his fault.
Or was it?
Crying, he touched her shoulder. Like frozen wood. "Mother?" It echoed up the dank walls.
She didn't answer. He placed his hands on her stiff body and closed his eyes, willing her back to life with his healing power. Please come back. You're all I have now. Please!
But she was long gone.
No one heard her scream. No one came to save her. For days while he went to school and did his chores his mother lay broken and dying.
For days their search party combed the woods. He didn't want to see her down there. But later it became a place he went to. He sat there and talked to her spirit.
"Caleb?"
He brought himself back to the business at the table and realized his father watched him. He had to be more careful. He couldn't let his guard down and allow his father to read his mind. His father was a master mind prober, like a snake in dark halls that slithered unseen to uncover secrets.
"Do you second the motion to put these laws in place?"
The elders stared at him from around the immense table.
"I do," he finally said. "Motion seconded."
His father nodded at him. Let his father think he wanted to do his dirty work.
The elders left but his father motioned for him to stay. "I have a job for you."
Caleb waited, hands fisted under his robe. His fingers pressed into his palms.
"The first punishment delivered from our new law."
Perspiration rose hot above Caleb's lips. Blood pounded in his ears. He forced himself to reveal his hands and held them out as an offering. "Yes?"
"A deserter will die. It's your duty to make it so. She has been caught outside the compound with her children. Not far into the woods."
"How is she to die?"
"By stoning. The entire community will participate. It will be a warning to them."
Caleb pulled in his stomach. A sickness sprung deep from within him. He had to save her.
"And the children?"
"They will watch her die and then be placed back within the community."
Despair and relief coursed through Caleb at the same time.
"Who is the woman?"
"Her name is Rachel." His father smiled at him. "I believe you lay with her once. Long ago when your mind was strong and your body willing to do its duty."
His stomach churned. He shoved his hands back under his robe and pressed them to his gut.
"You must deliver her for the punishment. And when she is dead you'll bury her in the woods. Do you understand your duty?"
Caleb's eyes blurred. His father became a shadowy shape drifting before him.
"If you cannot, your sons will die, too. I know who they are."
Caleb's vision cleared.
"And you will throw the first stone."
Caleb nodded and pushed his way past his father. He ran to the nearest bathroom and threw up until there was nothing left.
He was empty inside. As he had always been.
CHAPTER 9
Laura heard Charlie come in. She turned over and looked at the clock. After midnight. What had he been doing? She tried to sit up but pain raged through her head. The migraines had returned. Her unborn child kicked angrily as if he too felt the pain. She fell back and sighed. Tomorrow she would question Charlie. Tonight she prayed for blessed relief from the pain. It had to be pregnancy related. She made a note to ask the doctor about it at her next checkup. The moonlight shed a soft glow through the sheer curtains. It hurt her eyes.
Ben moaned next to her. She wondered what his dreams held. Fear and terror like hers? She placed her hand on his arm. He moaned again. She pushed her belly into his side, needing to feel safe. She traced her fingers on the scars across his back, the physical evidence of his long ago night of suffering as a sailor in Hawaii. He had almost met his death then by a vengeful pimp who held him hostage and whipped him. And he had been saved by the man who'd watched over both of them in secret—Felix. It was a lifetime ago before he met Laura, when he had been another man.
She had to use Felix's communication belt again, had to know if others still existed
Or was it?
Crying, he touched her shoulder. Like frozen wood. "Mother?" It echoed up the dank walls.
She didn't answer. He placed his hands on her stiff body and closed his eyes, willing her back to life with his healing power. Please come back. You're all I have now. Please!
But she was long gone.
No one heard her scream. No one came to save her. For days while he went to school and did his chores his mother lay broken and dying.
For days their search party combed the woods. He didn't want to see her down there. But later it became a place he went to. He sat there and talked to her spirit.
"Caleb?"
He brought himself back to the business at the table and realized his father watched him. He had to be more careful. He couldn't let his guard down and allow his father to read his mind. His father was a master mind prober, like a snake in dark halls that slithered unseen to uncover secrets.
"Do you second the motion to put these laws in place?"
The elders stared at him from around the immense table.
"I do," he finally said. "Motion seconded."
His father nodded at him. Let his father think he wanted to do his dirty work.
The elders left but his father motioned for him to stay. "I have a job for you."
Caleb waited, hands fisted under his robe. His fingers pressed into his palms.
"The first punishment delivered from our new law."
Perspiration rose hot above Caleb's lips. Blood pounded in his ears. He forced himself to reveal his hands and held them out as an offering. "Yes?"
"A deserter will die. It's your duty to make it so. She has been caught outside the compound with her children. Not far into the woods."
"How is she to die?"
"By stoning. The entire community will participate. It will be a warning to them."
Caleb pulled in his stomach. A sickness sprung deep from within him. He had to save her.
"And the children?"
"They will watch her die and then be placed back within the community."
Despair and relief coursed through Caleb at the same time.
"Who is the woman?"
"Her name is Rachel." His father smiled at him. "I believe you lay with her once. Long ago when your mind was strong and your body willing to do its duty."
His stomach churned. He shoved his hands back under his robe and pressed them to his gut.
"You must deliver her for the punishment. And when she is dead you'll bury her in the woods. Do you understand your duty?"
Caleb's eyes blurred. His father became a shadowy shape drifting before him.
"If you cannot, your sons will die, too. I know who they are."
Caleb's vision cleared.
"And you will throw the first stone."
Caleb nodded and pushed his way past his father. He ran to the nearest bathroom and threw up until there was nothing left.
He was empty inside. As he had always been.
CHAPTER 9
Laura heard Charlie come in. She turned over and looked at the clock. After midnight. What had he been doing? She tried to sit up but pain raged through her head. The migraines had returned. Her unborn child kicked angrily as if he too felt the pain. She fell back and sighed. Tomorrow she would question Charlie. Tonight she prayed for blessed relief from the pain. It had to be pregnancy related. She made a note to ask the doctor about it at her next checkup. The moonlight shed a soft glow through the sheer curtains. It hurt her eyes.
Ben moaned next to her. She wondered what his dreams held. Fear and terror like hers? She placed her hand on his arm. He moaned again. She pushed her belly into his side, needing to feel safe. She traced her fingers on the scars across his back, the physical evidence of his long ago night of suffering as a sailor in Hawaii. He had almost met his death then by a vengeful pimp who held him hostage and whipped him. And he had been saved by the man who'd watched over both of them in secret—Felix. It was a lifetime ago before he met Laura, when he had been another man.
She had to use Felix's communication belt again, had to know if others still existed
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