Page 48 of The Women of Oak Ridge

Brush rustled loudly nearby. “I don’t see anything,” another man said.

A horse snorted, followed by someone saying, “Easy, girl.”

I gulped.

The men must be mounted military officers.

I’d seen them on their horses from time to time, patrolling the riverbanks near K-25.

I’d always wondered why it was necessary to have such intense military presence and security measures throughout the Reservation.

After Clive revealed the secret mission everyone in Oak Ridge was working on, whether they knew it or not, things made sense.

“Let’s go. Whoever was out here is gone. It was probably just someone taking a walk on their lunch break.”

I waited until everything was quiet again before I peeked over the log. The men and their horses were nowhere in sight. I retook my seat on the rough tree bark, frightened and discouraged. Tears rolled down my face unchecked.

I hadn’t found any signs of freshly turned dirt or mounds of debris. No signs of a struggle or a terrible crime. Was I wrong? Had Clive been telling the truth when he said he drove Sissy back to the dorm?

“What should I do, Lord? You know where Sissy is,” I whispered, the words choking me. “Help me find her.”

In the stillness of the woods, I listened.

A Canadian goose honked. A chipmunk squeaked. A splash drew my eyes to the wide river. The Clinch snaked around a bend, making its way south.

My pulse began to race as I stared at the moving water. “No,” I breathed.

But suddenly I knew.

Without care for the mounted patrol, I ran out of the woods and didn’t stop until I stood at the river’s edge. The water flowed at a lazy pace. Dark. Dangerous.

I dropped to the ground, my body shaking.

Almost like a scene from a horror movie, the image of Clive carrying Sissy to the river filled my mind’s eye. I shook my head and covered my face, sobbing.

There was no grave, I realized. No freshly turned earth. No body for the authorities to discover.

Sissy was gone.

The river had carried her away.

It was nearly dark when I dragged myself up from the riverbank and started for home. I didn’t care if the mounted men found me. I didn’t care if I lost my job or even if they arrested me. Sissy was dead, and I was the only one who knew the truth.

As I’d lain on the hard ground, weeping, I came to a conclusion.

I would tell Mr. Colby everything. Today.

Now. He often worked late hours, and I hoped he would still be in his office when I returned to K-25.

If he wasn’t, I’d wait all night until he arrived in the morning.

Clive needed to be arrested. To rot in prison for what he’d done.

I would see this thing through for Sissy’s sake.

Bundled in my coat against the chilly night air, I crept past S-50, thankful for the shadows. No one called out an alarm. I continued on until I reached the main road. Night sounds filled the woods on either side of me. When two cars approached, I hid in the brush. Neither stopped.

More than an hour later, I crested a rise and nearly wept. I’d never been so relieved to see the massive structure of K-25 rising up out of the Tennessee soil, illuminated by outdoor lights. I quickened my pace. The sooner I got to Mr. Colby’s office, the sooner all of this would be over.

I’d almost reached the edge of the compound when headlights from an approaching car landed on me. There wasn’t anywhere to hide this time, but it didn’t matter. I had every right to be at K-25.

The car swerved into my path and stopped, forcing me to step off the road. With lights blinding me, the door opened, but I couldn’t see the reckless driver.

“Hello, Mae.”

Clive’s voice sent a wave of terror crashing through me, and I stood, frozen to the ground.

He walked to the front of the car and leaned his hip against the hood, blocking one of the headlamps.

With a casualness that belied the situation, he took a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and took a long drag.

All I could do was stand there like a hunted animal, too afraid to move.

“I looked for you today. A girl in Mr. Colby’s office said you were out sick, so I went to your dorm.

Funny thing is, no one had seen you all day.

Not even your housemother, who checked your room.

When I got to the barracks a little while ago, I overheard some of the MPs talking about a woman down by the river.

‘Surely it’s not Mae,’ I said to myself.

‘Why would she be down there?’ But two plus two always adds up, so I came to see for myself.

” He took another drag and blew out the smoke. “What were you doing, Mae?”

Anger and disgust replaced my fear. I was done letting this creep intimidate me.

“I was looking for Sissy’s body.”

I let the words hang in the cold air. If he tried to silence me, as he’d done to my roommate, I would fight with everything I had in me. I’d left my purse in the dorm that morning, the knife still inside, but it didn’t matter. Justice and anger would be my weapons.

I couldn’t see his face because of the bright light, but I could well imagine his surprised expression when he heard the truth come from my lips. Did panic roll through him at finding his crime had been exposed? That would be satisfying.

But he simply puffed on the cigarette one last time before tossing it to the ground. With methodical movements, he ground the butt into the dirt with his shoe. Then he took a step toward me.

My body tensed, prepared to run. “Stay away from me, Clive Morrison. You may think you’ve gotten away with your crimes, but I know what you’ve done. I won’t rest until I see you behind bars.”

We stood facing each other for long moments. A standoff of good and evil.

He leaned against the front of the car again and crossed his arms. “You think you’re smart, don’t you, Mae?” He laughed, although the sound was not pleasant. “Here’s some advice. Don’t ever play poker. You just gave away your hand.”

I frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“You’ve got nothing left. No leverage. No ace up your sleeve. You just told me exactly what you plan to do.”

My heart sank. He was right. I shouldn’t have blurted everything out.

“I see I was right.” He straightened. “Here’s what’s going to happen.

You’re going to get in this car, and I’m going to take you home.

We’re going to pretend this conversation never took place.

The day after Christmas, you’ll give me the documents, then I’ll bid you farewell.

We never have to speak to each other again. ”

I shook my head. “I don’t give a rat’s behind about the documents. Sissy is dead. I’m sure of it.”

“There you go, letting your wild imagination rule out common sense. Sissy took off because she was embarrassed and hurt. She’s home with her family in the backwoods of Georgia right this minute.

” He turned and walked to the driver’s side of the vehicle.

“It’s getting cold. Get in the car and let me take you home. ”

I stared at him in disbelief. “You’re a liar. Sissy’s family hasn’t seen her. Her mother sent—”

I clamped my mouth shut. I’d done it again. I’d given away too much information.

He stood perfectly still. “What did her mother send?” When I didn’t answer, he took a menacing step forward. “You don’t want to mess with me, Mae. There’s too much at stake to let some simpleton ruin everything. First one from Georgia, and now one from Kentucky.”

My blood surged. He’d all but confessed to killing Sissy.

“This simpleton from Kentucky has you figured out.” I bent down to pick up a good-sized rock and drew my arm back as if to throw the stone at him. “Get in your car and leave. Don’t ever bother me again or you’ll be sorry.”

Neither of us moved.

“You’ve made a huge mistake, Mae. A mistake that will cost you.

” His voice was calm. Too calm. “I’ve done some checking around, and I know all about your family.

With my connections, it wasn’t hard to find out where they live.

I don’t imagine it would take much for a coal mine shanty to go up in flames, do you?

It would be particularly tragic if someone were trapped inside because the door was nailed shut.

Tsk-tsk. What a terrible end that would be, especially for a boy who hasn’t made it to adolescence yet. ”

I sucked in a breath. “No! You wouldn’t.” Yet my entire body shook with terror, because I knew he would.

Oh, what had my foolish bravado done?

He offered no response. He simply turned and opened the driver’s door. “Get in the car, Mae. I won’t tell you again.” He didn’t wait to see if I would comply. He got behind the steering wheel and closed the door.

Everything inside me told me to run. Run as fast as I could through the woods to K-25 and find Mr. Colby.

He’d know what to do. I could send word to Mama and Pa and tell them to get someplace safe until Clive was captured.

I’d quit my job, take the next bus home, and be done with burdensome secrets and Clive’s terrible crimes.

But my feet didn’t move.

Clive wouldn’t leave me alone now that I knew the awful truth about Sissy.

I’d been a fool to reveal she hadn’t returned to Georgia, but it was too late to take it back.

I’d put my family in danger with my own stupidity.

Clive had set fire to his trailer to cover his tracks.

He’d gotten rid of Sissy because she knew too much.

My parents and little brother were next if I didn’t cooperate. Not even Mr. Colby could protect them.

The stone fell from my hand.

Defeat poured through me like a raging river, swallowing up every good thing in my life. If I walked away from truth and justice and ignored all that had happened up to this moment, there would be no turning back. No peace. No freedom.

No forgiveness.

But I didn’t have a choice.

I walked to the car, opened the door, and climbed inside.