DEAD IN BED By Bailey Simms: The Complete Second Book

PART 9, SECTION 7

To be honest, it was kind of wonderful that my mom was acting so kind. Her experience as a prisoner, counting down what she'd thought to be her remaining hours on the Home Guard's version of death row, must have affected her. 

When I asked if they were warm enough, she explained, without complaining at all, that she'd stuffed the panels of both her parka and my dad's parka with extra feathers. She beamed with pride at her ingenuity. 

"Times have been hard," she said. "But we've been getting by."

My dad, as usual, was quiet. But slowly, holding his hands over the fire, he explained how they'd ended up imprisoned in the locker room as "unsanitaries."

"I couldn't believe how fast the Home Guard reached the house," he said. "One minute they were coming up the driveway, the next they were right there on the porch, putting your mother and I in handcuffs."

At mention of this, my mom began to cry. "It was Jason and all those boys," she said. "We'd just made them all lunch only the day before!"

My dad nodded and continued, "Only good thing to come of our being out there on the porch with our coffees that morning, just then, was that we stalled them," he said. "They were busy arresting us, for—what'd they call it?—'harboring TGV positives.' It gave Ian enough time to get Danielle and the kids out. Thank God."

"So they're all safe then," I said, relieved. "Where did Ian take them?"

My dad looked at me. "I don't know where they are, Ash," he said somberly. "I don't know."

"But you're sure Ian got them out, though? Right? Jason never found them?"

"They had us arrested and took us away so quick, I didn't see a thing." My dad admitted. "But we stalled them quite a while. Plenty long enough for Ian to get them all out. This is Ian we're talking about here, Ash. You know he was smart about it. He had this whole 'emergency evacuation' plan drawn up in case anyone stormed the house. I'm sure he got them out."

My dad gently grabbed my knee and gave it a quick, reassuring squeeze. My mom stared into the fire.

"Well that's a relief, then," I said quietly, without actually feeling very relieved at all.

The clouds were breaking up overhead, and for a moment the moon appeared. Then the clouds covered it back up again.

I was as confident in Ian's capabilities as my dad was. But, still, I wished I knew where they were. If Ian and Danielle weren't at the house anymore, and they weren't here, I had no idea where Ian would have taken them. . . 

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