any more.
—Isaiah 54:4
To my family—
I have everything because I have you.
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The first thing Laura Donovan saw when she regained consciousness was the man leaning over her.
The first thing she felt was her fist connecting with his jaw.
“Hey!” the man exclaimed, stepping back quickly while holding his jaw. His hat fell to the floor.
Laura scrambled to her feet, trying to keep an eye on the man while desperately scanning the cabin for Abby. She didn’t see her daughter anywhere. “Where’s my daughter?” Laura was breathing hard like she had just run for miles, and she could feel her heart pounding in her chest. The muscles in her fingers tightened as she thought about fighting this man. She would do it if she had to. She would do anything to save her daughter.
The man’s eyes widened and his hand moved away from his face. Instead, he held both hands in front of him, palms out, as if trying to show Laura that he was harmless. He was looking at Laura like she was a crazy person. “Your daughter?”
The man was dressed like a park ranger, right down to the ridiculous hat. Maybe he was a park ranger, since Mahoney’s men had all been dressed in black from head to toe. Laura didn’t care. She did not have time for this game. She had no idea how long she’d been unconscious, and she had no idea where Mahoney and his men were.
“Abby! Abigail!” Laura tried to sound calm, but there was no keeping the emotion from her voice. “It’s okay, honey! Please come out. Please!” Laura ran into the cabin’s first bedroom, flung open the closet door and dropped to her belly to look under the bed. Nothing. She ran into the bathroom and frantically pulled open the cupboard doors looking for the three-year-old. Where was she?
Please let her be hiding. Please let her be in the cabin. Please, please, please. Abby had to be terrified. What if she had run outside? What if Mahoney took her? What if he didn’t, instead just killing the girl? Her baby.
No.
“It’s okay, Abby! Mommy promises. Please come out.” Laura ran to the closet in the second bedroom and threw the door open. She fell to her knees, crying in relief. Abby was there on the closet floor, arms locked around her knees pulling them tightly into her chest. She just looked at her mother, tears running down her cheeks.
“Abby. Oh, Abby. Come here, baby. It’s okay, just come here.” Laura pulled her sweet girl into her arms, then stood up while trying to press the child’s warmth as close to her body as possible. Laura turned and swallowed hard when she saw the park ranger standing in the doorway.
He still had his hands held out in front of him, still had a confused look on his face.
Laura froze, trying to decide what to do. She had Abigail. Her daughter was okay. She was okay.
“Mrs.
