Through the Storm(60)

Tires and brakes squealed.

Silence reclaimed the night.

Neal held his breath. What had happened? An accident? Ambush?

Angry shouts and curses from a woman quickly shattered the stillness.

Holding his shotgun, Neal rose to his feet and handed the leash to Claire. “Stay here. I’ll check it out.”

“I’ll be right behind you.”

Neal grunted. “Okay.” He trudged along the shoulder of the road, staying close to the trees.

Around the next bend in the road, a woman with dark hair waved a flashlight as she kicked and cursed at a red Harley lying on the pavement. She stormed away from the bike and then back toward it, shook her head, and cursed some more.

Neal pointed the shotgun in her direction. “Having problems with the bike?”

She spun around with a pistol in one hand, goggles and flashlight in the other.

“I heard you and came to investigate. I didn’t mean to startle you.” He squinted through the light, trying to look at her but saw only short dark hair, dark jacket, and jeans.

Claire stepped from the tree line.

Ginger growled.

She stared at the dog for a moment and then at Claire. Slowly she eased the gun and flashlight down. “Sorry. A girl can’t be too careful these days.”

“My name’s Neal.” He lowered his weapon. “What’s wrong?”

“Danny.” She stared at the bike for a moment.

Confused by the name, Neal glanced about.

“No. I’m Dani, with an ‘i.’ As for the bike, I don’t know. I hit a pothole and blew the tire, but now it won’t even start.” She kicked the bike again. “I know how to fix these things, but it’s so dark and I’ve got no tools with me. I don’t want to be stuck out on the road all night.” She slumped beside the bike.

Neal stared into the night toward his home just a couple of miles away. Uneasiness swept over him. Something felt wrong. He didn’t want to invite Dani to stay with them, but even with a pistol, it wouldn’t be safe for her to camp along the road.

As he stared at the Harley and her, an idea formed. “There’s a church a few miles from here. We’re going that way. I’m sure you could stay there for the night and in the morning you can fix the Harley.”

Dani stared at him for a moment as if trying to see deeper inside him. “Okay. It’s been a long time since I was in a church.” She struggled to stand the bike. “Lead the way.”

“Do you want me to help you?” Neal asked.

“No. I can do this,” Dani grunted and the bike rolled.

With a glance at her belly, Neal took Ginger’s leash from Claire. Then he turned his gaze to Dani as she strained to roll the bike along. She could never push it up the hill.

For the next few minutes, they continued along the two-lane road, over a small stream and around a long curve. Progress seemed painfully slow. He remembered Beth saying that when things are frustrating, God is trying to teach patience.

Really, God? When I’m this close to home you want to teach me patience? He sighed.

Claire stared at him. “Is something wrong?”

“No.” Neal planted a smile on his face.

“That’s your creepy face grin again. Do you recognize this area?”

“Yes. Even in the dark.”

Shouts and laughter broke the quiet of the night.

“This seems to be a night for yelling.” Neal considered telling the women to wait while he checked out who the crazy person might be, but he figured that neither would stay behind.

As Ginger sniffed the air, Neal again passed the leash to Claire and then stepped around the curve.

The voice sounded happy and young. It also seemed familiar. He squinted, trying to see the person’s face. He stepped from the forest and into the road, illuminated only by the crescent moon.

*

Night created more worries and increased the danger, but it also brought cool breezes that allowed Conner to pedal longer and faster toward Riverbank. He knew the way, but it all seemed different, even foreboding. Only an occasional flickering yellow light from a candle or campfire pierced the night. The black asphalt of a strip mall seemed endless with the large, tan, brick building beyond invisible. Unseen cows mooed in an unseen pasture.

“There it is!” Conner stopped his bike and ran to a street sign. “This is it!” He danced a jig several times around the pole. Little brother, I’ll be home in minutes. “This is the sign for my street.”

A few feet away, Madison laughed.

“Right up there, that’s where it is, just up the hill.”

Gravel crunched behind Conner. He spun around with his rifle ready.

A man holding a shotgun stepped out of the shadows. His clothes didn’t fit well and he had the start of a salt and pepper beard, but his face looked strangely familiar.

“Dad?”

Fear and tension that had permeated Conner now gushed like a flood. His dad stood in front of him. He fought back the tears that welled in his eyes.

Neal slung the shotgun from his hands to a shoulder and stared. “Conner?”

“Yeah, it’s me.” He stepped close and they embraced. As Conner pressed against his dad, he knew that the long journey had ended and everything would be okay.

“I hardly recognized you.” His father stepped back and looked him up and down. “I think we’ve both lost some weight.”