Page 36 of Rescuing Sadie

Sadie closed her eyes in despair. If any of them were hurt—or God forbid, dead—it would be her fault.

She shouldn’t have let Chase talk her into coming here. She knew what Jonathan was like. He liked causing pain. Got off on it.

A light touch on her arm brought her head around, and she stared into Annie’s blue eyes. “My daddy’s fine. He’s a hero.”

Her words were said with such conviction, Sadie actually believed her. She smiled. It was a weak effort, but it was more than she would’ve been capable of a couple of minutes ago. “How about you and me get out of here?” she asked.

Annie nodded, then looked around the room. “Can we bring my Army man? I can’t leave without him.”

“I don’t think—” Sadie began, but Annie interrupted her.

“I need him! I can’t leave him behind. He should be fine, he was in his special case my friend gave me. Please, Sadie, please!” Tears poured down Annie’s cheeks as she pleaded with her.

For the first time, Sadie heard real panic in the little girl’s voice. From all that she’d heard about Annie from Chase, and from what she’d seen the night before, she knew that she wasn’t one to freak out. She wasn’t a whiny child at all. So for her to be this upset, Sadie knew the doll was important to her.

“Okay, Annie, don’t cry. We’ll find him and take him with us.”

Sadie shoved one more time at the surprisingly heavy dresser and it finally shifted. “Scoot back, Annie. I can’t help while I’ve got hold of this. Pull your legs out. Slowly though, in case something’s broken.”

Annie did as she was told and pulled her little body out from under the debris. Once she cleared it, Sadie dropped the mangled dresser and went straight to Annie’s side. Using the first aid she knew, she felt her legs to make sure they weren’t broken. The little girl flinched a couple of times but didn’t scream out in pain.

Sighing in relief, Sadie turned her head to the door. “Emily?”

“Yeah! I’m here. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. Annie’s free. As far as I can tell, nothing’s broken. Go on, meet us outside.”

“Thank God,” Emily said. “Rayne tried to remove some of the debris at the top of the stairs to get the guys’ attention. Ghost finally answered. He says they’re okay. Annie?”

“Yeah, Mommy?” Annie answered, her voice stronger now that she knew her precious military doll wasn’t going to be left behind.

“Go outside with Sadie. Stay by her side. I mean it. Right by her side. Okay?”

“I will, Mommy. Is Daddy really okay?”

“Of course he is. We’ll see him once we get outside.”

“Are you scared, Sadie?” Annie asked quietly.

Sadie looked down at the small child. She sounded like someone twice her age at that moment.

“Yeah, baby. A little.”

“Being scared means you’re about to do something really really brave. Remember, Mommy? You said that to me when we were in the metal box.”

Sadie didn’t know what Annie was talking about, but she loved her optimistic attitude and how she was trying to comfort her mother.

“I remember, baby. Now, go on. Get outside with Sadie. Your dad and I will be there as soon as we can.”

“I love you, Mommy.”

“Love you too.”

Annie’s gaze roamed the room and she pointed in the opposite corner. “There he is!”

Sadie turned toward where Annie was pointing and saw a plastic doll the size of a Barbie inside a protective case. She hurried over and grabbed it, along with a pair of shoes that were miraculously still sitting right where Annie probably left them after taking them off. She brought both the shoes and the doll back to Annie’s side.

The little girl hugged her precious doll and beamed up at Sadie.