I could do this! I pulled the machine pistol up to my lap from my waistband. I'd wait here until rescue came and plug anyone who wasn't part of the rescue effort with lead as they came through the door. The door would keep Kevin in here with me. It was the best that I could do for right now.
"Kevin? Come here Kevin. You can trust me I promise!"
I held my hand out to where I thought he was and slowly he came forward as I cajoled him soothingly. I thought he was going to take my hand, but he bypassed it and fell to his knees hugging me, which was his expression for love.
I felt tears spill down my cheeks as I closed my arm tight around him despite the pain it brought me. "I love you too buddy!"
"I want my mommy!"
"What!" I asked stunned pulling Kevin's face back from me.
There was real expression on his face and he was talking! "You're talking!"
"I want my mommy!"
I pulled him back to me closing my eyes. This was a miracle! There was simply no other way about it! What a blessing!
"Mommy will be here before you know it Kevin! Mommy is going to be so excited! When did you start talking Kevin?"
"Just now." He mumbled softly against me.
I nodded; everything was going to be all right.
The door started to open and I lifted my pistol up. With a sigh of relief I saw that it was Flint as the door fully opened.
"You're late." I whispered out just before I passed out.
Anna stood at the back of the van wringing her hands in anxiety. The teams had radioed in that they had Kevin and that Tyre was hurt. She saw a boy and her breathing seized up.
The boy was running to her and it was Kevin! Why was he running? He never ran to someone!
"Mommy!"
Her heart stopped, "Kevin?"
Her son slammed into her outstretched arms and started babbling a million words a minute! It was too much to take in.
"Are you all right honey? You're talking! Why are you talking?"
Kevin just shrugged, but Anna knew. She squeezed him to her pressing kisses to his head completely overwhelmed by the feeling of his little arms hugging her back fiercely as they once had years before.
She had her boy back! She had a living miracle in her arms! Anna through her tears saw two men carrying a stretcher with Tyre on it.
He looked unconscious and with an anguished cry she scooped up Kevin and hurried toward Tyre. Flint stepped in grasping her arm as the two men slid the stretcher into the back of another van.