Silent Scream by Maria Rachel Hooley, Stephen Moeller Page A

thickening her words.  “I think the perp may be becoming very familiar with his Miranda rights.”  The siren grew louder until it seemed right upon them as a police car zipped into Maddie’s drive toward the house.  As Gabriel sauntered down the drive, Sam came toward him, gun in hand.  “She all right?”
    Gabriel could feel Maddie’s grip on his shoulder tighten as she stared at the gun and then past him at the two officers who stood conversing.  “Easy,” he whispered.  “That’s my brother.”  He nodded at Sam.  “She sprained her ankle.  Otherwise, she’s okay.  Did you get him?”
    “Yeah, we got the—all  but one, anyway.”
    “Them?” she whispered.  Maddie kept staring at the gun and  shuddered, feeling nausea creeping up her throat.  “How many were there?”
    “Three.”
    Gabriel turned toward her, noticed her pale face, then followed her gaze to the gun.  “Could you put that away?” 
    As Sam re-holstered his gun and stalked back over to the two cops, joining their conversation, Gabriel walked to the car, opened the back door, and set Maddie inside.  “You okay?”  As her head rested against back the seat, she closed her eyes, trying to calm the hammering in her chest.
    “Fit as a fiddle, didn’t you know?”
    “You’re pretty pale.”
    “I’ll check into a tanning bed.” 
    “I’m going to take a look at that ankle now.”  He unlaced her sneaker and gingerly pried it from her swollen foot before peeling off her sock.  Pushing up the leg of her jeans, he stared at a very swollen ankle.  “Yep, you’ve got a nasty sprain there. Once we get to the station, I’ll get some ice for you to put on it.”
    Maddie’s eyes opened.  “Why do I have to go to the station?”
    “To give your statement.”
    A movement toward the front of the house stole Maddie’s attention, and she saw Yolanda, followed by another cop, dart out of the house clutching Maddie’s black overnight bag.  She scurried toward the two cops.  “Did you find her?”
    “She’s in there.”  One of the cops pointed to Sam’s car, and Yolanda wasted no time in running toward it.    Sensing Yolanda wasn’t going anywhere until she saw for herself Maddie  was all right, Gabriel stepped back and allowed the nurse to take his place.
    “Are you all right?”  Her gaze traveled to Maddie’s bare foot.  “Your ankle is swollen.
    “I sprained it.  Otherwise, I’m okay.”
    She showed Maddie the bag.  “I picked up some of your clothing and toiletries.”  She gazed back toward the house.  “I’d ask you if you still wanted to go inside, but I don’t think you do.”
    “Because they were inside?  Is that what you mean?   Is that it?”
    Yolanda shook her head, and tears pooled, brimming over before she could wipe them away.  Still, she brushed her hand across her face.  “No, Maddie.  Not just that.  They’ve ransacked your house and destroyed pretty much everything.”
    “No,” Maddie whispered.
    Gabriel noted the sudden pallor of Maddie’s skin.  Her shoulders tensed, and she appeared almost ready to fly out of the vehicle yet again as Yolanda stepped back.  Long strands of dark hair spilled around her face, almost concealing it as she looked downward.  Taking her place, he knelt beside Maddie and lightly patted her knee as he set her sneaker on the floor of the car. “You look like you’ve had just about all the fun you can stand.  Maybe we should get you out of here.  Sound like a plan to you?”
    “Yes.”  Maddie said, averting her gaze to the Plexiglas shield between the front of the squad car and the rear.
    “I’ll see what I can do,” he said, rising and walking to join his brother and the other officers who stopped conversing at his approach.  “Is there any way we can get Maddie out of here?  I’ve picked her up from the ground once, and for her sake, I really don’t want to have to do it again.”
    “You’ve got enough trouble in your