Chapter 207: Rhys
Sammy was finally asleep after hours of crying. I swear she hadn’t let go of me once, since I decided to go back up to the Alpha Floor. It was so much emptier than I was used to. More families had stepped up to offer foster homes since the picnic, and now it was just Maizie, Michael, and Sammy left. Maizie and Michael had been taking turns dealing with Sammy’s crying, and when they weren’t doing that, they were doing their best to come up with a plan to rescue Grace.
My heart hurt a little bit knowing that I had left them to deal with the loss on their own. Sawyer had been there, at least more than I was, but I knew it wasn’t the same. They needed me because I was closest to Grace. I was how they could feel helpful.
I glanced over the side of the bed, and both Maizie and Michael were sound asleep on the floor. So much for the no kids in our room rule, I chuckled to myself slightly. Not that we had followed it since Caleb got taken, and Sammy had slept in our bed every night. And right now, the need for all of us to be together had been too much to ignore, even with an inconsolable Sammy.
My mind was wired, but I was also exhausted. I just wanted Grace. I would have given anything to have her back. I fell asleep wishing that I could meet Grace in a dream world again....
A scream dragged me from my sleep. I sat up, my mind already on high alert as I scanned the room.
“Shhh, it’s okay, Sam,” Maizie cooed, scooping Sammy right up out of bed. How she had woken up so quickly I had no idea, but it looked like second nature. I wondered how many times she had had to do this before. How many times she had comforted the children that she had kept track of for so long? How many times did she react before anyone else could. “It was just a dream, sweet girl. It was just another dream.”
Maizie looked at me in surprise as I stood up and reached out to take Sammy from her. She had done enough lately. Yes, this was a team effort, but she was still a child. She might not be technically for much longer, but she was still too young to hold this much weight. Not if I could help it.
“I’m sorry, I should have noticed she was having a nightmare sooner,” Maizie apologized as she handed over Sammy reluctantly.
“Don’t be. Does she have them often?” I asked, combing my fingers through the small girl’s hair.
“They were going away. She did better when Caleb was around. But she’s had them ever since she was thrown in the program. They started back a little when Caleb got taken, but they’re back at full force since Grace got taken too, especially since it happened right in front of her.”
I nodded taking in the full impact of her words. Sammy was so young still. This world was destroying her. We needed to make it better for her. For all the kids out there. For everyone.
“Did you get any sleep?” I asked, noticing the fatigue in her voice, and the dark circles under her eyes.
She shrugged, and I realized it wasn’t just Sammy who was having bad dreams.
“You can lay down again if you want.” I offered as Sammy clung to me, her tears soaking my shirt.
“I’m fine.” She answered, her voice tight with unspoken emotion.
I nodded. She clearly wasn’t okay, but it wasn’t the battle to fight right now.
“Would you mind if I went to work in the office for a little while?” She asked, hesitantly. She usually just showed up at the office, so I was a little surprised that she felt the need to ask.
“Go ahead,” I told her. I knew that look in her eye. She needed to get out of here. She needed to take whatever anxious energy she had and get to work. I was sure she would be vital in us finding Grace. She had lived through the program. She would be the key we needed for our success. Her and all the kids who had lived through it, now with us.
I paced around the room with Sammy until she finally settled down and fell asleep in my arms. My heart hurt for her. Her fear was real, and she had every reason to be afraid, but I would do everything I could to protect her. I had failed to protect Grace. I hadn’t even noticed her slip into the woods. But I would get her back, and I would protect Sammy with everything I had.
I laid Sammy back down in bed and began to get ready for the day. The sun was barely rising, but I knew better than to think there was any chance I could go back to sleep. The fact that I had even managed to get a few hours of sleep was more than I thought possible.
After a quick shower, Sammy was stirring again. I wasn’t sure if it was another nightmare or not, so I picked her back up and took her down to my office with me. The girl might have nightmares, but she could sleep through anything.
“Hey, find anything interesting?” I asked Maizie as walked in.
She looked up at me from her usual spot on the floor. She looked like she was drawing something, but she closed it before I could see.
“I’m just-” Her words died on her lips. Her tired eyes looked back at the book she had just closed.
“Trying to find a solution?” I offered.
“Yea.” She nodded.
“There’s a manilla folder on your desk... Someone brought it up right after I came in.”
I froze. “What? Who brought it?”
“I don’t know.” She frowned. “I think they thought I was you when they saw the light on. But I didn’t recognize them.”
My mind started racing. Holy fuck. Either someone had snuck into the pack and got all the way to my office, or I had a mole, and honestly, both were equally plausible at this point.
“Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?” Maizie asked.
I didn’t answer though... I just grabbed the folder and opened it with one hand, pulling out the pictures I knew would inevitably be in there... But this time there was only one.
A girl, beaten nearly beyond recognition. Her blonde hair, matted with blood. But I would know her anywhere... It was Grace.