Page 109 of Rescued Dreams

Ella and Maddie raced to him. They took his weight, but he found he didn’t have to lean on them. Maddie hovered on his injured side, her arm around his waist. Ella held up his other arm, and they all headed for the door while Maria helped Olivia.

Kane raced around them and opened the door, the device Maria had disarmed on the lawn where she’d tossed the pieces after rendering it inert.

It was all taking too much time. “We need to get Amelia.” Ridge had to say it, even though they all knew it. Kane especially.

“Let’s get you guys outside first.” He held Maddie’s arm. “I hear engines.”

A second later, flashing lights breached the tree line on the lane. Multiple police vehicles raced toward them.

Ridge couldn’t relax. This wasn’t over—not even close.

“Where is she?” Maddie looked around.

Ella said, “Come on. Kane will get her.”

He wanted to turn around.

A massive boom rocked the building, followed by another a second later and a third right after that. The floor under them rocked.

“Go.” He stepped out, ignoring the pain. Bringing the girls with him. “Come on.”

Kane said, “We need to get clear of the building, now!”

Amelia.

Ridge started to turn back.

Olivia yelled, “Run, Foster!”

He moved faster, getting the girls clear. Leaving Amelia in God’s hands, even though it broke his heart to do that. She could be dying inside the house, or trapped.

Now it was falling down around them.

He picked up their pace, down the steps to the gravel. The house started to collapse on itself with a great crash. The sound of stone hitting stone. Cracking. Creaking.

It swelled in volume, like the loudest, longest peel of thunder he’d ever heard. The twins clapped their hands over their ears.

Kane got everyone back a little more.

The cop cars pulled up, but Ridge didn’t look to see who had shown up for them. Too late.

Amelia was in there.

She was gone.

Ridge stared at the house as it was demolished by the force of the explosions. The structure collapsed, spraying dirt and glass into the air.

He backed the girls up a little more.

Tears ran down Ella’s face. Maddie wrapped her arms around her sister. He wanted to pull them both close. Say something that would make things better.

But there was nothing that would make the nightmare of this evening better.

Maddie gasped, pointing at the house. “A car!”

Ridge spun around to see headlights lift and dip as the car traversed the grass in front of the house.

“That woman.”