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CHAPTER 79
STONE RACED TO ABBY and helped her up. She was scared, but okay.
Alex and Harry Fi
Stone and Abby came over to him and she knelt down next to him, took his hand.
"Tyree, are you okay?"
He tried hard not to show the pain. "Hell, take more than this to get me all worked up."
The shout made them all turn toward the woods.
Caleb was ru
They raced after him, Stone and Reuben in the lead. They plowed through the brush and vines.
When Stone saw what Caleb was pointing to, he felt like he had just died. He rushed to the fallen man's side.
"Da
Da
Da
Stone looked back over his shoulder toward where Manson lay. That first blast from the MP-5 had hit right here. He turned back and counted no less than three bullet holes in Da
Reuben squatted next to his friend and picked up the rifle. "He was the one who took out the warden."
"Damn right," Da
Stone felt rather than heard the presence behind him. He rose and stared at Abby, whose gaze was only on her son.
"I'm sorry, Abby," Stone said. "I'm sorry."
Blood was spilling out of Da
She dropped to her knees next to him, taking his hand in hers. The sob burst from her with such force that all the others, who'd clustered somberly around mother and son, felt tears rise to their own eyes. Her features looked like those of a child fleeing a monster in a nightmare. Yet then Abby almost instantly calmed, perhaps sensing that her son needed her to be strong; that her boy's last moments on earth would not be taken up with the sight of a hysterical mother.
"I'm sorry, Ma. For all the stuff."
Stone knelt and held the young man's other hand. He felt it growing cold.
She said, "I love you, Da
"Shouldn't got mixed up in all this drug stuff. But didn't want to work the mines. And didn't want to take the death money either. You know?"
"I know. I know, baby." Tears were spilling from them both.
"Didn't have nothing to do with any killing. 'Cept the bastard warden." Da
"I love you, Da
He looked over at Stone. When he spoke his voice was so weak Stone had to bend close to hear. "Me and Willie. State champs… Boy caught everything I threw at him. Shoulda played at Tech together. You know?"
"You two were the best, Da
"California dreaming, man."
He turned back to his mother. "California dreaming…"
Da
Just held him.
CHAPTER 80
THE CAMEL CLUB sat at Rita's Restaurant. The place was not open for business today, but Abby had insisted that they use it and her home for as long as necessary. Sheriff Tyree was expected to make a full recovery. He had summoned the Virginia State Police, who were currently sorting out the mess in Divine. Since transport of drugs across interstate lines had occurred, the feds had also been called in. Knox and Alex had run interference with their government colleagues and Stone, A
Stone and the others watched the street through the front windows of Rita's. Along with the cop cars and black sedans swooping up and down the road, they observed several citizens of Divine walking around as though in shock, some holding dividend checks that they now knew were nothing more than drug money.
Da
When everyone had had some food and coffee, Stone stood in the middle of the small circle of the best and perhaps only friends he had in the world.
"I would like to thank you for what you did," he began, looking at each of them in turn.
Reuben immediately piped in, "Oliver, don't go sappy on us. You would have done the same for any one of us."
"You have done the same for every one of us," said A
Stone shook his head. "I know how much you risked. I know what you sacrificed to come here and do what you did." His gaze settled on Alex Ford. "I especially know what you did, Alex. Even though it went against all your instincts as a Secret Service agent. And I appreciate it more than I can ever express."
Alex could only meet Stone's heartfelt gaze for a few moments before he looked down at his shoes.
When the door opened, they all turned to see who it was.
Abby had changed her clothes and washed her face, though the imprint of the tears she had bled with Da
Abby and Stone sat at a back table. When Stone handed her some napkins she shook her head. "I've got no more left. No more tears."
"Just in case then," he said. "What will you do now?"
"You mean after I bury my son? Haven't thought that far ahead."
"He saved us, Abby. But for what he did, you and I would be dead. He was a brave man who tried to do the right thing. That's how you have to remember him."
"I told you I lost my husband. Da
"I know it's hard, Abby. It's harder than anything else you'll ever have to do."
"You lost your wife, but you still have your daughter."
"What?" Stone said, startled.
"That woman out there said she was your daughter."
"Oh." Stone looked embarrassed. "That was a cover story, I'm afraid. My daughter." He stumbled over what he was about to say. "My daughter died, like I said."
"How?"
"Abby, you don't-"
"Please tell me. I want to know."
Stone slowly looked up to see her gazing at him pleadingly. "She was shot right in front of me when she was an adult. And the thing was she didn't even know I was her dad. The last time I'd seen her she was only two years old. I found her again after all those years and then I lost her. Forever."