chapter eight

Hannah squeezed Lindsay's hand tightly.

Lindsay turned her attention to the door of the cabin
and watched as the doorknob slowly turned and then stopped.


Letting go of the younger girl's hand Lindsay shoved Hannah behind her.

Hannah held on to Lindsay's waist and stepped behind her sister.

Lindsay leaned over and picked up a broom handle that was propped up
against the side of the bed.

In the dim light of the one lamp that lit up the inside of the cabin  Lindsay could
make out the silhouette of a man in the frame of the door as it swung open.

She raised the broomstick over her shoulder.

Cameron hesitated and then turned the knob.

The door opened and his eyes adjusted to the light.   At first he didn't see anything
but then he caught a glimpse of a girl about 17 years of age facing him.

Lindsay didn't recognize the person in the doorway.  It certainly wasn't her father.

She swung the broomhandle and caught Cameron on the side of the head.

He raised his arm to protect himself as the broomhandle glanced off the side of his head.
He fell to one knee.

"Goddamn," he cursed.

He was quick and grabbed the stick as the figure raised it to strike him again.

As the stick flew in the air he grabbed it and yanked it hard, there were screams and
the person on the other end  went sprawling on the floor.


Cameron got up rubbing his head and closed the door behind him.

In the dim of the light Cameron could see that the figure on the floor was a girl of about
17 or 18.  This must be Lindsay he thought.  Where was Hannah?

Lindsay had been stunned for the moment but she got her breath back and was up like a
cat.  All the gymnastics she had taken in school paid off.

She stood in front of Cameron and motioned for Hannah who was off to the side to again get
in back of her.

Hannah found Lindsay's hand and stepped behind Lindsay.

For a moment no one spoke.  And then Lindsay found her voice, "who are you?"

Cameron stood in front of the girls and took in a deep breath.  He grabbed his shield from his right
pocket and flashed it in front of the girls.

"Dayton sent me."

Hannah found her voice and stepped out from behind Lindsay.

"My dad sent you.  Is he all right?"

"Yes," said Cameron.  "He's fine."

"Where is he?" said Hannah.


"He is enroute to a safe house.  He wants you to come with me.

This meeting place has been compromised.   He will be meeting us tomorrow.
But for now we must go.  You are not safe  here anymore."

The younger girl moved forward.

"No.  Wait, " said Lindsay.  And she grabbed Hannah's hand as the younger
girl went to move past her.

"Not so fast," said Lindsay.   "Who are you?
"How do we know we can trust you," said Lindsay.

"Well, I'm here aren't I?"

  "Yes, but that doesn't tell me much,"  said Lindsay.

Cameron squinted his eyes.  He realized Lindsay was going to be a problem
and he would have to come up with something else to gain her trust.

"Does the name Madison mean anything to you Lindsay?"

"Madison/"   "How do you know about Madison?"

Cameron had gotten Lindsay's attention.   The older girl's guard was momentarily down.

"It's complicated," said Cameron.

"Well, uncomplicate it," said Lindsay.

"Madison sent me to get you." 

Lindsay mulled this over in her mind.  She had never seen this man before.  But he knew
Madison that was in his favor.  

Madison would have known about the boathouse and she would have had her workers
nearby.  On one level it made sense.  On a deeper level Lindsay eyed Cameron with
suspicion.

"He seemed to know something, but not everything."

Cameron watched the frown spread over Lindsay's face.   And then the lines in her
face relaxed.

Lindsay reasoned she would have to trust him.  What choice did she have.  They couldn't
stay at the boathouse.  Whoever he was he was right about that.  He had found them.
Others could too.

Out loud, she said, "okay, where are we going/".

what's the plan?:"

"Madison wants us to go to where she is in the mountains.
 She lives in a small hermitage with a group of women."

Cameron had gleaned this information from the file he read in the Chief's office
and this seemed to resonate with Lindsay.

"Yes, I know the place," said Lindsay.  "That's where I grew up."

"Bingo."  Cameron had hit the jackpot.

He knew Lindsay knew exactly where Madison was and she would unknowingly
lead him to her whereabouts. 

"My car is outside," said Cameron.  "I parked it in the shadows of the trees,
 just beyond the boat parking lot."

"Okay, " said Lindsay.

"Does the girl know what is going on?"

"Not completely," said Lindsay, "a lot has happened in the last 24 hours and she
has a great deal to process."

"Yes," said Cameron, "she certainly does.."

Lindsay didn't know what to make of Cameron.  He seemed legit, but yet there was
something about his demeanor that threw her off.  She couldn't quite put her finger
on it, but for the time being she would have to trust him.

The one thing in his favor was that he knew about Madison.

"All right," said Lindsay.  "Let's go."

Lindsay turned to Hannah.  "Hannah, we're leaving."

Hannah had been standing to the side watching the events unfold before her.

Everything concerning the last twenty-four hours went through her mind in a flash.

Up to now Lindsay had been her protector.  She realized that.  She also realized
something else.  She felt a knowing inside of her.  It was kind of like a reality
check.  There was something about Cameron that she recognized.

Cameron saw the younger girl looking at him.

There was something about how she was looking at him.  It kind of got under his skin.

He turned to go, but before he did the younger girl addressed him.

Now, it was Lindsay's turn to be surprised.   Hannah had been so scared the last couple of
hours, but now the younger  girl's voice seemed to hold authority.

Hannah called Cameron' by name.

There was something about her voice that made Cameron stop.

"You don't remember me," do you Cameron?.

Cameron shook his head.  "No, we've never met," said Cameron.

"Yes," said Hannah.  "We have met.  It was a long time ago."

There was something about Hannah that was oh, so familiar.  "What was it,"
thought Cameron.

The younger girl was right.  He also had a knowing inside of him.  They had met
before and each one recognized the other.

Lindsay pressed her lips together.  This was too weird.  What was going on
at this minute she didn't understand, but she knew they had to leave.