Page 61 of Natalie's Nighthawk

“Into the woods. They were on the path. I followed for a while. They didn’t know I was there. I hid behind the trees every time that lady looked over her shoulder. She was yelling stuff to Miss Ghannon.”

“Do you know what? What was she yelling?”

“I guess Miss Ghannon had something that was hers. I kept hearing her say ‘mine.’ A lot. I don’t know what Miss Ghannon had of hers. I saw Miss Ghannon’s hands. She had them raised up like this.” She bent her elbows slightly, her arms in front of her, palms up. Natalie had been holding up her hands? For what? To fend off Lauren? But why? It didn’t make any sense. “Miss Ghannon’s hands were empty. She didn’t have anything of the cookie lady’s.”

“Okay. What happened next? Did they stay there, or did they keep walking?”

Her face crumpled again; this time, the tears fell freely. “I don’t know,” she wailed. “I didn’t see. I was afraid I’d get in trouble for being so far in the woods. I didn’t want to get into trouble. I … I ran back home,” she broke off, overcome by her tears. He hugged the girl tight to him and stood.

Handing the sobbing girl off to her mother, he turned to David. “Find Lauren.”

“On it!” he took off, Maddie following.

He then turned to Evan. “I need a pack. Med pack. Got a spare?” Evan ran to his truck to get it as Maddie joined them again.

“I gave David my car. And Ian’s number. They’ll find her,” she assured him. “What now?”

Evan handed him the pack as he walked out Natalie’s front door. “Now I find her.” He ran up the sidewalk, stopping briefly at the entrance to the path to confer with his Nighthawks. “Same search pattern as last time,” he ordered, referring to Colin and Lucy’s search. “Maddie, can you handle the terrain?”

“Absolutely. You’re not leaving me behind.”

“Then you’re with me. Try to keep up as best you can.”

“Don’t worry about me.”

He raced down the path, eyes searching. Always searching. He cursed; it had rained again recently. That would make finding a trail slightly more difficult. But not impossible. Have to hurry. Have to find her. Those words ran through his head over and over again with each step. Have to find her before it was too late.

Fuck, what if it was already too late?His steps faltered. This is nowthemost important search and rescue of his career. Hewouldnotfail. He refused to entertain the possibility that he had already failed her. She was alive. Shehadto be. They weren’t done.Hewasn’t done. He wanted more time. Time with her. The rest of his life with her. He loved her so much.

He stopped. His heart twisted. He rubbed his chest over his heart and continued on the path.

Not too far in, he noticed a disturbance in the leaves on the ground. As if someone had shuffled through them, leaving a path. He followed it off the trail. Maddie, for her part, kept up pretty well.

He spotted more signs. More disturbances in the layer of leaves on the ground. A few broken branches. She was leaving him a trail.That’smygirl.

Suddenly, he knew where they went. He turned north. The same direction he and Natalie had gone when they were looking for that clearing with the ruins. She was there. He knew it. He picked up his pace, Maddie huffing along behind him.

Chapter 21

“Chickadee,sing me a song,” he pleaded.

“No,” she whined. “Too tired.”

“But I love hearing your voice.Please sing.”

Natalieopened her mouthto sing, but shecouldn’tremember the words.

“Come on,Chickadee. You know the words. Remember? Silent night. Holy night.”

She tried to join,but her mouthwouldn’tform the words.Her tongue was too dry. Herbody exhausted. Her brain muddy.

He started to get angry with her. “Leave me alone!” she pleaded. She just wanted to sleep. Just a little bit longer.

“No,Chickadee! Sing! Now!” he was screaming at her.

Natalie started to sing again. “Silent night. Holy night. All is calm. All is bright.” Wait. It was bright. Why was it so bright? It hadn’t been this light for days. Did it finally stop raining?

She continued to sing. “Round yon virgin. Mother and child.”

---