“Claire!”
Dave tore at the mask on her face. The plaster had started to harden, but it was still pliable enough to remove with his fingers. His hands were shaking by the time he had it all stripped away, and his blood went cold when he saw her face. She was so pale. He couldn’t tell if she was still breathing….
And then her eyes fluttered open and she stared up at him in terror. Her throat moved convulsively, but she couldn’t speak.
“It’s okay,” he whispered. “I’m taking you out of here.”
She blinked rapidly, and Dave realized a split second too late that she was trying to warn him. He turned, saw the man behind him, and swung his arm up reflexively to deflect the weapon. The blade caught him across the forearm, and Dave staggered back, momentarily stunned by the pain.
He came at Dave again, but this time he was ready. His fist swung up and caught the man beneath his left eye. The bone popped like the crack of a rifle, and his head snapped as he went sprawling backward. The blade flew from his hand, and Dave kicked it out of the way as a crimson rage exploded within him.
He lunged forward, and the man’s face contorted with terror as he tried to scramble away. His eyes were watery with shock and pain, and he cradled his head as Dave reached down and grabbed him by the throat. He hauled him to his feet, and for one split second, let himself stare into the eyes of his daughter’s killer. And then his hand tightened slowly. The muscles in his arm quivered as he pressed against the windpipe, and he could feel blood dripping from the fingertips of his other hand.
The man slapped at him, tried to claw his grip loose from his throat, but still Dave held on. The blue eyes were wide with fear and confusion. He looked like a child being punished for something he didn’t understand. And in those quivering lips, deep inside those terrified eyes, Dave glimpsed a child who had been heartlessly shunned by his own father.
And even then Dave could have killed him without a drop of remorse. The temptation to exact his own justice was almost overwhelming. Then he saw a pale little face peering at him from the far corner of the room, and for a moment, Dave thought it was Ruby.
It couldn’t be, of course. Ruby would have been much older by now. His daughter was dead. Nothing he did here today would ever bring her back.
But as Dave stared at the child across the room, he saw the same innocence in her, and he did not want her to have this memory.
He released his grip on the man’s throat and shoved him away. The Dollmaker collapsed to the floor and curled himself into a fetal position, burying his face in his hands as he whimpered like a wounded kitten.
Claire had been dreaming about Ruby, and when she awakened, it took her a moment to realize where she was. Then it all came back to her. She was in the hospital, and Charlotte was just down the hall from her. Her sister had made it through surgery and was expected to make a full recovery.
Lucille was sitting in a chair by the bed, and when she saw that Claire was awake, she got up and came over to her side.
“How are you feeling?”
Claire lifted a hand and flexed her fingers. They were still weak, but the muscles were responsive. “Almost back to normal. I don’t need to be in the hospital, Mama.”
“You let the doctors decide that, honey.” Lucille brushed a strand of hair from her daughter’s face.
“How’s Charlotte?”
“I just came from her room a few minutes ago. She’s still out, but she seems to be resting comfortably. They’ve got her all doped up, so she’s not in any pain.”
“Why don’t you go back and sit with her, Mama? I really am fine.”
“I will in a minute.”
“Have you heard anything about the little girl?” Claire asked softly.
“Her family’s on their way from Alabama to pick her up. I can’t even begin to imagine what they must be feeling tonight.”
Claire was silent for a moment. “She must have been so scared.”
Tears flooded Lucille’s eyes as she lifted Claire’s hand to her cheek.
“I can’t help thinking about what she went through,” Claire said. “How she must have wanted to cry out for me, but couldn’t. She must have thought I would come and get her, but I never did. I couldn’t save her, Mama. My own daughter.”
“You couldn’t save Ruby, honey, but another little girl’s life has been spared. Be thankful that another mother doesn’t have to go through what you did. And Ruby’s safe now, Claire. She’s safe and warm and Maw-Maw is there to look after her. You can rest easy now, baby.”
“I love you, Mama.”
“I love you, too, Claire.”
After a while, she drifted off again, and when she woke up, the chair beside her bed was empty. Her mother had gone back to Charlotte’s room, and Claire lay there for a while, staring into the darkness. Then she turned her head and saw someone at the window.
“Dave?”
“I’m here, Claire.”
