Page 60 of Consume Me

“Windsmoor,” he said, looking ahead.

That made sense. They’d kept Sarah nearby. Rachel could easily have been switched out as needed for curious doctors. I wondered how much someone like June had known. I wondered how much any of them.

Or cared.

I followed his gaze to where the once grand house sat ablaze on the edge of the grounds. I was glad to watch it burn, the fire taking the lies and deceit with it.

I didn’t want to go near it, however. Some darkness still lingered around it and it felt as though it might swallow me back up. I never wanted to return to that yawning abyss—to the darkness and despair that permeated its walls.

We’d made it a few paces closer when two soldiers came racing toward us. My heart stopped and I nearly crumbled to the ground. We were so close. Norris shoved me behind him. But we were unarmed and up against two men in tactical gear holding pistols.

“She needs medical attention,” he shouted. I knew Norris wouldn’t let them hurt me, but what if they hurt him? We couldn’t have come this far only to fail now.

The next two things happened so quickly that I wasn’t sure any of it was real. Maybe I was still asleep, that bit of apple keeping me in this insane dream.

I felt a gush of warm water stream down my leg and one of the guards dropped his gun. I’d just began to process that my waters had broken when the man whipped off his ventilation mask.

Smith.

And if that was Smith, then…

I collapsed against Norris with relief as the second man holstered his weapon and did the same.

Brex.

My heart plummeted. I was safe, but it wasn’t the man I’d hoped to find behind that mask.

“We’ve got a helicopter.” Brex hitched a thumb over his shoulder.

Norris moved to lift me into his arms, but Smith shook his head.

“We’ve got this. Here.” He bent down and picked up the gun he’d dropped. Handing it to Norris, he said, “We don’t know what’s out here yet. Cover me.”

Norris took the weapon as Smith lifted me into his arms and began jogging toward the helicopter.

I was leaving. I was safe.

“Alexander?” I asked, scared for the first time of what his answer might be.

Smith kept his eyes head. “He’s still inside. He had to be certain you were out.”

Still inside? I recalled the bombs and Hammond’s warnings.

“He needs to get out,” I shrieked, trying to pull away from him. “You have to warn him.”

“He’ll get out,” Smith said firmly, not allowing me to squirm away. “But he will never forgive me if I let you take another step toward that house.”

“But—”

“The baby’s coming, Clara.” That put an end to the debate. Even I couldn’t argue.

And the baby needed to be at a hospital. I didn’t put up a fight as he helped me into the back of the helicopter.

“Do you want to lay down?” he asked. I shook my head. Norris got in beside me and Brex must have reached us because the blades overhead began to turn.

“What about Alexander?” I yelled.

“He’d want you to come first. We’ll come back for them,” Smith promised.