Chapter 14 - Safe Haven
The afternoon sun was warm and golden as Hannah walked through the double glass doors of the Boone elementary school administration office.
Inside the bright, colorful lobby decorated with paper pumpkins and finger-paint art, Principal Andrews stood holding a clipboard, looking slightly bewildered by the sudden influx of federal agents securing the perimeter.
And sitting on a small blue chair near the reception desk, coloring a picture of a smiling green dinosaur with pink crayons, was Lily.
“Mama!”
Lily dropped her crayon, leaped off the small chair, and ran across the linoleum floor, throwing her arms around Hannah’s waist with a joyful squeal.
Hannah dropped to her knees, burying her face in Lily’s soft hair, wrapping her arms around her daughter so tightly that for a fleeting second, she felt like she might never let go.
“Hey, baby,” Hannah choked out, blinking back a sudden, hot rush of tears she hadn't shed through all the gunfire, interrogations, and threats. “Are you okay? Did anyone bother you today?”
“No! My teacher gave me apple juice and we finger-painted!” Lily beamed, holding up her green dinosaur drawing proudly. “Why are all those policemen outside?”
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“Just some old friends stopping by to say hello,” Hannah smiled softly, kissing the top of Lily’s head. “Come on, sweet girl. Let’s go home.”
As they walked out the front doors hand-in-hand, Agent Miller gave Hannah a respectful nod from beside his unmarked cruiser. The threat was neutralized. The syndicate’s remaining tentacles had been severed by federal coordination. The ghosts of Chesapeake were finally, truly buried.
