Read Online Home: A Stranded Novel by Theresa Shaver - Free Book Online

area she was surprised to only count six guards. Taking another look around she tried not to focus on the workers’ faces but it was hard not to look at each one to see if there was anyone else she recognized. After another careful count, she came up with over sixty townspeople on the farm and still only six guards. After thinking about that for a minute, she realized that they didn’t need more guards while the families of all these people were being held hostage. No one would cause any trouble if their children were being threatened.
    Alex looked out into the far fields to see if there were any others working further out but didn’t see anyone. Deciding that she had seen all she needed to on this first scout , she couldn’t help but bring the glasses back to the barnyard to have one more look at Quinn’s grandfather before moving on. Her breath caught in a gasp when she focused on him and he seemed to be looking right at her. She knew that he couldn’t see her from so far away so she just watched him for a minute and was confused when he slowly brought his hand up and pointed in her direction and then ran his finger over his throat in a cutting motion. What was he doing? Why would he make that gesture? She scanned the men around him to see if anyone had noticed what he was doing but the two guards were watching the men wrestle with the beef carcasses. When she trained the glasses back on Mr. Dennison, he was still looking in her direction and with his body blocking the guard’s sight was using his hand in a shooing manner.
    Alex lowered the glasses and leaned back against the tree in confusion. There was no way he could see her from that distance so what was the meaning of his actions. Without using the glasses she looked back out at the fields and had to shade her eyes from the sun’s bright glare. She squinted into the distance before her eyes widened in reali zation. Before the thought had fully formed in her head she was wiggling down the tree. She dropped down beside a surprised Emily and grabbed her backpack and quickly shouldered it.
    “We have to go! Mr. Dennison saw me. I don’t think anyone else did but I don’t think we should take that chance.”
    Emily looked at her doubtfully. “Alex, there is no way anyone could have seen you from that far, calm down!”
    Alex shook her head and held up the binoculars. “No t me, these! The sun is shining right at us. Every time I moved the glasses around, there would have been a flash. If I hadn’t had some of the tree for cover, it would have been as clear as a signal flash! What a stupid mistake!”
    Emily grabbed the glasses from her and ran to the edge of the tree line. She carefully shaded them with one hand and looked towards the farm. After a few anxious minutes , she turned and came back.
    “Ok ay, no one is headed in this direction but I agree we should move on just in case. What did you see up there? Did you see anyone we know?”
    Alex took the glasses back from her and packed them away. She knew what Emily really wanted to know. “Our families weren’t there. The only person I really recognized was Quinn’s grandpa. It looks like there are around sixty people working the farm and six guards with rifles and shotguns.” She threw her pack back on and started to walk back the way they had come. “Let’s get deeper in and then head north. We can cross the road where it dips down and then head to my place. After that we will have to leave the trees and cross over one of our fields to get to your land. That will be the hardest part as the grass isn’t very high yet so we won’t have much cover.”
    The two girls made their way deeper into the forest on silent feet. They had traveled these woods so many times while playing, exploring and hunting throughout their childhood that they felt confident and moved quickly. They moved deeper into the woods before turning north and travelling parallel to Quinn’s homestead. Alex was nervous about what they