The Light of His Sword Read Online Free PDF Page B

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Samantha. Was Gabe telling the truth? Could he truly want to help
them out of the kindness of his heart? She’d never known kindness
from a man. Other than her father, she didn’t think any other man
could be kind. Could she trust his sincerity? Would he turn on them
at night when the truck was dark and quiet?
    Alyssa gazed at Gabe, studying him. They
couldn’t continue alone on foot. She couldn’t risk another
confrontation with Walton. She glanced at Samantha then turned to
Gabe and said, “Thank you, but if we’re going to travel together
you must let me pay for your gas and your meals.”
    Gabe grinned at her and said, “Believe me;
you don’t want to pay for the gas for this truck. But I’d be
delighted if you’d buy me dinner each night.”

Chapter Three

    Laughter filled the truck cab; it was a
sound Alyssa did not hear often. Gabe and Samantha tossed animal
sounds back and forth in a race to be a champion. Gabe seemed to
have an endless supply of traveling games. They counted barns and
horses, white cars, and trucks. Samantha giggled, fascinated by the
variety of license plates from different states.
    Samantha laughed the hardest when Gabe
responded to a child in the car beside him and blew his truck’s
horn. The first time he blew the horn Samantha was so surprised she
fell off the bench onto the floor. After their dinner stop,
Samantha settled down on the bench in the back and fell asleep as
the sky began to grow dark and fill with stars.
    “You’re very good with Samantha.” Alyssa
said, “She hardly noticed the passing miles. I don’t recall ever
seeing her so happy.”
    Gabe flashed Alyssa a brilliant smile that
made her heart skip a beat. He said, “Samantha is a very smart
little girl. She’s going to grow up to be an exceptional young
lady.”
    “She’s always been fearless in her search
for knowledge.” Alyssa explained, “We’ve read every book in the
compound several times including the old set of encyclopedias we
found in the attic.”
    Gabe’s smile vanished as he asked, “I’m
surprised they allowed that.”
    “They didn’t know,” Alyssa offered quietly,
“I was six years old when my parents brought me to the compound. I
knew the outside world. I knew there was more to life than the
compound. After my father died, my mother secretly began to educate
me. She taught me to read and write in the early hours of the
morning when most of the others were asleep. We did the same for
Samantha.”
    “Why did your parents go to the compound?”
Gabe asked.
    “My father was in the army. He was wounded
in a transport explosion. His entire unit was killed. His face and
neck were badly burned. He had a hard time adjusting to normal
life. When he came home he had trouble finding a job.” Alyssa
began, “The compound offered him a good salary and a house if he
would live on site as the maintenance man. I remember how excited
he was. He said it was a new beginning for us, out in the country
with fresh air and religious people. We sold everything we owned
and brought only a few personal belongings with us. When we arrived
the elders were very happy to see us, the entire compound came out
to greet us. Then things changed. They insisted we convert to their
way of life. They took away my books and toys. When my father
refused to attend their worship services, they beat him and
declared the cottage was only for guests. We were forced to move
into the dormitories. They took me away from my parents and forced
them to work the farm. My parents were separated like the others.
There were separate buildings for the children, men, and women.
Only the senior elders had their own quarters.”
    “Why didn’t you leave?”
    “The elders wouldn’t allow it. The gates
were chained and padlocked. I don’t think my parents realized until
then the fence was topped with barbed wire and guards patrolled the
perimeter.” Alyssa answered glancing back to make sure Samantha was
still asleep. “One