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Bonnie shookand cried as she made her way through the junk piled up in the breezeway, until she could kneel next to the big, blond man she’d watched fall.
Watched getshot.
She’d watched the three men justshooteach other.
And she’d watched two die.
She'd recognized the big, blond man instantly, of course.
He hadn't seen her where she had hidden behind the old lobby furniture for the rehabilitation home that had been stacked useless against one wall.
The breezeway door had slipped open, and a man had stood there. Big, bold, strong, and determined.
Bringing hope with him.
She had almost called his name—until the other men had come out of nowhere.
The redheaded man who had shot Sheriff Lake was on the ground now. He wasn't moving. Neither was his friend. It was obvious the younger, thinner, blond man was dead. Bonnie had seen a death stare before. And there was a bullet hole in his forehead.
Bonnie didn't spare those monsters a second look. She'd heard the redheaded man say he was going to go get the girl with the blue and brown eyes. Telling the blond man that.
She knew who that girl with the blue and brown eyes had to be. Had heard the redheaded man say that girl had gotten away from him and was out there somewhere.
Those words had given Bonnie hope.
Her baby was a smart girl. She knew that. Bonnie was praying her baby had gotten away, was running away and not looking back.
Sheriff Lake was moving. He wasn’t dead. Thank God. He wasn’t dead, too.
"Sheriff Lake! It was my daughter the redheaded man was looking for. She’s here and I don’t know where and I—" He wrapped one hand around hers and squeezed.
The connection, the human touch from someone she could trust…threatened to undo her. Right there.
"Well, well, well. Here you are. Hey, pretty nurse Bonnie. I found your ID tag outside. You leave the breadcrumb for me on purpose, honey?" He coughed. Rubbed a hand against his chest. She helped him sit up. Then he reached up toward his right shoulder. "Damned slug missed the vest. You'd think someone could make a vest that covered a bit better and still didn’t ruin my beautiful figure, wouldn’t you?"
Bonnie pressed her hand to where his was. Her fingers came away wet. "You have on a bulletproof vest?"
It was too dark to see in the massive breezeway. But that was the only thing that made sense. He’d been hit two times, at least. Yet…there was only a little blood. “How did you know to come here? How did you find me…here?”
"I was coming looking for my lady and realized something big was going down. Found your ID outside and started putting two and two together. Have you seen her around this place anywhere? Looks like your Heather. A lot like her, actually. More than you do, even. Just about three years younger and a bit sharper cheekbones."
"No." She did her best to put pressure on the wound. But the man was already trying to stand. Of course, he was, nothing kept a wild man like Sheriff Lake down. "I heard people earlier. When I was...after I...got away fromhim. A woman cried out. It could have been my daughter."
"Who ishim, honey? Tell me and I'll go kick his ass. He took my girl, he took my favorite pretty Coleson lady andherkid, and I suspect my girl's little sister and brother are in here somewhere, too."
"His name is Dr. Gregory Daviess Eastman. He emphasizedDaviess. He is from FCGH. He took me from the parking lot there. And I think he has my baby girl.” Bonnie fought panic. Panic didn't solve anything.
"Gregory Eastman. AndDaviess, interesting. Name's familiar. You go on, get yourself outside. I called for backup a while ago. You get yourself to the road. They'll be coming here fast. Send them to the garage onthisplace, not the main house.” He went toward the two other men. He checked the redheaded man’s vitals, then took their guns, tucking them into his belt. “Well, these will come in handy. Have a couple of shots left in each. This guy’s just knocked himself out. I don’t know for how long. Get yourself away from him, got me?”
“How do you know they are coming?”
“Called them myself, twice. They are on their way. Tell them Lake is going hunting for his girl. They'll know exactly who I mean. And you—keep yourself safe out there. If your girl is in here, I'll find her. You have my word on that.” He patted her shoulder gently. Touched the scratch on her cheek. “I’ll make him pay for that, too. We’ll get through this, nurse Bonnie. You'll do more good getting yourself out of here and getting help to the right part of this place than searching for her yourself. We don’t need the good guys going up the road. I have no clue how many women that man has in here now. Or kids. There are at least two small children in here, too. I need help, fast. Go. If she’s in here, I’ll bring her out. You have my word.”
The thought of helpless children trapped inside horrified her. He was right—he couldn’t help them all alone. Resolve filled her and she nodded. "I'm going to hold you to that."
The hardest thing Bonnie had ever done was watch him kick open the side door of that breezeway. To the garage that had stood there for so long.
The building her father had loved so much was burning around her now.
