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“How’s Becky?”
“She’s stable but sleeping now, so I haven’t had a chance to talk to her. But I need to ask you another question. Am I right in thinking Kaylee had a heart transplant?”
“Yes, that’s right. She had septal defect—a hole in the heart.”
“Where did Kaylee have her surgery?”
Ellie heard sheets rustling and imagined Priscilla trying to sit up. “Children’s Healthcare in Atlanta.”
“Okay thanks. I have to go, Priscilla. I’ll keep you posted.”
Ellie scratched her head.Dammit, all the girls had surgeries at different hospitals.
So why had the kidnapper targeted them? And where were they now?
One Hundred Thirty-Two
Somewhere on the AT
“I’m scared,” Ava whispered as she huddled on the bed beside Kaylee.
Kaylee looked scared, too. “We have to check on Daddy,” she said.
“He’s not my daddy,” Ava replied stubbornly.
“He’s not my real one either,” Kaylee said, her voice quivering. “But my mommy is dead, and he’s been nice to me…”
Ava hugged her knees to her, wishing she had Bunny. “She said my mommy didn’t want me, but she’s a liar.”
“What was it like when you ran away?” Kaylee asked.
“Scary and cold and dark,” Ava admitted.
“I know. I runned away when I first got here. But I got lost and then they found me and I’ve been too scared to go in the woods again.”
“But I don’t want to die,” Ava whispered.
“Me neither.”
Kaylee jumped off the bed, went to the door and tried to open it. Ava ran to help her. “Do you know where we are?” Kaylee asked as they pulled and tugged. But the door was heavy and wouldn’t budge.
Ava grabbed the ruler from the shelf where they kept the craft stuff. “Near the Christmas tree farm.” Ava jammed the ruler into the space between the door opening and wall just like her daddy did once when she got locked in the bathroom. “My mommy brought me there to pick a tree.”
The door was stuck. The stupid ruler wasn’t working. “Maybe we can crawl out the window.”
Kaylee blew out a breath and they ran to the bed and climbed on it. Ava could see the snow falling outside, swirling and blowing.
They tried to barge the window open, but it was held tight. Kaylee fumbled with the lock, twisting at it until it came unlocked. But when she shoved at the bottom of the window, it still wouldn’t come open.
“It’s nailed shut,” Kaylee said, then slammed her fist against the wood.
Tears dripped down Ava’s cheeks and Kaylee sank back onto the bed and began to cry, too.
A noise sounded outside, and she heard a thump from somewhere. She and Kaylee scrambled against the wall, burrowing against each other. Was that the man? Would he come and help them? Or would he take them away like he did Becky?
A car rumbled, and Kaylee clutched Ava’s hand. The lady was so mad when she left.
What if she was already back? What would she do to her and Kaylee?
