DC03 - Though Mountains Fall by Dale Cramer Page B

hesitated, blushing, but then straightened herself—“to do terrible things to me. He tried once before, when we camped in the mountains, but El Pantera stopped him then.”
    The men stirred and muttered among themselves.
    Ira Shrock raised an eyebrow. “Why was this bandit so interested in you? Did you do something to provoke him?”
    Caleb gave him a hard look, but said nothing.
    Rachel met Ira’s stare. “I was forced to ride with him, sitting in front of him on his horse for hours, traveling through the mountains. He said many awful things to me about what he planned to do. I said nothing, did nothing. My hands were tied.”
    Ira nodded. “You did nothing ? Sin begins with tempta—”
    “Enough,” Caleb said. “She was bound , Ira—a prisoner. She had just seen her brother killed by these same bandits, and I’ll thank you to remember that she’s my daughter.” He didn’t raise his voice, yet his tone was clear and firm.
    Ever the peacemaker, Hershberger broke in before Ira could say anything else and started a different line of questioning. “Jake says he didn’t mean to kill the man, that he only meant to put him to sleep. Do you believe this is the truth?”
    Rachel nodded. “I’m sure of it.”
    “How can you be certain? Can you read Jake’s thoughts?”
    “No, but I saw El Pantera trick him when they were wrestling by the campfire. That’s why—”
    Ira broke in again. “Jake wrestled with the bandits?”
    Rachel’s mouth flew open and she looked to her father for help, but Caleb only said, “Answer him.”
    “Jah,” she said reluctantly, “but they forced him to do it. El Pantera held a knife to my throat and said he would kill me if Jake didn’t fight him. So Jake agreed, but only to wrestle. He would have won, too, but El Pantera tricked him. Jake got him from behind, with an arm around his throat, choking him, and El Pantera pretended to pass out. When Jake let go he jumped up and started hitting Jake with his fists.”
    Ira smirked. “So the man in the barn was not the first bandit Jake strangled.”
    Rachel’s eyes narrowed and her lips tightened into a thin line. “He never had a choice, Ira, and he never meant to kill that bandit.”
    Ira’s expression didn’t change. “But, woman, he fought with a bandit, and the bandit died. Gott’s Word does not say, Thou shalt not mean to kill; it only says thou shalt not kill .”
    Caleb sighed heavily. “Jake’s transgressions are between him and Gott, who knows his heart. We are only trying to decide what we should do. I think there have been enough questions. Rachel, you must leave now, so we can talk.”

    She found Jake just outside, leaning back against the wall of the barn with his hands in his pockets. It was the first time she’d seen him since that morning in the churchyard, and the forlorn look was still in his eyes. He barely glanced at her.
    “You lied to me,” he said.
    She made sure no one was looking before she took his arm. “Jake, I’m sorry we lied to you, but there was nothing else we could do. You were acting like a dead man, the way you’re acting right now. None of us would have escaped if we hadn’t lied to you. Would you rather I was sold as a slave?”
    He thought for a moment, then shook his head slowly. “No. I suppose a lie is better than that. But you could have told me after we got home.”
    “Jah, and then what?”
    He looked at her, shrugged. He didn’t see it.
    “Then they send you to Ohio to face the bishop,” she said. “And you never come back. I didn’t want to lose you.”
    His eyes widened as understanding took hold. Gripping her shoulders, he looked deeply into her eyes. “Rachel, you can’t lose me. Did you learn nothing in Diablo Canyon? We can beseparated for a time, but I will come to you. No matter how far, no matter who stands in the way, if I can draw breath I will find my way back to you.”
    Overcome with emotion, she couldn’t answer.
    “Anyway,” he said,