Page 29 of Silent Echo

Charlotte sat at the airport, waiting for her flight to board. She’d called Eli and told him everything. Eli had been stunned to learn the truth. “My God! I’m sorry for not believing you. He’s really alive! That’s wonderful!”

“Yes, it is, but I don’t know if we’ll ever find him.” She choked back a sob.

“We will move heaven and earth, Char. We’re going to get him back! I can’t believe Penelope’s had him all this time.”

“I know, it’s beyond words. I have no idea where she’s taken him. What if we never get him back?” Her voice caught and she took a deep breath to keep herself from crying again.

“We will never stop looking. I promise.” She could hear the steely determination in his voice.

The announcement for her flight came over the loudspeaker. “I’m boarding. We’ll talk more when I get home.”

“Love you,” he said.

“Love you too.”

She stood up and gathered her things but froze when she saw Agent Preston’s number flash across her phone screen.

“Has something happened?” she said without preamble.

“We found him! He’s at Grady Memorial Hospital.”

Her heart beat faster. “Is he okay? What happened?”

“He was brought in by ambulance. Appendicitis. Apparently, it was pretty advanced and it ruptured. He’s in surgery now. A nurse recognized his face from the Amber Alert and called the FBI.”

“Oh my God! Okay, I’ll meet you there.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Ihad to do what any good mother would and put my own safety at risk for the good of my child. I rode with him in the ambulance, declining to give any identification, claiming it had been lost on our bus trip. The paramedics didn’t have time to argue with me, because poor Sebastion was in agony by then. I waited as long as I possibly could, but when his screams were so loud that they drew the attention of the manager at the motel, I knew it was time to take him. They said if I’d waited any longer, he might not have made it. So I did a good thing by finally calling. I had him admitted under a fake name, and told them I could pay cash, that we don’t have insurance and that my ID was lost. They seemed to believe me. Now I just have to wait this out, and then we’ll be on our way again.

As I pace in the waiting room, scenes from the past year flood my mind. Now that he’s finally accepted me as his true mother, I can’t lose him. I’ve put in so much work, suffered through all his tantrums and demands, his defiance and his complaining. It can’t all be for nothing. He has to make it through the surgery. If he dies, it will be her fault for finding us and making us go on the run. Selfish. That’s what Charlotte is. Only caring about her own needs and not allowing Sebastion to thrive in his new life.

I look up as the doors swing open and the doctor walks toward me. I try to read the expression on his face. He looks angry.

“He’s out of surgery.” He shakes his head. “I don’t understand why you waited so long to bring him in. He developedperitonitis, which is life-threatening. Fortunately, we were able to clean the abdominal cavity. Now we have to monitor him for infection.”

How dare he lecture me? “I thought he had the flu. We don’t have insurance and you doctors and hospitals charge exorbitant fees. Maybe if you didn’t, I would have brought him sooner. But I didn’t want a ten-thousand-dollar bill for the flu.”

His jaw tightens. “He’s headed to recovery now.”

“When can I see him?”

“A nurse will be out to take you back as soon as he’s awake.”

“Fine.” I won’t thank him for doing his job, especially after the way he’s just spoken to me. He shakes his head and walks off without another word.

I turn as I hear the elevator ding and see a woman and a man step out. Something about the way they look at me makes my hair stand on end. I’m about to get up and go to the cafeteria when the woman walks up to me.

“Hello, Penelope.”

I spring up, my heart beating faster. How does she know my name? “You must have me confused with someone else.” I start to walk away but she clamps a firm hand around my arm.

“Get off of me! What do you think you’re doing?”

I hear the click of metal and realize I’m being handcuffed. The woman speaks.

“Penelope Watson, you’re under arrest for kidnapping. You have the right to remain silent—”

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