Page 165 of Hearing her Cries

"No. You need to get out of here. Get to help. Someone has to get to help. I'll get Pen back. If you go, you can get more help faster than I can. I'm not leaving Pen behind."

Sydney helped her climb to the window.

Then she followed, as the younger girl helped pull Sydney free. Until they were both on the roof of what appeared to be a porch.

That’s when she saw the first of the flames on the opposite end of where they stood. It was a massive building. They had a little time. But…she had to find Pen. Now. “Go. Get out of here. Get help. Hurry.”

Even if the girl got help immediately, Sydney wasn’t stupid. It might not be in time at all.

She might be the only hope Pen had.

106

Heather almost missedwho the men across the cafeteria were. She’d been so consumed with worry for Bonnie and Crispin she hadn’t been paying attention to the crowd around her. But there was a large one. And there was a television in the corner blaring an update about a shooting and abduction near the FCU campus that had happened a few hours ago.

Right around the time Bonnie had disappeared.

No wonder the TSP wasn’t paying attention to her calls for help. Apparently, from what she could read, thegovernor’steenage sister-in-law and some billionaire’s sister-in-law had been ambushed and taken together, and several people killed in the attack. Rich girls taken definitely got attention.

Theywere far more important than her missing sister and niece. Much more…newsworthythan a college kid and her nurse mom from Oklahoma who could barely make ends meet.

She knew how the world worked, after all. Anger warned with fear.

The TSP wasn’t going to be much help.

Unless Heather made it happen herself.

Heather cuddled Ember closer to her chest, listening to her sweet baby girl's cries as a crowd stood up to leave, in the hospital cafeteria where she and her sisters had been told to wait by the head of security in this place. To wait. That was all. Just…to wait.

She’d had enough of justwaitingaround. The Finley Creek TSP had been called. Supposedly, someone wason their way.

Well, the head of this region was right there. An entourage surrounded him now. Some wore TSP polos, just like the ones that hung in her own closet now.

He could spareone damned copto help her find Crispin and Bonnie.

Ember’s fussing was growing. Heather needed to take her somewhere private to nurse, very soon. But…

Her sister and niece needed her now, too.

Heather watched her only real avenue of help as he stood talking with the man she recognized as the governor.

They were headed to the doors. This was it.

Her only shot.

The doors in front of the chief and his crowd opened. Heather almost gasped aloud.

Thank God.

Theretheywere. The rest of the Coleson clan.

Norm, tall and strong and able to weather any storm, hustled the children to a table in the corner, incuding Heather’s Frankie.

But there her sisters and nieces were. Eight of them.Ten, if she counted teenaged Maris and Meghan.

She would do anything to find the two that were missing right now.

Heather took a step forward. Then another. "Chief Marshall! I need a word with you right now! You’re not leaving yet. Not until I have my say.”

---