Like Dandelion Dust

  “Okay . . .” Molly was still shivering, but she was catching on, understanding what Jack was thinking. “Then what?”

  “By the time we’d leave for the trip, we’d have to have all the details in place. Our ultimate destination—at least for the first couple years—would be the Cayman Islands.”

  “Cayman?” Molly had to hold onto the edge of the bench. Again she felt like she was in some strange dream or acting out someone else’s life. She’d been to Grand Cayman once with Jack. The place was beautiful, surrounded by gorgeous beaches and endless blue-green water. But could she spend two years there? She steadied herself. “Where would we live?”

  “I’ll take care of that.” He was still composed, still anxious to tell her the rest of what he’d been thinking. “We’ll need fake passports, but I made a few phone calls. There’s a guy in Miami who’ll work with me. He thinks we’re missionaries.”

  “Why would missionaries need fake passports?” Molly’s head was spinning faster than ever. It was all she could do to keep up with the conversation.

  Jack made an effort to slow down. “Some missionaries visit countries that are hostile to the Christian teaching. If missionaries become targeted, they might need to flee the country under a different identity.” He shrugged one shoulder. “The guy I talked to says he believes in freedom of speech. If we need fake passports to further freedom of speech, he’ll do them half-price.”

  Molly pressed her hands to the sides of her face. “I can’t believe this . . .”

  “Hey, look at me!” Joey was standing straight up at the top of the highest slide. “I’m a fireman!” He slammed an invisible helmet onto his head and plopped down hard, sending himself flying down the slide. At the bottom he looked in a dozen different directions, spraying invisible water at what must’ve been ferocious invisible flames.

  “You’re a hero, Joey!” Jack paused for a few seconds. “Mommy and I are still talking, okay?”

  “Okay!” He raced up the ladder on the opposite side of the structure. “Now I’m going to the moon!”

  Another couple strolled by on the sidewalk that wound through the park. Jack waited until they had passed before starting in again. “So we have our fake passports, and the day before the trip, we transfer funds to an account in Cayman. It’s the world’s second largest offshore financial center. Then”—his voice grew more tense—“on, say, the third day of the trip, we’ll take an excursion into town and we’ll disappear. By the time they realize we’re missing, we’ll be on a plane with our new identities, headed for Europe. We’ll stay there for a few weeks—just to make sure no one’s onto us—then we’ll fly to Cayman.” He lifted his hands. “What do you think?”

  What did she think? She had a thousand questions, all of them firing at her from different areas of her heart and brain. She opened her mouth and asked the first one that came. “Why wouldn’t they be onto us?”

  “We’ll be using new identities. The authorities in Haiti won’t have any trouble letting us through, and then we’ll become part of the throng of millions of people in Europe. It’s not like our faces will be plastered up in every police station in England. The authorities won’t have a clue where to look for us.” Jack’s expression told her this was obvious. “See, we leave for a day trip, and we’re never heard from again.” He hesitated. “After awhile, they might even assume we were victims of foul play.”

  “We disappear a week before losing custody of Joey? The story’ll make national news!”

  “Yes. In time.” His words were coming faster, as if he’d thought through even this detail. “By then we’ll be in Europe with new identities. Tourists, mixing with other tourists. When the commotion in the press dies down, we’ll fly to Grand Cayman.”

  The plan sounded plausible, but still she had more questions than answers. “Why would we take our four-year-old son into the streets of Haiti? Isn’t it dangerous?”

  “Yes, I’ve thought about that, too. These work trips include day excursions, trips to small villages to pass out food—that sort of thing.” Jack wouldn’t be swayed. “Don’t worry, I’ll find a reason to get us out on the streets. Then we’ll find a ride to the airport. Once we get to Haiti, that’ll be the least of our worries.”

  “All right.” She would have to trust him. What else could she do? Another question hit her. Maybe she was wrong about her sister—maybe Beth would be suspicious after all. “What if Beth thinks it’s strange, taking a trip out of the country right before Joey goes?”

  He raised his brow. “You’ll be in charge of that, of making her see things our way.” He put his hand on her knee. “You can handle that, right?”

  A man and his little boy came up along the sidewalk from the other direction, carrying a baseball and two gloves between them. Jack waited for them to pass. He dropped his voice another notch. “Of course it’ll be suspicious, but Beth will believe what you tell her. Don’t you think so?”

  “Maybe.” Fear built in her again, and the fight took a backseat. “But maybe not. Maybe we’ll do something that causes Allyson Bower to suspect what we’re up to. Then we could get caught.” She nodded in Joey’s direction. “Our little boy could be turned over to the Porters and we could go straight to prison. Have you thought about that?”

  “Of course.” Jack’s tone was just short of angry. “Listen, Molly. We won’t be traveling under our own names. We’ll have new identities, new passports. We’ll leave Haiti under those names, arrive in Europe, and buy a few Eurail passes. We’ll travel the region like a family on vacation, and at every hotel we’ll check the news and the Internet. When the search dies down, we’ll get over to the Cayman Islands.”

  “What about our money?” She was shaking now, trembling from her fingertips to her toes. “Couldn’t they trace the money? You said we transfer it to Cayman, so once they find out, they’ll put a lock on our funds and that’ll be that.” She hated that she was making this difficult for Jack, but if she didn’t talk about her doubts now, she’d never feel right going through with the plan. “If they find the money, it’ll just be a matter of time before they find us.”

  “I’ve got that figured out, too.” He leaned forward again. His eyes were sharp and intelligent. “We’ll move the money through a series of transfers. It’s complicated, but when it’s all said and done, the money will be in an account in Cayman under our new identities.” He gave her a single nod. “Leave that part to me, Molly.”

  She felt weak, nauseous. Were they really going through with this? It was much more than she could handle or imagine. She looped her arm through his and leaned into his shoulder. “How much money?”

  “That’ll take some work.” He kissed the side of her face. “But I’ve thought about that, too. We’ll pull the equity from our rentals and from our own house. It should be more than a million.”

  “A million dollars?” The amount raised another list of questions, but she didn’t have the strength to ask them.

  “Yes.” He put his arms around her and stroked her gently. “We’ll be fine, Molly. We will. Once we’re in Cayman for a few years, when the search for us has grown completely cold, we can travel under our new names. We could go anywhere, really. Just not back to the United States.”

  “And not back to Jack and Molly Campbell.”

  He gave a slow nod. “Right.”

  Molly closed her eyes and took a long breath through her nose. “Jack . . .” She clung to him. “I can’t believe we’re doing this.”

  “Me, neither.” Jack held her tight, and for a long time they said nothing.

  What was left to say? The judge had made his decision, and now they had made theirs. They would set the plan into motion, and they would have to hold discussions like this one often, making sure the details were coming together. They would say good-bye to everything they knew and loved about their lives as Jack and Molly Campbell, and they would start over again. If the courts wouldn’t look out for the best interests of their child, then they’d have to ta
ke the matter into their own hands.

  Whatever they had to pay in the process, the cost would be worth it.

  All for the love of Joey.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Molly made the phone call that afternoon, when Beth and Bill would be home from church. She had practiced her part in her mind enough times that when Beth answered the phone, Molly kept her voice casual, normal.

  The conversation started with talk about Joey and how he had handled his first visit.

  “He’s fine, but something has to be done.” Molly sounded upset, the way she would’ve felt if they didn’t have the plan to leave the country. “Tomorrow morning we’re calling a list of politicians.”

  “That’s a great idea.” Beth was still ready to fight on their behalf. “I’ll make calls, too. Whatever I can do to help.” She exhaled hard. “This is ridiculous, Molly. That boy belongs with you.”

  “I know.” She kept her tone sorrowful. At Jack’s direction, she left out details of the bruises on Joey’s arm. No reason to give Beth cause to suspect they were crazy with fear. She steadied her voice. “Jack’s going through a new list of attorneys tomorrow, too. Someone will help us. I have to believe that.”

  “I’m so sorry, Molly. I can’t even imagine going through this.” Beth hesitated. “It may not make you feel better, but everyone in our Sunday school class is praying for you. No one can believe a judge could order a child back to his biological parents almost five years later.”

  “That means a lot.” This was her opening. “Hey, that reminds me. You won’t believe this. Jack and I were talking today at the park.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. She’d never lied to Beth before. Even now, everything in her wanted to share the details with her sister, but she couldn’t. Not a word of them. “Anyway, Joey’s been talking to God.” She uttered a sad laugh. “I guess Jonah taught him.”

  “Really?” Beth sounded like her heart was melting. “That’s so sweet.”

  “We thought so.” She forced herself to take the next step. “Jack wanted me to tell you . . . we’d like to go to church with you next Sunday.”

  Beth’s gasp was quiet, but it was a gasp all the same. “Are you serious?”

  “Yes.” Molly made a sound that was part laugh, part cry. “We need all the help we can get.”

  “Molly . . . I’m so glad.” The happiness in Beth’s voice was pure and complete. She had no suspicions whatsoever. “God has a plan for Joey, I mean that. No matter how things look now, if you seek God . . . if you really trust Him, I know He’ll make those plans clear to you.”

  Molly hated this, hated lying to her sister. “That’s what we’re starting to believe.”

  “Well, let’s not wait until Sunday. That’s a week away. Bill and I can meet with you a few times this week so we can all pray. There’s power in prayer, I tell you, Molly. I’m just so glad you’re seeing it now.” Beth’s words ran together, her excitement and fervor tangible. “Talk to Jack about that, okay?”

  “Okay.” The words felt like acid on Molly’s tongue. And this was only the beginning. “Hey, Beth, I have to go. But thanks. I’m not sure we would’ve thought about turning to God without you.”

  “Oh, Molly.” Beth’s voice cracked. “I love you so much. It’s only because I love you that I’ve always wanted your family to find faith.”

  “I know.” Molly clenched her fists. She had to get off the phone, had to end the conversation before she burst into a confession about all she was doing. “I love you, too.”

  Beth went on a little longer about the benefits of having a strong faith. Molly wasn’t really listening. Instead she did something Joey would do. She talked to God—just a little. It’s not a complete lie, God. . . . I do want to know more about You, and I do think it’s better if people are praying for us.

  Beth was winding up. “Okay . . . so talk to Jack and we’ll figure out the details later.”

  “I will.” They said their good-byes, and Molly hung up the phone.

  The week played out just as they’d planned. Twice they met with Beth and Bill and talked about God, about His plan for all of them, His salvation. They looked at Bible verses, and Molly couldn’t help but find herself really listening, really finding truth in the things Beth and Bill were sharing with them.

  “It makes sense,” Molly told Jack one night that week.

  “It makes our plan work.” Jack smiled at her. “That’s all.”

  She didn’t push the matter. Sunday came and Beth was sweet and tender. She gave Molly an envelope with her name written across the front. “It’s a little card I found.” Beth gave her a hug. “Don’t open it until later today.”

  Molly didn’t know what to say. With every heartbeat, she could hear a voice shouting at her, Liar . . . Liar . . . Liar! She returned her sister’s hug. “It feels good to be here.”

  “It feels wonderful.” Beth held onto her shoulders and studied her face. “I think God’s about to work a miracle, Molly. I can feel it.”

  The four of them checked the kids into Sunday school classes and took seats together in a pew halfway back. Jack purposefully opened his bulletin and began reading it. Then, as if on cue, he leaned around Molly and spoke to Bill. “You and Beth and the kids taking this work trip to Haiti?”

  “We are.” Bill’s expression was a mix of genuine friendliness and pure awe. Molly understood. Beth and Bill had probably prayed for this day ever since they became Christians. Bill opened his bulletin and pointed to the blurb about the trip. “There’s an informational meeting about it today after service.”

  Jack gave Molly a pointed look. “Did you tell Beth?”

  Beth was sitting between Molly and Bill. She looked curious. “Tell me what?”

  It was Molly’s turn. She plunged ahead, hoping the entire conversation didn’t sound like a poorly acted script. “About the work trip.” She looked at Bill and back to Beth. “We’re thinking about going, too.”

  “You’re kidding!” Beth said the words a little too loud. “I’m just getting used to the idea myself.” She giggled and lowered her voice. She looked around, sheepish about being too noisy in church. Then, just as fast, her smile faded. “What about Joey?”

  Jack squeezed Molly’s knee. “We’re believing that everything will work out. We have to believe that.” He shot a sad smile at Bill. “But at this point in our lives, we need a distraction, something positive we can do with our son.”

  Bill nodded. “I understand.”

  “I went online a few nights ago and read about the work trip. It seems, well”—he looked at Molly—“like a good idea all the way around.”

  “It’d be a chance for our two families to be together.” Beth sounded helpful. No question she liked the idea. She stopped short of saying that it would be their last time to travel together with Joey, if he were taken away. Instead she nodded. “We’d love it if you came.”

  “Do you think they’d let us—I mean, since we’re new?” Jack kept his tone tentative.

  “I think so.” Bill looked at Beth, and then back to Jack. “You’d be with us. People bring friends or family on these trips all the time. It’d be different if it were a mission trip. But work trips aren’t as regulated by the church staff.”

  “Right.” Beth’s eyes sparkled. “This trip’s different. They’ll run a background check on you, but other than that . . . if you can swing a hammer, you’ll be welcome.” She looked at Bill and then at Molly again. “Can you come to the meeting after church?”

  “I think so.” Molly met Jack’s eyes. There wasn’t a hint of duplicity there, and she was amazed. Maybe Jack had missed his calling. He was proving to be an amazing actor. “Do we have time?”

  “Definitely.” He directed his next question to Bill. “We can bring the kids on this trip, right? So we can bring Joey?”

  “Yes.” Concern slipped into his tone. “You think they’ll let you take him? With all this custody stuff going on?”

  Jack appeared as innocent as their so
n. He exchanged a look with Molly. “I don’t see why not. We’ll tell the social worker about it, of course.” He breathed the lie as if he’d been telling lies all his life. “She’ll have to give the okay.”

  Molly gave a look that confirmed their innocence. “We’ll still have joint custody of him, no matter what.”

  Beth reached for Molly’s hand and squeezed it. “Maybe by then it’ll be permanent custody.”

  “Yes.” They all settled back against the pew. A group of people were playing music up front. The service was about to begin.

  “We’ll talk more at the meeting after church.” Beth whispered.

  “Okay.” Again Molly convinced herself it wasn’t a lie, but still she hated herself for what they were doing. Beth and Bill believed their intentions completely. She smiled at Beth. “Thanks for everything.”

  Her sister slipped her arm around her and gave her a side hug. “I told you we’d be here. We’ll do whatever you need us to do, Molly. I mean it.”

  During the service, Jack filled out a prayer card. Molly watched as he turned it over and scribbled, “Pray for our family.” On the front he filled out their names and address and phone number. The church Bill and Brenda attended was a large one—several services, six thousand members. Molly guessed no one was keeping close tabs on the infrequent attendees. At the bottom of the card, Jack had the choice to check “Visitor” or “Member.” He checked the Member box, folded the card, and dropped it into the offering plate.

  And just like that, the plan was in motion.

  Chapter Seventeen

  The prop plane was just about to land in Grand Cayman. Jack could hardly wait.

  The trip to the Cayman Islands was something Jack had to do every few years. He had a fairly large account there, and most of the time business could be handled by telephone. But every so often the company smiled on his decision to take a trip to the island, further goodwill, meet with the account executives, host some high-end dinners, and strengthen relationships.