Already Gone (A Laura Frost FBI Suspense Thriller—Book 1) by Blake Pierce (notion reading list .txt) 📗

The door to Amy’s room opened, and Lauraturned with her heart leaping into her mouth. Her skull also lurched with themovement, but she ignored it in favor of concentrating hard on the figuresleaving the room for news.

“Thank you, Doctor,” the man in the graysuit was saying. He looked frazzled, his white shirt crumpled and creased, hishair disheveled. Laura couldn’t judge him for that. He was the governor, and itwas his daughter who had been missing for the last three days.

“Don’t mention it. Just don’t tire herout too much today. If she gets enough rest, we’ll be able to let her come hometomorrow,” an older man in a white coat said, nodding politely to everyonebefore hastening on his way to see another patient.

Laura read the signs, her eyes trackingurgently from face to face. The mother’s eyes were red from crying, but she wassniffling now and the sides of her mouth were turned up just fractionally. The governorseemed tired, yes, but relieved. As if they were through the worst of it.

Amy was going to be okay.

Laura felt her shoulders ratchet down alevel, the tension and apprehension flooding out of them just slightly. She wasout of the woods. Although there was still the question of that dark cloud, atleast she was safe right now.

“You’re the man who found her, isn’tthat right?” the governor was saying, pointing at Nate.

“Oh—well, it was myself and my partner,Agent Frost,” Nate replied, pasting his customer-friendly smile on his face ashe turned to gesture toward Laura. A smile he only dragged out when having todeal with important people connected to cases. She wished he wasn’t using itright now, and especially not turning it toward her. “Actually, she did all ofthe work. I was just backup, really.”

“Oh, thank you,” the governor’s wifesaid, her voice halfway to a sob again, as she stepped forward. She clutchedLaura’s hand between her own, despite the fact that one of them was alsoholding a decidedly damp handkerchief. “Thank you for saving our baby.”

Laura flashed a weak smile up at thewoman and her husband. It was the most she could manage with the threat ofdanger still hanging over Amy, and the opportunity to talk to her again soclose but so far. “Just doing our jobs.”

“And some,” the governor replied, givingher a look with raised eyebrows. He was the kind of man who always seemed morethan slightly impressed with his own words. “You gave us our daughter back,Agent Frost. I’m going to keep my eye out for you, and that’s a promise. There’sa promotion coming your way.”

Laura nodded gratefully, though she didn’tbelieve a word of it. People always made big, slick promises when they were inthat first flush of relief. Everything would be back to normal soon enough. “Thankyou, sir.”

The governor nodded and made to steppast her, but Laura saw her chance and couldn’t miss it. Hardly knowing whatshe was about to say, she turned after him and raised a hand, preventing thecouple from moving past her. “Actually,” she said, “I was wondering if it wouldbe all right for me to talk with Amy.”

“Why’s that?” the governor asked, theslight beginning of a frown poised to overtake his amiable expression.

“Just to make sure we understandeverything,” Laura said. She was mostly making it up as she went along. Someonewould be assigned to talk to Amy, yes—but not her. It would be an agent who wastrained in dealing with children, who knew how to speak to them and tiptoe aroundtrauma. “It won’t be too much for her. I want to make sure she’s all right, andwe haven’t missed any injuries, or anything like that.” She kicked herselfinwardly for not having come up with a better excuse, but it was the only thingshe had been able to think of. She was going to have to run with it now.

“Isn’t that the doctor’s job?” the governorasked, but then the storm cloud that had been threatening his face cleared. “Youknow what, let’s go ahead. I’d rather be sure our little girl is all right.”

Laura held up another hand to stop himfrom moving forward. She knew she was risking a lot—the governor had enoughpower to directly impact her career, as he’d just pointed out—but she needed tosee if another vision would come. “It’s important I speak with Amy alone,” shesaid. “If that’s all right.”

The governor hesitated, glancing at hiswife. After a moment, he shrugged. “Sure,” he said. “Whatever it takes.”

CHAPTER FIVE

Laura nodded and turned to walk into Amy’sroom, ignoring the fact that Nate was watching her with an obvious question inhis eyes. She could explain to him later. Tell him how she just wanted to makesure the girl really was okay, how she felt responsible. He would accept it.Laura knew he wouldn’t question her then, and he wouldn’t stop her now.

She felt a painful squeeze in her chestat the sight of the small five-year-old body in the middle of the hospital bed,cleaned up and dressed in pajamas now. She was bandaged up and tiny, and herlarge blue eyes were sleepy as she watched Laura come into the room.

Laura took a breath before movingforward, needing to center herself. She’d recovered somewhat from her doublevisions, if not entirely. The coffee had helped. She just hoped it would beenough to allow her to trigger a new one—to let in the warning that little Amyso clearly needed.

“Hey there, Amy,” Laura said, keepingher voice low and soft. She made herself smile, so the girl would be reassuredand not afraid. “How are you doing?”

“You’re the lady who got me,” Amy said, herhead moving on the stack of pillows she was in danger of being dwarfed by.

“Yes, I am,” Laura said. She sat down inthe chair by the bed. “I just wanted to check that you’re all right.”

“Yeah,” the girl said, pushing herselfupright in bed, her halo of blonde hair tumbling down her back. “I was so happywhen I saw you!”

“You were?” Laura asked, smiling. Amyreached out, and Laura obliged her by taking her hand, moving to sit on theedge of the bed so she