The Angel's Lullaby

Chapter 7

Nathan closed his mouth and let the paper fall from his numb hands.

"What do we do?" Layne cried out, suddenly swaying to the side. Nathan quickly wrapped his arms around her, catching her, and then pulled her into him.

"First we have to get you inside," Nathan said slowly, willing his voice not to shake.

"No!" Layne's voice was mixed with anger and terror. "I won't stay home. If you leave me there, I'll just leave. I will, Nathan."

Nathan tried to reason with his wife, "Layne, I don't want to put you in danger too. I don't know what I'd do if I lost both of you. You're not well, and you would keep us from getting there faster. If I go on my own I can reach her faster, quieter. Please Layne.

"I'll leave," she repeated. Nathan took in a shaky breath.

"Alright then, but I'm not letting you go unless you ride in the sled."

"O-okay," Layne shook, but relaxed against him. Nathan picked her up and walked slowly up the front porch stairs and into their warm house. The dogs reluctantly followed and collapsed once more near the fire, but kept their heads up, watching Layne and Nathan closly. Nathan laid Layne on the couch while a million thoughts ran through his head. How would they get there before it was too late? And before the child was killed?

Trust me.

Nathan froze. It wasn't often that he heard God's gentle voice, but he did hear it now.

I'll try. Nathan moved towards their room and towards the right, where a small closet held all the linens and fat, cottony blankets. He grabbed three of the thick, cotton blankets and hauled them back into the living room. Layne watched him weakly and he moved to sit beside her.

"We're going to find her Layne," he brushed back her hair from her eyes and spoke gently.

"But, the note..."

"Listen Layne, the person who wrote that was probably just bluffing and anyways we're not going to let that person know we're going after him," Nathan's voice grew more intense as he continued, "We're going to get Esther back...no matter what it takes."

"How do you know it's a him?"

"The note was clearly written in a man's hand writing. Do you know of a women who writes that horrible?" Layne shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips. Nathan's heart leaped and he reached down to place a gentle kiss on her lips.

Layne closed her eyes and sighed, "We should go." Nathan nodded and pulled her into his arms. "I can walk, Nathan. You need all the energy you have left. That means not carrying me." Nathan was glad to hear his wife's spunk returning. She was relying on him to find Esther and that trust comforted him as well as caused him grief. What if he let her down? Nathan gently set down his wife and grabbed her arm to steady her before releasing his grip. He turned away from his wife and then opened the door for her, quickly grabbing the blankets before following Layne out.

"Come, boys," Nathan called behind him and kept going when he heard the click of the dogs' nails on the wood floor. Max and Keni pranced out of the house and down the steps after Layne. He left the dogs to be spoiled by Layne to retrieve the sled from the side of the house. He then quickly hooked up the dogs and helped Layne down on to the base of the sled.

"Thanks," Layne smiled warmly up at him, but the smile was somewhat sad. Nathan frowned before quickly placing the cotton blankets around his wife. Layne's eyes grew heavy and tired and Nathan hoped she would maybe get some rest. Nathan preferred to walk for a while so he started out ahead of  the dogs.

"Follow," he commanded and they obeyed, following nearly inches behind him. He moved towards where he predicted the man had taken Esther-- into the woods. Worry crept into his heart, but he heard God's reassuring voice in his head.

Trust me.

Nathan thought hard. Where would he take Esther if he went into the woods? Somewhere warm. Maybe some sort of house. The house where Layne had found Esther would be too risky for someone who stole Esther to go, so Nathan doubted that was where he would be. Nathan slowed his pace as he entered the woods and turned around to check on Layne, who lay stiffly in the sled, eyes wide and wary.

"Are you okay?" Nathan asked worriedly and turned back when she shook her head, yes. The dogs heads were down, sniffing the deep, cold snow beneath their feet. Nathan could still see the faint footsteps ahead of him. Suddenly a strange, but strangly sweet note echoed through the forest. Almost a mournful cry, but at the same time a sweet lullaby. Nathan froze, his entire body stiffening. A gasp came from behind him, meaning Layne had heard it to. He turned slowly in a circle, searching through the eery trees enveloped in fog. Shadows caused by swaying trees played his mind and made his heart thump louder in his chest. A wolf's cry joined with the note that still continued purely.

Nathan opened his mouth and called out, "Hello?" With that, the note diminished into silence and the wolf ended its cry. Nathan turned to Layne. "What was that?" Nathan grew silent again and listened for the note to return, but it didn't. Reluctantly he stepped forward and the dogs followed, seemingly as confused as he was. Something red caught the corner of his eye. Nathan turned and there snagged on a tree branch was a simple, red piece of cloth.

"The window," Layne murmured. Nathan nodded slowly. He turned again to face ahead of him where the footsteps continued. The fabric, though, was to the right. The person making those footsteps couldn't have snagged something on a tree that far away, could he have?