Chapter seven
The man heard the distant shouts and saw lines of light flash between tree trunks.
They're searching for the boy.
A corner of the man's eye twitched. It happened whenever nerves got the better of him as they did now.
This was certainly not good news. Time to leave, or flee if you wanted the honest truth. This was no time to pussyfoot around.
The searchers were a fair ways off. That gave the man plenty of time and confidence to get to his truck. He moved slow and easy keeping watch on the flashing lights. The searchers were moving slow and easy, too, calling the little boy's name.
Evan! Evaaaan!
Thank you dear Lord, the man thought. Thank you for giving me the boy's name. Now, I can find him later, take care of him, and put this situation to rest.
The man picked up his pace and hurried toward his truck. He stumbled a few times, but never slowed. He scared something rooting around at the base of a tree, and heard it skitter into the darkness, the creature as much afraid of the man as he was of it.
He was panting and sweating by the time he yanked open the driver's side door. He'd been smart enough to disconnect the dome light so nothing lit up.
Months ago the man had learned a valuable lesson. Digging graves was not easy, especially for a man his size. (He really should lose a few pounds). Nevertheless, grave digging took a fair amount of time. The man started in late afternoon, but did not finish until almost dark. That first time, he had returned to his truck, opened the door, and been hit by the sudden glare of light.
He'd unwittingly announced his presence. Someone could have seen that bright light flooding the forest. Quickly, he'd gotten in the truck and slammed the door shut. Another mistake – noise. He'd worried for days after that.
When the first woman turned up missing he was sure someone would come forward, mention the light in the forest or the slamming door.
That never happened so, lesson learned. The next morning, he had disconnected the dome light and left it disconnected.
Now, he tossed his flashlight and shovel into the truck cab. Went to the back and eased the tailgate shut. A metallic clank indicated the gate was secure. The black bag and its contents would have to wait for another day.
The searchers' cries grew louder. They were closing in on his position.
The man started his truck and pulled away. No headlights, not until he reached pavement two miles away. It was slow going. The truck bounced over a rock and came down hard. The man cursed, apologized to God for his foul language, and kept on going.
He strained to see. It was next to impossible. He went by luck, feel, and memory. The main concern, put distance between him and the searchers.
He felt the hand of God take the wheel. God led him home.
He and God had a special bond. God watched over him because he did God's work.
A/N: Thank you for the reviews. BTW: I didn't mean to give people the idea that Callie had been unfaithful. I was just responding to a reviewer's comment. Also, if you're willing to read, I'm willing to finish this tale. I'm warning you though, it may get a bit creepy.
