Page 68 of Among the Innocent

He gave her a curious look. “She has you.”

Leah smiled. “Yes, she does. And I don’t want to lose the only family I have left.”

The funeral was simple and painfully familiar. Beth’s pine casket had been set up near the windows in the Zooks’ living room. Everyone in the Amish community and many locals from town had turned out to show their respect to the family.

The preacher moved to the front of the room near the casket, where he read the words to several hymns and quoted John 11:25: “Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.”

After the sermon, the preacher prayed.

Leah bowed her head. She couldn’t get her family’s funeral out of her head. Members of the community along with the Zook family had arranged everything. She still remembered leaning against Ellis and Marge, Colette holding her hand as she stood before the four coffins. Her body had gone through the motions, her mind numb.

“He’s not here,” Dalton whispered. “He probably guessed we’d be expecting him to show. Let’s head back to the station.”

They returned to their vehicle and left the funeral early. The trip back to the station was a silent one. The solemn ceremony had left Leah feeling emotionally drained. She wondered if Dalton felt the same way.

Her exhaustion seemed to go straight down to her soul. Each second seemed to tick off in her head. A constant reminder that what had begun ten years ago was quickly coming to a head. And she wasn’t sure she was ready for the showdown that was to come.

Fifteen

The door was locked. He knocked loud enough to catch the officer on duty’s attention.

The man glanced up and eyed him curiously before he headed over and unlocked the door and stuck his head out. “Can I help you?”

He shoved the door open. The cop stumbled backward and grabbed for his gun, but not before John slammed the butt of his against the cop’s temple. He dropped to the floor, out cold.

The dispatcher screamed and grabbed the phone. John crossed the room and knocked her out too. She dropped to the floor with a loud thud.

“Aunt Sugar?” Justine stepped from a room. The second she saw him she started running.

He charged down the hallway after her. “Oh no you don’t.” Reaching out, he snatched a handful of her hair, and she lost her balance and fell. Justine slid across the floor, but he lunged for her before she could get back on her feet. She flipped over on her back and kicked him hard.

Anger rose inside him at her reaction. She’d not only betrayed him but she was now trying to escape. How dare she.John grabbed her leg and pinned it to the floor before sitting on both legs to keep her from kicking him again.

She clawed at his face. He snatched her flailing hands in one of his and smacked her hard. Her head bounced off the floor.

“You told them about me,” he snarled, inches from her face. “You disappoint me, Justine.” He pulled the knife from his pocket. Her eyes grew wide, and John smiled. This was the part he loved. Watching them realize their fate. It was exhilarating.

“No, please,” she whimpered. Of course, she was weak like Beth. The others. Eva had tried to fight back, but she was no match for him. There was only one who was his equal, and he looked forward to the day when she would spar with him again.

“Please what? Don’t kill you?” He laughed incredulously. “You told them about me, Justine. Now you’ll see what I do to traitors.”

She screamed at the top of her lungs. If someone heard her yelling, they’d come to investigate. Best do it fast. Sadly, there would be no time to savor her pain.

He clamped his hand over her mouth and fought past her hands with the knife slicing into her fingers. Her palms. And then he slashed the shiny blade across her throat, and she stopped fighting. John jumped to his feet, towering over her as she stared up at him with terror-filled eyes.

“That’s what happens to traitors,” he sneered as a tear slid down her face.

They turned onto the street in front of the station. Dalton parked in front.

“So what happens next?” Leah asked.

Something about the door caught his attention. It was open. He’d specially asked Sam to keep it locked.

Leah saw it too. She jumped from the vehicle and ran toward the door. Dalton unholstered his weapon and was right behind her.

Dalton stopped her before she went inside. “Let me go in first.” He had to force the door the rest of the way open. As soon as he was inside, he realized why. Sam was unconscious and blocking the entrance.

Dalton knelt beside Sam. He’d been struck in the head, but he was alive. “Call an ambulance,” he told Leah.

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