Page 82 of The Secrets She Keeps

They were just really hard to find. That was all.

Heather just kept walking. And walking.

Then she was there. The hospital parking lot. Finley Creek General Hospital. The sign still looked bright and brand new. “I made it. I…did it. I did it. I made it.”

“Yes, you did. You’re here.”

“I need to find the right person. I need to give them…this.” She still held the hard drive. It was all sweaty now. And bloody. It probably wasn’t her blood. She held it out so he could see it. Sosomeoneelse would know she had it too. “Tell them where to go. The TSP. But…there’s probably a fire now. They were setting things on fire. To hide things. To hide…the bodies.”

“Whoa, what bodies?”

“Two of the men…who hurt me. Took me. They took Powell. And shot Powell’s bodyguard, who was just trying to keep her safe. They shot him. He was so young, and they just shot him. Because of the drugs. I need to find therightperson. One with…the right kind of power.” Heather wasn’t making sense. She could see that in the man’s eyes. He had told her his name. But she didn’t remember. “One fromtheir side.”

“Whose side?” He had his phone out. She could see that. He was recording her. It should matter. But it didn’t. Heather just kept putting one foot in front of the other. Like Hope had. Just a few weeks ago. One foot in front of the other.

Hope.

She had to get back to her baby sister. Make sure Hope was okay. The TSP had almost taken her baby sister too. She had to make sure Hope was okay too. Protect her, no matter what. All she’d ever wanted was for them to besafe.

“The others. My half sister’s other family. The ones they think matter most. Not us. And…the governor. Maybe…McKellen.” Heather considered that for a moment, then shook her head. “No. Nothim.Not either of them. Don’t…trust them. Or their stupid games. Messing…with people’s lives now. And it isn’t fair. They just throw people away. Trash. Disposable.”

“Okay. I’m going to take you to the ER now. It’s right there. We’ll figure this out, okay? We’ll figure this out. I promise.”

“Thank you. I know…I’m not making sense. But they hurt me, and I can’t reallythink.Me and Powell. They took us. And shot the bodyguard. I hope he will be okay. I need to make sure she’s okay too. Powell, and her baby. She’s pregnant, and they were threatening to hurt her. And I have to give them this. Then…then I just want to go home. I just…want to go home so much right now.”

“Okay, just a little while longer. You are safe here. I promise.”

Heather just kept walking.

One foot in front of the other.

It was really all she could do now.

58

Daniel had nothing.The license plate Powell had given them had returned a list of approximately two hundred box trucks in the state. They were trying to narrow it down now. Powell had also given them directions to the warehouse where she’d been originally taken.

Daniel had sent Lila and Dom and a dozen uniformeds to check it out. It was just like all the rest. Storage units for the damned drugs. But there had been blood there. DNA samples had already been taken. There had been torn duct tape in the back closet. Where Powell had said they had been kept. There had been long dark hair and blood found in that closet. On the wall.

Powell had described what the older man holding them hostage had done. How he had hit Heather.

The hair was either Powell’s—or Heather’s.

And he knew…

When they found Heather, this wouldn’t be good. It just wouldn’t. Her one shot to escape had been when Powell had.

And that just hadn’t happened.

They had Powell back, but that wasn’t any consolation to Heather’s family.

The Colesons wanted answers. Answers Daniel just couldn’t give them.

But he would never stop looking.

59

The hospital was right there.FCGH.

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