Page 96 of Veil of Silence

The first raindrop struck her cheek as she hurried toward her car.

She dug the keys from her pocket. Her ribs protested when she quickened her pace, but she kept going.

Then she saw something white fluttering beneath the windshield wiper.

Nora slowed.

An envelope had been tucked beneath the blade on the driver’s side.

A name was printed across the front in the same careful block letters she had seen two nights earlier.

CHRISTIAN LOVELESS

The rain suddenly felt colder.

Nora glanced at the fellowship hall. People moved behind the windows, but no one appeared to be watching her. Nora reached for the envelope, then stopped.

The last one had been left on her porch.

This one had been placed on her car in the middle of a church parking lot crawling with deputies, firefighters, and volunteers.

Whoever had done it wasn’t afraid of being caught. Whoever had done it most likely blended in.

That meant they were probably a local. Maybe even someone trusted around town—or trusted by her.

The thought stopped her cold. Jacob had already deceived her. Could someone else also be in a position to break her trust?

She had to ask herself why—why were these boys being taken? Had Christian been abducted and then when he escaped, someone needed another boy to replace him? But if that was the case, why had Jacob come into her life before Christian returned?

So much didn’t make sense.

She used the sleeve of her coat to pull the envelope free, then ducked beneath the overhang beside the sanctuary.

Rain tapped against the metal roof as she slid one finger beneath the flap.

Her breath caught.

Another yellowed hymnal page waited inside.

She carefully unfolded it. The title appeared above the music in faded black lettering.

“Trust and Obey.”

Black lines had been drawn beneath two phrases.

Trust and obey.

For there’s no other way.

Nora read them again. Without the rest of the refrain, the familiar words sounded different. Someone was telling Christian to obey—and making sure he understood there was no alternative.

A chill crept across her skin.

These pages were prayers that had been twisted into threats, hymns that had been corrupted into commands.

Someone had taken the language of faith and weaponized it.

Her jaw tightened.