Every Precious Thing

CHAPTER EIGHTY — TWO

Alan wasn’t about to just stand around and wait. As soon as Mr. Harper was on the phone, he quickly made his way back to the corner.

He was only halfway to his sister’s house when he heard several dull thuds coming from somewhere near her place. He picked up his speed.

The front door was open, but he was smart enough to not rush through it. Instead, he decided the best idea would be to circle around the house. That way, he might be in a position to surprise the people who were trying to hurt his wife.

With effort, he climbed the fence and let himself down gently on the other side. Reggie was in the pen. When he saw that his visitor was Alan, he struggled to his feet, loped over, and began licking Alan’s hand.

“No, Reggie,” Alan whispered, petting the dog on the head.

He moved over to the gate of the pen and slipped his hand through the wire, undoing the latch. Suddenly there were more of the thuds. This time they were accompanied by voices-a woman and Logan Harper.

It was clear the woman was one of the people after his wife and daughter. All the anger and emotions that had plagued him since his wife left suddenly had focus.

This woman. She was the problem.

He tried to focus on what was being said, but was having a hard time making some of the connections. Logan was saying something about creating children and biological parents and prison, but it didn’t fully make sense.

What he heard next did.

“That’s not going to happen,” the woman said. “Once we take care of you, I’ll find the girl, and this will all just be a bad memory.”

Emily. She meant Emily.

No. No. No!

Without even realizing it, he was running through the gate.

“No!”