Four Flames for Angela

The police had overtaken the driver of the car that was chasing Angie and Todd and forced them off the road. Inside the car had been Ms. Jean, Todd’s teacher, and several of the gang members Thomas had been involved with.

The leader of the gang had decided that if they couldn’t get the money from Thomas, they would get it from his family. Thomas had been stupid enough to have the gang take him to Angie’s house and Todd’s school.

When they got to the school, they had planned to take Todd and force Angie to give them money that way, but they had been too late. Angie had already gotten Todd, so they had kidnapped Ms. Jean, hoping to use her for leverage against Angie.

“Are Angie and Heidi still at the hospital?” Rock looked at River.

“As far as I know. They were going to try and be there in case Ms. Jean woke up.”

“Did Angie tell you what the doctors said?” River moved a box and closed the hatch on the back of the SUV.

“Yeah. It’s only a matter of time before she wakes up,” Rock answered and got into the driver’s seat.

* * * *

Angie sat by Maryjean Nicholls’s—Ms. Jean to her students—bed waiting to see if today would be the day the woman woke up. When she had been kidnapped by the drug dealer trying to extort money from Angie, they had given her a cocktail of drugs to knock her out. The combination had reacted badly with her system, and she still hadn’t woken up. The doctors couldn’t figure out why. She should have woken days ago.

The three men from the sheriff’s office, Chad, Zeke, and Brock Parsons, had been stopping by every day to check on Maryjean and see how she was doing. They had all helped extract her from the hands of her kidnappers.

“Any news?” Zeke asked quietly when he saw Angie holding Maryjean’s hand.

“Nothing new. The doctor was in a while ago and said that nothing’s changed. They don’t want to try any more meds, not knowing what her allergies or past history might be. They are working and trying to get the school to release her records and contact some family, but the school board isn’t being cooperative and getting a judge’s order takes time,” Angie answered. What a mess. She had become friends with Todd’s teacher, but di

dn’t know that much about the woman other than the fact she was a few years older than Angela, divorced, and had just moved to Rockville, Florida, from somewhere out west. Angie wasn’t sure where.

“You’ve got our number to call us if she wakes?” Brock asked. One of the brothers asked every time they visited to make sure someone would call them. Angie wasn’t sure whether their interest in the woman was professional or personal and didn’t know them well enough to ask.

“Yes,” Angie reassured him again. “I have all three of your numbers added to my phone, they are in her chart, and all the nurses know to call one of you and to keep calling each number until someone answers. And we have the number to the station and dispatch to try also.”

“Okay, I get it. We’re a little obsessed,” Zeke said with a laugh.

“Just a little, (stalker).” Angie laughed with him and decided the interest the men had in Maryjean was probably more personal.

“I’m going to head home. The guys were packing up the last of the house today, and it’s about time to get Todd. I just wanted to sit with her for a little while. I wish I knew if she had any family that would be worrying about her. Are you staying?” she asked as she gathered her things and walked toward the door.

“Yeah, I’m off duty tonight, and I told Brock and Chad that I would sit with her for a couple hours.” He held up a book. “I’m going to read to her for a while. Maybe she’ll hear me and wake up to find out the end of the story.”

“Good luck.” Angie gave Zeke a quick hug and headed to the school to get Todd.

Epilogue

One year later

“Angie, am I going to Dustin’s?” Todd called as Rock and River helped Angie into the car.

“Yes, honey. Sawyer and Hunter are going to drop you off while River and Rock take me to the hospital.” Angie held on to Rock as he carefully guided her to the waiting SUV.

“I could carry you, baby,” River said from her other side.

“I don’t need to be carried. I’m as big as a whale. Do we have everything?” Angie let Rock lift her into the seat.

“Yes, I got your bag with everything you packed, and I got the bag for the baby to come home with,” River answered patiently. They’d been prepared for this day for a couple weeks. First babies could be unpredictable, and Angie had wanted to be ready.

“Sawyer and Hunter know to come to the hospital after they drop Todd off?” Angie asked, trying to get her seat belt on.

“I don’t think anything could keep them away. Here, let me do that for you.” Rock reached around her and fastened her belt.

“Did you call the doctor and the hospital and let them know we are on the way?” Angie wanted to make sure she didn’t forget anything.