Agent West lifted me again. His hand clamped around my legs so hard it burned. I wanted to cry out, but my voice was gone.
When we reached the car, he set me in the seat. The buckle snapped shut around my waist, the click jolting me awake. I hugged Clover to my chest.
Mommy slid in beside me, pressing the towel to my head. Her arm wrapped around me, pulling me in.
Agent West climbed into the driver’s seat and turned the key. The engine growled.
“Don’t worry, Mackenzie,” Mommy whispered. “You’re going to be okay. We’ll set up your new room exactly how you want.”
My eyes sagged. “Can I have butterflies on my wall…” I was so tired, “…with glitter?”
“Yes. Whatever you want.” Her breath shook when she said it.
I blinked, and the world outside was orange. Flames licked the sky. The snow glowed red. Our house was burning. I tried to speak, but my eyes fell shut.
When I woke, we were still moving. The sky was pale blue. The sun stretched its fingers over the horizon. My head felt heavy.
“I have to go to the bathroom,” I whispered.
Mommy checked the towel. “The bleeding’s stopped,” she told Agent West. “But I’m worried about her walking.”
He flicked the blinker on. “I’ll take her.”
We pulled into a gas station. I reached for the buckle, but Mommy’s hand stopped me.
“Wait. Agent West has to check first.”
Her eyes were everywhere—windows, mirrors, corners.Outside, Agent West circled the car, one hand inside his jacket. He glanced at the empty pump beside us and nodded.
“Okay,” Mommy said. “I’m getting out first.”
She lifted me, struggling, and passed me into Agent West’s strong hands. He held the towel tight as we moved inside. The bell over the gas station door jingled. A slow country song floated through the air.
He carried me to the girls’ bathroom and set me on my feet, steadying me. “Make it fast. I’ll be right here.”
I noticed the blood on my pajamas.
Mommy glanced down, then back at me. She took my hands and made me look at her. “You’re so beautiful, you know that? I love you so much. You don’t have to be scared. We’re safe now.”
When we finished, Agent West scooped me up again. The smell of coffee wrapped around us. My stomach growled.
“I’m hungry,” I murmured.
“We’ll get something in a bit,” Mommy said.
Back in the car, Mommy tucked me close. Agent West returned with donuts. I bit into a chocolate one. It tasted warm and too sweet.
His walkie-talkie crackled, making me jump.
He turned away from us, shoulders stiffening. “We just stopped,” he said. Then, quieter: “Yeah. I see him. I don’t know how they found us so fast.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him.
The man Agent West was talking about.
My shadow.
He stood by the pumps, still as a statue, watching us.
