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She clapped her hands together "Now, I believe Chris has a take to tell us"

Frohout the room "Oh, I believe I’ree?"

Everyone looked up and gasped

Chapter 30

Madison was surprised to see Ephrai with his hands folded behind his head and his ankles crossed The perfect picture of leisure, if one did that sort of thing on the ceiling of course She had to remember to ask hiaze to take in everyone else’s expression Caroline looked torn between anger at not knowing he was there and excitement that he was Her men looked nervous and awed She knehat they were all thinking Caroline no doubt proht they were looking at their future

Candy cowered back even more Madison saw Candy’s eyes take in everyone’s distractions She inched away quickly while she could Madison didn’t say anything If Candyattention to her right noould set off guns in their direction If Candy was going to get herself shot she would rather she did it away from the kids

No one else seeroup Caroline kept her eyes on Ephrairoup Of course they weren’t

Ephraim watched Candy sneak away out of the corner of his eye She didn’t even look over her shoulder again to give her kids on last look neverthem out of here to safety If Chris ell he could count on the boy to take the younger children to the training room where they would remain safe until help arrived

Chris looked relieved to see hirip around Chris and reached out to take Joshua’s hand in hers Joshua beamed up at him He winked at the little boy Jill just looked astonished She didn’t look frightened just surprised

Candy was just aze dropped to her

"Kill her"

Everyone in the group except for Madison and Chris whi to cover each other Madison threw a pleading look at Candy "Get back here before they kill you!"

Candy hesitated at the stairs and looked back She was deathly pale "No, I’ to die!"

Theher chased after her Madison was frozen on the spot She couldn’t risk running after Candy to help her and give herself away She had to stay and protect the children She knew that instinctively just like she knew that if she ran Ephraim would stop her

Ephraim watched Candy run One look at Caroline let him know if he went after the woman she would kill everyone If it had been anyone else he may have risked it, but Candy wasn’t worth it She just abandoned her own children to certain death

A few unshots The kids and Eleanor jule tear He kneas the hardest thing she’d ever done, sacrificing her birth lad He couldn’t lose any of his children or Eleanor

The guard walked back and nodded Caroline looked pleased "Next time any of you fail to do your job I will personally rip your throats out" The guards backed up a bit and refocused on the group

"Why don’t you come down here, Ephraim, and tell your story Or we could just shoot the little boy Both would be entertaining"