The Children of Fear (5 page)

Luke drew the mule to a halt and wiped the sweat off his brow with his bandanna.

Mr. Stone stopped beside Luke and swept his hat from his head. “Luke, you've had your warnings. Can you make a payment on your land today or not?”

Luke swallowed hard. “I have five dollars. Until the crops come in, that's all I have.”

Mr. Stone cleared his throat and looked down at the ground. “Well, I suppose I can take it as a show of faith.”

Luke reached into his pocket and withdrew the silver coins. He slowly dropped them into Mr. Stone's hand. He felt a heavy weight pressing on his chest. He didn't know what he'd do without any money. He forced himself not to think of that now.

He watched Mr. Stone's fingers curl around the coins and shove them in his coat pocket, and swallowed back up a lump of anger.

“Are all your animals still healthy?” Mr. Stone asked.

“Yes,” Luke replied.

“The Wade brothers haven't been so lucky,” Mr. Stone told him. “People are wondering why they are losing so many cattle and you aren't losing any.”

“I know,” Luke snapped, irritated with the reminder. “They paid us a visit. They threatened to hurt Leah.”

“I don't know if anyone will be able to stop them from carrying out their threat if any more of their cattle die,” Mr. Stone calmly remarked.

“She's not killing their cattle,” Luke insisted. “She has not caused any of this. Everyone in town just wants somebody to blame for their bad luck.”

Mr. Stone settled his hat on his head. “I believe you, Luke. Unfortunately, I don't think anyone else will.”

♦ ♦ ♦

Luke fell into bed exhausted. Every muscle in his body ached. He didn't even bother to remove his clothes.

Still, he could not sleep. Each time he closed his eyes, a bloodied cow's head floated before him. Then it would slowly fade away … and turn into Leah's head.

Why do they suspect Leah so much? he wondered. She's kind and gentle with animals. Animals trust her. They obey her. Where is the harm in that?

A sudden noise made him sit up straight. He heard the dull thunder of hooves pounding the ground.

Luke threw off the covers and scrambled out of bed. His heart thudded in his chest. He stumbled to the window and peered outside.

His breath caught in his chest as he spotted them.

Riders circled in the front yard. Luke tried to quickly count how many. Five … ten … a dozen or more.

Dark, ominous shadows moving through the night.

What did they want? Had they finally come to make good on their threats?

To hurt Leah?

He heard the wooden floor creak behind him and spun around.

He saw Corey and Leah standing in the shadows. They stared up at him with terrified expressions.

“They're back, aren't they?” Leah asked in a quaking whisper.

Luke gave her a jerky nod. “Yes.”

Together, they all peered out the window. The horses had stopped milling around. The riders stood in a long row.

“More animals had to be killed today!” one of the men yelled.

“We know your sister is the cause,” Thomas Wade called out, his arm hanging in a sling like a white flag. “Send her out to us and we won't harm you or your little brother.”

Leah moved in closer to Luke. He could feel her violent trembling as she hugged her arms around his waist. Corey's eyes grew wide with fear. He grasped Luke's hand tightly.

“We're sorry your animals are dying. But it has nothing to do with Leah,” Luke shouted. “Go away and leave us alone!”

“It has everything to do with her!” Earl Wade yelled. “We know about the wolf and the snake. We know our animals die while yours don't!”

“Send her out here!” another voice shouted.

“No!” Luke yelled back. “Never!”

“All right, then,” Thomas Wade called out. “We gave you a chance, Luke Fier.”

Torches suddenly flared to life. Holding the torches high, the riders began galloping around the house.

“If the Fiers won't leave the house, they'll be burned alive!”

“N
o!” Luke yelled as he watched a man throw a torch toward the house.

It landed on the eaves of the porch. Flames danced up in front of Luke's window.

Leah screamed.

“Hurry! We have to get out of the house!” Luke shouted as he shoved Leah away from the window.

He lifted Corey into his arms and followed Leah into the hallway. Glass shattered as the riders thrust torches through the windows. In the distance, gunshots sounded.

Smoke billowed up the staircase. Leah faltered. Luke pushed her. “Go, Leah! There's no other way!”

Leah staggered down the stairs, Luke close on her heels. Once when she stumbled, he grabbed her arm. Corey's arms tightened around Luke's neck.

Luke gasped for air. Burning smoke filled his lungs and burned his eyes. He coughed and staggered down the steps through the black clouds. He felt his lungs about to burst. He tried to loosen Corey's grip, but Corey held firm. The little boy pressed his head to Luke's shoulder as he coughed and choked on the smoke.

We're going to die, Luke thought. We're all going to die. I can't let that happen. I promised I'd take care of them. We have to make it through this.

They reached the first floor. Flames writhed and twisted, clawing the walls. His temples pounding, Luke felt the heat circling him.

They had to get out. Now.

He peered through the smoke. Where could they go? The walls of fire were everywhere.

“The front!” Luke cried. “We can get out through the front room!”

With the flames licking at their feet, they rushed down the hallway and into the front parlor. Flames leapt from the walls. Luke danced around them. Flames singed his face. Acrid smoke burned his eyes.

I must get Leah and Corey out, he repeated over and over. I must get them out.

Leah stopped running. She stared into a room engulfed in flames, burning as brightly as the noonday sun. Tears streamed down her face. “There's no way out!”

Luke's heart thudded heavily in his chest. He glanced around. A curtain of flames blocked the room behind them. Smaller flames lapped at the front door. He heard the ceiling above creak ominously.

Luke knew it wouldn't take the flames long to devour the small house. Any minute it would topple
like a house of cards, crushing them. Burning them to charred bits.

Luke shifted Corey to his side. “Grab my shirt, Leah. We're going through the door,” he shouted.

He felt Leah grab hold of his shirt with both hands. He heard her sobbing uncontrollably. He grasped Corey and rushed toward the door, turned his shoulder, and slammed into the burning wood.

It gave way.

Luke stumbled into the night, Corey in his arms, Leah clinging to his back. Gasping and gagging, they staggered into the front yard. Luke set Corey down and turned to check on Leah.

Only then did he realize the danger had not yet passed.

On horses, the men circled Luke, Leah, and Corey.

“You should have stayed inside! Death would have come quicker,” Earl Wade cried. “Now it'll just come slowly.”

“Cowards!” Luke yelled. “We've done nothing wrong. Leah is innocent!”

The circle of riders grew ever smaller. Luke felt the horses' hot breath on his face. The horses stood shoulder to shoulder, neck to neck. He could smell their sweat, the rancid odor of their harsh breath.

No escape, Luke thought. These riders will make sure that the horses trample us if we try to crawl through.

He felt something rough touch his cheek. He jerked his head up to see Earl Wade dangling a rawhide noose over his head.

“We killed all your animals,” Earl said. “Now it's time we hanged you! All of you!”

Suddenly, a flaming piece of the roof fell to the ground.

The horses reared up, their eyes rolling back as they screamed in terror.

Luke grabbed Corey up in his arms. The horses whined in terror as they turned and stampeded into the darkness. Their riders clung to the saddles for dear life, some teetering to the side.

Earl and Thomas Wade were the first to disappear, barely keeping control over the horses. In an instant, the rest followed.

The yard stood suddenly empty, bathed in the glowing yellow light of the burning house.

“Poor things.” Leah sighed. “Horses are so afraid of fire, you know.”

“Yes, that's true,” Luke replied quietly. He couldn't quite believe that they were safe. Yet, it was true. Finally, luck had taken their side. For the moment at least.

Luke turned and faced the burning farmhouse. Leah and Corey sidled up against him. He slipped his arms around their shoulders as they watched in silence.

The fire bellowed. Crimson tongues licked at the roof, greedily devouring the house.

“The men will be back. We're not safe here,” Luke said wearily.

And I don't know what to do about it, he thought. I don't know how I'm going to take care of Leah and Corey now. We have no supplies. No money. I don't even have my rifle.

“Where will we go?” Leah asked softly.

Luke took a deep, weary breath. “Tonight we'll find
a place to hide in the woods. Tomorrow I will come up with a plan.”

Corey latched on to Luke's trousers. Luke glanced down at his brother. Black soot streaked his small, round face. His green eyes looked incredibly huge. His tiny shoulders slumped forward.

“I'm tired too,” Luke said as he lifted Corey into his arms. “But we can't stay here.”

He headed toward the woods that bordered their property.

“Leah, grab my shirt so we don't get separated,” he ordered. He stepped into the forest. A thick canopy of leaves blocked the moonlight.

Leah tripped and bumped into him. He staggered forward before catching his balance. Corey's hold on him tightened.

“I'm sorry,” Leah whispered. “I can't see.”

“It's all right. Just walk slowly,” Luke told her.

“Luke, it's so dark here,” she said in a low, quivering voice.

They heard the beating rush of an owl's wings as it swooped out of the trees. The high-pitched squeal of a deer mouse quickly followed.

Then a heavy silence.

Luke stared intently into the darkness. It's as though all the creatures are waiting to see who will be the next victim.

He shifted Corey to his other arm. Luke took a step forward. Dry twigs snapped beneath his weight.

Luke heard something scurry for cover.

Another mouse, he thought. Or a chipmunk. Or a squirrel. Harmless. He tried to convince himself that all the sounds were harmless.

“Come on,” he urged them in a hushed voice.

The air around them grew cold and damp as they moved deeper and deeper into the woods. The thickness of the brush muffled their footsteps.

Luke heard Leah's short gasps and Corey's even breathing … and something else. He thought he heard something else.

He stopped.

“What is it?” Leah asked.

“Be quiet!” Luke ordered softly. “I thought I heard something.”

“What?” Leah asked. “What did you hear?”

“Everyone, hold your breath.”

Luke listened hard. He heard nothing. He released his breath.

“It's all right. I must have heard myself breathing.”

He heard Leah's breath of relief rush out of her mouth. “Thank goodness!”

“Follow me. I think I see a stopping place for us over here,” Luke said.

He led them to a place where shafts of moonlight filtered through the trees—not much, but enough so he could see a big, partially hollowed-out tree resting on its side.

“This will make good shelter,” Luke said as he set Corey on the ground. Corey crawled inside.

Then Leah crawled in after him. “It stinks in here,” she said.

“It's just the smell of rotted wood,” Luke said impatiently. “It won't hurt you.”

Hunching over, he worked his way into the tree. He had to bend his long legs until they hit his chest. Every muscle in his body ached.

We can't go back to the farm, he decided. I must
find a way to keep Corey and Leah safe. Tomorrow, tomorrow I'll come up with a plan.

A breeze rustled the leaves overhead. It seemed to Luke that they were whispering secrets. The branches hit against one another.

I should keep watch, Luke realized. But I'm tired. So tired. His eyelids grew heavy.

Trying to get comfortable, he shifted his body slightly. He stared at the nearby trees cloaked in shadows.

Two glowing yellow eyes stared back at him.