That would be his target. That’s where I’ll find the rest of the like-minded sons of bitches.
He powered down everything and stowed the pieces in his pockets, not taking the time to make a more permanent home in the backpack he wore underneath the jacket. It was the work of moments to cut away the bloody evidence Shiloh had left behind, and deal with the parts of Warrant that might have touched her. Too bad I didn’t realize I needed to trim the fat until after he was dead. The heavy copper smell had become insidious, and Owen needed fresh air more than he needed to secure things per protocol. He already knew where he’d be hunting.
Terrence was still where Owen had left him, sitting on the ground, but now with the other children gathered close. Their murmuring voices trailed off as they saw Owen stride out of the cabin, closing the door carefully behind himself. Their hands clutched possessively at the necks and hems of the shirts they now wore. Boys all, the ages ranged from the barely-teen of Terrence to a skinny child who looked no older than six or seven. There were so many of them, it boggled the mind. Owen and Alace hadn’t been able to find documentation for all the kids, just the ones acquired through the organization they’d dismantled.
Owen didn’t speak but lifted a hand in a wave Terrence returned, the kids swiveling en masse to track Owen’s movements through the yard. He stopped at the tree line and used the drone’s cameras to study the clump of children, then swept the forest all around the cabin. He turned off the broadcast, and the dogs immediately returned to the front of the clearing, milling through the children.
Owen turned and walked up the road, triggering a single signal from the tablet to the satellite Wi-Fi, and from there to a server in the darknet cloud. Upon receiving the affirmative notification, the man he’d paid extremely well to manage some of the information would begin placing calls. With his voice masked by a variety of technologies, he would emulate a dozen alarmed citizens from several different counties, making it impossible for the authorities to ignore the calls for help.
Within an hour, Owen anticipated the clearing to be awash in lights and people.
Within an hour, each of those kids would be headed to a better situation.
Within an hour, Terrence would stare into the concerned features of a social worker, and he’d tell them everything.
Owen’s job was to be anywhere except here by that time.
***
Alace
“Beloved?”
Eric’s tone was cautiously questioning. Alace looked up from where she was shoving her feet into her shoes to see him standing, holding Lila.
“We’re going home.” She waited for an argument, an unexpected tightness in her muscles easing when all Eric did was nod in understanding. “The doctor agreed there’s no medical reason to forbid the discharge. We’ve been here long enough for Lila to have that second blood test they said was required, but beyond that, it’s not necessary. She’s healthy, and so am I.” Alace focused on her shoes, working one heel up and down until the edge of the shoe unfolded, fitting itself more comfortably to her foot. “I wanna go home, Eric. I wanna be home.”
He drifted closer, fingers of one hand sliding through her hair in a possessive move that soothed her. Eric leaned down and passed their daughter to her arms, then kissed the side of Alace’s face tenderly. No longer questioning, his voice held nothing but support as he said, “Then we go home.”
Not for the first time, Alace was bowled over by how well Eric simply got her and understood what made her tick. There was limited security at the hospital, mostly focused on preventing a mismatch between mother and baby, or for restricting overeager visitors. It was probably fine for what they were doing. It is fine, she reminded herself. But the level of security the hospital might be comfortable with and what would allow Alace to sleep at night—vastly different things.
“Do you have what you need?” He hefted the bag she’d already packed and looked around the room. “Are they bringing a wheelchair?”
“Yes, on the wheelchair. Grundella gnashed her teeth at me to ensure I wouldn’t try to walk out under my own power.” Alace grinned. Grundella was her name for the troll. The daytime nurse assigned to Alace’s room hadn’t been impressed by her increasing demands to leave the hospital. She’d muttered and mumbled about new mothers not understanding the demands of infants, and had stalled initiating the call for the promised discharge until Alace had finally used her cell phone to contact the doctor herself. “Also yes on the question about being packed up. What you’ve got is everything. My go-bag from delivery and the welcome to motherhood gifts from the hospital.”
Lila made the tiniest sound, and Alace shifted her gaze down into her daughter’s face, feeling a return of the stupefied smile she wore every time she was near the baby. Which was all the time. Eric had taken his opportunities to hold their daughter while Alace had napped, because he’d quickly recognized Alace wasn’t easily giving up her girl for anyone, not even her daddy.
“Mother said she’ll be here as soon as possible from Malibu.”
Alace trailed the back of her finger across Lila’s cheek, ignoring the statement for now.
“Mrs. Ward?” The squeaking shuffle of rubber-soled shoes in the doorway signaled the return of Grundella.
Alace looked up and frowned.
“Where’s the wheelchair?”
Grundella smiled toothily, red-tinged fleshy lips spreading across her face. “I’ve requisitioned one, but it could be a bit before it’s delivered.”
This was nothing less than passive resistance to something the woman didn’t like. The nurse could conceivably drag her feet until Lila needed feeding and changing, and then it would be dinnertime, and afterwards there’d be yet another reason for Alace to not leave. Heart pounding at the idea of spending one more night in the hospital, Alace took a calming breath and cleared her throat. “Eric, love, the rules were I can’t walk out, correct?”
“Alace, I’m not sure—”
“I am. I can’t walk out, not and have the discharge be a normal one.” She didn’t want any scrutiny applied to her life in any way, and Grundella had made vague threats about calling social services if Alace walked out against medical advice. She didn’t know if the woman could actually do such a thing but had decided to adhere to the rule she followed of better-safe-than-sorry. “Wanna run the bag down, and then come back and pick me up?” She angled her head to see Eric’s face. He was losing a fight to control his expression, corners of his mouth lifting slightly. “Literally?”
“Whatever my babies need.” He stepped to the door and forced Grundella backwards into the hallway. Reaching behind him for the doorknob, he glanced back at Alace and winked. “Back very soon, beloved.”
Her attention returned to Lila, Alace smiled as she whispered, “If you ever have a sibling, we’re doing a home birth.”
She didn’t know what Eric might have said to the overbearing nurse, but the door remained closed until he returned, wheelchair in hand.
“You ready to blow this Popsicle stand?” Alace smiled at him, nodding at his question. “Then, milady—” He parked the chair close to where she sat, locking the brakes. “—your humble chariot awaits.”