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“He ran. He injured Jake. Jake’s going to take Keon and go to the medical tent in the village to get stitched up by his wife.”
“Sebold attacked one of the rescuers?”
“Yeah. And somehow made it out of the cave. He took Jake’s headlamp—ran into Ham and Declan on his way out. Declan didn’t recognize him, and Ham didn’t know him. They let him go.”
She nodded, pressed her hand to her forehead. “But... what about the kids?”
He touched her hands then and held them, his gaze on hers. “They’re...”
“Not there.”
He swallowed, drew in a breath. “The TRIS spots heat sources, and with Ethan’s satellite and Declan’s AI program to decipher them...” He sighed. “There are no more heat sources in the mountain, at least none that are human.”
“So they’re not there—” But she stopped at his grim-mouthed look. “Doyle?”
He said nothing. And then?—
She got it. Her voice turned stricken. “You think they’re dead.”
He nodded, gently, slowly. “Their bodies have stopped giving out heat.”
She cocked her head. “No, Doyle. No—no, that’s not... that’s...” She got up. Walked away. Rounded back on him. “Those kids are my responsibility, and they—” She pointed at him. “No.”
He got up then, walked over to her, but she straight-armed him. “Stay back.”
“Tia. You couldn’t have?—”
“No!” Her eyes burned, and she pressed her hands to her stomach. “No,” she whispered. Her back hit the stone wall, and she slid down it into a crouch on the floor.
He knelt in front of her, not reaching out. His own eyes glistened. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what else... I don’t know... I mean, we can go back, but those tunnels are... Tia...”
She put her hands over her face, pressing back the images of Gabriella on the soccer field, laughing, and Jaden and Rohan on the beach and... “I was supposed to take care of them...”
She felt him move toward her, pulling her to himself.
And she had no bones to resist him, just fell awkwardly against his chest, her jaw tight, her breaths coming fast, hard...
He eased her closer, her legs to one side over his so she could lean a shoulder against him, and then, quietly, gently, drew her into the pocket of his embrace.
She could do nothing but cover her face with her hands, and sob.
And maybe she even loved him a little more when he lowered his head to her shoulder and let himself cry too.
No, probably she loved him a lot more. All the way, even.
Outside, rain bulleted the roof, the breath of the dark chapel chilly as she let herself weep. And probably not just for these children, actually, but...
For everything.
For the trauma of the last week, for her mistakes, and even for the terrible hope that somehow she might do itrightthis time. That people wouldn’t die under her watch. Which of course led her to the memory of Edward. And the fact that she’d wasted so many years trying to be the One. And now she was just pathetic.
Which brought her back to sweet Gabriella, who would never have the chance to fall in love or go to medical school, and Jaden, too young to die, and smart-mouthed, charismatic, and funny Rohan...
“I’d hide something in the crypt under the chapel. No one goes there.”
She gasped, her breath caught, and she looked at Doyle. “Wait.”
He lifted his head too and stared at her. “What?”