partners came with. Don’t ever come back, though. You stole from us. You come back and we’ll have no choice but to finish you off.”
Saul almost broke down at the words. He took a few deep breaths and said, “Could you untie me, please. I think I might just throw up.”
As Saul walked through the front door of their home unescorted, Roger and Kelly both looked over his shoulder.
“You alone?” asked Roger, surprised.
“I’m outta here. If I were you, I’d do the same.”
“They’re letting you go?” questioned Kelly, shooting a glance at Roger. “Maybe we should bail while we can?”
“They’re not going to just let me leave. At least not right now. If you want to go with Saul, I’ll see if I can arrange it.”
“I’m not going anywhere without you,” Kelly said in all seriousness.
“I’ve got two minutes,” answered Saul as he grabbed his things and stuffed them in a pack. “If you’re going to stay, you better be sure. Once I’m gone I’m not coming back.”
“I’m staying,” said Kelly, although the pit in her stomach told her she wasn’t sure if it was the right move.
“Well, good luck to you, then,” said Saul, as he lifted his pack and headed for the front door. “I plan on being far away by nightfall.”
Twenty minutes after Saul left camp under escort, Mace knocked on Roger’s door.
“You let him go,” Roger said, as soon as it opened.
“You surprised? We told you that you could leave if you wanted.” When Roger didn’t respond, Mace questioned him. “Are you sure you still want to stay?”
“Yes,” Roger responded, avoiding Kelly’s sudden glare. “This camp intrigues me. I think we could add some value here.”
“Good,” answered Mace. He felt a slight tingle of hope that this man might somehow save him. “You are now both free to roam the camp. If anyone harasses you, they will have to answer to me.”
“You trust us, now?” Roger asked.
“Not even close,” Mace said with a sharp edge. “Just don’t disappoint.”
“Don’t worry. We have no intention to.”
Knowing the price for disappointment, Roger felt his insides twist. Accustomed to living a daily existence just short of despair, he hoped this camp might allow them a reprieve from its crushing jaws. He felt thoroughly exhausted.
Watching Mace depart through the front window, Roger thought about the years they’d spent on the road. Despite all the horrors they’d seen and the devastating losses they'd faced, a seed of hope still refused to die within him. He needed to believe that life could change, that they could somehow still prevail without losing their humanity. Observing all the kids that roamed inside the walls of the Alamo, Roger got momentarily misty. It was here, he thought, if anywhere. Hope lived here.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Lining an old crate with hay in the barn, Chelsea still didn’t feel all that comfortable. “What’s going to keep him from flying away?” Herman was perched on her shoulder, his head twitching as he checked out the small wooden stall. The goats bayed in the background and his head twitched around to stare at them. In the corner, Buster rested on his side, his one good eye nodding towards sleep.
“I don’t know,” Maya said, as she surveyed the barn, her arms crossed in contemplation. “There’s plenty of room for him to fly up there,” she said, pointing directly above them towards the loft.
“Ooh, you’re right,” Chelsea said excitedly. “I like the thought of him up there better, anyway. Maybe we can keep him hidden.”
“What are you doing?” A voice startled them from the side. Kelly stood at the entrance of the stall.
Chelsea whipped around, causing Herman to cling tight to avoid getting dislodged. “What are you doing here?” Chelsea answered, perplexed. She grabbed Herman off her shoulder and tucked him behind her back.
“What is that thing?” asked Kelly. She moved towards Chelsea inquisitively.
“Nothing,”
Saul almost broke down at the words. He took a few deep breaths and said, “Could you untie me, please. I think I might just throw up.”
As Saul walked through the front door of their home unescorted, Roger and Kelly both looked over his shoulder.
“You alone?” asked Roger, surprised.
“I’m outta here. If I were you, I’d do the same.”
“They’re letting you go?” questioned Kelly, shooting a glance at Roger. “Maybe we should bail while we can?”
“They’re not going to just let me leave. At least not right now. If you want to go with Saul, I’ll see if I can arrange it.”
“I’m not going anywhere without you,” Kelly said in all seriousness.
“I’ve got two minutes,” answered Saul as he grabbed his things and stuffed them in a pack. “If you’re going to stay, you better be sure. Once I’m gone I’m not coming back.”
“I’m staying,” said Kelly, although the pit in her stomach told her she wasn’t sure if it was the right move.
“Well, good luck to you, then,” said Saul, as he lifted his pack and headed for the front door. “I plan on being far away by nightfall.”
Twenty minutes after Saul left camp under escort, Mace knocked on Roger’s door.
“You let him go,” Roger said, as soon as it opened.
“You surprised? We told you that you could leave if you wanted.” When Roger didn’t respond, Mace questioned him. “Are you sure you still want to stay?”
“Yes,” Roger responded, avoiding Kelly’s sudden glare. “This camp intrigues me. I think we could add some value here.”
“Good,” answered Mace. He felt a slight tingle of hope that this man might somehow save him. “You are now both free to roam the camp. If anyone harasses you, they will have to answer to me.”
“You trust us, now?” Roger asked.
“Not even close,” Mace said with a sharp edge. “Just don’t disappoint.”
“Don’t worry. We have no intention to.”
Knowing the price for disappointment, Roger felt his insides twist. Accustomed to living a daily existence just short of despair, he hoped this camp might allow them a reprieve from its crushing jaws. He felt thoroughly exhausted.
Watching Mace depart through the front window, Roger thought about the years they’d spent on the road. Despite all the horrors they’d seen and the devastating losses they'd faced, a seed of hope still refused to die within him. He needed to believe that life could change, that they could somehow still prevail without losing their humanity. Observing all the kids that roamed inside the walls of the Alamo, Roger got momentarily misty. It was here, he thought, if anywhere. Hope lived here.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Lining an old crate with hay in the barn, Chelsea still didn’t feel all that comfortable. “What’s going to keep him from flying away?” Herman was perched on her shoulder, his head twitching as he checked out the small wooden stall. The goats bayed in the background and his head twitched around to stare at them. In the corner, Buster rested on his side, his one good eye nodding towards sleep.
“I don’t know,” Maya said, as she surveyed the barn, her arms crossed in contemplation. “There’s plenty of room for him to fly up there,” she said, pointing directly above them towards the loft.
“Ooh, you’re right,” Chelsea said excitedly. “I like the thought of him up there better, anyway. Maybe we can keep him hidden.”
“What are you doing?” A voice startled them from the side. Kelly stood at the entrance of the stall.
Chelsea whipped around, causing Herman to cling tight to avoid getting dislodged. “What are you doing here?” Chelsea answered, perplexed. She grabbed Herman off her shoulder and tucked him behind her back.
“What is that thing?” asked Kelly. She moved towards Chelsea inquisitively.
“Nothing,”
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