Sacrifice
Page 71
His voice came across the line, rough and gravelly. “Hannah. I’m sorry—”
“No. Michael. Listen to me. I’m not calling about that.” Her voice almost broke as she looked at the screen again. “You need to turn on the news.”
CHAPTER 27
They were stopped at the end of the road. The police had set up a barricade. The hell with that. Michael almost shoved Tyler out of the driver’s seat to floor the accelerator.
He must have actually started trying to do that, because Tyler grabbed his arm. “Hey. Take it easy. I’ll park down the road a bit, okay?”
Hunter was in the back seat, but he’d come to the edge to peer around them. His breathing was almost as quick as Michael’s. “Do you think they’re here?”
“I don’t know,” said Michael. After Hannah’s call, he’d stared at the news for a solid minute. His brain hadn’t wanted to process the images or the words—until it all burrowed into his brain with the force of a speeding bullet.
Another bombing. At a group home for teenagers.
Guilt and panic had wound through his thoughts, leaving no room for anything else, and they showed no sign of leaving. To think, a few hours ago, he’d been relieved that his brothers had been taken. Relieved. He’d thought this meant safety for his brothers.
Gabriel had wanted to run from the hospital. Michael had stopped him.
He hadn’t been able to get out of Tyler’s apartment fast enough. Thank god Tyler had followed him to the parking lot, because it wasn’t until he was out in the cold November air that Michael remembered he had no truck, no way to go anywhere.
While Tyler drove, Michael had called the social worker. No answer. No surprise, either, considering it was after eleven on a Sunday night.
Next, he’d called David Forrest, who didn’t have any information, but at least he was awake and concerned and said he’d find out what he could immediately.
After the bombing at the restaurant, Tyler had been able to deflect some of the fire damage. Did Gabriel have the strength to do the same? Were his brothers hiding here somewhere? Would they have tried to rescue the other residents, or would there not have been time?
He texted Hannah. She’d have access to a radio, and she’d know what was going on.
Have they found any survivors?
Not yet.
He gritted his teeth and typed another message. His finger shook as he pressed send.
Have they found any bodies?
No text came through, but his cell phone rang. Hannah.
“We’re five minutes away,” she said. It sounded like she was crying. “I’m trying to reach my dad to get more information, okay?”
“Do you know anything now?” His voice was hollow.
“They’ve found—” Her voice broke. “They don’t know—Michael, I’m sorry.”
“What, Hannah?” He had to choke the words out. Her emotion said more than her words did. “What have they found?”
“No bodies,” she said.
“No bodies,” he echoed. It should have been a relief, but it wasn’t. He felt as if someone else were having this conversation. “Then what?”
Tyler parked the truck beneath some trees a little way down the road. He killed the engine and didn’t move. Michael held his breath, waiting for Hannah’s answer. Hunter shifted closer, trying to listen.
Her breathing kept shaking. She was still crying. “Let me find out more, okay? Wait for me to call you back.”
“No! Hannah! What did they find?”
She choked on a sob. “Parts, Michael.”
“Parts?” He couldn’t make sense of the word.
“From the explosion.” Another hitched breath. “But they don’t know, okay? They haven’t identified anyone. Just wait. Wait ’til we get there.”
Michael couldn’t speak.
Parts. From the explosion.
“Thanks,” he said, and again, it was as if someone else were speaking for him, because his thoughts were tied up in panic and rage.
No wonder the building was still burning. No wonder they hadn’t found any survivors.
His brothers hadn’t been able to stop it.
Michael grabbed the door handle, but Tyler hit the locks.
“Stop,” he said. “Think about what you’re doing. We should have a plan.”
Michael could barely process that. Smoke was in the air and he needed to get out of this truck. He clawed at the lock as if he’d never seen one before. He needed—
Tyler grabbed him. “If some Guide blew up this place,” said Tyler, “he might still be here.”
“Good,” said Michael. The rage he’d felt earlier was nothing compared to this. His power was already reaching for the earth below the truck, ready to lay waste to the entire county if that was what it took. “I’m going to find him and kill him.”
“Not if I get to him first,” said Hunter. Metal clicked in his hands. Light glinted off his gun.
“Jesus,” said Tyler. He reached over and unlocked his glove box.
When he pulled out a gun of his own, Michael turned wide eyes his way. “You had a gun when we faced that guy in the woods?”
“I didn’t have it on me. I didn’t think I’d need to be armed to board up your front windows.”
Michael’s cell phone chimed, and he pulled it out of his pocket, expecting a text from Hannah. His heart leapt, hoping for good news.
“No. Michael. Listen to me. I’m not calling about that.” Her voice almost broke as she looked at the screen again. “You need to turn on the news.”
CHAPTER 27
They were stopped at the end of the road. The police had set up a barricade. The hell with that. Michael almost shoved Tyler out of the driver’s seat to floor the accelerator.
He must have actually started trying to do that, because Tyler grabbed his arm. “Hey. Take it easy. I’ll park down the road a bit, okay?”
Hunter was in the back seat, but he’d come to the edge to peer around them. His breathing was almost as quick as Michael’s. “Do you think they’re here?”
“I don’t know,” said Michael. After Hannah’s call, he’d stared at the news for a solid minute. His brain hadn’t wanted to process the images or the words—until it all burrowed into his brain with the force of a speeding bullet.
Another bombing. At a group home for teenagers.
Guilt and panic had wound through his thoughts, leaving no room for anything else, and they showed no sign of leaving. To think, a few hours ago, he’d been relieved that his brothers had been taken. Relieved. He’d thought this meant safety for his brothers.
Gabriel had wanted to run from the hospital. Michael had stopped him.
He hadn’t been able to get out of Tyler’s apartment fast enough. Thank god Tyler had followed him to the parking lot, because it wasn’t until he was out in the cold November air that Michael remembered he had no truck, no way to go anywhere.
While Tyler drove, Michael had called the social worker. No answer. No surprise, either, considering it was after eleven on a Sunday night.
Next, he’d called David Forrest, who didn’t have any information, but at least he was awake and concerned and said he’d find out what he could immediately.
After the bombing at the restaurant, Tyler had been able to deflect some of the fire damage. Did Gabriel have the strength to do the same? Were his brothers hiding here somewhere? Would they have tried to rescue the other residents, or would there not have been time?
He texted Hannah. She’d have access to a radio, and she’d know what was going on.
Have they found any survivors?
Not yet.
He gritted his teeth and typed another message. His finger shook as he pressed send.
Have they found any bodies?
No text came through, but his cell phone rang. Hannah.
“We’re five minutes away,” she said. It sounded like she was crying. “I’m trying to reach my dad to get more information, okay?”
“Do you know anything now?” His voice was hollow.
“They’ve found—” Her voice broke. “They don’t know—Michael, I’m sorry.”
“What, Hannah?” He had to choke the words out. Her emotion said more than her words did. “What have they found?”
“No bodies,” she said.
“No bodies,” he echoed. It should have been a relief, but it wasn’t. He felt as if someone else were having this conversation. “Then what?”
Tyler parked the truck beneath some trees a little way down the road. He killed the engine and didn’t move. Michael held his breath, waiting for Hannah’s answer. Hunter shifted closer, trying to listen.
Her breathing kept shaking. She was still crying. “Let me find out more, okay? Wait for me to call you back.”
“No! Hannah! What did they find?”
She choked on a sob. “Parts, Michael.”
“Parts?” He couldn’t make sense of the word.
“From the explosion.” Another hitched breath. “But they don’t know, okay? They haven’t identified anyone. Just wait. Wait ’til we get there.”
Michael couldn’t speak.
Parts. From the explosion.
“Thanks,” he said, and again, it was as if someone else were speaking for him, because his thoughts were tied up in panic and rage.
No wonder the building was still burning. No wonder they hadn’t found any survivors.
His brothers hadn’t been able to stop it.
Michael grabbed the door handle, but Tyler hit the locks.
“Stop,” he said. “Think about what you’re doing. We should have a plan.”
Michael could barely process that. Smoke was in the air and he needed to get out of this truck. He clawed at the lock as if he’d never seen one before. He needed—
Tyler grabbed him. “If some Guide blew up this place,” said Tyler, “he might still be here.”
“Good,” said Michael. The rage he’d felt earlier was nothing compared to this. His power was already reaching for the earth below the truck, ready to lay waste to the entire county if that was what it took. “I’m going to find him and kill him.”
“Not if I get to him first,” said Hunter. Metal clicked in his hands. Light glinted off his gun.
“Jesus,” said Tyler. He reached over and unlocked his glove box.
When he pulled out a gun of his own, Michael turned wide eyes his way. “You had a gun when we faced that guy in the woods?”
“I didn’t have it on me. I didn’t think I’d need to be armed to board up your front windows.”
Michael’s cell phone chimed, and he pulled it out of his pocket, expecting a text from Hannah. His heart leapt, hoping for good news.
