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It hadn’t taken much to knock the woer seat, oblivious of her surroundings as her stolen car sped through the twisting roads leading to Lake Altus The driver couldn’t help but curse softly and angrily at what he’d learned from Jane Scott The card she’d handed over almost made him kill her immediately--Homeland Security was printed plainly across the top with a seasoned agent’s nah Cordell and the surrounding communities since he’d killed the cashier fros didn’t irl’s death east of Clinton, although he’d been nowhere near The only inforotten was that she’d suffered a brain injury This bitch, though, and anyone else who thought to stand between hi the car into park as he slid to a stop at the boat ra care not to touch any part of it with exposed skin He flexed large hands encased in gloves before reaching inside the car and placing it in gear Walking aiftly, he heard the satisfying splash as the car hit the lake and floated in Eventually the engine died as it was drowned in water
Going down, Ashe shouted to his passengers when he spotted the top of the red car as it slowly sank into Lake Altus The car was nearly subed his ht for hiers
Jane’s head was beneath the lake’s surface and Ashe cried out in fear and despair, even as he lifted her li toward Clinton Regional Hospital as fast as he could go, terrified the woht already be dead
"We’ll have to ency rooent North Ashe and Ren sat in the waiting rooht outside Ashe heard every word as it was explained that the head wound and near drowning ht have serious consequences and Jane Scott could have pere--if she woke at all
"I’ll notify Oklahouard outside her rooent North pulled his cell from a pocket toin my life, Ren sounded jubilant inside Ashe’s e Don’t you care about that?
I see that you do My father says that we cannot involve ourselves in the brief lives ofA life is a life I don’t care how long it lasts or doesn’t last A really good person ht live a very short life, while a terrible jerk could live forever Ashe rose to pace inside the s roonored it while they waited and talked
Ah Ren didn’t elaborate
"Ashe," Aedan stood in the doorway "Son, Agent Lawford is going to wait for the helicopter and escort the woht not have located her otherwise"
"Yeah" Ashe blew out a sigh as he walked toward his father "Ready to go home?"
"Your mother is on her way We’ll drive hohten you to travel the way you do, but I’et that way"
"Sorry, Dad" Ashe flopped onto a plastic chair and hung his head, his hands draped liers as he’d blazed through the night, and the dive through the top of a car and into darkened lake water had to be frightening He’d been focused on one thing and one thing only--saving a life Ren had listened to Aedan’s words carefully and then watched Ashe’s reaction with interest
"Ashe, there’s no reason to feel shame That’s not what Iso I’ve ever known and I have to get used to it"
Ashe hunched thin shoulders at his father’s comment He kneas different; nobody had to tell hi control, Ren silently offered
I’m the cuckoo’s child, Ashe muttered mentally My parents have no idea as dropped into their nest to raise And the sad thing is, I don’t knohat I am, either Just like Elizabeth, who died this afternoon Maybe that doesn’t bother you or your race, Ren, but it sure as heck bothersto understand what it would be like if that were not true
Letit is Aedan watched as his son rose abruptly fro to be upset over You did a good deed tonight The best of deeds, perhaps Fretting will not solve anything"
"Yeah? Tell that to Elizabeth Frasier" Furious in the space of a moment, Ashe turned toa puzzled Larentii child and a cursing father behind
Chapter 12
"Adele, I upset him--more than he was already Soirl’s death And then I may as well have called him a freak" Aedan spoke as he drove his SUV home after Adele had arrived at the hospital
"We can’t allow this kind of behavior I don’t care if he did go straight home" Adele called the house as soon as she’d learned that Ashe had disappeared Ashe had sullenly answered the phone
"Then ill deterrounding period is over"