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She hooked her arms under Hope’s, over her chest. She tried to keep from touching the hole in Hope’s chest that was too close to Hope’s heart. Madison wasn’t stupid. She knew they were on borrowed time, just from blood loss alone.
It hadn’t been that bad of an injury.
Before.
Handley Barratt had only been able to do so much, with his driver giving Handley and Madison instructions through the lowered window panel between them. With emergency first aid sutures that were just glorified stickers.
“Come on. We have come this far. We are not giving up now.” Madison pulled. Dragging. She just kept pulling. “I am getting you back to Heather, no matter what. That woman has been through enough hell—she is not losing you, Hazel Hope Coleson. She just isn’t. I won’t let her lose you, too.”
Madison just kept going. Until she could see the lights from half a dozen police cruisers ahead. Something had happened at the hospital. Fear for her mom and Vince was strong. But she couldn’t stop now.
She made it to the corner. Right by the sidewalk. If she went any further, they would be in the ambulance lane. Madison stood up. And looked.
There were people over there. She thought about running. Getting help for Hope. But she just couldn’t do it. She didn’t have the strength.
Someone moved into the light, a bit better.
Madison didn’t believe her eyes. Not for too long of a moment. Then it sank in that it was real.
What—who—she was seeing was real.
It was almost too good to be true.
Madison pulled as much air into her lungs as she could.
And yelled.
She just prayed she wasn’t too late for Hope now. “Help! Someone help us! Please!”
100
Heather stayed back as people from the emergency department rushed around everywhere. First Haldyn was lifted. Then Kimball. And Steve.
Her daughters’ father was still alive. He’d been shot at least three times, including once in the head. But he was alive.
Of course, he was.
Because evil never died.
She didn’t care. Heather just didn’t care. Not with Hope still out there. Somewhere. Because of Steve.
She should have pulled the trigger fourteen months ago.
Daniel McKellen was there. He grabbed her by the arm. “Get inside. You’re not going anywhere. I’m getting people out to Old Garrity Road now. It’s just a few miles past where they found Naylor. We already have people out there.”
Heather tried to shove his hand off. She didn’t want him to touch her.
Joy pushed her way between them, her hand over the wound in her arm. “He said… Kimball said Hope’s been shot. We need to get people to Hope!”
“I need to find my baby sister.” Heather fought her boss’s hand on her arm, but he wasn’t letting go. He was strong. Too strong.
Heather dragged in a breath before she screamed at him. She couldn’t fall apart now. Not in front of the men she worked with. She couldn’t.
But Hope was out there and she needed Heather now.
Screw Major Crimes, screw the TSP. Hope needed her right now.
She yanked, but he just wouldn’t let go. He just wouldn’t let her go.
