I stared through the small crack in the attic floor, my heart pounding wildly in my chest. What was Caleb doing with those passports? And who was the stranger? I tried to calm my breathing, afraid that any sound would give away my hiding spot.

The stranger spoke again. “We leave at dawn. She must not know.”

Caleb nodded, his face a mask of determination. “She won’t suspect a thing. I’ll handle it.”

I felt a chill run down my spine. Handle what? My mind raced as I tried to piece everything together. Why would Caleb want to leave, and why with this stranger? Did he know Mara had warned me?

I was grateful for Mara’s call, even though I didn’t understand everything yet. I needed to get out of the attic and call her back. She’d know what to do.

I carefully backed away from the floorboards and reached for my phone. My fingers shook as I tried to turn it on. But in the dark, my trembling hands fumbled and the phone slipped from my grasp, hitting the floor with a soft thud. I held my breath, listening for any sign that they had heard.

The voices downstairs continued, their words muffled now. I couldn’t make out what they were saying, but I knew I didn’t have much time. I needed to get out of the house without Caleb knowing.

I took a deep breath and slowly moved toward the attic window, careful to stay out of sight. I pushed it open gently, wincing at the creaking sound. The rain poured heavily outside, but I didn’t have a choice. I had to leave now.

The roof sloped down to a tree branch that reached over to the side yard. It wasn’t the safest route, but I could manage it. I climbed out, feeling the cold rain drench me instantly. My heart raced as I took cautious steps across the slippery roof.

I reached the tree branch and lowered myself onto it, my grip steady despite the wet bark. From there, it was a short drop to the soft grass below. Once on the ground, I stayed low, glancing back at the house. No lights came on to indicate they’d noticed anything amiss. I took that as a small victory.

I ran as fast as I could, away from the house and down the street. My bare feet were numb from the cold and the rain, but I kept moving. I needed to find somewhere safe to make a call to Mara and figure out what to do next.

The night was quiet except for the rain and my own frantic breathing. I finally reached a small park with a covered bench area. It wasn’t much, but it would give me some shelter while I called Mara.

I sat down, my clothes soaked through, and tried my phone again. This time it lit up, and I quickly dialed Mara’s number.

She answered on the first ring. “Elise? Are you okay?”

“Mara, I’m scared,” I said, my voice trembling. “Caleb…he’s planning something. There’s a stranger with him, and…passports.”

“Stay where you are,” Mara instructed firmly. “I’m sending someone to get you. Whatever you do, don’t go back home.”

“Okay,” I replied, grateful for her calm assurance. “What’s happening, Mara?”

“I’ll explain everything soon, I promise. Just hang tight.”

As I waited for Mara’s help to arrive, a mix of fear and determination surged through me. Whatever was going on, I would get to the bottom of it. I had to protect Noah and find out the truth about Caleb.

This wasn’t over yet. There was still so much I didn’t understand, and I could feel that this was only the beginning of a much larger story.

If you want to read more, leave a comment below the Facebook post. Part 3 is coming soon.