We’ve tried and tried to break the basement door down. It won’t budge.” Tricia’s voice was bitter.
“We have to find another way out. Lara, you need to turn on the lights so we can see.”
“I can’t do that. Reuben would get very angry if I did that. If he shuts off the lights, we have to wait until he turns them back on. It’s the rule whether we’re chained or not.”
Moses’s arms tightened around Maven’s neck. She didn’t want to scare him, but there was no way to avoid it. “Didn’t you hear what he said last night? We might not have another chance.”
“I don’t care. I’m not going to make him angry. I have to keep Joshua safe. That’s all that matters to me.” Lara crawled over.
Joshua slipped off Maven’s lap and ran to his mother. They touched fingers through the chain link.
“Yeah, if we’re all good, he might forget what he said. And everything will be OK,” Denise said.
Tricia shook her head. “I don’t think so. He was really angry. It’s been a while since I saw him that mad.”
Maven moved closer to Lara. “Lara, don’t do it for us. Do it for Joshua. He deserves a normal life and the only way that will happen is if we get out of here.”
Lara stared at her and then nodded. “You’re right. We can’t just sit here and wait for him to come back to…” Her gaze landed on Joshua. “Well, you know what.” Lara pulled the string on the light. The dark basement brightened.
“Oh, Lara.” Maven’s heart broke. It had been her fault he’d beaten her.
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Lara walked back towards them, but suddenly she stopped. “Look, I dropped the key when he grabbed me by the hair. He must’ve forgotten about it.”
God was intervening.
“With God, all things are possible,” Maven said.
“It must be God. Reuben’s never done that before.” Denise’s voice was full of wonder. She looked at Maven. “He must love you.”
“He loves you, too, Denise. All of you.”
Lara had access to the key to freedom.
31
Paul and Donald Decker walked into the news station escorted by a security guard.
Paul’s cell phone buzzed. “I need to take this.” He hit the talk button. “Hi, Lizzie.”
“Paul, this is Trent Snoddy.”
He shouldn’t have been surprised.
Lizzie had been adamant in her opposition to his plan.
“What can I do for you, Agent Snoddy?”
“Don’t do this. It will put Maven in more danger than she’s already in.”
“It’s our only lead. I’m taking it.” He paused. “Unless you have a better idea?”
“We’ve already discussed this. The profiler doesn’t believe Cedar Street, Road, or Avenue has anything to do with Moses. And she also doesn’t believe that Maven being missing is connected to Moses or his disappearance.”
“If the profiler’s right, then I won’t be putting Maven in any more danger. We’re not even going to mention her name. Only show the picture of the house. But I happen to think she’s wrong. If I were you, I’d have her fired. She’s not very good at her job.” He clicked off.
Donald Decker and the security guard were both staring at him.
He took a deep breath. “OK. Let’s do this.”
~*~
“Pick up the key, Lara.” Maven’s voice was quiet, but firm.
Denise shook her head. “Don’t do it. It could be a test. He’s probably watching us from his little spy room,” her voice was filled with panic.
Tricia spoke up. “Well, if he is, then he already knows we’ve broken the rules. Hurry, pick up the key, Lara, and unlock us. If nothing else, we can all jump on him. Maybe one of us can get away to get help.”
“Haven’t you all been unchained at the same time before?”
“Never.”
“Only one at a time. That’s the rule.”
Lara looked at the women, her face filled with fear.
Please, God give her the courage she needs.
Lara slid the lock into the padlock of the gate, then unlocked each of the cages. As a group, they turned
“We have to find another way out. Lara, you need to turn on the lights so we can see.”
“I can’t do that. Reuben would get very angry if I did that. If he shuts off the lights, we have to wait until he turns them back on. It’s the rule whether we’re chained or not.”
Moses’s arms tightened around Maven’s neck. She didn’t want to scare him, but there was no way to avoid it. “Didn’t you hear what he said last night? We might not have another chance.”
“I don’t care. I’m not going to make him angry. I have to keep Joshua safe. That’s all that matters to me.” Lara crawled over.
Joshua slipped off Maven’s lap and ran to his mother. They touched fingers through the chain link.
“Yeah, if we’re all good, he might forget what he said. And everything will be OK,” Denise said.
Tricia shook her head. “I don’t think so. He was really angry. It’s been a while since I saw him that mad.”
Maven moved closer to Lara. “Lara, don’t do it for us. Do it for Joshua. He deserves a normal life and the only way that will happen is if we get out of here.”
Lara stared at her and then nodded. “You’re right. We can’t just sit here and wait for him to come back to…” Her gaze landed on Joshua. “Well, you know what.” Lara pulled the string on the light. The dark basement brightened.
“Oh, Lara.” Maven’s heart broke. It had been her fault he’d beaten her.
“I don’t want to talk about it.” Lara walked back towards them, but suddenly she stopped. “Look, I dropped the key when he grabbed me by the hair. He must’ve forgotten about it.”
God was intervening.
“With God, all things are possible,” Maven said.
“It must be God. Reuben’s never done that before.” Denise’s voice was full of wonder. She looked at Maven. “He must love you.”
“He loves you, too, Denise. All of you.”
Lara had access to the key to freedom.
31
Paul and Donald Decker walked into the news station escorted by a security guard.
Paul’s cell phone buzzed. “I need to take this.” He hit the talk button. “Hi, Lizzie.”
“Paul, this is Trent Snoddy.”
He shouldn’t have been surprised.
Lizzie had been adamant in her opposition to his plan.
“What can I do for you, Agent Snoddy?”
“Don’t do this. It will put Maven in more danger than she’s already in.”
“It’s our only lead. I’m taking it.” He paused. “Unless you have a better idea?”
“We’ve already discussed this. The profiler doesn’t believe Cedar Street, Road, or Avenue has anything to do with Moses. And she also doesn’t believe that Maven being missing is connected to Moses or his disappearance.”
“If the profiler’s right, then I won’t be putting Maven in any more danger. We’re not even going to mention her name. Only show the picture of the house. But I happen to think she’s wrong. If I were you, I’d have her fired. She’s not very good at her job.” He clicked off.
Donald Decker and the security guard were both staring at him.
He took a deep breath. “OK. Let’s do this.”
~*~
“Pick up the key, Lara.” Maven’s voice was quiet, but firm.
Denise shook her head. “Don’t do it. It could be a test. He’s probably watching us from his little spy room,” her voice was filled with panic.
Tricia spoke up. “Well, if he is, then he already knows we’ve broken the rules. Hurry, pick up the key, Lara, and unlock us. If nothing else, we can all jump on him. Maybe one of us can get away to get help.”
“Haven’t you all been unchained at the same time before?”
“Never.”
“Only one at a time. That’s the rule.”
Lara looked at the women, her face filled with fear.
Please, God give her the courage she needs.
Lara slid the lock into the padlock of the gate, then unlocked each of the cages. As a group, they turned
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