Page 75 of The Secrets She Keeps

"Not the first time I've taken one to the face. I'll be okay." Heather was quiet again. For a long time. “I have a plan. And you are going to do what I say.”

Powell just listened, horror filling her at the other woman’s words. “No. I can’t do that.”

“It’s the only way.”

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Powell was goingto do exactly what Heather told her to do. Heather had practically drilled her plan into Powell’s head.

Now…it was time to do it.

She just ran. Powell just kept going until she made it out of the first level to the bay of doors on the first level. She could hear the two men shouting. Tears stung her eyes, but Powell forced herself to keep going. She was going to get out. Get to Gunnar. So he could help Heather. He would. He would help Heather, no matter what.

Or maybe Heather would get out too. Heather had told her she had a plan to get herself out too.But it would only work if Powell did her part. Got awayfirst.

Powell found her way to the door. It was the rolling kind. It slid up. She pushed until there was an eighteen-inch gap at the bottom. She would fit. She would fit.

She slid underneath and pulled it closed. Just like Heather had told her to. To make them think she’d headed for one of the entrances, not the bay doors. Heather had seen—the bay door number three hadn’t had a lock. It hadn’t.

And it had just been waiting for Powell to open it. It had slid right open.

She was in the alley now. Powell tripped over trash and almost went sprawling. She caught herself on the wall, between one warehouse and the next.

There was a faded logo on the side of the building. She almost laughed—Lucas Tech. Luc. The warehouse they were keeping them in was one of Heather’s nephew’s.

Her hand covered her baby. Her little Viking baby that she hoped had their daddy’s wickedest smile. Her baby was counting on her to do this. And so was Heather.

Powell had to get to help for Heather. So Heather could go back toherbabies, her family too. Powell wanted her family so much. She would giveanythingfor her baboons to show up and make the world better right now. Like they always had when she’d been a little kid just trying to keep up with them so long ago.

Powell neared the end of the alley. Just as the sound of a large engine revved. Her throat tightened. Her stomach clenched. She fought the tears.

Powell cautiously looked around the corner at the end of the alley. They were there.

The men.

And they hadHeatherwith them.

Powell watched in horror as they yanked Heather around and shoved her into that van again. The one from before. The man from Wyoming.

Then, the truck was speeding away. And Powell was powerless to stop it. But she got the first four numbers and letters. She had the first four numbers of the plate. Gunnar could use that. He could.

She just had to get to help for Heather.

Powell started toward the road. There was a fence there. Blocking her in. Chain link. But there was a hole there. Right there.

Powell was small. She had never been so grateful to besmallin her life.

She just pushed herself through, ignoring the way it scratched and tore at her arms, it until she was on the other side.

She almost ran. Until the highway. She was at the highway. She recognized it.

It led to Garrity. They were south of Finley Creek. They were south. And the box truck with Heather in it had headedeast.

Powell just kept walking. Someone…someone would come down this road at any minute. They just would. And then she would get to Gunnar.

Then she would get to Gunnar, and he would get to Heather. Gunnar, and Daniel, and Jake, and Murdoch, and all the rest. They would get Heather back.

If Powell did her part.

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