had touched him. A scent of bay rum clung to the soft material. Jake’s scent. “No. I want to stay. In case . . .” Her voice broke. “In case they . . . find him.”
The detective patted her awkwardly on the shoulder. “All right. I’ll be back shortly, so don’t try to head back to town alone. Okay?”
Livy nodded. She wouldn’t leave the mine until they’d found Jake and those children, dead or alive.
* * *
Jake couldn’t breathe.
Coal-black darkness surrounded him, and an oppressive weight pinned him down. He could feel the cool dampness of the mine, the smell of dirt and unmined coal unlike anything aboveground.
He clawed his way to full consciousness. He had to get to the others, see if they were safe. “Pa?” he rasped. “Thorndike? Seamus?”
No one answered.
He struggled to remember. There’d been an explosion. Where were the others? Had he alone been spared to face a slow, agonizing death, buried alive?
His heart pounded. His mother had begged them not to buy shares in the mine, but Jake and his father knew they could make a killing if they owned their own mine. They’d be able to make their own rules and keep all the profit to boot. They hadn’t banked on tragedy.
His mind slammed back to the present.
The thugs. The kids. The explosion meant to kill them all.
Sheriff Carter.
Jake moved, and the rubble on top of him shifted. He struggled to his knees, bracing his hand against the jagged dirt-and-rock walls. Tears gathered in his eyes and slid down his cheeks. “Oh, Lord Jesus, help me. I don’t want to die, not like this. It would have been better if they’d shot me.”
The thought of never seeing the light of day closed in on him, and fear bubbled up as strong as he’d felt two years ago. What were the odds of being rescued twice in one lifetime? He doubled over, his forehead pressed to the ground.
“Please, Lord,” he whispered. He stayed still, reining in his fear. Years-old training kicked in. Breathe slowly. Conserve energy. Don’t panic.
“With God all things are possible.”
Jake stilled, the pounding in his heart slowing, the fear subsiding as he grasped at the lifeline. “Lord, what are You trying to tell me?”
The truth rolled over him in slow waves, clearing the fog in his brain. If he’d lived through the explosion, those children would have. And they’d be terrified. They wouldn’t even have hope of being rescued. A hope he could offer them if he could find them. If his presence brought them comfort, so be it.
“For such a time as this.”
Jake took a deep breath, stood on shaky legs, and started inching his way deeper into the bowels of the mine.
* * *
“There’s a body here! Somebody bring a lantern.”
Livy scrambled over rocks and debris, hoping and praying they’d found Jake. Please let him be alive, Lord. Please.
“It’s Sheriff Carter.”
Men crowded around.
“Is he dead?”
“He’s still breathing, barely. I don’t see any injuries, either. A couple of you guys hitch up a wagon and get him to the doctor.”
Livy watched the men ease the sheriff into the wagon. Lord, where will it end? Sheriff Carter was supposed to be back at the jail. Not here. She bowed her head and prayed for the sheriff, for Jake, for the children, and for the men risking their lives to get into the mine.
The rescuers carted load after load of rocks and dirt away, trying to clear the opening obliterated in the explosion. Some men brought wheelbarrows and more picks and spades to help the work go faster. Word circulated among the rescuers that Jake and the children were trapped inside, and more men showed up, some coming straight from working in other mines to help.
Livy wanted to help dig, but her limbs had turned to jelly. She’d never been afraid of much of anything. She wanted to pitch in and do whatever needed doing, but the thought of losing Jake paralyzed her to the point that she could only sit and stare at the rubble. She closed her eyes and tried to let God’s peace waft over her. That’s all she could do. She was too drained to pray, too fearful.
After a while, she felt a stirring at her side and opened her eyes. Gus watched the commotion. He threw a shy glance her way. “What happened?”
“Some bad men blew up the mine. Several children and Jake are inside.”
“Mr. Jake?” Gus’s voice trembled. “And some kids?”
“Yes.” Livy patted his arm. Dear, sweet