“I’m with Araneae,” I spoke to Reid. “I haven’t seen Laurel since breakfast.”
“What’s happening?” Araneae asked.
“Meet me on the apartment level,” my husband said through the phone. “Laurel isn’t here in her new space on 2, so she’s probably in her apartment.”
I nodded my response as the call disconnected. Looking up, I met Araneae’s intense light-brown stare.
“Is it Madeline? The baby? Oh, please not the baby.”
My head shook. “It’s Ruby. We’ll know more when we get downstairs.”
“Ruby? What happened to Ruby?”
Together we hurriedly made our way to the elevator. Araneae opened the pocket door as I scanned my palm on the sensor. In no time, the doors opened.
“Lorna, tell me what you know.”
My head shook as my pulse raced and my stomach twisted. “I only know that Reid said she’s missing.” I felt tears threatening the backs of my eyes. “He says she’s not at the hospital.”
“No, that doesn’t make sense.”
“I know.”
Stepping into the elevator, we were whisked to the floor below.
As soon as the doors opened on A, the apartment level, Araneae and I headed to Laurel and Mason’s apartment. Using my fist, I banged on the wood door.
Why didn’t we have doorbells?
I’d never questioned that before.
It didn’t take long before Laurel was standing before us. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail and besides wearing casual, soft ‘lockdown’ clothes, her feet were covered in only socks. At nearly the same time as her door opened, Reid stepped off the elevator.
“What happened?” I asked, turning to him.
“Where is she?” Araneae questioned.
“What’s happening?” Laurel asked as we all waited for Reid’s responses.
“From the information I’ve received and been able to ascertain, Ruby isn’t at the hospital.”
The three of us stared, dumbfounded. “No,” I finally said when no one else spoke. “Find her.”
“We’re working on it. Patrick wanted everyone to know.”
“Does Madeline?” Araneae asked.
“What about her trackers?” Laurel asked. “She has them the same as the rest of us, right?”
“I’m not sure what he’s told Madeline,” Reid responded. He turned to Laurel. “Yes, and the trackers in her shoes and phone are on the move outside the hospital.”
“Her purse?” I asked.
“Still in Madeline’s hospital room.”
“Why would she leave without her purse?” I asked, looking at Araneae. We’d both been taken without our purses. That thought alone nearly buckled my knees. I reached up to my cheek, the one that had mostly healed thanks in part to the plastic surgery, as a vision of Jet, anger in his eyes as his hand repeatedly hit me, flashed before my eyes.
Was she taken by the same people?
I wrapped my arms around myself, sucking in a breath and silently saying a prayer that Ruby was safe.
“Lorna?” Araneae asked.
I shook my head, afraid if I spoke my concerns, they’d come out between sobs.
She reached for me. “You’re remembering, aren’t you?”
Nodding was all I could do as I swallowed.
“Fuck,” Reid said. “Lorna, are you all right?”
“Yes” —my voice cracked— “I am now. Find Ruby and make sure she doesn’t have memories like mine.”
“I need to get back to 2, but I thought” —Reid ran his hand over the top of his head— “I just thought it would be better for you three to hear the news in person.”
“Reid,” Araneae said, “Ruby is young, but not that young. Think where we all were at her age.”
“She’s been protected, sheltered.”
“She isn’t dumb,” I said, my voice growing stronger with determination. “She didn’t just walk away from the hospital. Find her. She has been sheltered but not from living a danger-filled life. The girl grew up in the care of a Russian bratva. She lives here now. She understands safety. Do you have footage of her leaving the hospital?”
“Not yet. I need to get back to 2.”
“We’ll do whatever you need,” Laurel said.
Reid nodded. “Ruby’s phone and her shoes are signaling that they’re moving at a high rate of speed. Mason and other Sparrows are following.”
Laurel wrapped her arms around her midsection as she moved her head back and forth. “No, it’s a trap.”
Reid looked right at Laurel and stood taller. “Why would you say that?”
“It’s like the shoes at the bunker.”
Reid shook his head. “Your husband won’t fall for a trap.”
“He might to save Ruby or one of us.” Laurel straightened her neck. “I love my husband and I know enough about his past and present to know he’s more than capable of anything he sets his mind to. I also know that since he remembered Mason, he has triggers that Kader