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“Ok, it’s ok. It’s ok, Crispin. I promise. We’ll take you to Finley Creek Gen. We’ll get you both there. It’ll be ok. Can Clay help you to the car?” The woman reached for Orion.
Crispin didn’t want to let him go, but… “My arms are so, so tired. And my feet really hurt. I don’t think I can walk anymore. I don’t want to drop him. I’m so sorry.”
“Ok, Clay’s going to carry you, ok?” The woman took Orion and shifted him. He didn’t even wake. Crispin’s arms felt so empty. “I have a car seat in the rear of the Tahoe. We’ll get him taken care of, too. Do you know how old he is?”
Crispin shook her head as the man scooped her into his arms gently. “No. Sydney…the redheaded girl…she just put him in my arms. Outside. I went back after she told me to get to help the first time. I didn’t do what she told me. She told me to get away. But I couldn’t justleaveher there. Or Pen. My twin. How could I just leave them there to burn? To die? I just couldn’t leave them. Sydney brought him outside and found me again. She gave him to me and told me to start walking. To…get him to someone named Caine, at Barratt County. But I don’t want to go to Barratt County. I want my mom. Is that ok? Sydney said to take him to Caine. And I promised to. But I really want my mom right now.”
“It’ll be just fine. Caine’s brother runs Finley Creek Gen; Caine’s wife works there, too. We’ll see that your little brother is safe and taken care of, I promise.”
Crispin thought for a moment. Her mom had said his name… “Dr. Something…Deane. My mom said he runs her hospital. And he’s kind of scary, she said.”
“Yes. That’s him. He’s…Caine’s…brother. We’ll make sure Orion is taken care of, Crispin. And you. I promise. It’ll be ok.”
“I just want us all to be ok. Why did that man do this?” she asked the man in a sheriff’s polo as he carried her to the SUV.
“I don’t know. But you can bet we’re going to find out.” His arms tightened on her gently. It made her feel safe. He had beautiful green eyes. Nice eyes. She felt safe with him. She was safe now, she thought. She was.
“I just want Sydney to be ok.” The tears just kept getting worse as he helped her into the car, then took Orion and carried him around to the other side. “But she went back in. To get her friend. She went back in for Pen. Pen is my sister, too, I think. And I just left her there. I just left her. How could I just leave her? She’s my sister and I just left her like she didn’t matter.”
“No, sweetie. You didn’t leave Pen—you just got your brother Orion away instead.” The blonde woman helped her fasten her seatbelt, then tucked the blanket over Crispin’s shoulders. The man tucked the blanket over Orion when he was in the car seat. “It was a hard choice, but you made the right one. I promise. He’s safe because of you. He’s safe. And help is on the way to Sydney and Pen.”
“You have to get them away from the redheaded man.”
“Tell me about the redheaded man,” the sheriff said.
“He kissed me. And said…he was coming back to take care of me. He’s still out there. I don’t want him to get me. I don’t. I don’t. I don’t want him to touch me again.”
“Ok, we’ll talk about him later,” the woman said. “Just rest, Crispin. We’ll get you back to Finley Creek.”
“I don’t want him to ever find me again.”
“I won’t let him,” the sheriff said. “I promise.”
Crispin didn’t know why, but she believed him.
Then they were driving.
Crispin just closed her eyes. Tried not to remember what she had left behind her in that place. She’d just rest. Until she got back to her mom. All she wanted was her mom. Her mom would make things ok.
She always had before.
121
Heather knewsomething had just happened. She had stuck close to the chief of police and the governor, even when they tried to shake her. The only time she’d left them had been to nurse Ember. Once her baby was taken care of, she had tracked them down again.
Not that hard to do, Hope was sticking almost as close to them as she was.
Hope had taken the chief out to the back parking lot where Bonnie’s car waited. When they’d come back in, the head of the hospital had been waiting with video.
Heather had watched it. Hope had watched it.
Heather would never forget watching it either.
Bonnie hadn’t stood a chance against a man that size, no matter how old he was.
Dr. Gregory Eastman. No one knew why that man had a problem with Bonnie. How could anyone have a problem withBonnie? It just didn’t make sense.
Eastman had just doubled up his fist and knocked Bonnie to the ground.
