White Horse’s words slipped back through his mind.Show us then, God. Take us to them.His eyes burned, and he no longer had the strength to hold back the tears.If you’re real, take me to Faith right now.
Don’t come, Grant. Please, don’t come.
It was hard to tell how much of Faith’s clenched belly came from sitting all day in the August sun with no food and little water, or whether her middle had twisted into a knot from hours of watching Flies Ahead and Crooked Knife sit at their lookout perches. Each man kept guard with his rifle across his lap, hands positioned on the weapon so they could easily lift and aim whenever Grant and White Horse approached.
Flies Ahead had said he wanted the men to watch while he tortured and killed her and Steps Right. But had he changed his mind and decided to punish the two of them by making them watch Grant and White Horse die? She wouldn’t be able to bear it.
Don’t come, Grant. Both of you, stay away.Maybe Flies Ahead would reveal when they were approaching and she could call out to warn them.
She was so weary, her eyelids begged to let her fade to oblivion. But she made herself keep steadily breathing, doing her best to stay alert for any opportunity to warn the men.
She’d made peace with that fact that she would probably die soon. Made peace with the God who saw her, even in this remote mountain country. She was a tiny dot too small to show on a map of this massive mountain wilderness, but God saw her and had a good plan for her.
Even now, she could feel the peace of His presence. The warmth of the Father’s arms wrapped around her. She would be content if she were taken from this world to be forever with Him.
But Grant...
I don’t think he knows you, Lord. Don’t letthese men kill him. He needs time. Needs someone toshow him the truth about you.
If only she’d done that when she had the chance. Grant had encouraged her faith more than she’d nurtured his. What had he said?“What your sisters have is real. It can be real for you too. I don’t knowhow to find it, but I think if your heart is open ... if you ask Him, God will be there. He’ll answer you. Every time. It might not bein ways you expect, but it will be Him answering.”
How could he say those things if God’s love wasn’t real for him? Yet she’d gotten the feeling Grant thought God was for others, not for himself. Maybe he thought the Almighty looked past him.Show him the truth, Lord. Don’t let him be lost.
A shuffling sounded from somewhere through the trees, and she forced her eyes to focus. Both men jumped to their feet, and Flies Ahead raised his rifle against his shoulder. But he didn’t squint down the barrel to aim, just kept watching the trees beyond their camp.
Grant and White Horse must be approaching. If it was the other man who’d come with Flies Ahead, they wouldn’t be aiming guns at him.
She needed to warn them somehow. She strained against her bindings as she scanned the supplies littering the camp. Even if there was something she could use as a weapon or to signal Grant and White Horse, she couldn’t get free to reach it.
Flies Ahead shifted, then began to back away from his position, moving into the camp. He still kept his rifle against his shoulder, even raising it more so he’d be able to aim easily.
Crooked Knife looked over at him, a question in his gaze. She couldn’t see Flies Ahead’s expression well, but he must have signaled for Crooked Knife to move back with them. What were they planning?
The answer came clear within seconds as the men came to stand on either side of her and Steps Right. Crooked Knife halted on Faith’s left, and Flies Ahead positioned himself on the other side of the older woman.
Both kept their guns pointed at the source of the rustling sounds.
Her throat tightened so much she couldn’t swallow orbreathe. Whoever approached would see the two braves first. Would they be able to react quickly enough once they realized they were walking into an ambush?
She would have to alert them.
Sounds had begun to drift through the trees beyond the camp. Horses snorting and saddles squeaking. They were close enough they would hear a yell. She had to act.
She sucked in a breath and shouted, “Don’t come farther! It’s a trap!”
Flies Ahead whipped around, leaping in front of Steps Right to aim his gun at Faith. “Quiet!”
At least that protected Steps Right a little, drawing the weapon away from her. Crooked Knife had also pointed his rifle at Faith. She’d never felt so vulnerable, strapped to this tree with two powerful guns pointed at her.
She was going to die, but she wouldn’t let anyone else come with her, if she could help it. Not until she knew they were ready to meet the Lord.
She screamed again, “Get away, Grant. It’s a trap! Turn and run.” At least her yelling was distracting Flies Ahead from whatever attack he’d planned for the men.
Flies Ahead pressed the rifle barrel against her temple. As cold steel pressed hard into her skin, out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of a person breaking through the trees.
But the hard push of metal that bent her neck forced her focus fully on the man nearest her. She had to look from the side of her gaze to see his face, his eyes wild now instead of the cold calculation of before. Was it better or worse that he seemed to have lost his self-control?
She wasn’t afraid of him. Nor of death.
