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Heather sniffed. Probably crying again. I couldn’t blame her. This situation indeed seemed dire. But I’d been through too much in my life to let this be the end of my story.
“You okay?” I whispered.
“Not really.”
“Yeah, me either. But we need to stay calm and positive. He’s not going to hurt us if we do what he wants and play along with his fantasy world.”
“He’s planning on keeping us here forever,” Heather said. “I’ve read about women who are taken in the same way he took us and lived with their captor for years and years. We’ll be old ladies before anyone finds us.”
As much as I shared the same fears, I didn’t want her to know how frightened I was. I had to be the strong one. She was my little sister, after all.
“We’re going to get out of here. There are people who love us and won’t give up until they locate us,” I said.
Silence greeted me for a few seconds until Heather spoke in a small, hopeless voice. “I’m pregnant. I just took the test a few days ago. Only Joe knows.”
Pregnant. I stifled a gasp. What if he’d hurt the baby with whatever he drugged us with? Or when he shoved her into a van?
“Do you feel all right?” I asked.
“My boobs hurt like someone has them in vises, and I’m nauseous. All normal. What’s not normal is being here. The stress and trauma isn’t good for me or the baby.”
“We’re going to get you out of here, and you’re going to have a healthy baby and get married and have the life with Joe you want. Do you hear me? We are not giving up.”
“And Joe’s a cop.” Heather sniffed again. “He’s probably out of his mind. He hates it when he can’t help someone he loves. His whole life’s about service to others. We’re both like that.”
“Is that why you became a nurse?” I asked.
“My middle sister, Macie, she was born with a heart condition and required a bunch of surgeries. Being at the hospital so much, I saw what nurses do—how much they help people—and I wanted to be like that too. I work in labor and delivery. I love what I do.”
“I want to have a baby,” I said, more to myself than her. “I didn’t think I wanted to until I met Caspian.”
“That’s your boyfriend?”
“He’s technically my boss, but I’ve fallen in love with him.”
“What kind of work do you do?”
“I’m a pastry chef at a local restaurant.”
“By local, you mean…?” Heather asked.
“Bluefern. Do you know where that is?”
“No. Is it in Montana?”
“An hour from Bozeman,” I said, going on to explain my job and how I found myself in Montana in the first place. “The last time I saw Caspian, he was bleeding profusely by the side of the river. I don’t know if he made it or not. If he did, he’ll be able to tell the cops what he saw.”
“That’s something, at least.” Heather paused for a moment before saying, “I really hope he’s all right.”
“Caspian’s going to be fine, and he’s really good at remembering details. He’ll do whatever he can to find us. Hehas a big family, too, with deep ties in the community. No one’s going to give up on us.” I closed my eyes, hot tears slipping from the corners and running down my cheeks as images of the Moon family played before my eyes. They were like family to me already. Filling holes I didn’t even know I had with their warmth and love.
“This thing with Caspian and me is new,” I said. “We’re just getting started. For the first time in my life, I think I may have found the one. I have to get out of here. I have more to live for than I ever have.”
“You got a restraining order against Russo?” Heather asked, as if she suddenly remembered.
“That’s right.”
“But you had no idea who he really was?” Heather asked.
