Page 97 of Chasing Creed

Halfway through, Ryder asked Brodie to stop. It was single-file here on the path. Somehow the men were able to make the handoff. Brodie heard Sara groaning into Jason’s shoulder, then her head lolled back.

Feet frozen. Stomach knotted. Had she died just now?

“Brodie,” Ryder’s voice was gentle but urgent. “We need to keep moving.”

When they broke out of the woods, there were headlights in the front yard. Hannah directed traffic. Flashlights came at them with silhouette figures behind them. Brodie recognized Sheriff Norwich.

“Hannah didn’t mention we needed an ambulance?” Norwich told Ryder.

“We’ve got this.” To Jason, Ryder said, “I texted Dr. Avelyn. She’s still at the clinic. Maybe you can help her figure out Sara’s condition.”

Jason nodded, and with Scout alongside him, they headed toward the medical clinic, which was entirely lit up.

“Brodie, do you and Hank want to stay with Jason and Sara?”

He was asking her. Giving her a choice.

She nodded. Before she turned to follow Jason, she could hear Ryder instructing Norwich’s team.

"I’ll lead the way, Sheriff. There are two men. One is shackled with a swollen ankle. The other one. I’m not sure. He might be dead.”

“Is that young woman going to be okay?” Brodie heard Norwich ask Ryder.

She stopped in her tracks to listen for his response.

“I hope so, but I honestly have no idea.”

69

Two weeks later

David City, Nebraska

Maggie took a seat in the back of the crowded, buzzing courtroom. Pakula would join her before the doors closed. Ryder and Brodie were already up front. When she’d invited the person sitting next to her, Maggie had forgotten the woman was a national celebrity. Heads turned. Whispers came from behind cuffed hands. People shifted in their seats to get a look at Olivia James, Brodie's and Ryder’s mother.

Olivia didn’t seem to notice, or if she did, she was used to the attention. Her nationally syndicated television show aired every morning and gave tips on lifestyle, from decorating to entertaining to creating gourmet meals. Ironically, she had no answers for how to bridge the gaps in her own family.

Maggie had met the woman for the first time over Christmas at Ryder’s. Olivia had breezed in for the day and returned to Atlanta that night. Immediately, Maggie had felt a palpable tension between Olivia and Ryder. An unusual disquiet had settled between her and Brodie as well. But Olivia was here now. For all their sakes, Maggie hoped this trial might close some doors on a very long and painful past.

The locals simply noticed Olivia James and moved on. The national media, however, treated the sighting like a bonus. Too many of them gawked. No photos were allowed. Some handed Olivia their business cards. A few were bold enough to ask for interviews or photos later.

Olivia quietly and politely told all of them that today wasn’t about her. She was here for her daughter and would not be available for anything else.

When the buzz about her settled, Olivia leaned over to Maggie and said, “I can’t believe how brave she is.”

“Yes, she is.”

Over breakfast, Maggie had tried her best to prepare Brodie. She was surprised but pleased to see a confidence in her eyes. Chin up, shoulders back. Her appetite was finally better than Maggie had ever seen it. In the past when Brodie was nervous, she’d break apart her food with her fingers. Pinches of a sandwich instead of a bite. An instinctive habit from years of hunting for hidden drugs. But this morning, she had cut and forked sausage and eggs and spooned up berries as if she were starving.

Ryder, however, had only coffee. Which was totally not like him.

There was still an uneasiness between him and Maggie. He had reassured her they were good. Of course, he understood why she had withheld the information about the list of Charlottes. That’s what he said. But something was different between them.

For now, this trial was the most important thing. Everything could wait. Or so Maggie told herself.

Everyone’s attention quickly and noisily shifted as Iris Malone was brought into the courtroom from the front entrance. She wore a navy-blue suit jacket with a white blouse and matching blue slacks. The woman leaned on her cane, her limp more pronounced. But there was nothing weak or vulnerable about this woman. Instead, the expression on her face was smug. There was a confident arrogance about her.

Iris’ eyes immediately found Brodie. She attempted to pin her down with a hard stare meant to intimidate. To her credit, Brodie didn’t bother to glance at her.