Fleeting Moments(67)

“You came.”

“One question before we do anything else,” he says, his voice so scary I flinch. “Did they hurt you?”

“No,” I whisper. “Not like you think—you came just in time.” I lean back and look up at him.

He hisses when he takes in my face. “Who did that?”

“Josh.”

“I’ll kill him. I’ll f*cking kill him.”

He scoops me into his arms and strides out of the tent.

And right into chaos.





CHAPTER 30


Moments are strange in the sense that they happen so quickly.

One second I was about to have my life forever altered, and then I was being carried out of the tent by a man I’m not even sure likes me.

Police are everywhere, throwing cuffs on any man who gets in their way. Women are huddled by two officers, and they look terrified. I feel for them, because sadly they believe that their entire worlds are being turned upside-down right now. They don’t truly understand that what’s happening is their lives are being saved, because they love this world and would honestly tell you they don’t want it to change.

Josh is nowhere to be seen. Neither is Heath, and that scares me.

“Put me down,” I say to Tank.

He obliges, placing my feet firmly on the ground.

“Go to the police; they’ll keep you safe. I need to see if there is anything I can do to help,” he orders, and then rushes off.

I duck behind a tent and fix my dress, then I crouch low and run from tent to tent, looking for Josh. Has he made an escape? Have they already taken him?

I peer back out and see Tank looking around, desperately. I can only assume Josh is still out there. I turn and glance into the thick trees when I hear the grunting sounds coming from my left. I spin around and see they’re coming from the woods beside me.

I rush in and stop dead when I see Heath and Josh in a full-on wrestle on the ground. Fists are flying, blood is everywhere, and they’re without a doubt in a death match. My heart races and my eyes dart back and forth as I try to find something to stop this—anything. Aside from a few large logs, there is nothing. Josh is on top of Heath now and as if in slow motion, I watch him reach into his shirt and pull out a knife.

“No,” I scream, rushing forward.

He raises it just as I slam into him from the side, taking the full force of his thrust into my stomach. Pain unlike anything I’ve ever felt in my life rips through my body and I topple backwards, mouth open, silent scream on my lips. Heath roars and then cops are everywhere, three of them tackling Josh to the ground. I can’t move. I can’t breathe. I can’t even feel my body anymore.

“Lucy, no,” Heath gasps, crawling to my side and lifting my head into his hands. “Baby, say something. Please say something.”

“We got him.” I gasp, and it comes out gurgled. “We got him.”

Then I let darkness take me.

***

“Why won’t she wake up?”

“She will when she’s ready.”

“The doctor said she should be awake by now.”

“She’ll wake up soon. Stop stressing.”

“Both of you stop stressing. Let her rest.”

The faint sounds of my mom, Dad and Heath’s voices flitter into my mind as my body slowly starts becoming aware of what’s happening around me. I hear beeps, and I can smell something that resembles a chemical of some sort. It takes another few moments before I can feel my body and I curl my fingers, making sure this isn’t a dream.

“Lucy?”

It isn’t.

I focus on my eyes, begging them to open.

They do.

“She’s awake. Get the doctor.”

“Lucy girl.”

Heath.

My eyes move in the direction of his voice and slowly he comes into sight, silver eyes locking with mine.

“Hey,” I croak.

His face looks pained, but he smiles. “Hey yourself, honey.”

“What . . . what happened?”

He narrows his eyes. “You don’t remember?”

I close my eyes a second and small snippets of memories come flooding back. They flick back open, and I look to him. “Josh . . . is he . . . is he . . .?”

“He’s locked away and facing some charges that’ll make sure he stays that way.”

“And everyone else?”

“Hopefully getting the help they need, though it can’t be forced on them. At least they’re free of his brainwashing now.”

“Hayley?” I croak.

His eyes grow sad. “She’s okay. In a bad way, but okay. She’s in here and so are a few of the other girls.”

“Can I see her?”

“I’ll find out.”

“Will she be all right?” I ask, my eyes begging with him to say she will.

“I don’t honestly know, but she’s going into the care of a wonderful older couple who have years of experience with traumatized kids. I think it will all work out.”

“And all those other kids?”

“Child services has stepped in. That’s all I know so far.”

I nod, swallowing the thick lump forming in my throat.

“What I do know is that if it wasn’t for you, none of them would be where they are now and they’d still be being subjected to that horror. You saved their lives, beautiful girl.”