Page 127 of Last Seen

“Did you—are you okay?” He waves a hand; the gesture encompasses the blood, the bodies, the child clasped protectively to her bosom.

“No. Not even close to okay. But God, am I glad to see you.”

He blows out a huge breath, and she is happy to see his relief. She’s not lying. Their problems seem minute in comparison to what the women of Brockville have experienced.

“This is Gray. My nephew.”

“Hey, pal.” Theo’s voice is shockingly gentle. “Can I help you get changed? We have some cool toys for you to play with.”

Gray raises his head and looks Theo directly in the face. He must see something there. Halley is shocked when he detaches himself and clasps his arms around Theo’s neck. Theo walks him away from the scene. The boy does not look back at his mother’s body.

They are moved to a motel in Bristol, devoid of charm or soul, and allowed to shower and change. Halley has no appetite but forces down a granola bar and banana. There are bruises on her wrists and ankles from the restraints. Her ribs are bound. She feels hollow. Detached from reality.

She is interviewed, again and again. She tells them everything she knows, which is not much. Then they bring Gray to her. He has had a bath and is dressed in Batman pajamas. They’ve given him a toy truck, and he runs it up and down his leg meditatively.

He is a quiet child. He has no idea who Batman is.

He never asks for his mother. He knows she is gone. And that breaks Halley into a million pieces all over again.

The media is now in Brockville.

While Gray naps, Halley watches the live shots. The town looks utterly surreal. All of Glaston burned. They lost the Farm, the crops, the restaurants. Miles Brockton has been taken into custody—several of the women Cat rescued have levied claims of his involvement in their trafficking. Of the involvement of other men in the Brockville community, the ones who came to them in the darkness. Who hurt them. Who filmed them. Who enjoyed it.

The great utopian experiment, the famed leader of the movement, felled by his basest interests.

Halley speaks with Noah, to make sure he is okay. To thank him for trying to save her.

She speaks with her father and endures his tears and apologies and gives a few of her own. She tells him the story of Cat and the women, what she knows, anyway. He wants her to come back to Marchburg. He is at home doing rehab and has plenty of time to catch up; he and Anne want to meet Gray.

Theo comes to visit every evening. He and Gray have some sort of bond that Halley is heartened to see. One evening, after the kid’s passed out in the bedroom, they sit on the motel room’s balcony, sharing a beer and talking.

“This is why I never wanted to have kids,” Theo says, looking over his shoulder toward the bedroom, where they left Gray sprawled like a starfish on the sheets.

“Because they might be orphaned?”

“No.” He takes her hand, and she lets him. “Do you know how many times I’ve seen that look in a kid’s eye? When we roll up on a scene and the shit’s hit the fan, and all that’s left are these little ones, and they are so shattered. I couldn’t imagine ever being in charge of someone’s life like that. Not their life, but their soul. I know what it felt like to lose a father, Halley. To watch them lose their people, again and again, knowing how that feels? Broke me.”

She sits with that confession. “I wish you’d told me that before.”

“I should have. But it’s impossible to explain unless you’ve seen it for yourself. Now you have.”

“You know that Gray is mine, now, Theo. Cat left him to me, and I won’t give him up. I can’t do that to him. He saw his mother die. I know what kind of scars that leaves.”

“I understand. I don’t want you to. I don’t want to, either.” He sighs and gives her a rueful grin. “Damn kid’s gotten under my skin. To grow up the way he did? And then to see him in your arms, covered in blood ...I’ve never been so happy in my life. I want to re-create that feeling. I want to come home again and again and see you holding him, see him in your arms. A little less blood next time, though.”

She smiles. “He’s going to outgrow them fast enough.”

“Then he’ll fit in mine a little longer.”

She fights back tears. “I have to tell you something,” she says. “And you’re never going to forgive me.”

“I already know. You’re forgiven.”

Her mouth drops open. “How?”

“Oh, your pal told me. So did his dad. Charming folks.” He sets down the beer. “Listen. I hate that you were with him. But I’m not such an asshole that I can’t admit I screwed up. I pushed you away, I forced you to walk. I was scared. And yeah, then you screwed up. But if that was it, that was the only time? Maybe we call it even and try again. Take the kid to McLean. Let him meet Charlie. I bet they’d love each other.”

“The only time?”