Amish Safe House
“Is gathering eggs like an Easter egg hunt, Mr. Abraham?”
“Perhaps a bit. I will show you.” He motioned the child toward the door and then glanced at Julia. “After Kayla collects the eggs, she will return to the house. Then William and I will go to the farm across the road. Harvey Raber and his sons are delivering the furniture they make to customers who placed orders. The neighbors lend a hand while they are gone.”
Julia glanced quickly around the tidy kitchen and peered into the living area. “Shall I start cleaning?”
“You are a housekeeper in name only, Julia. You and Kayla can return to your house. I am sure you have things to do there.”
She appreciated his thoughtfulness. “I’d like to unpack.”
“Lock the door. If there is a problem, ring the dinner bell. I will hear you.”
In spite of the peaceful setting and Abraham’s attempt to welcome them to farm life, his mention of using a bell if she or Kayla had a problem, made the anxiety Julia had felt in Philadelphia return. She and the children had traveled over a thousand miles to elude the Philadores, yet the truth remained. Frankie Fuentes was a killer, and he was after her son.
* * *
Abraham hurried Kayla to the henhouse while William sat on the porch steps, looking totally uninterested in anything about the farm. From what he had seen so far, the two children seemed to be complete opposites. Kayla embraced life to the full, while William hung back and needed to be coaxed into new endeavors.
Kayla’s eyes were wide with wonder as she stood on tiptoe and peered into one of the nests. She spied an egg and placed it in her basket.
“Don’t the chickens get upset that their eggs are gone?” she asked.
“They will lay more tomorrow, Kayla.” Abraham pointed to the corner of the henhouse. “Check there. I usually find an egg or two hidden under the hay.”
The child’s search proved fruitful and soon she was headed back to the house with a smile of contentment on her pretty face and a basket full of eggs.
“I’ll tell Mama to make something with the eggs like Mrs. Fielding did.”
“Mrs. Fielding?” Abraham asked.
“She lived in an upstairs apartment and used to take care of William and me when Mama had to work.”
“I am sure she was a good woman.”
“Mrs. Fielding told me she was a God-fearing woman. I wasn’t sure what that meant, but I told her I didn’t fear God because I loved Him.”
Abraham tried not to smile, but Kayla’s sincerity touched his heart. “Hurry into the house and tell your mother that William and I are going to Mr. Raber’s farm.”
“Can I go with you?”
“Maybe next time.”
She skipped toward the house and stopped on the porch step to wave goodbye.
“Go inside, Kayla,” he called to her.
The child climbed the stairs, knocked and scooted into the house when Julia opened the door. She stood for a long moment in the doorway, staring at him. The breeze pulled at her golden hair. She caught the elusive strands and tugged them back into place before she closed the door again, leaving Abraham with a curious sensation in the pit of his stomach.
He glanced at William, who shuffled along the drive, his head down and shoulders slumped. “You act as if you would rather have stayed with your mother.”
“I would rather have stayed in Philadelphia,” the boy said with a huff. “Besides, I don’t like to get up early.”
“You are tired from your journey?”
The boy nodded. “Tired and bored.”
Abraham chuckled under his breath. With all the chores that needed to be done on the farm, William would not be bored for long.
“Grab that bucket and fill it with feed for the horses in the paddock,” Abraham said when they entered the neighbor’s barn. The bucket was heavy when filled, but William carried it to the trough and then repeated the process.
“Now we will muck the stalls.” Abraham handed the boy a pitchfork and pointed to an empty stall. “Start there.”
From the look on William’s face, Abraham knew he was not happy, but he worked hard, and if he complained, he did so under his breath.
“Next we will lay fresh straw.”
William followed Abraham’s lead and a bed of straw soon covered the floor of the stalls.
“You have done a good job.” Abraham patted the boy’s shoulder. “We will go home and do the same in my barn.”
An almost imperceptible groan escaped Will’s lips. Abraham pretended not to notice and led the way back to the country road that divided the two farms.
Raber’s phone shack sat at the edge of the road. “Wait here, William.”
Abraham opened the door and stepped into the booth. He checked the answering machine to ensure Jonathan had not called and left a message.
“Is that where the Amish keep their phones?” William asked when Abraham joined him again.
“Yah, Mr. Raber takes orders by phone for the furniture he makes. The Ordnung, the rules by which various Amish communities live, forbids phones within the home. Keeping the phone away from the house and near the property line allows Mr. Raber to stay in contact with his customers while also obeying the rule.”
William pointed to the roof. “Are those solar panels?”
Abraham nodded. “They run the answering machine. You know about solar energy?”
William shrugged. “A little.”
“Perhaps you will be an engineer when you get older.”
The boy shook his head. “I don’t think so.”
“Why not?” Abraham asked.
“School’s not cool.”
Abraham would not ask what the boy thought was cool. From what Jonathan had said, William was drawn to the street gangs with their rap music and fast cars and even faster lifestyle. Was that what William thought was cool?
The sound of a car engine drew Abraham’s attention to the road. A souped-up sedan raced over the crest of a distant rise, going much too fast along the narrow country lane.
William stared at the car, no doubt attracted to the gaudy chrome and the heavy bass destroying the peaceful quiet.
“Hide in the phone shack.” Abraham opened the door and nudged William inside.
The car approached. Abraham walked to the curb. The driver stopped and rolled down the passenger window. “I’m looking for Yoder. Made a few wrong turns, it seems. Can you give me directions?”
“You are headed the right way. The town is about four miles ahead.”
“I’ll need a room. Can you recommend lodging?”
“There is a hotel south of town. At the intersection of Main and High, turn left. The hotel sits about five blocks south on the left.” Abraham stepped closer. “You are not from this area.”
“I was in Kansas City on business and had a few days off so I decided to explore this part of the state. My hobby is writing articles for travel magazines. A story on Yoder and the Amish people might sell. If you have time, we could schedule an interview.”
The last thing Abraham wanted was publicity about Yoder or his Amish neighbors. “Not much is going on around here. You might find more tourist attractions in Hutchison. They have an Amish community there.”
“I’ll check it out. Thanks for the information about the hotel.” The man handed a business card to Abraham. “You know where to find me for the next few days in case you have time for a cup of coffee, or we could talk over lunch.”
The driver waved and drove away.
Abraham made a mental note of the license plate before he opened the door to the phone booth. His heart stopped. William stood with the phone to his ear. His eyes widened and his face flushed. He dropped the receiver onto the cradle and lowered his gaze.
“Who did you call?”
The boy shook his head. “No one.”
“I will ask you once more, William. Who did you call?”
“I... I thought about calling a friend of mine from Philly.”
“What is his name?”
“David.”
“His full name.”
“David Davila.”
“Did the call connect?”
Will shook his head. “No way. There wasn’t time.”
“Did you call your friend from the hotel in Philadelphia?”
The boy’s face reddened.
“What did you tell David?”
“Only that we were moving, but I didn’t tell him where.”
“Did you mention Kansas?”
“I just said we were leaving the city.”
Abraham pointed the boy toward the road. “The phone is off-limits. Is that understood?”
“Yeah, sure.” William pushed past Abraham.
Abraham glanced back at the phone. William was his own worst enemy. The Philadores did not care if the boy was fourteen or forty-three. He was on their hit list. If Abraham could not protect William from himself, the boy and his sweet sister and pretty mother might die.
THREE
Julia felt a swell of relief when she spied William and Abraham return to the farm and enter the barn.
A short time later, the clip-clop of horses’ hooves pulled her attention back to the road. A buggy turned into the drive and stopped near the barn. A woman dressed in the typical Amish calf-length blue dress, black cape and matching black bonnet climbed to the ground.
Abraham stepped from the barn and greeted her with a welcoming smile. Julia wished she could hear their conversation and wondered what she should do if the woman came inside. Was she supposed to hide?
William stood at the barn entrance. From the way his arms moved, Abraham appeared to be introducing her son to the woman. Taking that as a sign she could go outside, Julia called for Kayla to join her and they both stepped onto the porch.
Abraham glanced up and nodded. “Sarah, this is Julia. She will be staying in the dawdy house for a bit of time and helping with the cleaning and cooking. Her daughter’s name is Kayla.”
Sarah looked perplexed, but she covered her confusion with a weak smile of welcome. “Abraham said you needed a place to stay.”
How should she answer? “He has been most generous to us.”
“I... I brought clothing.”
The Amish woman glanced at Abraham, said something that sounded German and then reached into the buggy and pulled forth a basket. “Perhaps I should show you how to pin the dress?”
Julia didn’t understand.
Abraham must have noticed her confusion. He stepped closer. “I saw Sarah yesterday before you arrived and asked her to bring Amish clothing, which will be good for you to wear.”
“You want me to dress Amish?”
He nodded. “For now. So you can fit in.”
“And the children?”
“They should, also.”
Julia glanced at Kayla who clapped her hands and jumped up and down. William frowned and wrapped his arms across his chest.
Seemed there were complications to their new environment. Julia tried to recall if the marshals had said they would be living with the Amish or living Amish.
A huge difference, which she would need to explain to her children. Would William listen? From the scowl on his face, probably not.
* * *
Abraham poured another cup of coffee and waited in the kitchen as Sarah ushered Julia and Kayla into a spare bedroom and helped them dress. William headed for a small room off the main living area.
“You would like help?” Abraham asked.
The boy shook his head. “I’ve got it.”
But evidently he did not have it because he remained in the room far longer than Abraham had expected. Before he could check on the boy, the bedroom door opened and Kayla skipped into the kitchen. Seeing Abraham, she stopped short.
Her cheeks were flushed, and her eyes twinkled as she smiled shyly. “Sarah said she has a daughter who used to wear this dress. Now she’s grown taller. Sarah said I look like an Amish girl.”
Abraham had to smile. “You look very pretty, Kayla, and very Amish.” Her hair was braided and pulled into a bun. “We must get you a white kapp in town.”
“Sarah said girls cover their heads when they pray and since they always pray, they always wear their hats.”
“Called a kapp,” he instructed.
“William wears baseball caps sometimes.”
“That is not the same thing.”
The girl nodded. “Sarah’s fixing Mama’s hair so she can look Amish, too.”
Footsteps sounded. Abraham looked up to see Julia standing in the hallway, eyes downcast and a troubled frown on her oval face. She wore the typical Amish blue dress with white apron tied around her slender waist. Any self-sufficiency he had noticed earlier in her demeanor had been replaced with an alluring femininity that caused his gut to tighten. He also noted a hint of confusion that creased her brow, as if leaving her ordinary world and stepping into the Amish realm had thrown her off-kilter. Perhaps dressing Amish was too much too soon. The woman had been through so much.
Sarah encouraged her forward. “Trotter’s Dry Goods sells kapps. You must go to town and buy one for Kayla and Julia. Another dress, too, and a second apron.”
He nodded. “We will go soon.”
“I could meet you there and help with the selection.”
“If we need help, I will let you know.”
Sarah nodded and glanced at Kayla. “Tell me which you like best, apple pie or sweet potato?”
“Apple,” Kayla said.
“I have an extra pie in the wagon.”
Abraham smiled. “Thank you, Sarah.”
“It is the least I can do.” She turned and grabbed Julia’s hand. “I do not know the reason you are here, but I know it must be important. Embracing the Amish life is not easy. Should you need another woman with whom to talk, tell Abraham you would like to visit. Perhaps one day this week. I will be finishing one of my quilts and could use help.”
“I’m not sure you would approve of my stitches.”
“We all must learn, yah?”
Julia smiled. “I hope someday to find a way to repay you.”
“Payment is not necessary. We are neighbors and now friends. My help is freely given.”
Sarah stepped toward Abraham and took his hand. “It is always good to see you, Abraham.”
“Thank you, Sarah.”
“You will come for dinner on Sunday?” she asked. “The bishop and his wife will be at my house.”
“Not this week. Perhaps some other time.”
She stepped closer and smiled knowingly. “Someday you will be ready, yah?”
Then she hurried around him and patted Kayla’s shoulder. “Come with me, child. You can bring the pie into the house.”
Abraham watched her climb into the buggy and hand a pie to Kayla. The girl hurried back inside.
“Place the pie on the counter,” Abraham instructed. “We will have a slice after we eat this evening.”
Kayla returned to the porch and waved goodbye to Sarah. Julia stood near the sink as if glued in place.
“I am sure wearing an Amish dress is not what you expected.” Abraham tried to explain. “Jonathan felt the disguise would add another layer of protection.”
“He’s right. It’s just a change.” She offered him a weak smile, and then, with a sigh, stepped closer to the sink and washed a glass left on the counter. “Sarah seems like a nice woman.”
“She goes out of her way to be helpful.” Abraham took another sip of coffee.
“You are courting, perhaps?”
He furrowed his brow. “Did she say this?”
“No, of course not. It’s just she mentioned her husband had died.” Julia reached for the towel and dried her hands. “I saw Sarah’s expression when she looked at you. I thought—”
“You thought wrong.” For whatever reason, Julia’s comment irritated him. “William is still in the small room at the front of the house, probably refusing to change clothes. You best check on him.”
Abraham grabbed his hat from the wall peg and stomped outside. His anger changed to concern when he spotted William heading into the barn from the driveway, still wearing his Englisch clothing. Abraham glanced back at his house and then at the phone shack in the distance. The door he had closed earlier now hung open.
His heart stopped. The boy had left Abraham’s house through the front door and had returned to the phone booth, probably to call his friend. If William had shared his whereabouts with David, the information could easily spread throughout the Philadelphia neighborhood and eventually to the Philadores. Within a day or two at the most, the gang would descend on Yoder, Kansas, in search of a fourteen-year-old boy who, in their opinion, needed to be offed.
Abraham would talk to William, but first he had to alert Jonathan. He hurried to the phone shack, stepped inside and hit the button that would reveal the last number called. He jotted down the sequence of digits on a piece of scratch paper and tapped in Jonathan’s number.
“We have a problem,” Abraham said in greeting. He quickly relayed what had happened and provided the phone number William had contacted. “Have Karl pick up the family and find another safe place for them to hide out.”
“No can do, Abe, at least not now. Fuentes is beating the bushes, trying to find Will. Moving the family would be too dangerous. They have to stay with you until things calm down.”
“You are taking too big of a risk, Jonathan.”
“I’m keying the phone number William called into my computer. Give me a minute or two and we’ll see what I can find.”
“Find a new hiding place for Julia and her children. If the gang learns their whereabouts, they will be sitting ducks, as the saying goes.”
“Hopefully the kid in Philly will keep his mouth shut.”
Abraham let out a frustrated breath. “The kid’s name is David Davila. If you count on him keeping silent, you are toying with William’s life.”
“We’ll work as fast as we can, Abe, but nothing is done in the blink of an eye. You know that.”
“I know when someone is in danger and needs protection.”
“That’s why I placed them with you.”
“While you are checking, run the name Nelson Turner. He asked for directions to Yoder. Said he was a writer.” Abraham provided the license plate number for the sports car.
“Writer or journalist? I’ll check the plates, but my advice is to stay clear of anyone involved with the media. The last thing we want is Julia or her children’s photo in the paper or on some online news blog.”
“That was my thought, as well.”
Jonathan clucked his tongue. “I found the address associated with the phone number William called. Now I’ll cross-check it with known gang members in the area.”
A sigh filled the line.
Abraham pushed the receiver closer to his ear. “What?”
“William’s friend, David, lives at the same address as a low-level punk who we think has ties to the Philadores. Pablo... Pablo Davila. They must be brothers.”
“David is probably filling his brother in on William’s whereabouts as we speak.”
“Point taken. I’ll pull some strings and see if we can speed up the process of creating new identities for the family. But remember, Abraham, Kansas is a big state. Fuentes is looking for a woman and kids wearing jeans and sweaters. Keep them dressed Amish for their own safety. As we both know, Fuentes is a killer. The last thing we want is for Julia and her son William to be injured or end up dead.”
Dead, like Marianne and Becca. Abraham’s stomach soured. “Move mountains, Jonathan, and get this family to a more secure location.”
“We’ll work this end, Abe, but I’m relying on you to keep them safe until then.”
Safe and alive. Was Jonathan counting too heavily on Abraham? He had not been able to protect his own family. Would he be able to protect Julia and her children?
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