Page 64 of Operation: Valiant Angel

“You have to feel pretty weak,” Sloan said.

She nodded that was the case. Wilson offered her more water. She finished the bottle before she spoke again. “Lilly’s at a farmhouse. I might be able to get you there from the interstate.”

“The white farmhouse in the middle of nowhere where you were kept and drew the picture of the carousel?” Wilson asked.

“Yes,” she said.

“Been there. They moved her,” Wilson said.

“I’m sure you’re dehydrated and hypothermic,” Sloan said. “We need to get you to the hospital.”

“No hospital,” Reina argued. “We have to find Lilly.”

“We’ll find her,” Wilson assured her. “Sloan, can’t you give her fluids? I know you carry them.”

“She needs the fluids heated. Her body temp is already too low, and the fluids will make her colder,” Sloan said. “And they can wrap her in heated blankets at the hospital. Her heart needs to be monitored, and bloodwork needs to be done to assess her organs like her kidneys, liver, and pancreas.”

“No hospital,” Reina repeated more forcefully.

“Rae, you’ve been exposed to the cold for at least two days and are severely dehydrated. You need to be observed for the next twelve to twenty-four hours,” Sloan said.

“No hospital,” she repeated for a third time.

“Can’t you observe her while you give her fluids and warm her, Sloan?” Wilson pressed. “I can take a shift watching her too.”

Sloan shook his head. “Yeah, maybe. Rae, do you have any heart history, any known issues with any of your organs?”

She shook her head.

“Okay, we’ll give it a try but if at any point I really think you need to go to the hospital I won’t take no for an answer,” Sloan said. He’d run a few checks of her vitals. Her blood pressure was low, which was expected. Other than that, her heart sounded strong, and he didn’t detect any breathing issues.

“Thank you,” Wilson said, a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m serious, if there are any indicators she isn’t bouncing back fast enough or if she’s tanking, she goes to the hospital,” he said firmly.

Sherman and Jackson entered the car with their gear. “I notified Lambchop and Ops that we found her,” Jackson said. He sat behind the wheel. “Where to?”

“Where’s Lambchop and Mother at with Van Sloot?” Wilson asked.

“About to hand him over to authorities. Lambchop says he’s been quite talkative,” Jackson said. “Even gave them the deets on a second car Blake Henning and Stella Adams left in with Lilly. He claims they’re headed to the Chicago area for a few days and then are supposed to be back out at that farmhouse. There’s already an APB on it from here to Chicago. The Digital Team is already working the traffic cameras along the route.”

Reina listened to the man in the front seat, struggling to stay awake. “Blake pushed me into that hole,” she said. “There was another man there. He hit me in the head with something, a gun I think.”

“Where was Stella during this? That’s Ashley Carona’s real name, Stella Adams,” Wilson said.

“Yeah, she’s not a nice person, a criminal from the sounds of it,” Rae said. “She wasn’t there. She left Lilly alone locked in a room with that second man guarding her, scum bag.”

“Stella or that man?” Sloan asked.

“Both,” Reina said. “Lilly is going to be scarred from this experience. I don’t know how that woman could do this to any child.”

She felt Jimmy’s caress over her face again. His touch was comforting. The car was warm, and she already felt warmer than she had in a couple of days. But she was exhausted. All she wanted to do was go to sleep. At some point as they drove, she let go and allowed herself to drift into a deep slumber.

Sierra

Reina came awake with a start at the sensation of being lifted and cold air stinging her cheek.

“Easy, we’re at the hotel,” Wilson said when he felt her flinch in his arms.

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