Bryant worked a corner of the tape free. She nodded. He pulled.
She let out a little yelp.
‘Are you hurt?’ he asked.
Both shook their heads, but Emma rubbed at her knee.
‘Did he hit you?’
‘Kicked,’ she said.
A fresh wave of hatred and loathing coursed through him as an officer appeared with two foil blankets and two bottles of water. A second officer handed him a knife.
‘Can you put your hands out for me?’
They both thrust them forward at the same time. He cut the tie wraps quickly and then freed their feet.
He unscrewed the tops of the water bottles and handed them a bottle each.
They each took a drink immediately and, while they did, he wrapped the foil blankets around them.
Secure in the knowledge that everything necessary was being done, he felt comfortable in asking some questions.
‘Was there a lady here?’
They both nodded.
‘Did he hurt her?’
They nodded, and Bryant felt sick to his stomach.
‘Where?’
Emma pointed to her side. ‘He kicked her, twice,’ she said, holding up two fingers.
‘He said he was going to hurt us, break all our bones, but the lady stopped him.’
Of course she did, Bryant thought.
‘He hurt her instead.’
Bryant’s heart ached.
‘Did he say where they were going?’
They both shook their heads.
‘Do you remember anything else they said?’
‘The lady showed him her phone. Said there was a choice,’ Emma offered.
Damn it. She had deliberately shown him the tracker to get him away from the girls. She’d shown her only hand to save two innocent lives and, damn her, it had worked. He felt the emotion pricking at his eyes.
‘Nothing else, Bryant,’ Leanne said, coming back into the room. ‘Parents are on their way.’
The girls surprised him by turning and hugging each other tightly.
‘It’s over,’ he said again as they cried in each other’s arms.