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But there was urgency in their movements. Urgency that told Pen this was bad. Really bad.
“Syd.”
There was blood all over Sydney’s thin, white choir T-shirt. Sydney’s eyes were afraid, but she wasn’t crying or anything.
She looked at Pen. “Hey, I’m going to be ok, Pen. I promise.”
Those men had come for her. Pen wasn’t stupid. They’d come for her, or for Keller. Not Sydney.
Pen looked toward her niece. The mayor’s wife was holding her and Dalton tightly, her own daughters and Everett right beside her. The principal of the school was hustling kids back inside the building. The busses weren’t going anywhere.
Everything had just sort of stopped right now.
She heard sirens in the distance.
“She’s losing a lot of blood, Caine,” the woman in scrubs said. “I’ve got pressure on the wound, but…”
“I’m calling Dr. Fisher, having her prepped and ready, when we get Sydney there. Sydney, you just hang on, kid. I’ll get you taken care of. I promise.”
“Of course you will. It’s that whole hero thing you and your clone have going on,” Sydney said.
Pen just stood there, feeling practically useless as her brother and that woman just took care of Sydney. Without panicking at all.
Sydney was laying on the concrete, pale and not moving. Her eyes were closed. Pen tried not to freak. “Sydney, open your eyes.”
“She’s unconscious, Pen. She’s lost a lot of blood,” Caine said, sending a look at her. “We’ll get her to the hospital, and I’ll see she’s taken care of, I promise.”
“They were going to take me or Keller.”
“I know, honey. I know. I need you to stay back with your guards and my kids. The paramedics are here, ok?” Her brother stood up, all six foot six and pure muscle. Strong. Calm. Able to handle anything. Just like Zoey. Just like Zoey and Luc and Rafe and Paige.
Not like Pen at all.
She pulled out her phone. She needed Zoey. She just needed her sister right now.
They loaded Sydney into the ambulance. Pen wanted to go with her, but Caine boosted the woman in nursing scrubs up into the ambulance after Sydney. “I’ll be right behind the ambulance, with my kids and my sister.”
“I’ll see she’s taken of, boss.”
“Thanks, Genny. It’s appreciated. She’s family.”
Then Caine was wrapping his fingers around Pen’s elbow. “Come on, we’ll get to the hospital. Addy and his people can meet us there. I want you in sight of your guards at all times.”
Pen just went with her big brother. She didn’t know what she was supposed to say or do now at all.
45
Murdoch had beenon his way to Anthony’s rambling old farmhouse in Value with a load of crap from his place when it came over the radio that there had been a stabbing at the Value elementary school and all TSP within the vicinity were to report. Immediately.
He did a U-turn and hit the gas. He floored it until he got there.
Murdoch shot his badge at the nearest responding officer. “I thought I could—"
“Murdoch!” A male voice called his name. He looked up. His brother-in-law, mayor of Value, came hustling up. There was almost panic in George’s eyes.
Murdoch tensed. George never panicked. The guy was cool in a crisis. “George, what the hell happened?”
“Someone tried to take the Alvaro girl or the Daviess girl. Marnie and Marlie, Veronica, and my sister Genesis saw the whole thing. The TSP took my kids and Veronica to the hospital. Genesis rode in on the ambulance. They wanted all the witnesses kept in one place. The Beck girl who’s been running the choir was hurt. I don’t know how badly.”
