Page 13 of Mountain Captive

“One of the women who was close to the Exalted, came to my parents and told them that the Exalted had decided that I would be his second wife.”

“When you werenine?” Rand didn’t try to hide his shock.

She nodded. “The wedding wasn’t going to take place until I was older. My dad told me it wouldn’t happen until I was all grown up, and by then I would be looking forward to it. He went along with the idea that I’d been chosen for a great honor, but my mom didn’t feel that way. I remember they argued about it.”

The old sadness returned as she remembered the tense atmosphere in her family in the days after the announcement. “I had to take classes from a woman named Helen. Things like etiquette, and I had to memorize a lot of the Exalted’s sayings. They were like proverbs, I guess. And I had to learn to sew and cook and read poetry. I was just a kid, and I thought a lot of it was dumb and boring, yet it didn’t really feel dangerous or anything. But my mom really didn’t like me taking the classes. My dad thought they wouldn’t hurt anything, so they fought about that too.” She sighed. “Things went along like that until I turned twelve. Then Jedediah and Helen showed up one evening and announced that the wedding would take place in a couple of weeks.”

“When you were twelve,” Rand clarified.

“Yes.” She swallowed, recalling the details of that day. Details these people didn’t need to hear. No one spoke, waiting. She could feel their eyes on her, especially Rand’s. It was as if everyone in the room was holding their breath in anticipation of her next words. “My father died the day after that announcement was made. My mother said he tried to convince the Exalted that I was too young. The official story was that Dad died from eating poisonous mushrooms, but my mom and I always believed he was killed for getting in the way of something the Exalted wanted.”

She studied her hands on the table, fingers laced together, reliving those awful days.

“You think someone in the group murdered your father?” Travis asked.

“Yes. But we don’t have any proof, and my mom was too afraid to say anything. A few days later, she and I ran away.”

“No one came after you?” Gage asked.

“They came looking for us,” Chris said. “We knew they would. For years, we kept bags packed, and we would move every time we saw anyone we recognized from the Vine. Then, for a long time, we didn’t see anyone. I thought we had gotten away.” She glanced at Rand. “Until I saw Jedediah on the trail that day. I knew he recognized me, and it would be only a matter of time.”

“He can’t force you to marry someone,” Travis said.

“The law may say he can’t, but the Vine makes their own laws,” she said.

“Have you found out anything more about these people?” Rand asked the sheriff. “Do they have any kind of criminal record?”

“We contacted the lawyer on the business card we were given,” Travis said. “He declined to identify any of the principals in the Vine, LLC. We’ll run a check on Edmund Harrison.”

“Can you charge them in connection with the fire?” Rand asked.

“The fire appears to have started from a lightning strike. We haven’t located the man you and others saw running away, back toward camp. No one else was harmed. Right now they haven’t broken any laws.”

“No one within the group will give evidence against them,” Chris said. “They’re either true believers who can’t imagine the Exalted would ever do anything wrong or they’re too afraid to speak out. And Harrison and those closest to him are careful.”

“Have they made any specific threats to you?” Travis asked.

She shook her head. “Nothing more than what you heard, and that was more of a statement than a threat.”

“That they would begin the wedding preparations today,” Rand said. “But they can’t force you to marry someone against your will.”

“They believe they can.” She hugged her arms across the chest. “They might try to kidnap me or drug me or threaten me. I don’t know. I don’t want to find out.”

“If they do threaten you or try to force you to come with them, contact me.” Travis handed her a business card. “Until then, there’s not a lot we can do.”

“I understand.” She shoved back her chair. “If that’s all, I’d like to go home now.”

WHENSHESTOOD, Rand rose also and followed her out. On the sidewalk, she turned to face him. “Thanks for the moral support, but I’m fine,” she said. “I’ve dealt with these people most of my life. I know how to take care of myself.”

“What are you going to do?” he asked.

“That’s none of your business.” She turned and started walking away.

She was right, but he followed her anyway. “Don’t let them frighten you away.”

“You don’t know anything about it,” she said, and kept walking.

“I know that you were strong enough to get away from them once,” he said. “They may not like it, but it gives you the upper hand. You could expose them for what they really are and maybe save others.”

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