if something important depended on his answer.

He shook his head. “No. She never did.”

Her expression softened, and she put her hand on his arm. A familiar tightness rose in his throat, but he forced himself not to turn away. He didn’t see pity in Chris’s eyes, but some other emotion, one he couldn’t quite read.

And then she whirled away from him, propelled by a hand on her shoulder. The driver of the car they had met in the burning forest stood with two other men, all crowded around Chris.

Rand moved in behind her, but the men ignored him. All three were middle-aged, from the fortysomething blond Rand had seen on the trail a week ago to the slightly older driver of the car, to a shorter, red-faced man with a round, boyish face but iron gray hair who stood between them. “Hello, Elita,” the driver said.

“My name isn’t Elita,” Chris said. But her voice trembled.

“Your time has come,” the blond said.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She tried to turn away, but the blond grabbed her.

Rand took the man’s wrist and squeezed, hard, his thumb digging in between the fine bones in a way that was guaranteed to hurt. The man released her but turned on Rand. “This is no business of yours,” he said.

“Don’t touch her again,” Rand said. He kept his voice low, but anyone would know he meant business. He was dimly aware that a crowd had gathered, among them the sheriff and one of his deputies.

The blond turned back to Chris. “You can’t deny your destiny,” he said. He glanced at those around them and raised his voice so that it carried to everyone. “We will start the wedding preparations today.”

Chapter Five

Sheriff Walker stepped forward. “What is your name?” he asked the driver.

The blond spoke first. “This doesn’t concern you, Sheriff,” he said.

Travis’s expression didn’t change. “The three of you need to come to the sheriff’s department and provide statements about the fire and how it started.”

“We don’t know how it started,” the round-faced man said. “That has nothing to do with us.”

“I also want to know why the three of you left a group of women and children to make their way out of the area on foot,” Travis said.

The blond man moved closer. He was taller than the others, not large, but imposing. “We left a man in charge of the women and children,” he said. “Joshua was bringing them in the truck.” He looked around. “Where is Joshua?”

“The man who was with the women and children ran back into the woods,” Rand said.

The blond shifted his attention to Rand. “Who are you?” It wasn’t a question as much as a demand.

“I’m one of the volunteers who helped save those women and children you abandoned,” Rand said.

The man glared at him but addressed the sheriff. “You need to talk to Joshua. I can’t help you.” He turned away, and the others started to follow him.

“Before you leave, I need your names and contact information,” the sheriff said.

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