Page 47 of 72 Hours

“I don’t know,” I said honestly. “She visited me after the shooting; you’ll remember you were there as well. Niall said she called in later, too, but I was out of it for a while. Neither of us has seen her since. Tell me what you know. It’ll all be fine.”

He glared at me like he didn’t believe a word. Not sure I did myself. The concern was glinting in his eyes, but he spoke quickly and concisely to me. “She took that cockroach off the site yesterday afternoon, that kid who was around at the shootin’. He was messin’ about around here for a while, scared of Dylan so he said, so she offered to take him to his car. Then I got a message she was going to go help out with somethin’ else, somethin’ you’d asked from her, and she’d be back later on.” He saw the questions in my wide eyes. “No, she never came back last night, though that ain’t unusual. She goes her own way, you know? And no, I can’t remember who gave me the fuckin’ message about her. Someone on the site, they’d heard it from someone who’d heard it someplace else. You know how it is. Didn’t come to check it with you, because you were hurt, and... well, because it was a job o’ yours. I know she has this sorta soft spot for you. I reckoned she’d be okay.”

Niall came back over, hugging a grimy bundle of cloth in his arms. We both turned to look at it. “The dog found this under the empty trailer alongside the device.” He glanced down at Dylan, standing patiently beside his master. The Rottweiler’s dark eyes stared up at Niall’s—seemed like they sized each other up, and neither was found wanting. Niall unwrapped the cloth, and we all stared at the scorched remains of a rifle.

“Guess that’s the one that got me,” I said quietly.

Niall met my eyes and nodded. “I should have searched more thoroughly, at the time. I should have looked around the site for the weapon, not just the shooter. Maybe the bomb was in place then too. I’d have found it before now. Tanner—”

I held up a hand. “Not now, it doesn’t matter. It’s just Sheri—”

“Tell me what the fuck’s goin’ on, Mac!” Junk’s voice was full of fury, but fear too. “I’ll search for her myself. Just tell me where the hell to start.”

I grasped his shoulder. He looked very startled, like he’d never seen me properly before. “We’ll find her, you hear me? And she’ll be okay.” I know I sounded fierce. I was damned angry myself, as angry as the girl’s father.

“You swear she will?”

I saw Niall looking at us both, his face creased with worry. “I swear,” I said. I pushed Junk away, none too gently, though it’d take a strong man to propel Junk in any direction he didn’t want to go. “Go and see to the others and leave Niall and me to sort this out. Niall, is that right?”

He stepped up beside me. “That’s right.”

​​​Chapter 19 – Wednesday 16:40

It was the middle of the afternoon, and we were sitting back in my trailer, the two of us side by side on my couch. The explosion hadn’t alerted any emergency services, and no one had come to the park to see what had happened. Guess so many awkward things had happened there in the past, the city neighbours were cured of their natural curiosity. A few of the residents had suggested they call the police, but after Junk and his family talked to them, no one on the park wanted to draw any more attention to themselves.

The sounds outside had quieted down, and the worst of the wreckage had been cleared away. I’d spent several hours alongside Junk’s family shifting rubbish and sweeping up the mess. By now, the panic had subsided, and some of the kids were already playing with the last bits of twisted metal and odd knobs and handles that had been blown off doors. I could hear parents yelling at them to leave that stuff alone and the rumble of Phil’s flatbed truck as he drove slowly around the site, picking up and disposing of the debris. He stopped a couple of times, I heard, to tell the story over a beer or two.

Occasionally I heard Dylan bark. It was a reassuring sound, as maybe he meant it to be.

My bandage had come loose with the activity, and after a welcome shower, I’d been redressing it. I hadn’t been able to do a lot of the heavy lifting, but the wound was healing well, and my arm felt fairly strong again. I looked across at Niall. “How are the injured?”

“Fine,” he said. He’d just returned from another circuit of the nearby units, and he still shed a little dust with every step. He’d spent all his time since the explosion with the people on the park, helping them to clear up, seeing to any remaining shock or wounds. He was good at that, if a bit abrupt, but I reckon that’s what they needed at the moment. “The girl’s arm is good, and I swabbed a few more cuts and bruises. They’ve fetched Hans the doctor again, so he’ll take over now. Junk’s son had that bump on his head, so I checked on that, and another had a cut on his leg from the sharp edge of the steps. He’s only about ten. He was shocked too. He wailed a lot.”

“I didn’t hear him.”

Niall grimaced. “I showed him my scar in return, and he was quiet after that. All the youngsters were pretty interested in it, actually. It took their mind off the drama.”

I let my smile linger. “What does everyone think happened? I don’t want them drawn into this any further.”

He sighed. “They think it’s some random act of vandalism, but a few of them know it’s connected to you. To us. Some of the guys further around the park want you thrown off. Junk spoke to them and calmed them down. I... well, I spoke to some of them as well. I assured them everything was in hand, and all the damage would be made good.”

Huh? “What do you mean?”

“I’ll reimburse them. Maybe the Team can get it authorised through the Department, or maybe this’ll end up a personal debt. Either way, I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“You don’t need to do that.” I was shocked.

Niall’s mouth twisted in a small smile. “Can you afford to help them out?”

I winced. “You know damned well I can’t.”

“I don’t mean—”

“It’s okay, I know. So I’ll find some other way to help. They’ve been good to me here.”

He nodded. “Have you got through to the others yet?”

“No. The hospital admin line is constantly busy, and I’m reluctant to use the emergency call-out when it’s not a medical issue. But I can’t reach any of the other Team cell numbers either. There doesn’t seem to be any reception.”