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She answered on ring one. “Where the hell are you?” she asked. “Why aren’t you at the house?”
“Well,” Maria said, “We found a clue that led us to Lily, so we rescued her.” Maria flashed a smile Harrison’s way, and if he hadn’t been driving, he’d have kissed her right then.
“Yourescuedher? Is she okay? Are youokay?”
“She’s injured, and I suspect they drugged her. She’s unconscious. Hang on.” She put the phone into a cup holder then climbed over the seat to tend to Lily.
Harrison adjusted the mirror, driving and watching.
Hooking her finger into the tear in the Lily’ jeans, Maria ripped them wide open, revealing a thigh sticky with blood, and a small tear in Lily’s flesh that still trickled.
“She has a small wound,” Maria said loud enough for Willow to hear on the phone. “From broken glass, probably. It’s in her left thigh. She’s been bleeding awhile, so she might need a transfusion.”
“We’re the same type,” Harrison said.
“We’re inbound to the hospital.”
“Where was she being held? Was anyone else there?”
“Five-ten County Route Twelve,” Harrison said. “One adult male captor. Has an ATV. Probably armed. And he probably thinks my sister escaped out the back door and headed into the woods behind the house, thanks to your cousin’s quick thinking.”
“Got it. I’ll wake the doc, have him meet you at the ER, and then I’ll wake a judge.”
Harrison stayed by his sister’s side, holding her hand, gazing at her face. It was as if he’d gone back in time a year, and it was his mom in the hospital bed. He’d refused to leave her then. He refused to leave Lily now.
She’d lost a little blood, but it turned out she was unconscious because she’d been doped with ketamine. And she still hadn’t awakened.
He sat there, holding her hand, lost in his saddest memories, and starting to nod off. And his mom said, “She’s fine, Harrison. Your sister’s fine.”
He startled awake, looking around the room. No one was there. The door was closed. Someone tapped on it before opening it. Maria came inside with a white paper bag in one hand and a larger, brown paper bag in the other. The sight of her rinsed the sadness from his brain. She’d been with him the whole time, but he’d been surprised to wake up and find her gone. He got up to greet her with a hug.
“Hey,” she whispered. “I have sustenance and supplies.” She held up the white bag. “Breakfast sandwiches. Two of ’em.”
“Thanks.” He took the bag, took out the sandwiches and offered one to her.
“Aunt Chelsea brought them.” She looked at his sister in the bed, still unconscious. “Hey, Lily,” she said, moving closer, leaning down to squeeze her shoulder. “It’s Maria. I’m here with Harry and you’re safe. Everything’s all right.”
“You think she can hear you?”
Maria shrugged. “Better I talk to her and she can’t hear me, than not talk to her if she can, right Lily?” She gave Lily’ a shoulder another squeeze. “What do the doctors say?”
“That she’ll come around as soon as the drugs wear off. The IV’s supposed to flush them out faster.”
“Good.” She pulled a second chair over nearer to his, sat in it, and opened her shoulder bag on her lap. From it, she pulled out a thermal jug, twisted off its cup lid, and filled it with hot coffee. “There’s a machine in the waiting room, of course, but I thought you deserved the real deal, so I asked Aunt Chelsea to bring a Thermos.”
“Holy, God, no wonder I lo… I mean, um. No wonder I’m lagging. No coffee. Heh-heh.” Lame cover. He’d almost blurted,No wonder I love you.What was wrong with him?
No sleep. Murder attempt. Sister kidnapped. There wasa lotwrong with him. He took the cup, took a sip. She screwed on the cap and set the coffee aside.
“Thank you,” he said, and took another sip. “That’s… perfect.” One more sip. Then, “What’s the update? They get the kidnapper yet?”
“Not yet. He wasn’t home when Willow went to his place. ATV was gone, too. Probably out lookin’ for his escaped prisoner. Until she gets a line on him, Will decided it’s best not to let on that Lily was rescued.”
“Why?”
“Well, for one thing, if he’s out lookin’ for her, he’s not out tryin’ to shoot you.”
She pushed his hair off his forehead. “We know who it is, though. Local fella, works for Beckett Oil, like half of Quinn County. Interesting thing is, so did the other fella. The one you uh— tackled off a moving four-wheeler like some kinda superhero. Once Willow arrests him, she’ll get more.”
