yanked the door so it swung out opposite her. There was nothing. Just clothes hanging on the rods. Shoes scattered across the ground.
She flicked the light over the interior and that’s when she saw it. One of the shoes inched back. There was someone there. A kid in scuffed black Mary Janes.
“I know you’re there. I—” and then she broke off. What had this kid been through since the Before? How had she even survived? Lily used her most soothing voice, the one she used to use to talk to Mel when her sister was freaking out about something. “I know you’re frightened. I can help you.”
Nothing.
No more movement from the shoe. No rustling of clothes. Hell, as far as she could tell, the kid wasn’t even breathing.
On impulse, Lily added, “I have a younger sister.” Which wasn’t true. Mel’s autism always made her seem like the younger one. The one who needed to be taken care of.
“I would do anything to protect her.” Which was true. There just hadn’t been anything she could do. Lily felt a surge of anguish rise up inside of her. How was it possible that Mel was gone? Maybe forever. How had she let that happen?
“I know there are a lot of things to be afraid of, but I can help you. I can keep you safe.” Again, a lie. In the world they lived in now, no one could keep anyone safe. No matter how you tried to protect them. Wasn’t that what she’d told Carter just this morning?
“I can help you, but only if you come out. You can trust me.”
Gently, the row of clothes stirred. Fingers crept around the arm of a coat and then the girl stepped forward, out from between the clothes, into the beam from Lily’s flashlight. She blinked and held out a hand to shield her face.
Lily lowered the flashlight and flicked it off.
The girl was maybe six or seven and dressed in a faded cotton dress and leggings. Her dark hair fell in fat, messy ringlets, but it was her eyes that surprised Lily. She’d expected to see fear and caution; instead, they were bright with curiosity.
Lily crouched down to her level and held out her hand. “Hi, I’m Lily. What’s your name?”
A sickening thought occurred to her. What if the girl didn’t know her name? What if she’d been here alone so long she’d forgotten it?
Then she reached out her hand and pressed her palm to Lily’s, quick as a bird, then tucked her hand behind her back. “I’m Danielle,” she whispered, her eyes huge. “Can you really help us?”
Lily’s insides turned to ice. “Us?”
“Did you come here to help us?”
Us?
Shit.
Lily mentally backpedaled through all the tiny bits of evidence that proved just how screwed she was. All these little snapshots that hadn’t made sense until that instant: the open window, the Cheerio on the high-chair tray. That was all new. It had been from today.
This wasn’t some kid scraping by waiting to be rescued. This was a kid with older siblings or even parents. This was a kid with defenses.
Crap.
All of this flashed through her brain, but she didn’t have time to flee or shout out a warning to Stu and Jacks. In the distance, from downstairs, she heard Stu’s sat phone ringing again. Her breath caught in her chest as she waited, hoping she’d hear Stu’s response. But the silence was only broken by the ringing phone. No Stu. No Jacks.
She glanced back over her shoulder toward the hall. The door was open. If she strained to listen, she could hear the faintest hint of footsteps on the floor below.
She turned back to the girl. To Danielle.
“Honey, go back in the closet. Hide, okay?”
Because someone was downstairs and it probably wasn’t Jacks. Whoever had kept Danielle alive all this time, they hadn’t done it by letting strangers wander through their house.
Danielle cocked her head to the side and scrunched her mouth into a frown. Then she shook her head.
“Go,” Lily urged. “Hide!”
A moment later a man’s voice called, “You might as well come out. I know you’re up
She flicked the light over the interior and that’s when she saw it. One of the shoes inched back. There was someone there. A kid in scuffed black Mary Janes.
“I know you’re there. I—” and then she broke off. What had this kid been through since the Before? How had she even survived? Lily used her most soothing voice, the one she used to use to talk to Mel when her sister was freaking out about something. “I know you’re frightened. I can help you.”
Nothing.
No more movement from the shoe. No rustling of clothes. Hell, as far as she could tell, the kid wasn’t even breathing.
On impulse, Lily added, “I have a younger sister.” Which wasn’t true. Mel’s autism always made her seem like the younger one. The one who needed to be taken care of.
“I would do anything to protect her.” Which was true. There just hadn’t been anything she could do. Lily felt a surge of anguish rise up inside of her. How was it possible that Mel was gone? Maybe forever. How had she let that happen?
“I know there are a lot of things to be afraid of, but I can help you. I can keep you safe.” Again, a lie. In the world they lived in now, no one could keep anyone safe. No matter how you tried to protect them. Wasn’t that what she’d told Carter just this morning?
“I can help you, but only if you come out. You can trust me.”
Gently, the row of clothes stirred. Fingers crept around the arm of a coat and then the girl stepped forward, out from between the clothes, into the beam from Lily’s flashlight. She blinked and held out a hand to shield her face.
Lily lowered the flashlight and flicked it off.
The girl was maybe six or seven and dressed in a faded cotton dress and leggings. Her dark hair fell in fat, messy ringlets, but it was her eyes that surprised Lily. She’d expected to see fear and caution; instead, they were bright with curiosity.
Lily crouched down to her level and held out her hand. “Hi, I’m Lily. What’s your name?”
A sickening thought occurred to her. What if the girl didn’t know her name? What if she’d been here alone so long she’d forgotten it?
Then she reached out her hand and pressed her palm to Lily’s, quick as a bird, then tucked her hand behind her back. “I’m Danielle,” she whispered, her eyes huge. “Can you really help us?”
Lily’s insides turned to ice. “Us?”
“Did you come here to help us?”
Us?
Shit.
Lily mentally backpedaled through all the tiny bits of evidence that proved just how screwed she was. All these little snapshots that hadn’t made sense until that instant: the open window, the Cheerio on the high-chair tray. That was all new. It had been from today.
This wasn’t some kid scraping by waiting to be rescued. This was a kid with older siblings or even parents. This was a kid with defenses.
Crap.
All of this flashed through her brain, but she didn’t have time to flee or shout out a warning to Stu and Jacks. In the distance, from downstairs, she heard Stu’s sat phone ringing again. Her breath caught in her chest as she waited, hoping she’d hear Stu’s response. But the silence was only broken by the ringing phone. No Stu. No Jacks.
She glanced back over her shoulder toward the hall. The door was open. If she strained to listen, she could hear the faintest hint of footsteps on the floor below.
She turned back to the girl. To Danielle.
“Honey, go back in the closet. Hide, okay?”
Because someone was downstairs and it probably wasn’t Jacks. Whoever had kept Danielle alive all this time, they hadn’t done it by letting strangers wander through their house.
Danielle cocked her head to the side and scrunched her mouth into a frown. Then she shook her head.
“Go,” Lily urged. “Hide!”
A moment later a man’s voice called, “You might as well come out. I know you’re up
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