EMP Catastrophe - Hamilton, Grace (best books to read for beginners txt) 📗

would pay. “I know Matthew will return soon and we will be able to get Patton back.”

Ruth put her hand on Kathleen’s arm. She licked her lips, appearing as if she wanted to say something, but it was difficult for her. “I’m so sorry, Kathleen,” she finally said. “I didn’t protect Patton like I should have. I noticed him leaving the hotel without saying anything, but then I did the same thing. I didn’t let anyone know where he was or that I was going after him. I’m still having a difficult time learning how to survive in a world like this.” She took in a deep breath. “It’s my fault Patton was kidnapped. I didn’t fight hard enough for him. I should’ve done everything in my power to save him and get him away from that dreadful man, but I wasn’t able to. For that, I can’t apologize enough.”

Kathleen put her hand over Ruth’s. “You did nothing wrong,” she said. “What could you have done? Colin had a knife. I would’ve complied too, just to make sure that nothing happened to Patton. Don’t take the blame for any of this. I know I sound like a broken record, but we will get Patton back.”

“What if he blames me too?” Ruth said, sounding tearful.

Kathleen pulled Ruth into a tight hug. “He knows you would move heaven and earth for him. He loves you so much. Don’t think that he would ever stop.”

Ruth’s shoulders shook. “Thank you,” she said. “Matthew said something similar, but I keep imagining all the things I should’ve done better. If I could just go back in time and re-do everything…”

“Wishful thinking,” Kathleen said and pulled back so she could see Ruth’s face. She wiped at her own tears and looked at the meager offerings they had for food. “We should probably make something to eat while we wait for Matthew to come back. Not much else to do, and I’m going crazy waiting around. I figure we should all be fortified for what’s to come. How does that sound?”

Ruth nodded. “I’ll get Allison.”

“And I’ll drag my no-good brother down here.”

Ruth paused. “I know Max is troubled,” she said. “I can see that he loves you and the family very much, but I’m proud of you for drawing the line in the sand. He needs to know where he can and can’t push. Kathleen, that’s such a hard thing to do. It takes such courage.”

Kathleen was at a loss for words. She didn’t know what else to say and instead pulled Ruth into a quick hug before departing the kitchen. As she walked back up to Max’s room, she felt her steps become heavier. She didn’t want to start another fight with Max, but now that she had, in a way, given him an ultimatum, she hoped it didn’t change things between them. Her heart could only take so much.

His door was closed. She rapped three times and waited for an answer. Nothing. Maybe he had fallen asleep. She opened the creaky door and saw that the rumpled bed was empty. Frowning, she noticed that his shoes and socks—usually in a heap on the floor—were gone as well. A piece of paper sat folded against the lamp. Normally, she would dismiss something like that, but her name had been clearly written in large block letters on the front. Not just a piece of paper. A note.

Her throat closed up, and she thought she might pass out. She banged the door open as she dove for the note and flipped it open, standing next to the empty bed with her body as tight as a bowstring. She scanned the message. Max had never been a man of letters, but she felt his sorrow in each line as he apologized over and over again for what had happened. His self-deprecation made her insides clench with sadness. When she’d told him they needed to be truthful with each other, she didn’t think he would see it like this. She wasn’t asking him to sacrifice himself. She would never do that.

She ran for the window and looked desperately out. Scanning the grounds, she hoped she would see his limping form making its way across the road, but only the trees and jagged mountain line met her line of sight. When would Max have left? How far away was he? Did she have any chance of catching up to him and begging him to reconsider? She’d take back everything she said, that they could be as they’d always been. Nothing had to change. If only he’d wait for Matthew to come back.

The letter clutched in her hand, she ran downstairs and stumbled back into the kitchen. Allison and Ruth were talking softly at the counter and Kathleen flung the crumpled note down between them. “He’s going to give himself up,” Kathleen said. “He’s going to get himself killed.”

Ruth took the letter and opened it up, her eyes scanning the words. Kathleen trembled uncontrollably, her teeth wanting to chatter because her fear made her feel so cold. Ruth handed the letter to Allison and looked up at Kathleen with concern. “Did you see him outside? Did you check?” Ruth asked.

“I didn’t see him,” Kathleen whispered. The few strings that were keeping her upright and focused began to fray and split. The box where she’d kept her fear over Patton exploded and now in conjunction with Max’s disappearance, made her want to collapse to the floor in a bundle to scream out her pain and frustration.

“Mom, don’t cry, please,” Allison begged.

Kathleen realized tears were pouring down her cheeks, and when she opened her mouth to say that she was okay, that she would figure it out, nothing came out but a choked sob. Ruth rounded the counter and took Kathleen in her arms, holding her tight.

“Am I going to lose my family, Ruth?” Kathleen asked desperately. “I can’t lose them both. I won’t survive it.”

“We’ll get them back.” Ruth hugged her tighter. “Don’t worry.