Captive Dreams by Cara C. Putman

Author:Cara C. Putman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Barbour Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2012-11-20T00:00:00+00:00

Fifteen

The fields that lined the road showed the benefit of rain. Winter wheat stood ready to harvest in another week to ten days. The corn reached toward the sky, feet yet to grow but well on its way. Even the neighbors’ soybeans had started to take on their bunched forms.

Sid braced himself for the conflict he would walk into when he reached the Goodman farm. Not the way he’d planned to end his week. However, the wheat needed to be harvested in a matter of days, but Mr. Goodman had refused to pay the prisoners. The county extension officer shifted on the seat next to him.

“Are you sure I need to be here?” Jude Rosen looked as uncomfortable as a hen surrounded by foxes.

“Last time I checked, your job as county agent included collecting the prisoners’ wages. I transport them.”

“But I told you Ed Goodman won’t see me. Last time he threw me out.”

“That’s why I’m here. Think of me as your protection.”

Jude scrunched down in his seat. Sid thought he might have to pull him from the military Jeep. “Look, this farm will go under if we don’t get this resolved. The wheat crop will rot in the fields without prisoner labor. You know it, and I know it. Mr. Goodman will before we leave.”

“You haven’t known him as long as I have. That man is more stubborn than the most obnoxious bull.”

Sid decided he’d take Jude at his word. He had no desire to test that theory. But the Goodman farm would be in serious trouble if the crop didn’t get out of the fields. Then came the corn, but that wouldn’t be ready to harvest until the end of October at the earliest. One battle at a time.

The two men approached the house, and Sid couldn’t detect any signs of life. He knocked on the door and waited for any sound to indicate that Mr. Goodman headed their way to answer it. After a minute, he rapped again.

“Well, guess he doesn’t want to talk to us.” Jude headed toward the Jeep.

“You can’t leave without me, so you might as well stick around and do your job.” Sid stood firm as a storm passed over Jude’s face.

He shook a finger in Sid’s face. “Do you understand how mean that man can be?”

If only Jude knew that Sid had found Mr. Goodman holding the prisoner at gunpoint. Or how many arguments he’d overheard. Yep, he had a good sense of the bile in that man’s mind.

Sid reached out and knocked again. “We’ll leave when we know Mr. Goodman isn’t here.”

A moment later, the door flew open. “What do you think you want?” Mr. Goodman stood in the doorway in his undershirt and jeans, a scowl plastered across his face.

Jude stood slack-jawed in front of the man. Sid elbowed him then took over when Jude remained frozen. “We’re here to discuss the farm labor you’ve used this year.”

“What about it?”

“You’re behind in payments, and the prisoners can’t return until you’re current.

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