Page 15 of Mountain Captive

“And risk leading them to you? No.” Her mother had worked hard to get away from the Vine. She had changed her name, her job, and her appearance, and kept a low profile in a small town in Ohio. Chris stopped at the window that looked down into the alley below. Her car was parked there, next to a large trash bin. Otherwise, the alley was empty. “I talked to the local sheriff today,” she said. “I told him about Dad.”

“He’ll never find evidence that he was murdered,” her mother said. “The Vine would make sure of that.”

“I know we buried Dad in the woods,” Chris said. “But I don’t remember much about it.”

“There was a funeral. The Exalted gave the eulogy, which was supposed to be a great honor. I don’t remember anything he said.”

“That didn’t strike you as odd—that no law enforcement was called, or a local coroner, or anything?”

“No. We didn’t involve outsiders. Our motto was that we took care of our own. Now I can see how that allowed the group to get away with horrible things, but at the time it seemed perfectly normal.”

“There’s a doctor here. He works with search and rescue, and he was there when Jedediah and two other men confronted me. Rand—the doctor—said if I stay, he’ll help me fight the Vine.”

“He doesn’t know anything about them. He’s probably just trying to impress you.”

“He said his sister belonged to a cult. She committed suicide. He wants to keep them from hurting anyone else.” She could still feel the impact of Rand’s confession. He hadn’t dismissed the idea that strangers would try to force her to marry or that she might be in danger from a harmless-looking back-to-nature group. He knew the power groups like the Vine could wield.

“Do you trust him?” April asked.

Chris didn’t trust anyone. It had never felt safe to do so. “I believe he’s sincere,” she said. That wasn’t the same as trust, exactly, but it was more than she could say about many of the people she’d met.

“Then let him help you. But don’t depend on him.”

“I know, Mom. The only person I can depend on is myself.” How often had she repeated those words over the years? But they didn’t make her feel stronger—only more alone.

“And me,” April said. “You know I’ll help you any way I can.”

Harley stood and whined. Chris glanced at the dog. “I need to go now, Mom. I’ll keep you posted on what happens here.”

“I’ll meet you anywhere, anytime you need me,” April said. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Mom.” She ended the call. Harley paced, the hair on the back of his neck and along his spine standing up. He let out a low growl and trotted over to the door.

Chris was on her way to the door when she heard footsteps in the hallway. Heart pounding, she checked the peephole. Jedediah’s grim features glared back at her. Then he pounded on the door.

“Go away!” she said.

“We need to talk.”

“I have nothing to say to you.”

“The Exalted wants to see you.”

“I don’t have anything to say to him either. Go away.”

“I’m here to take you to him.”

“I’m calling the sheriff right now,” she said, and pulled her phone from her pocket. She hit the nine and the one, then watched as Jedediah turned and left.

She sank to her knees and wrapped her arms around Harley, who still trembled with agitation. When she felt a little calmer, she focused on her phone once more. She didn’t call 911. Instead, she selected the number she had programmed into the phone only that afternoon.

“Chris? Is everything okay?” Rand sounded a little out of breath. She tried to picture him, perhaps in doctor’s scrubs. Or would he be at home?

“Jedediah was just here,” she said.

“Did you call the sheriff?”

“I told him I would, so he left. I just... I wanted someone to know.” Someone who might understand.

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