Gil was still praying, and she was missing his wonderful words, so she tugged her mind back to focus.
"We trust You to guide our steps and protect us. Help us to be wise and discerning as we seek a way out of this situation. Give us courage and strength for whatever we face. In Jesus's name, amen."
She echoed a soft "Amen." The sincerity and steadiness of Gil’s words seeped into her soul, fortifying her faith. God was with them. He would make a way, even when there seemed no options.
She opened her eyes to find Gil watching her, a gentle smile on his lips despite the pain that had to be throbbing through his battered face. "We'll figure this out together, Jess. You're not alone anymore. None of us are.”
Gil was right, of course.
God had brought this wonderful man to her, a man to show her His love, just as Ezekiel had, yet in a very different way. Her middle warmed as that thought settled.
A very different way from old Ezekiel.
Could Gil see what she was thinking? Why did it seem his smile turned roguish?
She drew in a deep breath, scrambling for a way to refocus them on the task at hand. "What about your brother? Do you want me to find him and see if he’ll go with us?”
Gil’s gaze turned distant, pain seeping into his good eye. “He made it clear he won’t leave here. I don’t want to risk you or the baby to convince him.” His throat worked. “Sampson can be stubborn. I guess I have to let him make that choice.”
Breath seeped out of her, leaving only the pain that Gil must also be feeling. “I’m sorry.”
He gave a grim nod. “Me too.”
She inhaled again, mentally searching for the next step. “We need a plan. My father will have guards at every exit, watching for any sign of us trying to leave."
Gil's brow lowered. “We can get to that tunnel that shares the same entrance as this apartment, right? The one that leads to the bunk room? Are there any other passageways I haven’t seen? Even tiny ones? Or caves that dead-end?”
She pictured the outside of the mountain in her mind. "I only know of the main entrance from our apartment and the three others—one on each side of the mountain. And they'll all be heavily guarded.”
"Hmm." Gil shifted, trying to sit up straighter, though his face twisted in pain.
She adjusted the pillows behind him. His every breath looked agonizing.
When he was settled, he reached for her hand once more, resting their clasp on the blanket. "I think our best chance isto wait until nightfall and sneak out then. Maybe out the front entrance where the grass is highest? I can stand guard with a gun while you crawl low. You can take a gun with you, and once you're clear, you can cover me as I follow."
The image of Gil dragging himself across the ground, each movement pure agony with his battered ribs, made her insides clench. “Are you sure you should do that?” She knew better than to ask whether hecoulddo it. Men were stubborn when you questioned their capabilities. At least Father was.
But Gil didn’t seem angry. In fact, was that a glimmer of humor in his eye? Surely not.
His fingers tightened around hers, a reassuring squeeze. "I'll manage, Jess. Remember what we prayed, for strength to face what we need to?" His tone held a bit of humor too.
“You also prayed for wisdom and discernment. Those would be wise to use now.”
The corners of his mouth tugged upward. “True.”
She lifted her hand from Gil’s and pressed two fingers to the wound, using the lightest of touches. Maybe she should have bandaged it, but she’d been applying salve every few hours, and the cut didn’t fester. If they were on the move, she’d need to protect it from dirt and further damage.
Gil slid his hand around her wrist and pressed a kiss to the center of her palm.
He was such a good man. How could he possibly want anything else to do with her? After they got out of this mess, he would run as far away from her as he could. Maybe he’d make sure she found a place to settle first—his honor might require him to do that much—but then he’d be done with her.
And she’d be alone.
Yet alone and free would be so much better than smothered and miserable, surrounded by all the evil here.
“Jess.”
Her name in Gil’s husky voice made her heart skip a beat.
