My mother yelled once more, hands over her eyes.
Stone crumpled to the floor, blood all around. Then so did Mack, a hole in his forehead.
Did I do that too?
Bo stood over him, horror on her face, hand like a claw around her gun. And for the first time I looked at her, really
looked
at her.
She ran toward me, shoved me away. Fell to kneel beside Tex, calling his name, touching his face, tears streaking her cheeks.
I stood unmoving. No breath.
I shot Stone. Killed him.
She
shot
Mack.
My ears roared. From some great distance I heard my mother wail. Emily slid off of her. “Grand, Grand, you okay?”
Still I couldn’t move. Could only stare at Stone. Riddled with bullets. Dead. Then at the woman they called Bo.
She reared up from Tex’s body and swiveled toward me, hate flattening her expression. “This happened because of
you.
” She raised her gun.
My mother uncovered her eyes. “
Oh.
” Wrenching relief smoothed her face. “It’s my friend, Nance.” Her voice cracked. “You came to save us!”
F
or a moment nobody moved.
“Nance.” Mom was still smiling. Had she forgotten what just happened? Could she not see the three dead bodies on the floor? She scooted forward, ready to rise from the couch. Emily held her back.
“Grand. She’s not your friend.”
“Yes, she is! She has
six
sisters.” Mom struggled against Emily. My daughter held firm.
Nancy Bolliver still pointed her gun at me. My fingers loosened, and Stone’s spent gun clattered to the floor. Mom jumped.
Somehow my throat uncurled. “He killed Tex.” I pointed to Stone.
“You started all this.” Nance’s words twisted. “Running off. Making us chase you.”
I shook my head. “You?
Why
?”
She looked at Tex, and I could see the loss in her eyes. He’d entered her life—and changed her.
Nance gazed at the three dead men. Her cohorts. She straightened her back, pulled herself up as if to say,
It’s up to me now.
She shot me a dark look, then turned her gun on my mother. My insides fell away.
“No!” Emily pushed her Grand back and leaned across her once more.
“Makes no difference to me.” Nance’s voice sounded dead. “One of these bullets will pass through both of you.”
I stepped toward her. “What do you w—”
“
Don’t
you move.”
My feet carved to a halt.
Nance swallowed hard. Tears glistened in her eyes. “Hannah.
Do
you know where the encryption key is?”
In that split second the last twenty-eight hours flashed before me. Morton’s accident, my house break-in, running for our lives, the TV reports, the lies, the panic, the near loss of my daughter and mother. Killing two people.
I was done.
I’d tried and failed. Was no hero. Could put my family in danger no more.
“Yes.” The word fell from my mouth so easily.
“Where?”
Mom was struggling against Emily. “What is happening? Why does she have a gun?”
“Please, Nance,” I said. “They’ve done nothing to you.”
She jerked her chin toward Tex. “That’s not enough?”
“It’s in a stuffed dog. Nathan Eddington’s little girl has it.”
Surprise rippled her face. “How do you know?”
“Morton told me the name. Rawly.”
“Rawly.” She repeated the word as if she’d never heard it. Hadn’t Wade and Harcroft told her? Or had they left her—the female—out of their inner circle?
“Hannah, you weren’t supposed to tell anybody about Raleigh.” Mom sounded indignant.
“Does anyone else know it’s there?” Nance asked.
“No. It doesn’t matter now anyway. It’s almost five.”
But I knew it did matter. This was no longer about tonight. It was about protecting Phase 2 and 3.
“Where does she live?” Nance asked.
What had I done? I could not have a gun turned on a five-year-old. “You can’t hurt her.”
“That’ll be up to you. Where does she live?”
I couldn’t tell her.
“
Where
?” She shook her gun.
“San Carlos.”
Calculations played across Nance’s face. For the first time it occurred to me I didn’t even know what town we were in.
“You know the address?”
“Yes.”
“We’ll go in my car. You.” She spoke to Emily. “Get up. And your grandmother.”
Emily didn’t move.
“You think you’re going to pull another stunt on
me
? Get up!”
Emily rose. “Come on, Grand.” She pulled my mother up. Mom swayed on her feet, blinking at Nance’s weapon. A slow stain of horror spread across her face. “Are you a Bad Person?”
Nance drew a shaky breath and turned her eyes once more on Tex. She swallowed hard. Then her jaw set. “Okay, let’s go.” At gunpoint, she marched us into the garage. Emily still limped. She would not let go of her grandmother.
A Ford SUV sat next to the gray van. “Whose van is that?” Nance asked.
I shook my head. “I thought it was Tex’s.”
How little she’d been told.
“You.” She pointed to me. “Drive. And you”—Emily—“sit in the front where I can watch you.”
“No.” Emily’s face whitened. “I need to take care of Grand.”
“Oh, I’ll take care of her just fine.” Nance’s mouth slid into a cold smile. “I’ve done it before.”
But you could never get her to tell you about Rawly, could you?
I locked gazes with her. “If you hurt my mother, I will
wreck
your car.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Get in.”
I backed out of the garage. Nance told me which way to go. I soon saw we were in San Mateo. Just ten minutes from my home. An eternity away.
In the car, we were quiet. Except for Mom, who asked Nance three more times if she was a Bad Person.
“No,” Nance finally answered, not an ounce of life in her voice. “I’m your friend.”
“Then why do you have a gun?”
We crossed into San Carlos. “You won’t need that weapon.” I glanced in the rearview mirror at Nance. “If you have your badge with you, all you’ll have to do is show it. They’ll let you in.”
“I’ll decide what I need.”
At the Eddington’s one-story house, Nance instructed me to pull into the driveway. No other cars were there. Surprising. No gathering of family?
We all piled out and headed for the front door. Nance kept the gun in her hand. Emily and I exchanged long glances. This was it, and we both knew it. Once Nance had the encryption key, why should she let any of us live?
“Whose house is this?” Mom gripped my hand. She looked haggard and ancient, fear in every movement.
I pulled her close. “It’s okay, Mom.”
Nance rapped hard on the door—a law enforcement knock. “Sheriff’s Department!”
The door opened quickly. Ashley Eddington, red-eyed and worn, blinked at the sight of four of us. Her gaze took in our clothes, as if seeking a uniform. Nance fished her badge from her pocket. “Plainclothes.”
Ashley focused on her. “How’d you get here so fast?”
What?
Her gaze shifted to me—and snagged there. She pulled her head back, shock, then anger flattening her expression.
“You.”
I shook my head.
“Don’t worry, I’ve got her.” Nance gestured toward her gun. “Sorry to bring her to your house, but I just apprehended her, and there’s no time.”
Ashley stood rooted to the floor, one hand still on the knob. Hard breaths made her shoulders rise and fall. “Get her out of here! I’ll
kill
her!”
She rushed me.
I jumped to one side, trying to protect Mom. Ashley collided into my shoulder. Guttural cries spilled out of her. She pummeled my neck, my head. I threw up my arms. Emily yanked Ashley back. Nance yelled, “Hold it, hold it!”
Mom wailed.
Emily held Ashley fast. I melted toward the porch wall, palms up. “I didn’t kill your husband!”
“Shut up, shut
up
!” Nance jumped between us, fury flaming her cheeks. Everyone froze. “Get inside right now, all of you!”
Ashley jerked out of Emily’s grasp. “Put your gun away first. My daughter’s in the house.”
“And let them get away?” Nance glared at her.
Ashley backed down, tears in her eyes.
I reached for my mother. “Ashley, I didn’t kill—”
“Shut
up.
” Nance pushed me. “Get inside.”
I stumbled into the house, Mom in tow. She hit her foot on the threshold and cried out. Emily caught her before she fell.
Ashley snarled at me. “How could you do this to your mother?”
The words tore through me.
Nance slammed the door. We stood in a small living room, not far from a kitchen. The curtains were closed, the room dim. “Ashley,” Nance spoke quickly, with authority, “I need to look at your daughter’s stuffed dog, Rawly. No time to explain.”
“I already told you all there’s nothing there.”
Nance’s eyes narrowed. “Told who?”
“Sergeant Wade. He called.”
Emily and I exchanged a look. My daughter held her Grand protectively.
Surprise flicked across Nance’s face. “Let me see it anyway.”
Ashley shook her head. “Kate’s sleeping with it. Rawly’s her favorite toy. Her dad gave it to her.”
“I
need
it.” Nance bit off the words.
Ashley eyed her, disgust filling her face. “What kind of deputy
are
you?”
“She’s with the terrorists who killed your husband!” Emily spat the words.
Nance whirled on Emily. “You wanna die right here?” She grabbed Mom’s arm and jerked her away from Emily. Nance’s left arm wound around Mom’s chest, holding her tight. She jammed the gun into Mom’s temple.
The rest of us froze.
Mom’s eyes darted from me to Emily, her mouth open.
I brought up my hands. “Mom.” I spoke with a calm I didn’t have. “Don’t move.”
Nance held her fast. “Ashley. Get the toy.”
Ashley swallowed, her eyes round. “Who
are
you?”
“Get it, please.” My voice shook. “She’ll kill us all. Just like they killed your husband and Morton Leringer.”
I glanced at Emily. She shook with anger, fingers curling into her palms.
Ashley’s face whitened. “Don’t hurt my daughter.”
“I won’t,” Nance hissed, “if you get me the dog.”
Ashley turned on her heel and left the room. Her footsteps sounded against hardwood floor.
Nance dragged Mom back a few feet, her eyes on the two of us.
Mom’s breath came in spurts. Her wrinkled hands were around Nance’s arm, her toes pointed outward like a splayed doll. If my mother lived through this, what would it do to her fragile mind?
Rage bounced around inside of me. “Hang on, Mom. Just a minute longer.”
My mother’s eyes were wild. “She’s a Bad Person, isn’t she?”
Ashley returned, Rawly in her hand. “I already looked at it.” Her bitter words were aimed at Nance. “There’s nothing here.”
“Cut it open.”
“What? No!”
“Cut it
open
.”
“Mommy?” A child’s voice filtered from down the hall.
Ashley gasped. In an instant she spun, the dog dropped from her hands, and ran toward the sound.
“Stop!” Nance yelled.
A door slammed. Locked.
Ashley had left us to our fate.
For a second, Nance focused on the wall, mouth tight. I could sense the question in her mind—was there a phone in that little girl’s bedroom?
Not likely.
She turned a dark look on me. “Get the toy.”
I picked it up.
“Cut it open.”
“Let my mother go first.”
“Cut. It. Open!” Her arm tightened around Mom. My mother gave a stifled cry.
Forget my guilt about killing anyone—I would hurt this young woman. One wrong move on her part, and I’d be on her.
No
one could treat my mother like this.
“I’ll do it.” Emily grabbed the dog from me as if it deserved to die and stalked across the room, ignoring her hurt knee. She whirled back toward Nance, her eyes glassed with anger, neck taut. “When you get what you want—go. Leave my grandmother alone. The police want to arrest my mother anyway. And the world’s going dark tonight. You’ll be safe to do whatever evil things you want.” Emily stomped out of sight and into the kitchen. I heard a knife slide from a butcher block.
Outside a car door slammed.
Nance stiffened. “See who it is.”
No, not now. Maybe, maybe if Emily found the encryption key, Ashley would let us go. We could be so close to safety. I moved to the front curtain and nudged it back.
Sergeant Wade was sliding out of a sheriff’s department vehicle.
W
ho is it?” Nance demanded.
My heartbeat stalled. How much did God expect of me on this never-ending day?
“Who?”
“Sergeant Wade.”
Fright crisscrossed Nance’s face. Had she leapt over the terrorists’ chain of authority in bringing us here?
“Don’t make a sound.” Nance kept the gun barrel against my mother’s temple.
The doorbell rang, followed by a hard knock.
Emily appeared from the kitchen, a large knife in her hands. She looked at me, wide-eyed.
Wade
, I mouthed.
She drew back, her gaze flicking to her grandmother.
Another knock.
What must Ashley Eddington be thinking, trapped in the bedroom with her daughter?
A third knock. We all stood, transfixed. Nance just might let us go, save her own skin. Wade never would.
It fell quiet on the porch.
Please go away
.
Vague steps on the sidewalk. Did I hear muted voices?
Silence. Wade had left.
Air once more entered my lungs.
Thank You, God.
Nance focused on Emily. “Bring the dog in here. Get it done.”
My daughter shot her a look to kill and disappeared once more.
I understood then. Since Ashley Eddington hadn’t let him inside, Wade could not let his cover be blown. Nance would take the heat. Who would believe our accusations against her? Or those of a grieving widow who couldn’t think straight?