‘Yeah, exactly what Reece was thinking when he had him pinned down on the bed.’
‘Fair play, Reece,’ she said as they followed the trolley out of the door into the hallway.
Leanne had been persuaded to take a seat in the ambulance while they popped the fucker back in.
‘You’d best get after the ambo,’ she said to Bryant as they put Gavin in the back. ‘You need to get a guard duty set up and be there if he’s ready for questioning.’
‘You not coming?’
She nodded towards the second ambulance. ‘I’d best stay with her. We’ll get a lift to the hospital once she’s sorted,’ she said, nodding to the squad cars.
‘You sure?’ he asked, frowning.
‘Got more coppers here than an EDL protest. I’ll be fine, and my very own superhero will be good as new in about twenty minutes.’
‘Okay, see you there,’ he said, leaving her standing in the doorway.
Kim had the sudden urge to call him back, say something, share something, but she didn’t. She stared at the ground and swallowed the emotion down in her throat.
As soon as he’d disappeared, she collected herself and headed to the back of the ambulance.
‘She okay?’ Kim asked the paramedic standing at the front of her shoulder.
‘As stubborn as you said. This should be done at hospital.’
‘Just get on with it,’ Leanne growled.
Kim adjusted her position for a clear view.
‘Okay, take a deep breath – one, two, three.’
Kim winced at the sound of the joint being popped back into place. She watched as the last splashes of colour left Leanne’s cheeks and her eyes rolled backwards and she folded against the guy supporting her.
The paramedic turned to her. ‘She’ll be back in a couple of minutes.’
That didn’t give her long.
‘Take care of her,’ Kim said, before moving away. The plan was formed firmly in her mind, and she just needed one more thing to execute it.
She approached a young-looking police constable halfway down the driveway.
‘You got your phone on you?’ she asked, holding out her hand.
‘Err…yes, marm, but—’
‘Mine got trashed inside and I need to make a call.’
She kept her arm outstretched to show she wasn’t moving away without it.
He dug in his front trouser pocket and handed it to her.
‘Thanks, I’ll be back in a sec,’ she said, heading towards the gate.
She walked away from the strobing blue lights and into the darkness of the road then paused behind the brick pillar and took her own phone from her back pocket. She switched it to silent and placed it down the front of her jeans. The borrowed phone was placed into her back pocket.
Despite everyone’s best efforts, they had been unable to find Symes or the missing two girls. There was only one way she had any chance to keep them alive. Not one person would have sanctioned her plan, but she knew there was no other way. To save the girls, she had to give him something he wanted more.
Her.