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“He stole my buggy!”

Her voice carried through the open window. I pulled in hard enough to make the engine complain and had barely stopped before Teresa opened her door.

“Teresa—”

She was already climbing down. I killed the engine and followed her, making my way around two males who were arguing about whether someone should check the market.

“He went that way!” Maisie pointed past them. “Toward the market.”

Korfas caught the nearer male by the shoulder. “Take your truck. Check the roads out. You,” he added to the other, “stay here. Watch the clinic.”

Otho was still cursing at him when Teresa reached Julia and crouched beside her. Julia lowered the cloth. Her lip was split, and the swelling on her cheek was getting worse.

“The human? Jason?” I asked Korfas.

He nodded and pulled a pair of handcuffs from his pocket. One cuff hung open. “Got these off somehow.”

I stared at him. He looked away first.

“I was taking him some food,” Julia told Teresa. Her words were thick around the swelling. “He grabbed me when I put it down. I tried to call for help, and he punched me.”

Teresa took her free hand. I wanted to get hold of Jason and drag him back here to look at what he’d done. The bastard had been begging me to save him a few hours ago.

Otho bent over Julia, tipping her chin toward the light. “Inside. I need a better look at that.”

“I thought he was going to fall,” Maisie said to me. “He came out hanging on to the doorway, with that thing strapped to his leg. I went to help him.”

She looked at the empty space beside the clinic and gripped the basket handle tighter.

“I was only dropping off the star-figs Julia asked for. For the patients. And he nearly ran me down.”

Kazan had built that buggy for her. I doubted anyone here wanted to be the one to tell him what had happened.

“I’m sorry,” Julia said as Otho helped her stand.

“Don’t you apologize.” Maisie set her basket just inside the door and came back to take Julia’s other arm. “Come on. Let him look at you.”

Robin appeared in the doorway with a clean cloth. Otho took it from her, then turned to Teresa. “Get some water.”

She hurried inside after them. I stayed where I was, facing Korfas.

“How long was he here?” I asked.

“About three hours.”

Three hours. He hadn’t even kept the bastard here for an afternoon.

“Where the fuck were you?”

Korfas shoved the cuffs into his pocket. “I’ll answer for it after we’ve found him.”

Someone called his name from across the street. He raised a hand to them, but I stepped closer before he could turn away.

“She was bringing him food. You left her alone with him.”

“I know.” He met my eyes. “If you know something that will help me find him, tell me.”

I’d come here to do exactly that.