The Road Home (24 page)

“Where's Jenny?”

A half-hour later a police cruiser pulled up in front of the Springer home. Bobby Halverson got out, walked up on the porch, and knocked on the door. Jerusha Springer answered, her face pale and drawn.

“Bobby, what is it?”

“Hello, Jerusha,” Bobby said. “Is Reuben home too?”

“He's out at the barn. Come in while I go fetch him in.”

Bobby went inside and stood with his hat held in front of him while Jerusha went out the back door to find Reuben. He glanced around. It had been a while since he had visited the Springer home. The last time was last Thanksgiving. Bobby remembered it as a pleasant time. The conversation had turned to another Thanksgiving during the Great Storm of 1950, when Jerusha had found Jenny and he and Reuben had rescued both of them from the storm. The Springer family had been close-knit and loving that day. Obviously a lot had happened since then.

Just then Reuben came in with Jerusha. He walked up and gripped Bobby's outstretched hand.

“
Guten tag
, Bobby. You have news?”

“I'm afraid it's not good, Reuben. We found the Hershberger boy, but Jenny wasn't with him. He was with a couple of tough characters with guns. I haven't sorted out all the details yet, but the Hershberger kid told me a pretty troubling story about a drug deal gone wrong and fifty thousand dollars the bad guys were trying to get back.”

“But what about Jenny?” Jerusha cried.

Bobby paused. “She's being held captive until the guys we captured come back with the money. It doesn't look good. This brand of criminals doesn't like to leave any witnesses. I'm sure once they have their money…”

Jerusha gasped and sank down in a chair. Reuben took Bobby by the arm with a steel grip.

“Are you telling me that Jenny is in danger of being killed?”

“It doesn't look good, Reuben. She's in danger.”

“What can we do?” Reuben asked as he let go of Bobby's arm.

“Our only hope is to get the guys we caught to talk. They need to tell us where Jenny is, and then we have to try to get her back. I've got them down at the station, but as of now, they aren't talking. Johnny Hershberger has told us everything he knows, but I'm not sure how to proceed from here.”

“Bobby, are they going to kill my girl?” Jerusha asked.

“I don't know, Jerusha. It's not a good situation.”

Jerusha stared at her husband. She got up slowly and turned to leave.

“Where are you going, wife?” Reuben asked.

“I must pray for Jenny. It's the only hope I have left.”

Part Two

T
HE
K
EY

P
RAYER IS A WONDERFUL GIFT
that God has given His children. As we pray, we must believe that God has placed a force in our hands that can shake the very heavens and bring His power down to earth in our hour of need. But speaking our supplications is only half of prayer. The other half, and the most important, is listening to what God speaks to us.

C
HAPTER
T
WENTY

The Prisoner

J
ERUSHA KNELT BY THE BED AND PRAYED
. She began without words, but then they came as she wept, begging God to help. And then when she was finally drained and exhausted, a thought came to her.
This is what I did before Jenna died. I cried out to You, but I didn't listen when You were trying to reach my heart
.

Jerusha stopped then and lifted a simple prayer to God. “Jenny is Your daughter, Lord, and You have a plan and a purpose for her life. If it is Your will, let me be a vessel for You to work through to help her.”

As she finished her prayer, a picture came to her mind, clear and distinct. It was the quilt that she made for Jenna but that ultimately became Jenny's salvation. Suddenly, a great urgency came over her. She rose from her prayer and went to her sewing room. The old cedar chest stood against the wall. She knelt before it and opened the lid. Pieces of fabric and batting filled the chest, and the faint, comforting smell of cedar rose up to greet her.

She took some of the pieces out and laid them aside until she came to the parcel wrapped in plain brown paper and tied with string. She lifted it out reverently and placed it on the floor, untied the string, and
opened the package. There was the Rose of Sharon quilt, the most beautiful quilt she had ever made. Tenderly she spread it out on the floor. There was something about just looking at the quilt that built her faith, something of both of her daughters that comforted her and gave her hope. The red silk rose in the center with its hundreds of petals glowed in the light, and the rich blue silk backing set it off like a jewel. It was still a beautiful quilt even though it was ruined.

Then she heard a voice within her, the same comforting voice that had led her through the storm so many years ago, the voice that showed her the truth about herself as she waited in the cabin for Reuben to come. A familiar, deep peace filled her soul.

Jenny's life is like this quilt. Though it is beautiful, it is not whole. Pieces are missing, and stains must be washed away. You have been chosen to be part of that cleansing. You are a key to Jenny's happiness and wholeness
.

Startled by the clarity of the words, she answered out loud. “But I can't do anything. I'm here alone. Reuben and Bobby are the answer.”

Again the voice came to her.
I will say again—Jenny's life is like this quilt. Your hands will give you the key to your prayers, and through them her life can be made whole
. Kumme, dochter!
There is work to be done
.

Hope leaped up in her heart. Suddenly she gathered up the quilt in her arms and stood up. It was clear to her now. Jerusha knew what she must do.

Jenny Springer lay in darkness. The motion of the car under her made her sick to her stomach. It seemed like they had been driving for hours. When they took her from Johnny, they tied her hands and feet and gagged her and then shoved her in the trunk of the sedan. The men warned her not to make a sound. As she lay bound in the trunk, she had a hard time breathing through the gag, but by some strenuous effort with her face she worked the corner of the cloth up to make
an opening to breathe through. Then she slowed her rapidly beating heart by taking deep breaths.

When she was calm again, she began to think about her situation. She knew she was in the hands of dangerous men who didn't care whether she lived or died. She also knew that once Johnny gave them the money they would probably kill both of them. Johnny's only hope was to get help before that happened, and her only hope was to somehow get away from these men.

The analytical part of her mind tried to take over the emotions roiling through her. And then out of nowhere a scripture verse popped into her head.
The name of the L
ORD
is a strong tower: the righteous runneth into it, and is safe
.

A deep sense of shame crept over Jenny. She was a Christian girl, yet she hadn't really asked the Lord about anything for weeks.

I should have talked to You about Jonathan and about leaving home, but I didn't. Instead I just let my impulsive heart take over, and now here I am. I don't even know if You still hear me, but if You do, I need Your help
.

There in the darkness a small light of hope began to burn in Jenny's heart. A conviction settled on her that her God had heard her prayer.

Sometime later Jenny felt the car slow down and turn right. She guessed that they were leaving the Interstate, and she wondered if they would stop for a break. She had been in the trunk for a long time and was very uncomfortable. The car stopped and then turned left, and she heard traffic passing under her.

We must be going over an overpass to Moe's place, wherever that is
.

Jenny thought about where she might be. The only area between Ohio and New York that could provide the solitude needed for a hideout was the Pocono Mountains. She had seen where the Poconos were on maps of Pennsylvania when she researched the Pennsylvania Amish,
and she knew there were some fairly remote areas up in those hills. She tried to estimate how long they had been driving and decided it must have been at least three hours. It was an eight-hour trip to New York from Apple Creek, and she and Johnny had driven for more than two hours before they were stopped, so now they must be somewhere in eastern Pennsylvania.

The road beneath the car no longer had the smooth feel of the Interstate, and she could feel a few bumps that might be caused by potholes. The car swung through a sharp turn, and she knew they had turned onto a back road off of Highway 80 and headed into a sparsely populated area.