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“Tell me where you are right now, sweetheart. I’m trying to find you but I can’t. I’ll come get you.” She was almost convinced it was a prank. A recording or AI voice software. Someone who’d seen her in theSnotty Garlicand thought she’d be a fun target to mess with. Playing it out might be the only way she could find out for sure. “I can’t find you. Tell me where you are, baby.”
“We are at Grandfather’s house, Mommy. Don’t you remember us coming here before? When you brought us here a long time ago. In the big car?”
The little girl voice sounded so eerily like Keller. After that first call had come, she had run Caine’s and Nikkie Jean’s and Henry’s—Caine’s uncle who lived with them—cell numbers through the system to see if Keller had been messing with her.
Keller was an extremely good actress. Phenomenal, actually. She’d easily be able to sound younger.
It hadn’t been Keller.
“Look if this is a trick—”
“We want to be with you, Mommy. Not Grandfather.”She heard sniffles next. And heaven help her, they didn’t sound fake. If this was a young child needing help…“He’s not very nice. He’s scary. And he hurts us all the time.”
Her blood chilled at the whispered words.
“Sweetheart, who arewe? Who is with you? I don’t know where your grandfather has you. Or who he has right now. You have to tell me your name. So I know which one you are. Are you still in Garrity?”
There was a long silence. “Yes. Me and Orion are the ones that live in Garrity, Mommy.”
The sound of someone—a man—yelling came over the line. The sniffles got worse.“I have to go. He’s back. And he brought the mean man again. He’s going to be mad if he catches me. Please hurry, Mommy. Hurry. We need you!”
Something cold slipped up her spine. That voice in the background had sounded too real. Not alter by software at all. Male and mean and angry.
“I’m going to find you. I promise.” She didn’t know why she said it, but if a child needed her, Zoey wasn’t going to stop until she found her. No matter what. And if it was someone screwing with her, well, she’d find that, too.
Then the caller was gone.
Tomorrow, she was going to make a trip to Garrity herself. She’d speak with the principal there. And talk to Murdoch again. Orion was a distinctive name. Garrity had less than two hundred fifty kids in the school system. If there was an Orion of school age, she’d find him.
And get her answers, somehow. If not, there was one small doctor’s office in Garrity, and a dentist. She’d see if there were any patients by that name. They’d not be able to tell her without a warrant, but it would be a start.
31
Oakley putthe phone on Grandfather’s desk and ran. She almost didn’t get the vent back in time.
She was in the vent when Grandfather came in.
He had Mean Vaughn with him. Mean Vaughn said weird things about redhead angels and demons and monsters and guardians sometimes. He made bad faces at Oakley and Orion, too. Just to scare them—then he’d laugh when they ran away.
She tried to keep her brother far away from him when he was here.
She couldn’t get back to her room now. Grandfather would catch her. She just pulled her knees up to her chin and stayed right where she was. As still as she could be.
And listened.
Grandfather talked about a new plan. And getting to one ofDenita’sdaughters. He called Oakley’s big sisters that all the time. Oakley and her big sisters. Even thoughZoeywas their mommy. Oakley wassureZoey had to be their mommy!
She didn’t want them to hurt her big sisters either.
All she wanted was for her mommy to come get her like she’d promised.
She wiped tears off her cheeks but tried not to sniffle. She had to be really quiet.
I’m going to find you. I promise.Her mommy had said that.
Oakley just had to be brave for a little while longer. Her mommy was going to find her. It was just a matter of time. Her mommy would find her.
Or die trying.
