Everything hurts. The world around her is shaking, and Andrea tries to open her eyes to figure out what’s happening. Something warm and sticky is dripping onto her face, and she hears Ogden’s thunderous voice drowning out other agitated voices.

“Is she shot? Is she breathing?”

“Yes, but the bullet grazed the top of her vest.” It sounds like Azim.

Hands move her gently, and Andrea feels herself lying across two people’s legs. It’s uncomfortable, but the fact that Ogden is present prevents her from fully panicking.

“The blood then?” Ogden’s voice breaks. “There’s so much blood.”

“It’s from the scalp. She hit her forehead at the hairline when we pulled her down through the hatch. Needs stitches.” Now it’s Magnus’s voice.

“T-the guys?” Andrea whispers, but no one hears her. “Back there on the flatbed…”

“Shh. Wait,” Azim says. “Everyone quiet.”

It goes silent. Now Andrea hears the roar of the engine. “The guys on the flatbed?”

“They’re okay, honey,” Ogden says, his voice soft and muffled. “You knocked the shooter unconscious, and then the guys tipped him over the edge. We’ve crossed the bridge now. We’ll be home soon.”

“Okay.” Andrea feels nauseous. Doesn’t that mean she might have a concussion? “Theo’s bat?”

“Don’t you worry,” Azim says, and she hears how relieved he sounds. “You didn’t let go of it for a second. It’s here on the floor.”

“Good.” Then her head is spinning again, and she sinks into a gray, warm fog.

The next time she wakes up, she can open her eyes. It stings like someone has poured acid on her hairline, and she aches all over, but she recognizes the ceiling in the living room. Home in the Hudskills. Home? Yes. For the first time, it truly feels like home here in the vacation house. Andrea notices the sound of voices now, loud, agitated.

“A fourteen-year-old girl, and now she’s injured. Ogden, you would never have forgiven yourself if something had happened to Andy. Look at you sitting there—you’re shaking all over.” It’s Annemarie’s voice. She doesn’t sound angry, but rather completely distraught. Even more upset than she sounded when Emma was stabbed.

“I know, darling. I know. Damn…” Deep, sobbing gasps follow his pained words, and Andrea understands that Ogden is crying. Strong, knowledgeable, determined Ogden, is crying. For her sake? That’s not right.

Andrea gets up on wobbly legs, and at first, she thinks she’s going to fall as the room spins around her, but then she takes a few deep breaths and manages to stay on her feet. She walks towards the kitchen and then hesitates in the doorway. Annemarie and Ogden are sitting at the kitchen table, and he has buried his face against her neck.

“Ogden…” Andrea’s throat is dry, and she almost can’t get the words out. “Don’t cry. Please.” If Ogden cries like that much longer, she will start too, and she doesn’t want that. Deep down, Andrea knows that if she allows the tears to come, she won’t be able to stop them—maybe never.

“Andy?” Ogden looks up, and his face is red, and his cheeks are wet. “You’re awake.” He is about to get up, but Annemarie forestalls him. She rushes to Andrea and takes her in her arms.

At first, Andrea stiffens, unaccustomed to such emotional displays from Annemarie toward her. “Darling girl, you’re even on your feet. Come and sit down before you fall over. You’re shaking.” Annemarie leads Andrea to the chair she just vacated.

Ogden has found his handkerchief and mopped his cheeks, and now he looks at her with so much pain in his eyes that she almost loses control of her own tears after all. “How do you feel?” he asks in a hoarse voice.

“Head hurts. Feeling a little nauseous. A little sore, maybe.” Andrea smiles weakly. “How about you? You look a little rattled.”

“Little shit-kid,” Ogden says tenderly, which makes Annemarie laugh, albeit a little shakily.

“Would you like something to eat, Andy?” Anna Greta gestures towards the stove where something mouthwatering is bubbling in a large pot. “We’re about to have rabbit stew, but if you want, you can skip that and go straight to the apple pie. I’ve even made vanilla sauce. From powder, but still.”

“I’d love to have some later when you’re all going to eat, but if it’s okay, I think a little bread and mineral water will be fine right now.” She’s too nauseous to eat something rich, and besides, mineral water and bread was what Mom used to give her when she was recovering from a stomach bug.

“Then you’re in luck. I have two crates of mineral water in the basement after your and Ogden’s previous scavenging run. He hid it under the sacks of dog food you found. He meant to surprise you with it as he knows you like it.” Annemarie disappears down into the basement.

“Andy.” Now it is Ogden who takes Andrea in his arms. “I thought I’d lost you.”

“Not at all.” Andrea knows she sounds a little too flippant, but it stings behind her eyelids, and she doesn’t dare give in. “It just proves that you’re right, really, and remember how much you enjoy being right.”

“What do you mean?” Ogden leans back to look her in the eyes.

“I really need the guns. Two. One on each hip. If I’d had them loaded and ready to go in the truck, I wouldn’t have had to crawl up through the sunroof. I could have shot that bastard through the window.”

Ogden stares at her for a long time, and it’s not until Annemarie’s voice is heard from the doorway that they both blink.

“I never would have thought I’d agree with such a horrible thing,” Annemarie says calmly and hurries over. “You know what I think about firearms, but I have to accept that we live in a world where you can’t allow yourself to think as you did before, when it comes to certain things. And I was wrong when I called you a child, Andy. You’ve grown up, way too fast, but if you hadn’t, Emma wouldn’t be standing here today. I’m not just thinking about last Christmas, but even before that, when you found her in Remerton. If anyone can be trusted to when to weapons, it’s you. I can wish all I want that it wasn’t necessary, but you’re right, Andy. If you’d had weapons already, you wouldn’t have had to perform such a stunt as you did today. The guys you saved are eternally grateful to you and are just waiting for you to feel better so they can thank you and spoil you rotten.”

“It’s not necessary,” Andrea murmurs. She thinks about what Annemarie just said. Could it be that Annemarie has really grown fond of her too and not just accepts her for Emma’s, her darling child’s, sake? She did call Andy ‘darling girl’ just before. “There may come a day when they’ have to do something similar for me.”

“So true.” Annemarie pours sparkling water and sets the glass in front of Andrea. After rummaging around in a tin box, she gives Andrea a thick slice of homemade bread. “Eat now, and you’ll see that the nausea will subside a bit. And you too, Ogden. Stew or bread?”

Ogden chooses a bowl of stew. They eat in silence, he, and Andrea, but the atmosphere is calm and relaxed now there in the kitchen. Andrea looks around. “Where’s Emma?”

“She’s playing with two of the new children. She knows you got hurt, but not what a narrow escape this was.” Annemarie has poured coffee for herself and sits opposite Andrea and Ogden. “Zantana is watching over them diligently. He’s a wonderful dog. Now we just need a couple more of about the same size, preferably German Shepherds, if possible.”

“What do you mean?” Ogden raises his eyebrows at his wife.

“We must breed more of Zantana’s caliber and train them.” Annemarie smiles. “It has made an enormous difference for me to have Zantana here. It’s as if I can relax in a completely different way when I have him. Besides, Andrea possesses instinctive knowledge when it comes to training dogs. It would be a waste not to try to produce more like Zantana.”

“You’re damn brilliant, woman.” Ogden gives Annemarie a thumbs up. “That’s how it will be. Next time we go out, we’ll keep our eyes open. There will be puppies here.”

“Puppies?” says a thin voice from the door. “Who’s having puppies?” Emma sees Andrea. “Andy!” She throws herself forward and is just about to hug her when her eyes widen and fill with tears. “What happened to your forehead?”

Andrea automatically lifts her hand to her hairline, but Ogden stops her.

“Andrea got a cut on her forehead when she hit her head. Annemarie had to stitch it up.”

“Like on me.” Emma puts her hand to her cheek. “So, no one cut you?”

"Not at all. I just hit my head in the car." Andrea pulls Emma close to me. "I heard you were watching Zantana and playing with the new kids."

Emma lights up. "Yup. We played hide-and-seek among the trees, and yes, within the boundary Annemarie marked out. The strange thing was that Zantana found us the whole time, but we had to search for him forever. He’s good at hiding."

Andrea sees in her mind's eye how Zantana lay in wait and watched over the children and enjoyed being able to pull a joke on them. Who says dogs don't have a sense of humor? "That's sounds fun. I was thinking of going to rest a bit while you and the others have dinner. Will you wake me when it's time for the apple pie?"

"Apple pie?" Emma looks wide-eyed at Annemarie. "Are we having dessert today?"

"We are," Annemarie says. "If you're a good girl and wash your hands, you can help me set the table. There will be many of us for dinner today."

Ogden supports me on the way back to the couch. I half-heartedly suggest that I should perhaps go lie down up in the attic as usual, as I don't want to be in the way, but he wants to hear that. "It's important to keep an eye on someone you suspect may have a concussion. I don't think you're badly injured, but just to be safe, we’d like both you and Emma to sleep down here for a couple of nights. Emma mostly because she needs to be where you are. Okay?”

"Sure. No problem." I yawn. "Actually, I appreciate not having to climb the ladder when I'm so dizzy. The couch is comfy."

"Thought so." Ogden waits until I lie down and then pull a blanket over me. "Call if you need anything. We'll be in the kitchen."

"Thanks." I yawn again, and this time when I nod off, it is a pleasant feeling of being able to do so in the safety of my home with Emma’s and my new family. Here with Ogden, Annemarie, and the others, no harm will come to us.