just press close to him to help him warm up, okay?â
âOkay, Mama.â Keely pressed against his back. Her little face was white, her voice a thin thread.
âItâs going to be all right, baby. I donât want you to worry. I want you to be real brave for Sam here. He needs you to watch over him now. Heâs been through something bad. Can you do that?â
Keely nodded, the tears that were near to brimming over nearly gone now. To Katieâs surprise, she shook Samâs arm. âHey, who were those guys? What were they doing to you?â
Sam was shuddering.
âNot now, Keely. Letâs just let Sam warm up a bit before we grill him.â
Sam managed to get his mouth working, but it was hard. âWhatâs your name, maâam?â
âIâm Sheriff Benedict and that little girl next to you is my daughter, Keely. Did those men kidnap you?â
Sam managed to nod. He wasnât going to cry. âI squeezed through a window and fell on my head. But I got away.â
âMy goodness, youâre really brave, Sam. Now, letâs getyou over to Doc Flintâs. Keely, you press close to Sam and try to get him warm.â
âI call him Doc Flintstone,â Keely said, watched her mom frown, then grab one of the towels to dry off the little boyâs head.
Sam said from behind the towel, âMy mama used to give me Flintstones vitamins every morning with my toast.â
âI like marmalade on my toast. I donât think smashed vitamins would taste very good.â
Sam thought that was funny, but he was just too cold and too scared to laugh. He burrowed under the blankets; all he wanted to do was get warm. He pressed himself as hard as he could against Sheriff Benedictâs leg. He felt the little girl squeezing against his back. He wondered if he was going to die now that heâd gotten away from those men. The little girl was pressed so hard against him, heâd bet she was going to get her clothes as wet as his.
Katie slid her rifle onto the floor behind the driverâs seat. She turned the heater on high. âOkay, kids, I cranked up the heat so itâll be roasting you both in a minute. I know youâre wet clear through, Sam, but the blankets should help a little bit.â
âI donât like marmalade,â Sam said as Katie looked at him closely.
âYouâll like my momâs. Itâs the best.â Good, the boy wasnât in shock, at least not yet. Katie put the truck in gear and started up. She had to watch her speed; the heavy rain made the road a river. As they passed where the men had disappeared into the trees, she looked carefully, but saw no sign of them.
She picked her cell phone out of her breast pocket and called Wade at the station house.
âHello, Wade, itâs Katie. No, donât tell me anything about the storm just yet. This is urgent.â She told him about Sam and his kidnappers, the two men whoâd beenchasing him, and how sheâd shot the fat one in the arm. âIâm on the south end of Delaware. Sam came out of the woods in nearly a straight line from the road to Bleakerâs cabinâIâll bet thatâs where they were holding him. Theyâre armed, they tried to kill me. Take three deputies and get out there fast.â She gave them descriptions, then said, one eye on Samâs white face, the other on the woods, âIâm taking Sam to Doc Flintâs. Iâm on my cell. Let me know what you find. Did you hear any names, Sam?â
âFatso and Beau.â Just saying their names made Sam so afraid he had to concentrate not to pee again in his jeans.
âThe one in the black leather coat is Beau, the other one is Fatso, thatâs Samâs name for him. Put out an APB on them, Wade. The one with the bullet in his armâchances are heâll need some medical attention. Maybe the other one, too. Alert all medical facilities in the