Page 11 of Refuge for Cherilyn

“Up?”

Amanda pointed to her left. “Yeah. Up the hill back there.”

“Which trail is that?”

Maddie shrugged. “There ain’t no trail up there, far as I know.”

“Me neither,” Amanda confirmed. “Never seen one up there. But there’s a cave up there somewheres. I heared about it all my life, but I ain’t never seen it.”

“A cave?” Both women nodded. “Uh, okay. I didn’t see that on the map either.”

“I heared it was ’cause they don’t want folks up there. Like it’s really ancient and stuff, and Indians prolly lived in it, and they don’t want it messed up. And maybe bears are up there. We don’t really know.” He could tell Amanda was being truthful, and it appeared Maddie was also.

“So, if you see her again, could you please not say anything? We’re trying to find her before something happens to all of them.”

Maddie nodded. “Yes, sir. Do we call you if we see her?”

“I’d really appreciate that. Here.” He handed each of them his business card. “Just call me. That’s my cell. I’m going to do everything I can to get them to a safe place.”

“She said they can’t go to a shelter. I think her husband was abusin’ her or somethin’. Said he’d find them there and… I don’t know what she thinks would happen, but it must be somethin’ real bad,” Maddie said, her voice turning to a whisper as she spoke.

“I don’t want that to happen. There’s no plans to force them to go to a shelter, but we have to do something for them. Just let me know. Please.”

“Yes, sir. We will. And thank you for carin’ ’bout ’em. It appears don’t nobody else give a damn for ’em,” Amanda said, her eyes sad.

“I understand. I care. There’s a really nice deputy who does too. He’s got a wife and a kid, and he doesn’t want something awful to happen to them.”

“Good. We don’t neither.”

“You ladies had better get back to work. Please tell your manager that I got everything I need from the two of you and that I appreciate her sending you up.”

“Yes, sir. We will. Thank you. Take care,” Maddie said as they all stood. “Gotta get back to it.”

“Okay. Thanks again.” He watched the two young women head down the stairs, heads hung, and he felt sorry for them. The woman in the woods had put them in a terrible position, and that really wasn’t fair to them.

Once he was outside, he took a long look around. Had they really left? He fired up the truck and drove around, then down to the observation point. It only took him a second to spot the car. She’d moved it, and he figured the women had told her someone was asking about it. But it confirmed that she was still there.

Now to figure out exactly wheretherewas.

* * *

Thankgod she’d found that cave. It was pouring down rain, but they were snug and dry inside it. The tent would’ve been a disaster. She’d already decided they’d have to get into the car and she’d back it up a hill into brush so it couldn’t be seen before they’d sit out in the rain. Besides, Lara would wail from being wet and cold, and that would make life miserable for sure.

With the rain coming down the way it was, she couldn’t go to the lodge to look for food. She couldn’t really go anywhere. They huddled there in the cave, the girls playing cards with an old deck she’d found. Of course, they weren’t really playing cards, but Lara thought she was, and from time to time, she’d plop two or three cards down and yell, “GO FITCH!” Let her think she was playing Go Fish. Maya was willing to play along, and it wasn’t hurting anything.

Eventually, Lara nodded off, and Maya pulled a blanket over her sister. “Mom?”

Cherilyn turned to her older daughter. “Yes, honey?”

“Mom, I’m so hungry. Don’t we have anything?”

“Baby, we’ve got so little that we’ve got to keep it until we just can’t stand it anymore. After that, I don’t know what we’ll do.”

“Can’t Grammy and Poppy help us somehow?”

Cherilyn sighed. “I’m thinking about taking you to their house.”

“You meanwe’re allgoing to their house.”

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