Daniel extended his hand across the aisle.
Jake took it and shook.
“Brother,” he said, and Daniel nodded.
When he turned to look at the stained-glass window again, the light had gone.
Pew creaking, Daniel rose to his feet.
“Take me to her.”
Chapter 44ANNIE
The world was shadow and fog, and Annie lingered in the mist between waking and sleep, where time was stretched and thought had no anchor in reality.
She dreamed often, falling into nightmares and fading out again, until a dream as lucid and terrifying as any she’d ever had shot her to the surface of consciousness.
In it, she ran for the trees, even as they receded, shrinking away into the distance, her stubborn legs refusing to turn over any faster as she lumbered across the vast gravel plain of the clearing.
She was trying to make it to the forest. Trying to get away, but the man behind her was too fast, and so close that she could feel his breath on her neck. She couldn’t make it to safety, and she screamed as his strong, sinewy hand closed around her upper arm and squeezed tight.
Annie’s eyes flew open. There was a blood-pressure cuff around her arm, constricted to the point of pain. She stared at it, heart pounding as it slowly released again.
Where was she?
She sensed someone in the dark room with her, but did not havethe strength to turn her head and search the blue glow from whatever machine had her tethered to the bed.
Somewhere behind her, a monitor beeped with every beat of her heart, and a half-drained IV bag hung in the corner beside a window that showed weak, salmon light through the blinds—though sunrise or sunset, she couldn’t tell. Annie closed her eyes again. It felt as if someone had taken a sledgehammer to the back of her head.
Through the open door, she heard an elevator ping. She must be in a hospital somewhere. Maybe Vancouver. For a minute, she waited, listening for someone, anyone, to make their presence known and tell her what was going on, but her mind was sluggish and heavy, and silky unconsciousness wrapped itself around her once more. Reluctantly, she gave in, sliding back into sleep.
When she woke again, it was to the sound of hushed voices in the hall, low and male. She knew those voices. Jake and Daniel. Annie tried to sit up on the pillow, but her body felt like lead, and it took every bit of her strength just to turn her ear toward the door.
“You sure?” Daniel murmured.
“I’m sure,” Jake said. “Go on home and get some sleep, brother. I can stay so she won’t be alone if she wakes up.”
“You’ll call if there’re any updates?” Daniel sounded anxious, and Annie wanted to go to him, to call out, but she had no command over her voice or body.
“Of course. They said her vitals are good. They’ll only keep her until she’s ready to be up and about. Knowing Annie, that’ll be about five minutes after she wakes up.”
Daniel chuckled. “I’ll head back then. Honestly, I could probably sleep for about a week right now.”
Annie closed her eyes, her tired mind easing her back into the darkness.
When she woke again, a hand was holding hers. A hand she had never held before, with strong, calloused fingers, the thumb running back and forth over her own.
She opened her eyes, finally feeling truly awake, and found the room bright with sunlight. Jake was leaning back in the chair beside the bed with his eyes closed, the sun catching the fine blond hairs on his jaw like dandelion silk.
“Jake,” she said, her voice barely there.
He lifted his head.
“Hey,” he whispered, eyes bright with relief as he released her hand to brush the hair from her face.
Annie turned to look at the window, the small movement sending shooting pains across the back of her skull.
“My head hurts.” She squeezed her eyes shut.
