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“I didn’t think we’d find you,” Will said.
“I thought you were de—” Tears cut off her voice. “I can’t believe you’re here. I thought Antonio killed you.” She almost couldn’t speak but made herself say the words. “And Maddy?”
“She’s alive.”
Charlotte let out a moaning sob. “I thought you were all dead.”
He squeezed her arm. “Everything’s going to be okay. Peter was there in time. He saved her.”
“Peter?”
“Back there. The man who was with me. He’s a friend of Maddy’s. He was at the hospital when Antonio’s man turned up.”
“I can’t believe it.” She sucked in breaths between her sobs. “I thought I had lost you all.”
“Me too.” His hand slid down to her hand, and he held it tightly. “I don’t know what I would have done. But everything’s going to be okay now. You saved a lot of girls. Again. Including this one. We’ll get her the help she needs.” He nodded toward Kelly. “You said she’s a friend.”
“She’s the hero. She’s the one who helped us escape.”
“I owe her a great debt of gratitude.”
“Will…” She swallowed back her emotion so she could get the words out. “This is Kelly.”
“What?” The truck veered and almost drove into a deep ditch on the side of the road. “What are you saying?” he continued once the steering was under control
“Kelly. She’s the one you’ve been looking for, and you’ve found her.”
“It can’t be. That’s not—it can’t be.”
“She wasn’t a prisoner. She was there willingly just like Marie said. That’s why she was able to help us escape. God used her. If she hadn’t been here, I don’t know what would have happened to us. I guess you would have found us eventually.”
“No. Peter and I were scouting the streets. The only reason we stopped was because of the commotion. If you hadn’t been outside, we would never have known you were there.”
Charlotte shook her head. “That’s a lot to take in.”
“After all these years. I can’t believe she’s right beside me.” He let go of Charlotte’s hand and rested it on Kelly. “You hang in there. Don’t die on me now. We’re almost there. Please. Hang on.”
* * *
Charlotte jumped awake off of Will’s shoulder. He grabbed her arm to steady her. “You okay?”
“Yeah.” She looked down at the half-eaten sandwich in her lap. “How long have I been out?”
“Only about a half hour.”
“I feel like it’s been days. You haven’t heard anything yet?”
After Charlotte was cleared by the doctor, she’d gotten something to eat, and they’d been sitting in the waiting room while Kelly was in surgery.
“Not about Kelly yet, but the police should have gotten to Peter by now. He’ll know where to find us once the area is secure.”
A door opened nearby, and a doctor came out. He spotted them and nodded.
They stood.
Charlotte threaded her arm through Will’s, unsure whether she needed the steadying or if she was trying to hold him up.
“Kelly was lucky,” the doctor said. “We had a surgeon visiting us from Caracas this week. He’s one of the best and possibly the only reason your friend survived. She’s out of surgery, and it looks like she’ll make it.”
