A futile cry escaped Emily. She attacked the one last remaining part—the head. Off came the large bead eyes, the ears and nose. She cut up the face, pulling and yanking stuffing in a frenzy.
The head was destroyed. No piece of paper inside.
“No, it’s here!” Emily threw down the knife. “It’s got to be.” She fell to her knees, dragging both hands through the balls of stuffing, searching with all her might. I ran over and knelt beside her. We jerked up pieces and tore them to smaller bits. Tore and tore until mere strands remained together.
Nothing. We looked around us, breathing hard. Something had to be here.
Emily snatched up the red kerchief once more. Held it close to her sweaty face, looking, pleading for tiny written letters and numbers on the cloth. Nothing on the outer side. She turned it over, eyes flicking back and forth.
She stilled.
In slow motion her hand came down. Dropped the kerchief.
“It’s not here.”
No. Couldn’t be.
We stared at the mess. In my mind I heard Morton’s hitched voice: “Rawly.”
Nance spat a curse. “You said it was there!”
“It is! It was.” My stomach heaved. What was left for us? Our country? The lights would go out here tonight. Tomorrow, in the east.
Nance cursed again. “You’re lying.”
Emily jumped up, determination setting her jaw. “Maybe it’s something else to do with Rawly. In the girl’s bedroom.” She yanked the knife off the floor and limp-rushed toward the hall. “I’m popping that lock.”
My heart squeezed. What would Ashley do when Emily broke through her daughter’s door, wielding a knife? “No, wait!” I hurried after her.
“Hannah!” Mom called. I swiveled back. Pointed to Nance. “Don’t hurt her! One more minute, we’ll do this.”
Nance glared at me. I pivoted to follow Emily.
She reached the bedroom door and pounded it with her fist. “Let me in!”
Silence.
Emily jabbed the point of the knife into the lock and turned. The lock gave way. She shoved the door open.
“Wait, Em—”
The room was empty. On the back wall—an open window. Curtains fluttering. I took in a bed, white furniture, toy boxes. A desk. Something there caught Emily’s eye. She rushed to it and snatched up a small collar. “Look, it says Rawly!” She turned it over, examined the inside. Her chin lifted, victorious. “It’s here!” She thrust it toward me.
There they were, a random series of numbers and letters, written with a fine tip marker. Such little things to nearly cost us our lives.
From the living room my mother wailed. Emily and I rushed toward the sound. “We found it!” Emily clutched the collar in her hand. “We found it!”
Nance let my mother go. “Give it to me.”
Mom kicked Nance in the shins. “You’re a bad person!” Rage puffed out her cheeks.
“Mom.” I veered toward her.
“No! Leave me alone!” She reared back and screamed. The sound split the air. Anyone on the block could have heard.
“Stop!” Nance grabbed Mom and shook her. “Right now.”
My mother screamed louder, her eyes squeezed shut.
Nance clapped a hand over her mouth. “I swear I’ll kill you!” She rammed her gun back against Mom’s temple.
“No!” Emily dropped the collar and launched herself at Nance. I ran behind her, seeing Nance’s finger go for the trigger, knowing we’d never make it in time.
Mom beat both fists against Nance’s side, shrieking around her fingers.
Emily knocked into them both. Nance’s hand flew away from Mom’s head. I yanked my mother out of her grip. Nance stumbled, still holding the gun.
The front door splintered open. Heavy footsteps pounded.
Nance spun toward Emily and fired.
My daughter thudded to the ground.
Chapter 54
At the sight of Emily bleeding on the floor, everything in me went white. My brain held no thought, my body could not feel.
Mom shrieked.
Blood rushed back into my veins. I lurched for Emily and dropped to my knees beside her. She clutched her thigh, blood oozing onto her hands. It was the same leg already bleeding at the knee. Her face was white, eyes rammed shut.
Sergeant Wade ran into the room, gun raised. He skidded to a stop and aimed at Nance. “Put the gun down.”
“She came at me, Sarge, I had to shoot!”
“Put the gun down!”
She placed it on the floor.
“Kick it over to me.”
She obeyed. He picked it up.
Was I dreaming this?
A policeman bounded in, weapon ready, followed by two men wearing FBI vests. Wade handed the cop Nance’s gun. “Take her in.”
Take her in?