Karen Rose - Have You Seen Her?

"Take your son," Steven said. "But let the women go."

Jenna cried, "Steven, no-" and stopped when the gun ground into her head once again.

"Into the barn, Dr. Marshall," Mrs. Lutz commanded.

"But you said-" Jenna's protest was cut off when Mrs. Lutz pushed her. Jenna stumbled and fell into the barn, scraping her face on the wood floor, unable to break her own fall. Fueled by sheer instinct, Jenna rolled and Mrs. Lutz's shot narrowly missed her head.

Shaking her head clear, Jenna saw Steven rush forward, only for Josh to grab Steven around the neck and pull him backward, away from the barn. Jenna scrambled to her feet as Mrs. Lutz took aim and again Jenna let her instincts rule. Her leg shot out and around and the gun flew, landing harmlessly against the far wall. She came down on the balls of her feet and kicked again, this time striking Mrs. Lutz mid-torso, hearing a crack as Josh's mother's skull hit the floor, seeing the woman lay there, stunned.

Breathing hard, Jenna looked over to where Josh had Steven pinned to the ground, straddling his chest, his hands around Steven's throat. Steven's hands were around Josh's wrists, the two engaged in silent struggle. Steven was strong, but Josh had the advantage of youth and the strength of insanity. Josh was killing Steven.

Not today , Jenna thought . I need my hands . She ran to the table where Kelly lay tied, her eyes open, but unfocused. Jenna fumbled for one of the knives with her tied hands and slid the handle under Kelly's body as the girl blinked and struggled to speak.

"Just lean on it, honey," Jenna begged. "Don't let it slide."

Jenna leaned back against the sharp edge of the knife and tried to cut her bonds.

And felt the knife slide, the sharp tip nicking her own wrist. Pain pricked and blood flowed and Steven and Josh still struggled. So Jenna repositioned the knife and tried again, leaning backward to work the blade against the rope.

And this time the blade stayed put as Kelly somehow summoned enough energy to lean on the knife. "Good girl, Kelly." A few jerks and another deep nick and Jenna's hands were free. She grabbed a mask, knowing it was filled with the powder that would make Josh powerless in less time than it took to count backward from ten.

She ran to where Steven was still locked in struggle with Josh, his brown eyes wide, his face mottled red from exertion and lack of oxygen. Standing behind Josh, Jenna wrapped the mask around his face and pulled like hell. Ten, nine, eight … Just a few seconds more.

But Josh fought hard, dropping his hands from Steven's throat and grabbing at Jenna's hands behind his head. She hung on and counted as Steven pulled Josh's hands from hers.

" Seven, six, five …" she muttered, then cried out when Josh dug his fingernails into her wrists, ripping at her already abraded skin. Just when she thought Josh would break free, an arm reached around her and pressed the mask across Josh's mouth. Neil . His hand dripped blood, but still he used the flat of his arm to hold the mask in place, forcing Josh to breathe the ketamine.

" Four, three …" Jenna whispered and Josh slumped to the ground. Steven rolled onto his side, drawing in great gasps of air, and Neil collapsed behind her with a weak groan.

For a moment no one said anything, their labored breathing the only sound.

Steven pushed himself to his knees and looked at her through the sweat pouring in his eyes, his heart beating so hard he thought it would break free from his chest Her hair was gone, she had a new purple bruise covering the side of her face and her wrists were smeared with blood. But she was alive. And still the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.

"Are you okay?" he rasped out, choking on each breath he forced down his sore throat

She nodded. "You?"

"I've had worse." He grabbed his radio. "Officer down. Neil's been hit"

"What about Jenna?" came Lennie's crackling voice. "And Kelly Templeton?"

"I'm fine," Jenna said. "Kelly needs an ambulance and quickly."

Steven lurched to his feet. "Three ambulances." He stumbled into the barn doorway and saw Nora Lutz's unconscious body sprawled on the floor. "Make it four."

His radio rattled. "Steven, it's Liz. Where's Josh Lutz?"

Steven looked at Lutz's motionless body with disgust. "He's alive. We can Mirandize him when he comes to." He dropped to one knee and cuffed Nora Lutz, thinking it ironic how the silver of the cuffs clashed with the diamond bracelets she wore on both wrists. Let's see what your money will buy you this time, rich bitch , he thought, then rolled to his feet when Jenna limped into the barn.

Jenna grabbed his arm, her hands smearing blood on his sleeve, her eyes frantic. "Seth?"

"He's alive," Steven assured her and watched her relax. "Allison figured he'd taken you to the cemetery to talk. She found him unconscious and called 911. He has a headache, but he's alive. You need to sit," he said, wanting to take her face in his hands but was afraid he'd hurt her.

She shook her shorn head. "I want to cover Kelly before the paramedics come."

She wanted Kelly to maintain some semblance of dignity, he understood, so he shrugged out his jacket, tossing it on the ground, then unsnapped his holster and unbuttoned his shirt. "My shirt will be softer than my coat," he said, then refas-tened his holster against his bare skin.

Jenna hesitated, clutching his shirt in her bloody hands. "I have so much to say to you," she whispered. "I don't know where to start."

Steven took her face in his hands, as gently as he could. He had to prove to himself she was whole. He placed a kiss on her forehead, a half inch from where the stubble that had been her beautiful black hair began and felt her shudder. He looked down into her incredible eyes, so very grateful she was still alive. Nothing else seemed to matter. "Do what you need to do for Kelly." He cocked his head, hearing approaching footsteps. "Hurry and cover her and I'll tend to Neil. The cavalry's here."

Sunday, October 16, 10:00 A.M.

Casey ran a shaky hand over Jenna's stubbled scalp. "Well, we could take it down to the skin and you could go as Sinead O'Connor for Halloween," Casey said, trying for a cheerful tone but her voice wobbled and Jenna knew she was close to tears.

Jenna made herself smile for the benefit of her friends and family who'd gathered in the hospital waiting room to make sure she was truly all right. "Won't Father Mike be pleased?"

"I don't think he'll mind," said Father Mike from his seat against the wall. His had been the first face she'd seen when the ambulance brought her into the ER, smiling but terribly worried.

Her first words had been questions about Kelly's and Neil's condition. He'd told her Neil was in surgery and that Kelly's family was with her in ICU but wanted to talk to Jenna.

Six hours later Neil was still in surgery to repair the shattered bones in his thigh and hand.

Kelly's family had found Jenna in the ER, their expressions a wild combination of gratitude, relief, and grief.

Now, hours later, Jenna was numb. She expected to feel the jitters and the panic later. For now she was taking refuge in the faces of the people who loved her most.

Seth was there, of course, sporting his own bandage, compliments of Josh Lutz. Allison sat very quietly, clinging to her father's hand, knowing how close they'd come to losing him. Seth was blustery and tried to joke, but in the end he'd broken down, holding Jenna, rocking her, which she understood was purely for his own peace. If there was anything she'd learned in the last weeks it was that people needed to care for those they loved and to deny their care was to deny their love.