help haul Frannie out.
“The ladder.” Lauri bolted to get it.
She lowered it into the dark hole, and Frannie scrambled up it, then fell sobbing at their feet. Lauri sprang to her side and put her arm around Frannie.
Shivering, Frannie clasped herself and rocked back and forth. “I thought I was going to die in there.”
“You’re Frannie Hastings.” Bree uncapped a bottle of water and offered it to the young woman.
Frannie took several gulps. “Thanks. I—I didn’t think anyone would ever find me.”
“How’d you get locked in there?” Bree asked.
“Garrick.” Frannie shuddered. “I—I found out what he was doing.”
“He locked you in there?” Lauri sounded outraged.
Frannie nodded. “I shouldn’t have told him I was going to tell the Department of Natural Resources. I was just so shocked—you know? And I love wolves.”
“Wolves?” Bree touched Frannie’s head and found it cool. “You’re not feverish.” She helped her to a chair. “Can you tell us what happened?”
Frannie’s hand trembled as she lowered the bottle from her mouth. “I thought he was going to tell me he was selling drugs or something. I could have lived with that. But he was bringing in people to kill wolves! I couldn’t abide that. We’ve just gotten them repopulated up here.”
Lauri’s eyes were wide. “That’s how he was making the money to stay in school?”
Frannie nodded. “It’s disgusting. I started to cry and told him I was going to turn him in.”
Kade would be upset when he heard this too. Bree put her hand on Frannie’s shoulder. “He left you food and water? You seem in pretty good shape.”
Frannie’s tears came again. “When he didn’t come back, I started conserving the food and water he’d left. I drank the last of the water this morning.” She swigged the bottle of water again. “If I’d died, it would have ruined everything. I get to meet my birth mom for Christmas this year.”
“You’re adopted?” Lauri’s voice trembled.
Frannie nodded. “I talked to my birth mom on the phone a few days before Garrick and I came here. I have a half brother I’ve never met too. They would have thought I ran away because I didn’t want to meet them or something.” Her voice broke and she stood. “Did someone call the cops? We have to get out of here before Garrick comes back.”
“Garrick’s dead, honey.” Bree squeezed the young woman’s shoulder. “Let’s get you checked out and call your parents. Both sets.” Only then did she see the trail of blood on the floorboards and the way her dog wasn’t putting weight on his front left leg. “Samson’s been hurt!”
After dropping Davy off with Naomi, Kade had joined his wife and sister in the waiting room. The squeak of the nurses’ shoes in the halls mingled with the murmur of low-pitched voices in the Rock Harbor General Hospital as he entered the waiting room holding two cups of coffee. They sat in a row of chairs along the west wall with their dogs at their feet, still in their search vests. The scent of antiseptic was strong.
He touched Samson’s head when the dog rose to greet him. “He’s got a bandage. What happened?” He handed the coffee to Bree and Lauri, then sat in the gray upholstered chair next to his wife.
Bree took a sip. “Thanks, honey.” She snapped her fingers to call the dog. “He cut his muzzle leaping through the window to show us where Frannie was. The vet met us here and put in a few stitches. The worst thing is he broke his leg too. It’s in a splint right now, but he’ll have to have it cast.”
“He’s always the hero.” Kade leaned over and patted the dog, making sure not to touch his injury. “Frannie’s parents are on their way?”
Bree’s eyes filled. “I cried with them. I know what it’s like to receive a child back from the dead. They should be here in the next half hour. Her birth mom is coming too. They’ll be able to all meet before Christmas.”
He well
“The ladder.” Lauri bolted to get it.
She lowered it into the dark hole, and Frannie scrambled up it, then fell sobbing at their feet. Lauri sprang to her side and put her arm around Frannie.
Shivering, Frannie clasped herself and rocked back and forth. “I thought I was going to die in there.”
“You’re Frannie Hastings.” Bree uncapped a bottle of water and offered it to the young woman.
Frannie took several gulps. “Thanks. I—I didn’t think anyone would ever find me.”
“How’d you get locked in there?” Bree asked.
“Garrick.” Frannie shuddered. “I—I found out what he was doing.”
“He locked you in there?” Lauri sounded outraged.
Frannie nodded. “I shouldn’t have told him I was going to tell the Department of Natural Resources. I was just so shocked—you know? And I love wolves.”
“Wolves?” Bree touched Frannie’s head and found it cool. “You’re not feverish.” She helped her to a chair. “Can you tell us what happened?”
Frannie’s hand trembled as she lowered the bottle from her mouth. “I thought he was going to tell me he was selling drugs or something. I could have lived with that. But he was bringing in people to kill wolves! I couldn’t abide that. We’ve just gotten them repopulated up here.”
Lauri’s eyes were wide. “That’s how he was making the money to stay in school?”
Frannie nodded. “It’s disgusting. I started to cry and told him I was going to turn him in.”
Kade would be upset when he heard this too. Bree put her hand on Frannie’s shoulder. “He left you food and water? You seem in pretty good shape.”
Frannie’s tears came again. “When he didn’t come back, I started conserving the food and water he’d left. I drank the last of the water this morning.” She swigged the bottle of water again. “If I’d died, it would have ruined everything. I get to meet my birth mom for Christmas this year.”
“You’re adopted?” Lauri’s voice trembled.
Frannie nodded. “I talked to my birth mom on the phone a few days before Garrick and I came here. I have a half brother I’ve never met too. They would have thought I ran away because I didn’t want to meet them or something.” Her voice broke and she stood. “Did someone call the cops? We have to get out of here before Garrick comes back.”
“Garrick’s dead, honey.” Bree squeezed the young woman’s shoulder. “Let’s get you checked out and call your parents. Both sets.” Only then did she see the trail of blood on the floorboards and the way her dog wasn’t putting weight on his front left leg. “Samson’s been hurt!”
After dropping Davy off with Naomi, Kade had joined his wife and sister in the waiting room. The squeak of the nurses’ shoes in the halls mingled with the murmur of low-pitched voices in the Rock Harbor General Hospital as he entered the waiting room holding two cups of coffee. They sat in a row of chairs along the west wall with their dogs at their feet, still in their search vests. The scent of antiseptic was strong.
He touched Samson’s head when the dog rose to greet him. “He’s got a bandage. What happened?” He handed the coffee to Bree and Lauri, then sat in the gray upholstered chair next to his wife.
Bree took a sip. “Thanks, honey.” She snapped her fingers to call the dog. “He cut his muzzle leaping through the window to show us where Frannie was. The vet met us here and put in a few stitches. The worst thing is he broke his leg too. It’s in a splint right now, but he’ll have to have it cast.”
“He’s always the hero.” Kade leaned over and patted the dog, making sure not to touch his injury. “Frannie’s parents are on their way?”
Bree’s eyes filled. “I cried with them. I know what it’s like to receive a child back from the dead. They should be here in the next half hour. Her birth mom is coming too. They’ll be able to all meet before Christmas.”
He well
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