The Betrayal Read Online Free PDF Page A

now? Does everyone know about this but us?”
    â€œYou know about it now too.”
    â€œBoone! There are so many good girls in our church, the church you grew up in.”
    â€œMom, Haeley is a wonderful Christian girl.”
    Lucy was quiet a moment. Then, “She’s a churchgoer?”
    â€œShe’s on the worship team.”
    She raised a brow. “Maybe we should stay around and get to know her.”
    â€œAll in good time, Mom. I’m getting to know her myself. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. You and Dad bring me some clothes and my car in the morning and say good-bye. I promise when I’m doing better after surgery I’ll invite you back up and we can all get acquainted.”
    â€œBut don’t you need us here, honey? You’re not well.”
    â€œI am, and I’ll be better. I just need time. Now, I appreciate you and love you and need you to do this for me.”
    Bone weary as he was, Boone wouldn’t even try to nap until he had located Haeley. After calling her cell several more times, he called the pastor of her church.
    â€œHaven’t heard a thing, Boone. If I do hear from her, I’ll sure tell her to call you. It’s been fun seeing you all over the news. That was some deal you were involved in. How you feeling?”
    Boone gave him enough to not be rude, then asked for Florence’s phone number. “Maybe she knows something.”
    Florence was a single working woman, but Boone expected her to be home during the evening. Yet he got another answering machine and left another message.
    He tried Jack a few more times, then reached Margaret at Jack’s apartment again.
    â€œHe workin’ late, hon,” she said. “But he told me to tell you he’d come by in the morning. All right?”
    â€œHas he said anything about Haeley?”
    â€œNo, nothin’ to speak of.”
    If Boone had a car, he would have driven right then to Haeley’s to find out what was up. But he was so tired he could hardly move. A nurse came in to remove the IV port from his hand. She proved either new or uncaring, because she didn’t even come close to George’s bedside manner. Everything stung when she yanked off the tape and pulled out the needle. She did, however, steady Boone as he lay back in bed.
    Worried and puzzled, Boone slept till dawn, rousing only when nurses came to check his vitals.

5
    Dread
    Thursday, February 4
    Boone awoke with such a sense of foreboding that he had to force himself to eat breakfast. He was not in the least hungry but knew he needed nourishment. When the physical therapist came by, he moved quickly out of bed and marched up and down the hall, despite her cautioning him to take it easy.
    â€œYou said yourself I was unaffected from the torso down, so unless you want me to play volleyball, this is a piece of cake.”
    â€œSlow but sure,” she said.
    â€œYeah, well, my patience is in short supply,” he said. “Ignore me. It’s not your fault.”
    â€œBeing focused is good,” she said. “It’s what we look for before discharging people.”
    â€œI’m about to discharge myself,” he said.
    â€œWe can’t have that. You’re a civil servant, right? You’ve got to be careful to keep your insurance in place.”
    Boone hadn’t thought of that. What were they going to do, deny a hero benefits if he checked out too early? He’d like to see them try. He knew lawyers. He could make noise.
    What was he thinking?
    He wasn’t back in his room long when his parents showed up, his mother finally seemingly resigned to leaving. “You know I’m willing and want to stay and help you,” she said.
    â€œI know this is hard for you, Mom. But it’s the right thing. Thanks for understanding.”
    His dad hung Boone’s coat, shirt, and pants in the closet and also set a pair of shoes in there. He put underwear and a T-shirt in a