Page 52 of Clara's Secure Hideaway

“You’re a fool if you don’t think I’m already worried half to death. The terror lodged in my soul hasn’t left since those kids were ripped away from me, and it won’t leave until I know they’re safe. I trust you to take care of them. To bring them home.”

Her faith in him chipped away at the wall of steel he’d erected to keep his nerves steady and emotions in check. He wished he could cup her jaw, kiss her mouth. “I’ll do everything I can. I promise. You just think about all the fun things we’ll do together once they’re home.”

“Be careful,” Clara said before the line went dead.

“All right,” Owen said, shifting to gain a good visual of everyone in the car. “Tommy, you head into the woods. Use your communicator if you spot anything we should know before approaching the front of the house.”

Tommy nodded in acknowledgment.

“Me and the others will head in through the front while the feds hit the back door,” Owen continued. “We take down any threats while Heath’s priority is searching for the children. Medics are on standby. We don’t know what we’ll find inside, but we don’t want to alert anyone that we’re here. If there are minors who need immediate medical attention, they will be transported directly to the county hospital. Anyone else will be taken to the shelter. It’s close and Mrs. Collins has volunteers and medical professionals waiting. At the very least, these children will be scared and need a safe, comforting place to stay while the feds sort out who they are and where they need to go.”

Heath’s stomach turned but he couldn’t get bogged down in the what ifs. It was his job to save whoever needed saving and provide whatever help he could. His own emotions would be dealt with later.

“I’m heading out,” Tommy said. “Keep in contact.” He slipped out and slinked through the trees.

A few minutes later, Heath followed suit. He checked his sidearm one more time, gave Owen one last look, then disappeared into the darkness of the forest.

* * *

Clara slumpedin her chair in the conference room and closed her eyes. She could venture into the waiting room and search for something a little more comfortable, but what was the point? Nothing about this situation would bring her comfort until she got the call from Heath that he’d found the kids and they were safe.

She wished she could escape into the darkness of her mind and make believe none of this was real. That every ache and pain in her body wasn’t a constant reminder that her world had been bounced around like a damn basketball, leaving her unsteady. That her life had gone from filled with wonderful possibilities to the deepest pit of hell in the snap of the fingers of whatever deity would allow something so horrible to happen.

On a whoosh of breath, she opened her eyes and let her head fall to the hard table. She couldn’t hide from her reality. Not when the horrors of her experience paled in comparison to what possibly waited in the house that was about to be raided.

The shrill sound of her ringing phone cut through the silence of the room and sent her heart rate higher than her spiraling anxiety. Laura’s face appeared on the screen and loosened a bit of tension holding her hostage.

Needing to keep her eyes on the screen so she wouldn’t miss any texts from Heath, she answered but engaged the speaker option. “Hey,” she said, propping her head in her hand.

“Any news?”

Clara sighed, sending spikes of pain rippling up her side. “Not yet. Heath and the other deputies just headed to the house. I’m sitting at the sheriff’s station. Waiting. Wishing. Praying.”

“We’re all praying,” Laura said.

“My stomach’s in knots. As much as I want Davey and Avery to be inside, to be so close to holding them in my arms and bringing them home, another part of me is terrified that they’re really in there.”

“What do you mean?”

A chill swept over her despite the heat pumping from the overhead vent. “If this house holds what the FBI believes, the children inside have experienced some of the worst travesties imaginable. If Davey and Avery were put through any of that, if anyone t—” A sob stole the rest of her words.

“Don’t go there,” Laura said. “What matters is getting them away from Mitch and back to their mother. We’ll take the next steps as they come. There’s no reason to think the worst. Not yet, okay?”

Clara sniffed back her tears. “Okay. You’re right. I need to focus on the positive and hope for the best. Thank you for calming me down and being there for me. For us. I’m so used to being on my own, being the only one fighting for me and the kids. Having everyone charge forward and fight to bring my babies homes means so damn much to me.”

“Honey, we all love you and those kids. We’d do anything for you. You have already been through so much. They’ll come home safe and sound and one day this will be like one bad dream. Until then, keep praying and keep hoping for this to be over soon.”

“I have no choice but to do both.”

“Let me know when you have any news. I’ll pass the word on from there.”

She thanked her friend again and disconnected. As much as she appreciated Laura checking in, she didn’t have the bandwidth to focus on anything other than what was happening deep within the woods.

Sweat coated her palms, and she willed Heath to call. The clock on the wall ticked away the seconds. She tapped her toe against the thin carpet. Every instinct yelled at her to run past the deputy sitting in the bullpen and out of this stupid building—run to find her children. Her arms were empty, her heart shattered, and she was sitting around with idle hands.

Drawing in a deep breath through her nose and out her mouth, she attempted to calm her nerves.

No, she had to stay put. Leaping into action could put everyone she loved in danger.

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