Page 26 (2/2)

Not wanting to walk hoed through so Next I located a dense patch of shrubs in front of an adobe house and forced my way into the center of it I took my shoes and socks off and then unfastenedNext I took off my jeans and T-shirt, removed my bra and panties, and dropped them on top of the watch, bracelet, and shoes

I landed on all fours and the sounds haunting the night intensified--police sirens, dogs barking, people cheering, howling, laughing, screae I picked the bag up in my teeth and ran from the sounds, ran from population

I prowled the uninhabited outskirts of the city, as far away froet When the sounds of sirens and howling finally stopped, Itiers, fries, and a milk shake at the mine, and then look at the stars

In some bushes across the street froot dressed When I crossed the street and stepped onto Mrs Carpenter’s driveway,it And so was yellow police tape

My hands started to tremble A shadow moved at the far end of the driveway and I leaped into the shrubs hugging the side of the driveway, just in case I was in danger The shadow solidified into a police officer holding a di all right?" My voice quavered "Where’s Mrs Carpenter?"

"Are you Maggie Mae?" he asked, stopping beside ht in my eyes

I shadedrong Really wrong

"I have some bad news for you," the officer said My windpipe constricted and I could hardly draw breath "Mrs Carpenter’s in the hospital"

"What happened?" I gasped

"Coer’s SUV and under the police tape At the front porch I paused The porch light was on and soed into the red front door Flakes of paint and wood littered the porch next to the cactus, which lay overturned on its side accompanied by its shattered terra-cotta pot

Paint and wood chips clung to the soles of h the front door Inside I stopped, too stunned to move White fluff covered the floor, the furniture, the top of the gun case, even the blades of the ceiling fan--the stuffing from Mrs Carpenter’s brown leather sofa The cushions had been torn to bits

Itable looked untouched, but my small dresser was tipped on its side beside my toppled clothes hamper My clothes, underwear, and pajamas lay shredded on the floor beside them The cot was bare and ripped down the middle, my two quilts part of the underwear-and-clothes ot into the house"

Wild dogs? Des was ain

"Tore everything up searching for food," the officer explained, running his thuoatee

I looked at my toppled dresser and questioned the food theory There hadn’t been any food in there Not even chocolate And if my bedroom looked like this, what did Mrs Carpenter look like?

"Is Mrs Carpenter all right?" I whispered

"She’s been injured, but it’s not life-threatening"

"How’d she get hurt?"

"She tried to shoot the dogs and got bit on the leg Practically tore her calf muscle clean off the bone She’ll be in the hospital for a few days In the ht?"

"Um I … well …"

The floor creaked outside un fro in front of er walked into view, his hands up The officer lowered his gun "Good gracious, son! Ihere?"

I stared at Bridger, dressed in jeans and a hoodie, red headband still around his forehead, and wondered the saet ht if I gie, you can stay withat my ruined cot

I shook my head "No I’ll stay …" Where? I couldn’t stay here, not with the wild dogs roa the area