EXCERPT FROM BETRAYED - A romantic suspense novel | Page 49

BETRAYED

will kill us.”
“Shut up, Gerard. If we don’t, this lady is gonna die.”
After what seemed like a lifetime, I sensed someone else.
The scared little voices called her Mommy. A scream echoed
through the darkness. Slowly I remembered my broken nose
and broken arm. The horrible beating from that awful old man.
What must they be seeing?
The new voice said, “Lord, she’s nothing but a child. Mercy.
Gerard, run to the Jackson’s house, middle of the block, hear?
They got a telephone. Tell ‘em to call the police and an
ambulance. Tell ‘em to say we found a mostly-dead naked white
girl just laying in this here lot. Hurry, child. She’s in a bad way.”
Something warm wrapped around me. I wanted to say
thank you, but nothing came out. I didn’t even know if my lips
moved. The woman had taken off her coat to cover me. I
wanted to cry, but the tears froze on my face. A rich voice said,
“Amazin’ you ain’t dead, child. Lord, it’s cold out here.”
Then the voice crooned, “Don’t you be ‘fraid now. My coat
will help some. Hush now child. We got you all right. We’re
gonna get you some help jus’ as quick as we can.” Rough hands
rubbed my face, in an effort to warm me.
I forced my eyes to open as much possible, and saw a very
worried-looking coffee-colored face through the slits. She raised
her arms to the sky, and called out, “Oh, Lord, have mercy on
this poor child. Who would do somethin’ like this? You’re
supposed to watch over the children.” She folded me in her
arms, and hugged me close to her body. Pain from my arm and
nose stabbed through me and the world fell away.
I was on something hard. It was moving. I managed to turn
my head and saw the cloudy image of a man whose red
mustache jiggled up and down as he ran beside me.
“Got a Jane Doe here,” he shouted. “She’s crashing! Who’s
on tonight?”
Another voice answered, “I’m not sure. Hurry, I think we’re
losing her.”

43