False Pretenses - Kathy Herman [100]
Cowen’s muffled voice came from the tunnel. It sounded as if he was cursing now.
“Let’s pair up,” Noah said. “Mrs. Langley, why don’t you come with me?”
He looked at Pierce and then Zoe. “You two stay together. Everybody run! Find a place to hide.”
Vanessa ran as fast as she could, deeper into the woods, trusting Noah would be able to find the way back. A paralyzing cramp gripped her calf. She hopped over behind a tree and slid down to the ground, her back to the trunk, and started kneading the muscle. The pain in her shoulder made it impossible to press hard enough.
Noah crouched on the ground, facing her. “Relax. Let me do that. Is that a gunshot wound in your shoulder?”
Vanessa nodded and started to cry, then willed away the tears. “You wouldn’t believe the day I’ve had.”
“The man who’s after you, who is he?”
“A drug dealer named Reagan Cowen. He’s mistaken the other lady, Zoe Broussard, for someone who owes him money. Zoe and her husband, Pierce, have been hiding in the house. I guess you know that much. Cowen’s dangerous. He’s responsible for hanging a man from Les Barbes. He would’ve hung me, if I hadn’t escaped.”
“Well, you haven’t exactly escaped just yet.” He looked at her shoulder, then craned and peeked out from behind the tree. “I think we’ve gone far enough. Let’s rest here. We need to get you to a doctor as soon as possible. At least the blood looks dry. That’s a good sign.”
“Who are you?” Vanessa said. “Why have you been sneaking into our house? How did you even know about the tunnel?”
Noah gently kneaded her calf and seemed to avoid eye contact. “My great-grandmother G. G. used to tell me stories about this place. Her ancestors were slaves here—bought at an auction by Josiah Langley. Did you know he and his wife, Abigail, were involved in the Underground Railroad?”
“No.” Vanessa’s mind raced with the implications. “So that’s what the tunnel was used for?”
He nodded. “Actually there’re two tunnels. The cops nailed one of ’em shut. G. G. knew all about this place and the secret tunnels Mr. Langley built so he could bring in slaves and get ’em ready for their journey north. Langley and the Missus were stationmasters, and Langley Manor was one of the key stations for slaves bein’ smuggled out of South Louisiana.” Noah half smiled. “Hundreds of slaves were hidden in that house. They came in through the tunnels and out through the closet. Stayed in that upstairs room until they were ready to be moved to the next station.
“We had no idea.” Vanessa felt her calf muscle start to relax as Noah continued kneading. “The Cajuns in this area resented the Langleys and thought they were snooty.”
“The Langleys kept their distance from folks in order to guard the secret. When they built this place, they named it Langley Manor instead of Langley Plantation so folks would think they were uppity Brits who had no intention of adaptin’ to a new culture. Gave ’em space to operate.”
“What a sacrifice,” Vanessa said, “choosing to let others think badly of them so they could do something good.”
Noah gently stretched out her leg on the ground. “G. G. told me that Mr. Langley tried to free his own slaves, but they didn’t wanna go. He treated ’em so well that they asked to stay and help him with the Underground Railroad. My great-grandmother’s great-grandmother was one of those slaves. Her Christian name was Naomi. That’s really all I know ’bout her.”
“That’s amazing.” Vanessa’s gaze collided with Noah’s. “But you still didn’t tell me why you’ve been sneaking into the manor house.”
“Well, I, uh—”
A shot rang out. And then another and another—a staccato of gunfire echoed in the forest. And then it stopped.
CHAPTER 32
Zoe dug her fingers into Pierce’s arm, her heart thumping erratically, and waited in the tension-filled silence for more gunfire.
Seconds passed, the only sound their rapid breathing. She let go of Pierce’s arm but remained next to him, hunkered down behind a fallen tree. “Who do you think Cowan was shooting