EMP Catastrophe , Hamilton, Grace [phonics readers txt] 📗

moment, he considered leaping to his feet and chasing the cartel runaways, but he abandoned the idea. Maybe they’d tell their boss to stay away from Galena. It was protected by some serious folk.

His breath caught in his throat when he made out the slumped form of Max, still hunched over Patton. For an agonizing moment, he didn’t know if they were going to move. If they’d been wounded. Whether they were alive or dead. But then, finally, Max uncurled away from his nephew, and Matthew saw Patton’s tear-stained face pop into view. “Oh thank god,” he whispered, grateful that his son was unharmed.

They had done it. Somehow, against all odds, he had managed to get his son back.

30

Matthew pointed his gun toward the ground and flicked the safety on. He tried to leap to his feet but felt a hand grab his shoulder.

“Matthew, we need to wait,” Wyatt hissed, yanking him back behind the shield of cars. “Just for a moment. There could be other shooters out there. We need to wait.”

Matthew pushed off Wyatt’s hand. “If someone was waiting to shoot at us, they would’ve attacked by now. They might still attack my son. I can’t wait.” He scrambled to his feet, and brushed off Wyatt when the Marine tried to pull him back down once more.

“Matt, wait, wait—”

Even with Wyatt’s warning still ringing in his ears, Matthew crept around the shield of cars and rushed forward toward Patton. His son’s tear-stained face was the light at the end of this particular tunnel, and Matthew knew he had to reach him and see for himself that Patton was alive and well. He needed to count the scratches and bruises. He needed to see what had been done to Patton with his own two eyes.

Ahead of him, Patton scrambled to his own feet, launching out of the protective circle of Max’s arms and running full speed toward Matthew. “Dad,” Patton cried out and Matthew’s heart tightened painfully at the distress in his youngest child’s voice. Matthew skidded to his knees as Patton barreled into him. Patton’s shaking, wiry arms wrapped around Matthew’s neck like steel bands and Matthew held him as tight as he possibly could. Relief engulfed him. Tears pressed against Matthew’s eyes as he whispered into Patton’s hair, “I’m so sorry, Patton, I’m so sorry, but you’re safe, I’ve got you. I’ve got you and I’ll never let you go.”

Patton shuddered with sobs.

“I’m so sorry,” Matthew said again through his own tears. “I won’t let anything hurt you ever again. You’re safe. I promise, I’ll always keep you safe. I should’ve kept you safe. I’ll never let anything like that happen to you again.”

The words poured out of him like a river bursting from a dam, and even if he didn’t believe that he could keep Patton safe—that of course this world and people in it would try and hurt Patton again—he would do everything in his power to stop it. He would move mountains, ford streams, move heaven and earth to make sure Patton was happy and well.

Patton pulled back just enough for Matthew to see his dark eyes. The boy’s brown hair, mussed and grown out, stuck to his forehead. For a moment, Matthew hysterically wondered if he would have to learn how to cut hair as well as mend fences and shoot rifles. Maybe Patton would like having long hair. He didn’t care. It didn’t matter, as long as Patton was safe.

He reached out and laid a shaky finger against the red scabbed cut marring Patton’s neck. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered and wondered if he could ever say it enough.

“Dad,” Patton cut in. “It’s okay. You didn’t know. How could you? I should’ve fought back. It’s all my fault.”

“Nothing is your fault,” Matthew said. He gripped Patton’s shoulder and gave him a small shake. “You did nothing wrong.”

“I should’ve told you where I was going,” Patton said as his chin began to crimp and wobble. “I should’ve at least tried to fight back against Colin. I should’ve tried harder to escape.”

Matthew exhaled a laugh. “It’s hard to fight back with a knife to your neck. You saved your grandmother from these awful people. You did everything right. It’s not always about using your fists. You have to use your head, too. I’m so proud of you for doing that.”

“Really?” Patton asked, and for a moment he looked incredibly fragile, as if he wanted to believe Matthew but couldn’t quite accept that.

“I swear to you,” Matthew said. “I’m so proud of you.”

This time, when Patton embraced Matthew, it didn’t have the same desperation, but Matthew felt as though Patton had changed in some way. Despite everything, Patton was quickly growing up and Matthew was starting to glimpse the man he might become. Matthew held Patton close and let his breathing return to normal. Another wave of relief washed over him, and he looked over Patton’s shoulder to see Max stagger up from his hands and knees to his feet. Max leaned heavily against one of the pillars that had been chewed up by gunfire, and Matthew wondered if he would be able to say the same for his brother-in-law. Even though Max had done the brave thing—the honorable thing—by being willing to give his life up for Patton’s, Matthew couldn’t quite forget that none of this would have happened in the first place if Max had stayed away from them and the hotel. Somewhere deep inside of him he wanted to punch Max square in the jaw and release some of that churning anger. Maybe it would make things better, or at least easier to get over. He would have plenty of time to deal with that later. All that mattered now was that the threat had been eliminated and everyone was safe. For the most part.

Jade. Matthew broke his embrace with Patton and turned back to look at the car shield. David and Wyatt had propped Jade up between them, with her