Page 31 of Silent Echo

CHAPTER THIRTY

C harlotte sat at the airport, waiting for her flight to board. She’d called Eli and told him everything. Eli had been stunned to learn the truth. “My God! I’m sorry for not believing you. He’s really alive! That’s wonderful!”

“Yes, it is, but I don’t know if we’ll ever find him.” She choked back a sob.

“We will move heaven and earth, Char. We’re going to get him back! I can’t believe Penelope’s had him all this time.”

“I know, it’s beyond words. I have no idea where she’s taken him. What if we never get him back?” Her voice caught and she took a deep breath to keep herself from crying again.

“We will never stop looking. I promise.” She could hear the steely determination in his voice.

The announcement for her flight came over the loudspeaker. “I’m boarding. We’ll talk more when I get home.”

“Love you,” he said.

“Love you too.”

She stood up and gathered her things but froze when she saw Agent Preston’s number flash across her phone screen.

“Has something happened?” she said without preamble.

“We found him! He’s at Grady Memorial Hospital.”

Her heart beat faster. “Is he okay? What happened?”

“He was brought in by ambulance. Appendicitis. Apparently, it was pretty advanced and it ruptured. He’s in surgery now. A nurse recognized his face from the Amber Alert and called the FBI.”

“Oh my God! Okay, I’ll meet you there.”