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Biggers was still screaming and begging for help as Cameron and Ghost disappeared into the forest.
***
The searchers were on the run when Ghost shot out of the trees, running toward them. When they saw the dog without Cameron, they froze. Where was he?
They were aiming their flashlights into the darkness just as Cameron appeared, cradling a small body beneath his jacket, with the top of her head just below his chin.
“Who’s in charge?” Cameron asked.
Sheriff Woodley stepped out of the crowd.
“Biggers doped her,” Cameron said. “She’s barely breathing and hypothermic. Send an ambulance up the mountain. Tell them I’m headed down. I’ll meet them on the road.”
“Where’s Biggers?” Woodley asked.
“Tied to a tree. You can’t miss him. He’s screaming for help. Something about blood and bears. Oh…and you’ll need an ambulance for him, too. Ghost beat me to him.”
Then he pulled his sat phone out of his pack and handed it to Marcus.
“Call Rachel and Louis. Tell them I found Lili. Tell them to get to the hospital in Jubilee.”
“Will do, Cam. Good job,” Marcus said.
“Ghost, home! With me,” Cameron snapped. He made a sharp turn to the north and headed for the main road with Ghost leading the way.
Part of the searchers followed Cameron out of the forest, while the rest of them led the sheriff and his officers to Danny Biggers.
***
The ambulance driver and the EMTs were getting ready to leave Rachel and Louis’s house when they got the call. Instead of going back to Jubilee, they headed up the mountain at the same time Marcus was calling his son.
Still in a panic about the ambulance’s hasty exit, and not knowing what was going on, Louis answered with a shaking voice and put the call on speaker so Rachel could hear.
“Hello?”
“Son…Cameron and Ghost found them. He’s headed to the road with Lili now to meet the ambulance. He said to tell you and Rachel to get down to the hospital. They’ll be bringing her in to the ER.”
Louis’s gut knotted. “Is she hurt?’
“Biggers drugged her. She’s not breathing so good, and she’s suffering from hypothermia,” Marcus said.
“Ah, Jesus.” Louis groaned. “Thank you, Dad. Thank everyone! We’ll be leaving now,” he said and hung up, then grabbed Rachel’s arm. “Sit still, baby. I’ll get your coat and purse,” he said.
They left the house minutes later, flying down the blacktop, desperate to get into town.
***
The urgency to get Lili to the ambulance was paramount, but her breathing was so shallow Cameron was afraid to run with her, so he lengthened his stride, turning his body to use as a shield as they moved through the brush. He didn’t know if she could hear him, but he wanted her to hear a familiar voice—to let her know she was safe.
“Hey, baby girl. It’s Uncle Cam. Remember how we go outside to look at the moon? When everything around us is dark except the stars and the big moon up in the sky? If you were awake, you could see how big it is tonight. Almost full. Only a little piece is missing. Looks like someone took a big bite out of it. Was it you? Did you take a bite of that moon? Like you always take a bite of my cookie?”
And so it went, with Cameron talking and walking, until all of a sudden they were out of the trees, crossing the ditch, and moving up onto the blacktop road. The moment his feet hit the surface, Cameron lengthened his stride and started down the mountain, with Ghost still trotting at his side.
The faint sounds of sirens were echoing all around him, so he knew the ambulances were coming, but it was hard to tell how far away they were. He knew some of the searchers were still behind him, but he didn’t bother to look back. They were all on the same journey—to hand Lili over to a medical team. He and Ghost had done their part by finding her. It was up to God and the doctors to make her better again.
Cameron kept patting Lili’s back and stroking her little head. “I hear sirens, Lili. They’re bringing angels to take you to Mama and Daddy. Don’t be scared, baby girl. You don’t have to be scared anymore.”
And then Ghost began to whine.
