“But he’s only ten, right?”
“Eleven. But yes, he is still a youngling.”
“We cannot take care of a child.” Luna grabbed a shovel and pushed it into the ground.
“I am afraid if he does not come with us, he will take Abigail’s place.”
Luna stopped and looked at Malachi. “Are you sure?”
Malachi nodded.
“He can come.” Without looking up, Luna continued digging. “I don’t know how we will take care of him, but he can come.”
“I will be back.” Malachi walked back toward the house.
How could she say no? She had no doubt the High Prophet would kill his own son if it served his own evil purpose.
A few minutes later, Malachi came back with a bundle in his arms. What was he bringing? Did he pack a bag? Luna continued to shovel dirt from under the fence, being careful to not hit the links. She’d gotten just enough moved away to slip one of the shovels underneath.
As Malachi came closer, Luna saw what he was carrying. It was Abigail. She was so small and thin. He set her down on the ground and picked up the shovel. With the two of them digging, they would be able to get it done much quicker.
Abigail gave her a small wave, and Luna waved back. “Come on. Let’s get her out of here.” Luna shoveled harder and faster. Malachi matched her stride with bigger shovelfuls.
“Be careful of the electricity.” She stopped to catch her breath. “Where’s the boy?”
“He said he would be right here.” Malachi looked around. “I don’t know.”
“We can’t wait for him.”
Chapter 43 ― Daniel
Daniel rushed back into his house, determined to get evidence against his father. The man was out of control, and he had to bring him down. But how?
He rushed into his father’s office. The filing cabinets. There had to be something in there. Something he could take with him to show the monster his father had become. Something about the babies he’d killed or the money he stored in that room.
He opened the top drawer. Inside was stacked full of folders. Each one contained the record of a family. Pence. He had to find Pence. His father must have kept a record of Rachel’s fleshing out. Anything.
They were in alphabetical order. He scrolled down to the third drawer. “Come on. Come on. Where is Pence?”
It was getting late, and if he didn’t hurry, they would leave without him. But leaving was not enough. Daniel was determined to find something on his father to bring him down. Maybe he’d watched too many gangster movies, but Daniel could not depart, knowing what kind of monster he was leaving the community with.
“Pence.” His hand shook as he pulled out the folder. “There’s got to be something in here.” His father was the master at documenting information. He had a record for everything he did.
He flipped open the folder and right there on the top were pictures. Daniel gasped.
He closed the file, shoved it in his robe and ran out of the house.
“Please don’t let me be too late. Please don’t let me be too late . . .” he chanted as he ran to the back of the house.
Before he made it around the corner, a popping sounded, and the entire house went dark. The fence was disabled. They only had seconds before his father would wake.
“What is going on?” the High Prophet’s voice boomed from inside.
Daniel picked up his pace.
Chapter 44 ― Rachel
Dear God,
I am sorry for not believing that You are a forgiving God. To be honest, I didn’t know. But then I was told. And I learned to read just so I could find out for myself. God, I believe. I believe that You are holy and righteous and that You care about everything that happens to us, good or bad.
You know what is going on in that community. And You know what’s best. Luna is there now, and she is going to try to release my sister. If it is in Your will, please help her. I want to see my sister once again. I need her.
Chapter 45 ― Malachi
After he hit the switch to shut down the fence, Malachi noticed that the outside lights on the house had gone dark too. He thought that might happen. That was why they had waited until the last possible minute to cut it.
Luna was wise. There was no way they could clear the fence without getting electrocuted. Abigail was too weak, he was too big, and the ground was too hard.
He rushed back to the fence where Abigail and Luna awaited him. He had no idea where Daniel was, but he couldn’t wait for him. He just hoped he would be okay. He’d come to like the boy. He was brave and caring, unlike his father.
Malachi rushed back to the fence. “Did it work?” he asked.
“I think so. The buzzing stopped.”
Malachi picked up the shovels and hit it lightly against the fence. Nothing. “Let’s get Abigail through first.”
Abigail tried to stand and fell. Malachi picked her up and set her down delicately into the hole. “Just scoot through.”
She did. Within seconds she was on the other side. Malachi jumped in next. The bottom of the fence scraped across his torso as he scooted through. Before he was all the way through, he heard yelling from afar.
“Hurry! Hurry! He is coming!” It was Daniel. “My father is coming!”
Malachi looked back. Daniel was running toward them as fast as he could. The High Prophet was right behind him.
Malachi wiggled the rest of the way through and then stood up. “Get her to the car,” he told Luna. “Come on, Daniel! Hurry!”
Daniel was almost there.
Come on! Come on!
As soon as Daniel hit the gate, the High Prophet scooped him up by the collar.
“Going somewhere, boy?”
“Let me go!” Daniel screamed out as he kicked and swung at his father. “You want to kill me like you
