Page 2 of The Last Morgan

Lucy was startled awake by the sound of sirens.

She heard Martha’s voice, frantic and repeating the same words: “Where is she? Where is she?”

They were looking for her.

She tried to call out, but all that came was a broken whisper — hoarse and dry.

Still, somehow, someone heard.

“Everyone, quiet!” a man’s voice shouted — loud, steady, commanding. She would later learn it belonged to Lieutenant Carter.

Lucy tried again, forcing the words through cracked lips. “Help me.”

“There! It’s coming from over there!”

Footsteps thundered toward her hiding place. Then came the sound of furniture scraping against the floor, followed by a sharp burst of light that cut through the darkness.

She closed her eyes as the wave of relief hit her like a tide.

The next time she opened them, she was in a hospital room.

Machines beeped. Voices murmured. A flurry of doctors moved around her, faces tense but hopeful.

“She’s awake!” someone called out.

A doctor appeared by her side. “You’ve been incredibly lucky, Lucy,” he said gently. “Rest now — you’re safe.”

Bit by bit, her strength returned. She drank. Ate. Sat upright. But the question that had been sitting heavy on her chest since the moment she’d woken up could no longer be contained.

She turned to a nurse. “Where’s my family?”

The nurse froze. Just for a second. Then forced a smile. “Someone will be in to speak with you soon.”

And then he entered.

The man who would change the course of her life.

He was tall, with dark hair and a quiet presence that filled the room without trying. His eyes were calm but serious.

“Hello, Lucy,” he said softly. “I’m Lieutenant Carter. Would it be alright if I sat with you for a moment?”

She nodded.

He took a seat at the foot of her bed, leaving a careful space between them.

Then, gently — so gently — he told her the truth.

There had been an attack. Her family hadn’t survived.

He asked if she remembered anything. She told him everything: the phone call, the sudden rush to hide, her brothers pushing her into the cupboard and blocking the door before running out.

She spoke through tears, exhaustion, and the haze of it all.

When she finished, Carter waited a beat. Then he said something she didn’t quite understand at first:

“There’s no one else, Lucy. No family we can send you to. There’s a possible uncle, but until this case is closed, nowhere is truly safe. When you're discharged, I’ll be taking you somewhere protected — to people who can look after you.”

She nodded again, small and silent.

She didn’t know it then, but everything was about to change.