Hidden (Jacobs Family Series Book 1) Read online

  “Move his weapons and ours to the edge of the clearing. I’m going to need you to help me with his wound, and I don’t want to worry about the firearms.”

  “What if—”

  “He’s lost too much blood, and there’s two of us. Hurry.”

  While she did as he asked, he cut away Drogan’s jacket and shirt.

  “Why wasn’t he wearing a vest?” Dana asked as she knelt beside him.

  “I suppose he didn’t expect to get shot.”

  Drogan’s eyes locked with Ben’s.

  “Am I right, Chance? We weren’t supposed to get close enough to deliver a shot. You kill from a distance, so you don’t need a vest.” Ben worked quickly, applying a field dressing to the wound.

  Drogan didn’t answer, but then Ben hadn’t expected him to.

  “The shot is a clean one. I saw an exit wound when I pulled his backup pistol.”

  Dana nodded and handed him more tape as he secured the dressing.

  “We can’t stay here.”

  “They’ll see that explosion for miles. I expect someone will come to us. Hand me the morphine.”

  Drogan began to struggle as Dana reached for the syringe.

  “What’s wrong, Chance? You want to be awake for this part?” Ben sat back on his haunches and stared at the man he’d been chasing since he’d arrived in New Mexico. “Or were you actually thinking you could still get away?”

  Drogan seemed about to speak, licked his lips, then tried again. All that came out was a croak.

  “Give him some water, Dana.”

  Ben thought a change had come over her, but when she uncapped the water and held it to Drogan’s lips, he was sure of it. There was sadness in her expression, as if she were looking at some broken thing she didn’t know how to fix. But the anger and fear were gone.

  Drogan drank two swallows, then pushed the water away with his right hand.

  “Nam,” he said. “Can’t stand the stuff… ever since Nam.”

  Ben sat back, recapped the morphine, and placed it in the med kit. “All right. Have it your way.”

  Drogan stared at Dana as she placed the water back in their pack. Confusion clouded his eyes, turning them almost translucent.

  “Angie?” he asked. “Angela?”

  She turned and looked at him. “No, Mr. Drogan. I’m not Angela.”

  They stayed there, no one speaking, Drogan slipping into a light sleep. When the sound of an emergency chopper filled the air, Dana glanced at Ben.

  “I’ll stay,” Ben hollered over the roar of its engine.

  He watched her walk out into the sunlight. It was like watching a fawn take its first steps. She looked so strong to him and so beautiful. Something told him he was watching a new beginning.

  Eighty-four

  The second helicopter returned them to Elizabethtown where Ben’s truck had been repaired. A paramedic cleaned Ben’s wound and put a fresh bandage over it. They were offered a ride in an ambulance, but both chose to accept basic first aid with a promise to check in at the hospital as soon as they reached Taos. They spent the day helping the crew gather evidence, though proving Drogan’s guilt wouldn’t be a problem. Dana followed procedures though. They’d been drilled into her, and she wasn’t one to question her training. By the end of the day, she was more than ready to accept a ride with Ben back to Taos.

  As they drove toward town, Dana ran her hand across the leather seat. She wondered if it would be her last time to ride in Ben’s truck. Something told her things would be changing between them. She didn’t know if he would be leaving or she would be, or maybe they would both stay and things would be different.

  She didn’t dare hope he would confess his love again. A girl only received so many chances.

  The peace she had found in the cabin hadn’t left her though. Her faith was new, but it didn’t wobble. God would show her the way.

  “You’re awfully quiet over there.” Ben turned down the Clapton cassette and glanced her way.

  “Am I?”

  “Yes, you are. Not sleeping though. Normally, Clapton makes you sleep.”

  “Guess I’m not in a sleeping mood.”

  He seemed to consider her reply, then switched hands on the steering wheel, grimacing as he used the injured arm to drive. “You’re different, Dana.”

  “I am?” She cornered herself between the leather seat and the door. That corner was starting to feel like home. She’d miss it. “How so?”

  “Sassier, for one thing.”

  “I didn’t think that was possible.”

  “See? Exactly what I mean.” He ran his hand through the curls that had grown back at his neckline. “Something happened after I left the cabin this morning. I told you to stay put, but you didn’t.”

  “True.”

  “So something did happen.”

  Dana smiled at him. He reminded her of a dog with a bone.

  “Now there you go. Instead of arguing with me, like you normally would, you’re just smiling like, like—”

  “Like you’re right?” she asked softly.

  “Yeah.”

  “You are right.” She ran her hand across the leather upholstery again. Tried to imagine what Ben’s grandfather was like and how the Montana mountains looked when the sun rose over them. “I did do what you said, Ben.”

  “But—”

  “You told me to pray, and I did. At first I thought I couldn’t. Then…” She thought of the cross in the cabin that no longer existed. Decided to save that story for another time, if they ever had another time. “Well, I didn’t really know how, but I just talked to God. Like you talk to me. And suddenly, I could remember my mama praying with me when I was a little girl, and it wasn’t so hard. The scars I’ve tried to keep hidden, well, they just seemed to fade away.”

  She looked out at the mountains, turning a majestic purple in the setting sun. Then she looked back at Ben, and she waited.

  “That’s it?”

  “What more do you need to hear, Marshall?”

  It was his turn to be speechless, which she rather enjoyed. She let him flounder for a few minutes. Then she reached across the seat and covered his hand with hers.

  “That isn’t it, actually. I don’t know how to explain what happened, and I don’t want to minimize it by saying it wrong. There weren’t any lights or angels or voices. Nothing like that. But it was as if this unbearable weight was lifted off my shoulders. Suddenly, I knew I was forgiven for whatever I’d done wrong eighteen years ago—”

  “Dana, you didn’t do anything wrong.”

  She cocked her head, considered his words, and shrugged. “Maybe you’re right. I don’t think it really matters now. What matters is the future.”

  Ben laced his fingers into hers.

  Neither said anything for a few miles, and Dana went back to studying the landscape. Though it was harder to do so with Ben’s thumb tracing a pattern on the back of her hand.

  “Wow,” he finally said.

  She grinned at him. “I know. That’s what I thought.”

  They passed a sign that read, Scenic Overlook Ahead. Ben signaled and pulled off.

  “Feel like sightseeing, Marshall?”

  “Actually, I do.” He parked the car in a space where they could watch the final moments of the sun setting over the mountains.

  It reminded her of the night at Cimarron Canyon. Then the voice in her heart reminded her hope lay in the future, not the past.

  She turned and looked at Ben, and when she did he pulled her into his arms.

  “I thought you wanted to watch the sunset.”

  “I do,” he said, brushing back her hair.

  “It’s that direction.” She nodded toward the front of the truck.

  “Uh-huh. I can see it in your eyes.”

  “What a beautiful thing to say, Ben.”

  “You could say something beautiful back.” He kissed her gently on the lips, and she felt hope rise up in her heart like a nightingale in flight.

>   “What would you like me to say?”

  “That you’ll marry me.”

  “I will,” she whispered, surprised to find she’d been hoping, even praying, that he would ask. She didn’t know when she had begun to love Ben Marshall, but she was sure that what they shared was true enough and pure enough to last a lifetime.

  They sat there in the truck, long after the sun had set and the moon had risen. They spoke of how the calm she felt was normal and how it wouldn’t pass with the newness of her faith. They shared their dreams for a home and maybe, someday, children.

  Mostly though, they looked out the window and watched the stars come out.

  And they wished on them.

  Both confident their biggest wish, their deepest heart’s desires, had already been granted.

  The End

  Discussion Questions

  1. Ben feels that God has directed him into the path of Dana Jacobs, but he doesn’t know why. He does believe that “God will reveal His hand, but not until God is ready.” What similar moments have you had in your life? Waiting is never easy. What did you do to deal with the time in between?

  2. In Chapter 24, Ben and Dana go rock climbing—definitely an activity that requires trust between people. How does the image of Dana leaning back in the harness to descend the rock reflect our Christian faith? How is trust necessary in our relationship with God?

  3. Ben describes St. Elmo’s fire in Chapter 35. This is an actual natural phenomenon that has been observed from ships at sea during thunderstorms. It is a sign of electricity in the air and can interfere with compass readings. We sometimes experience a similar phenomena as Christians—a tenseness around us and things that can interfere with our spiritual compass. What can we do to weather such difficult times?

  4. In Chapter 44, Dana discovers Drogan’s fascination with her and she reacts by pushing Ben away. “She knew she’d unfairly lashed out at him, but she felt as if a bubble had descended around her. One which kept her from reaching out to him and kept him from being able to cross over to her.” Sometimes when we’re hurting we do push other people away. How can we cross that distance that we create?

  5. In Chapter 46, Dana realizes she is “near a breaking point.” We all have symptoms when the stress of life becomes too much. What does the Bible say about handing those worries over to God and how can we do so but still take practical steps to deal with current situations?

  6. In Chapter 50 we finally learn more of Dana’s history—the death of her mother and the conviction of her father. We learn why she feels totally alone and abandoned by God. What words of promise from the Bible assure us that we are never alone?

  7. The scenes beginning in Chapter 70 are somewhat disturbing. Evil can be disturbing, and yet the Bible tells us repeatedly to NOT be afraid. Look up the phrase “Fear not” in a Bible concordance or via an internet search. Which verses speak to you the most?

  8. Dana’s conversion is simple—no angel’s voices or blinding lights. Yet it profoundly changes her heart. What does the Bible say about our becoming a new creation?

  Author’s Note

  This book is dedicated to my father’s father—Benjamin Van Riper. He died before I was born, but I grew up listening to stories of his adventures both here at home and overseas. His life was the stuff of legends, and he inspired in me a sense of adventure that remains unquenched. I like to think that his life has colored my writing, and that I’ve been successful in sharing that sense of excitement.

  I’d also like to thanks the folks who have helped this project see the light of day. My pre-readers—Britney Adams, Kristy Kreymer, and Dorsey Sparks. Kelly Irvin’s input was appreciated. A special thanks to Barbara Scott for editing this project and to Ken Raney for the cover. Cait Peterson did the formatting, and her help was invaluable. As always, I appreciate my husband’s abounding patience, and his willingness to throw together dinner, vacuum, and finish the laundry I barely manage to start.

  I visited the Taos area 15 years ago, for my honeymoon. It was a magical place, and I tried to convey some of that here. I have never been an employee of Homeland Security, and although my research was thorough—I have taken creative license for the purpose of my story. Any errors are my own.

  And finally … always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:20).

  Blessings,

  Vannetta

  NEW FROM BESTSELLING AUTHOR VANNETTA CHAPMAN

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  Shisphewana Amish Mystery Series

  Falling to Pieces (Book 1)

  A Perfect Square (Book 2)

  Material Witness (Book 3)

  Amish Village Mystery Series

  Murder Simply Brewed (Book 1)

  Murder Tightly Knit (Book 2)

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  Table of Contents

  Title

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

 
Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Chapter 56

  Chapter 57

  Chapter 58

  Chapter 59

  Chapter 60

  Chapter 61

  Chapter 62

  Chapter 63

  Chapter 64

  Chapter 65

  Chapter 66

  Chapter 67

  Chapter 68

  Chapter 69

  Chapter 70

  Chapter 71

  Chapter 72

  Chapter 73

  Chapter 74

  Chapter 75

  Chapter 76

  Chapter 77

  Chapter 78

  Chapter 79

  Chapter 80

  Chapter 81

  Chapter 82

  Chapter 83

  Chapter 84

  Discussion Questions

  Author's Note

  Deep Shadows

  Also by Vannetta Chapman