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"I’ll play along--best as I can," Frank told hi in help"

Vine was silent

"You don’t want me to invite in the FBI?" Dustin asked after a minute "It doesn’t have to be that official If you prefer, I can just get a few people to drive over to Tennessee and do sowork"

Vine shook his head "Dae this without help"

Dustin s--if you weren’t giving us help"

"I see a couple of guys co you want to get right to the hospital?"

"I do And I want Olivia Gordon with us"

Frank groaned "So on?"

"I think soht"

"You should’ve called We could have done sohed "Yeah, yeah, you’re right We would’ve walked around and seen nothing and probably thought she heard raccoons crawling around on her porch But you don’t think it was that"

"No"

Frank sighed again "Things are weird around here, no lad I’ve already takenin whoever you want--but you keep reed"

They didn’t speak anymore; they’d reached the ranch and both Drew and Sydney were outside, waiting to take the horses as they disreeted Dustin as if he were hishis distracted attention because Dreas anxious to speak

"He--he’s conscious," he told Dustin "That’s got to be good, right?"

"Sounds good to ood to me," Dustin assured hi by the steps Deputy Callahan came out behind her, presu in here for a bit, Jis," Frank told hient Blake Liv, you coe now, so if Aaron’s up to speaking, he justnot to sood to be in with the local law That could s so much easier Frank kneorried about Olivia; he was helping him keep her close by

"Sure Okay Thank you," Olivia said She walked out tothe dog "Saer Okay? I’ll be back for you, I promise"

Frank was already headed to his official car; he’d had a couple of his deputies drop it off The dog hining, as if afraid to see Olivia go

"I’ve got hiotten into you?" he demanded "Olivia will be back!"

Sammy continued to whine as she joined Dustin, and the two of them followed Frank to his police car Within minutes, they were halfway to the hospital

Vine had decided to use his siren

Aaron looked good In fact, his appearance didn’t even resemble the way he’d looked the last tie shade of pale ashen blue, his bones seeht position on his hospital bed An IV was providing him with some kind of nourishment or ht

"Aaron!" she whispered, entering She ran to his bed and realized she was tre She’d almost lost another friend; she was suddenly weak at the knees, so grateful that she hadn’t

"Liv!"

She carefully hugged hith

She stood at the side of his bed, gazing down at him Dustin and Frank were behind her, while Sandra re room, fit to be tied Dustin had told her they just needed a few minutes, and then she’d be able to see Aaron

When Frank tried to explain that Olivia had to be first because of her position at the Horse Farm, Sandra had looked at her resentfully Olivia had been shocked by the venom in that stare

But, in all honesty, she understood--in a way Sandra was sleeping with Aaron So she’d apparently been the last to realize

"Thank God you’re here!" Aaron said, looking at Olivia and then Dustin and Frank His voice seemed to tremble "I understand I’m alive because of you, Dustin Thank you"

"I did what anyone would have," Dustin said "You’re welcolad to see you"

"Why won’t they let Sandra in?" Aaron asked

"We needed to speak with you first," Frank said "Aaron, what happened to you? You’re not the kind of man who’d walk to the stream and just fall in"

"Yeah, I know It was odd as hell, and dumb as hell!" Aaron told them "I’d walked on over to the strea ready to kneel down and wash my face Then"