Page 3 of Into The Rabbit Hole

“I found something, came across a few things I shouldn’t have, and I got caught,” she explained through hertears.

“What did you findout?”

“I can’t, son, let’s just get away. That car is following us.” Shewinced.

The car followed them all the way to the highway and even as they branched off on to the country road. It was getting dark, at that in-between stage of afternoon andevening.

With panic rippling through her, his mother tried to lose the car at a grade crossing and drove down to an abandoned barn inPalmdale.

“What’shere?”

“Stay here. Wait an hour and then call aTaxi.”

“What aboutyou?”

She never answered. They pulled up at the barn and she practically dragged himout.

She looked like she was familiar with the place because she knew exactly where to go and where to find the key to open the barn’s woodendoor.

She led him deep inside and stopped at the farthest corner of the room. The place looked like they used to keep horses here. He’d only thought that because he used to ride horses a lot when his father was alive. They’d go to the family ranch in Montana every summer and gowild.

His mother lowered to her knees and pushed a bale of hay to reveal a door in the floor. She openedit.

“Get inside,” she managed to speak through hertears.

“What? No, let’s both goin.”

“No.” She shook her head. “I have to lead them away. Please, Aaron, go inside. Take this.” She handed him herbag.

He took it from her and stared at her wide-eyed, determined not to allow her to face these people by herself. “Is it Ben Vanderville? Don’t be scared of him, Mom. I can handlehim.”

“You can’t, my love. Please. Please go in the basement and stay there. Wait an hour then head to your grandmother’s. I’ll meet you there in a day orso.”

The sound of a screeching car stopped his next words. She practically shoved him down the steps leading to thebasement.

“Mom!” heshrieked.

“Please, stay there and be quiet,” shehissed.

“ButMom—”

“Aaron. Please,” she begged. “Promise me that you’ll do this. Go in, stay there, and whatever happens, for God’s sake don’t comeout.”

A lone tear ran down her cheek. That got tohim.

“Promise me, promise me.” It was the fear in her voice and the terror in her eyes that grippedhim.

“Okay,” he agreed, although he didn’t want to leave her to face those people byherself.

He’d promised his father he’d always take care of her. That was the only thing in life he lived to do. Only a coward would hide in a situation like this, but she was making him promise and right now he could see the seriousness in thesituation.

“Please go,” she begged again with insistence when they heard hurriedfootsteps.

He did as sheinstructed.

“I love you,” she told him as he wentdown.

“I love you, too,” he replied, but she was already closing the hatch and sealing it shut. She didn’t seehim.