Ava's grandmother appeared in the hall, clutching a dish towel to her chest. "What is it, dear? What's wrong? Why are you-"
"Where's Dilly? With Du-da?" Ava demanded.
"Down at the Creek fishing. Is it Vinland? Is he coming here?" Her grandmother gasped. "Oh lord!"
"Go to the cellar. Lock it and stay there until we get back," Ava told her.
Elvis hurried to escort the woman when she began to protest. He slid an arm around her shoulders and guided her to the cellar door leading down from the kitchen.
"We'll be right back," he promised, offering her a hug of reassurance. Her shoulders felt fragile as she looked up at him. "We don't know that Vinland's headed this way. This is just a precaution."
The front screen had slammed and he knew Ava was already outside.
"My husband is armed. He always carries a pistol for snakes and such. Look after Ava," She ordered, giving him a firm push. "You go, go with her! I'll be fine."
Elvis turned and ran. Ava wouldn't hang around waiting for him and he knew it. He saw her sprinting into the woods just as he reached the porch. Damn, the woman had no sense of caution. He took off after her.
The Walker's truck was the only vehicle he had seen. Was there another way up the mountain? He waded into the undergrowth wishing for his boots and a machete. She appeared out of nowhere. "This way," She commanded. "Become the cat."
Elvis knew exactly what she meant. He had been pressing through the woods with all the stealth of a wounded bear. He began following her actions, parting the bush more carefully, trying to do it as quietly as possible. The sound of rushing water grew louder.
"Up ahead there is Du-da's favorite fishing hole."
"Does Vinland know that?" He asked.
"I imagine so. I'm hoping we were wrong and he's halfway out of town by now, but what he bought at the store has me really worried."
"Where would he have left his truck? Is there another access road?"
She nodded. "On the other side of the Creek. It runs out at the old cabin about a quarter mile from here. He does know that for sure. He and my cousin lived there for a few months after they were married."
"There's your grandfather!" Elvis exclaimed. The old man was poised behind a huge boulder, facing away from them, his weapon in his hand. Dilly was nowhere to be seen.
"Oh God, Vinland already has her!" Ava panicked.
"Do you see them?"
"No, but she'd be with Du-da."
Elvis had to clasp her arm to keep her from rushing down to the Creek. "Stop and think, Ava! Your grandfather would have hidden her somewhere safe, wouldn't he? He'd never have her in potential line of fire."
She gave a Jerky nod and released a rush of air from her lungs. "Yeah. You're right. Okay, okay. I'm good."
He watched her suck in a deep breath and release it slowly, along with her panic over Dilly.
Suddenly something snagged his peripheral vision. "Over there. Across the Creek," Elvis whispered next to her ear. "I saw a flash of blue. He's in that thicket at our two o' clock, moving too fast to have Dilly with him."
"I'll go upstream and get behind him," She said. "You stay here and cover Du-da if they confront."
"Be careful." Elvis rasped, knowing how useless the warning was even as he said it. More than anything, he wanted to go with her, but knew she stood a much better chance of retaining the element of surprise if he stayed where he was. She moved like a wraith and he lost sight of her quickly.
He wished to God that he could get down there with her grandfather and warn him not to fire in that direction, even if Vinland stepped out and invited it. Ava would be over there within minutes.
He whirled around when something tugged on his pant leg and narrowly missed hitting her with the side of his weapon. "Dilly?"
"Hi," She said, peering up at him with wide eyes. "You have a gun, too!"
"Shh. Lie down on the ground, sweetheart. Can you do that for me? Just as flat as you can make yourself."
"Like a li'l bunny rabbit," She said, sounding excited about what she must think is a game. "Du-da said not to move out of my leaf bed over there, but I didn't want you to be by yourself, Mr. Elvis, and scared if he shot at that warthog."
"Uh, thanks, sweetheart. Be quiet now. Like a bunny," he added. "Don't get up again until we get the...warthog."
"Okay. Du-da will barbecue that rascal tomorrow."
Elvis would like to do that right now. He just hoped they could maintain the fiction about the predator and never let Dilly find out the wild animal they were after was her father.
That is when a shot rang out and the firing commenced. Two shots, then another. In horror, Elvis watch Mr. Walker stand up behind the boulder, raise his pistol and take aim. "Hold your fire! Ava's over there!" Elvis shouted, hoping his voice would carry over the rushing water. And that the old man's hearing was up to par.
Mr. Walker spun around, glanced in Elvis's direction, then lowered his weapon. He bent down, moved around the rock and headed for the far bank toward the thicket where Vinland had been when Elvis spied him.
"Did Du-da shoot it?" Dilly asked.
"Don't think so, honey. Stay down."
He patted her on the back, his weapon still trained on the far bank, even though he knew that hitting anything at that distance would be pure chance. And he might accidentally hit Ava or her grandfather.
Elvis ached to rush over there. Ava could be in trouble. Hell, Vinland could kill both of them and get clean away. But he also couldn't leave the child here alone.
She could decide to leap up at any minute, not realising the danger.
Hope Y'all enjoyed this chapter! And thanks for reading! Xoxo