CHAPTER 62
"What's happened?" Beth asked as Adam put down the phone, clearly upset.
"It's Esperanza." He replied. "Someone broke into her sister's house and she's been beaten
pretty badly."
"Who would do something like that?" she gasped, covering her mouth in shock. And then the
steady gaze he gave her made realize who indeed. "Devan?" she asked and Adam nodded.
He tried to pull her into his arms, but Beth was too distracted to even realize. She turned to get
her jacket from the closet and picked up her keys.
"Beth? You can't just run out like this." He said, blocking her path.
"Adam I am going to the hospital. She wouldn't be there if it weren't for me. I have to go."
"All right all right. But let's do this right … to keep you safe. Can you wait long enough for me to
work this out?" he asked and she told him she could. What he didn't want to tell her was that he
suspected that since Devan hadn't killed Esperanza, he was probably trying to draw them out
because he knew she would insist on visiting.
Adam took the stairs two at a time, stopping on the second floor to rap on Claudia's door and tell
her she needed to go with them. Richie had moved into his room on the third floor, and heard
him calling to Claudia through the door.
"What's up?" he called over the railing.
"We need to go to the hospital. Devan hurt Esperanza." He said, which had Richie rushing down
the stairs and helping move Claudia along.
Once at the hospital they learned that Esperanza would be ok, but she had a few fractured ribs
and a broken arm. They were keeping her for observation.
The four of them went into the room, and the older woman managed a weak smile when she saw
them. Beth rushed over and gingerly ran her hand along the bruised cheek of her friend before
giving her a kiss and telling her she was so sorry.
"No … it is not you." Esperanza insisted. "This man is evil and this is not your fault."
Beth wasn't convinced.
She moved back so Adam and Richie could give the woman a kiss on the cheek.
Esperanza reached out with her good hand and clasped Adam's arm when he pulled back. "You
will protect her? You won't let anything happen to her or the baby?"
"You know I will." He said with conviction. "And he won't be able to hurt you again either. We're
going to make sure of that very soon." He promised and then murmured an endearment in Italian
before stepping back and letting Beth introduce Claudia.
"Why don't the two of you stay in here." Adam said to Beth and Claudia. "I want to talk with her
sister and see if she can tell me anything that will help us locate Devan." He nodded to Richie to
follow him and asked if he would watch in the hallway while he went to the nurse's station where
he'd seen Rosa standing when they came in.
Rosa hadn't had anything to eat since the night before, so Adam took her to the cafeteria while he
asked about the men … how many there were … what they looked like. She didn't remember
much, but she tried.
They were almost finished with their coffee when Rosa's eyes widened and her face became
pale. Adam turned to see a young man dash out of the door.
"He is one of them." Rosa exclaimed, pointing in the direction the man had run.
Adam rushed after him.
Upstairs in the lobby outside Esperanza's room, a uniformed officer approached Richie. "Can I
see some identification son?"
"Is there a problem officer?"
"I need some I.D." the man insisted and Richie produced his wallet.
"You need to come with me." The man tried to take his arm.
"Wait … what is this? You don't understand. I'm guarding my friend's room. She was assaulted
last night." He protested as the man drug him further down the hallway. Richie knew he needed
to cooperate, but he couldn't leave Beth and Claudia unprotected.
"We were given a tip that someone matching your description assaulted an elderly woman last
night." The man continued and Richie knew this was a setup. "Just let me call my friend." Richie
pulled out his cell phone, but the man refused. "Man he's here in the hospital. Come on." He
continued to argue as the officer pushed him toward the elevator.
The phone rang in Esperanza's room, and Beth reached to get it for her.
"Hello Leandra." The voice on the other end was unmistakable. Beth dropped the phone.
"Beth?" Claudia asked, and then the sensation of another immortal hit her … but she knew
somehow it wasn't Richie and it wasn't Adam.
Esperanza realized something terrible was happening. "Leave." She insisted. "Go find Adam
and Richie and leave this place."
Claudia didn't have to be told twice, she opened the door and hoped to see Richie down the
hallway. But the waiting area was empty. Looking back to her left, her eyes locked with the eyes
of a young Hispanic immortal who she knew was here to hurt them. He was leaning against the
wall at the far end of the hall.
"Beth … we've got to get out of here now." She screamed as she grabbed her friend's hand and
they rushed down the hall toward the nurse's station. The alarms in every room appeared to be
going off and the nurses and attendants were so busy they couldn't notice what was happening
outside of their patient's rooms.
"Hurry." Beth whispered as she punched the elevator button repeatedly, but it would not come.
The immortal seemed to be taking his time, trying to heighten their panic as he casually strolled
toward them.
"This way." Claudia yelled as she spotted the stairwell.
"Pick up Adam … please pick up …" Beth pleaded with the cell phone that she managed to dial
as they rushed down the staircase.
Adam had lost the young man when he'd slammed a gurney into a crowd of people on the third
floor. He hit the button on the phone and answered.
"Adam?" Beth was noticeably out of breath as they continued to run.
"Beth? What's going on?"
"It's an immortal … he's chasing us … we're in the stairwell. I think we're almost to the
basement. All the other doors are locked." She was frantic with worry over what this was doing
to the baby.
"Wait … why are you running? Where's Richie?"
"Oh God … it's locked too." He heard Claudia scream and then realized they were continuing
down.
Adam ran for the stairwell as he waited for Beth to answer him, but it was locked.
"Richie wasn't … there …" Beth was completely out of breath. "Please Adam … we're so
scared.
He lost the signal when he got in the elevator, which only went as far as the lobby. Richie was
just coming back in the door when he spotted Adam crossing to the basement stairs.
"Adam … " he yelled and then followed him through the door.
"Damn it Richie why did you leave them?"
"It was a setup. They tried to arrest me …" he replied, where are we going?
"Beth and Claudia … they're down here somewhere." He said, bursting through the door and
cursing when he realized it was more than a basement. Below the hospital was a multi-level
heating, cooling and electrical system with catwalks and steep metal staircases.
"Beth?" he yelled, but couldn't hear a thing. He punched redial on the phone, but she didn't
answer.
"We've got to split up or we'll never find them" Richie said, drawing his sword when he saw
Methos do the same.
Beth and Claudia tried to hide behind a large cooling unit, but since the other immortal could
sense Claudia's presence … it was no good.
"You need to get away from me Beth. There's no sense in letting him get us both." Claudia said
bravely, even as tears fell from her eyes.
"No. We stay together." Beth replied, grabbing Claudia's hand and praying she could keep
running without hurting the baby.
"He's right behind us Beth." Claudia screamed loud enough for Adam and Richie both to hear.
By this time they were on different levels, but could see one another across the open space.
"Adam." Richie yelled. "Down there." He pointed beneath them. The young immortal had Beth
and Claudia cornered, circling his sword in a menacing arc as he closed in on them. Richie and
Adam realized there was no quick way for them to get down in time. They could only watch as
they rushed from ladder to stairwell to catwalk in an effort to reach them as soon as possible.
"Where is your sword pretty girl?" the immortal taunted Claudia.
"I'm not in the game. I'm not a part of this." She replied in a shaky voice, wishing now she'd
taken Duncan up on the offer to train.
"Oh but we are all a part of the game pretty girl." He replied.
"Beth get back." Adam yelled.
Beth heard his voice coming from somewhere above, and moved back until she felt the cold
cement wall and could go no further. She stared in horror as the immortal took a wide sweep at
Claudia.
But Claudia wasn't ready to die yet and somehow managed to duck out of the way before he
could land the blow. She fell against a piece of equipment and a steel bar tumbled over, hitting
her on the shoulder.
"Claudia pick it up." Adam ordered, seeing the luck in her fall. "Use it to block him."
Somehow Claudia heard and scrambled to her feet, holding the bar with her hands spread apart
and letting instinct take over as she blocked three hard blows over her head and one that would
have cut her in half if it had landed. She screamed, but she was unhurt.
Richie was almost to the lower level, but from where Adam had to climb down he had to run for
another catwalk to get there.
"You can't interfere." The immortal taunted Richie when he sensed him coming from behind.
"This isn't a fair fight and you know it." Richie shot back. "She isn't armed."
"She looks armed to me." The man replied, toying with her a little longer with blows that beat her
back toward the wall.
Adam had lost site of Beth, and worried because the space behind Claudia was growing smaller
and smaller.
The attacking immortal realized it was time to make his move. He slashed up, knocking the bar
out of Claudia's hands and was about to strike the deadly blow when a shot rang out.
The immortal froze and his sword fell harmlessly to the ground as he stared over Claudia's
shoulder to see where Beth had pulled the gun she'd forgotten she was carrying in her purse and
fired. He dropped to his knees and fought to remain conscious.
Seeing Beth appeared to be all right and that Adam was coming down the last staircase, Richie
started to move toward Claudia, whose eyes were wild with fear. But before he could reach her,
she bent over and picked up the sword.
"Claudia … what are you doing?" Richie asked, trying to calm her.
She didn't answer, but stared at the immortal that tried to take her life as she held the sword in
both hands.
"Claudia you don't want to do that." Richie said, knowing once she did, she could never go back.
It was the warning Mac had given him about being too eager to join the game.
Claudia looked up at him for a few long seconds, trying to listen … but the terror she'd felt when
this man had been chasing her and when he toyed with her, knowing in the end he would have
easily taken her head had Beth not intervened, was too great. She was tired of being powerless,
tired of being afraid. She wanted to live and now she finally knew what that meant. Now that
she'd faced the reality of how short her existence as an immortal could be, she did not fear losing
her ability to weave emotion into her music.
Adam saw what was happening and a part of him was relieved to see Claudia prepare to take a
stand. He knew all too well what happened to an immortal who refused to accept who they are
and embrace their destiny. And he could see in Claudia's face that she was ready. But he could
also see that Beth was much too close as she stood staring at the scene unfolding in front of her,
too shaken and completely unaware of the danger to move.
In one quick motion, Claudia closed her eyes and swung the sword with all the strength her small
frame could muster. She gasped in shock when she opened her eyes wide and realized she had
indeed hit her mark.
Richie could only step back out of the way when she looked up at him, wondering what she was
supposed to do now. She'd never seen a quickening and suddenly she was very afraid.
"Richie?" she cried, not knowing what was happening.
"It's going to be all right Claudia. You're going to be all right." His words reached her only a
second before the quickening began.
Adam managed to slip through racks of equipment and pull Beth away and under a catwalk
before she could be hurt by any falling debris that might occur. He held her tight, encouraging
her not to look, but Beth couldn't help it. She cared for Claudia, and Claudia had put herself
between Beth and the immortal. She had helped her maneuver the stairs when Beth didn't think
she could run any further. And now as she heard the first rush of wind and felt the room begin to
shake, she was afraid for the young woman who had been so brave.
A burst of electricity seemed to shoot from the body on the cement floor and shoot through
Claudia, knocking her back against the wall. And then the whole place seemed to explode in
color and light as bolt after bolt shot in every direction. Pipes burst overhead and dials and
valves began to spin and pop in rapid succession.
Claudia appeared to be suspended in mid air and completely unaware of what was happening to
her. She was like a doll caught up in a whirlwind.
"Adam what is happening?" Beth felt a tremor go through him and couldn't help but press herself
closer to his chest, realizing that whatever was happening to Claudia had affected him as well.
"She's receiving the power from the immortal whose head she took." He explained when he'd
caught his breath. "It's called a Quickening. It happens every time an immortal wins a
challenge."
"Is it always … this … big?" she asked, ducking a little as some of the sparks came in their
direction.
Adam pulled his coat around her and held her tighter. "This isn't very big actually. He must have
been fairly new to the game." He observed. "The more powerful the immortal … the more
powerful the Quickening." He continued, realizing this was about over. He knew she had more
questions, but they had to get Claudia and get out of there quickly before anyone came.
Claudia's body slid down the wall and she fell to her knees, catching herself on her hands. As
soon as he knew it was over, Richie was by her side. "Claudia, Claudia" he called her name and
she somehow managed to lift her head and focus on his face.
"We've got to get out of here. I'll help you, but we've got to go now." He said. "Do you
understand?" Richie asked as Adam and Beth reached them.
"Richie?" Claudia answered, letting him help her to his feet and guide her through the winding
maze of equipment, through a hallway and out the back of the building.
Adam slid the sword Claudia had picked up from the immortal inside his coat before leading Beth
by the hand as they followed Richie.
When they reached the SUV, Adam helped Richie get Claudia into the back while Beth climbed
into the passenger side. Claudia was weak from the effects of the Quickening and a bit shaken
by it. Richie understood and coaxed her head onto his shoulder, holding her as Adam got them
out of there.
"What's happened?" Beth asked as Adam put down the phone, clearly upset.
"It's Esperanza." He replied. "Someone broke into her sister's house and she's been beaten
pretty badly."
"Who would do something like that?" she gasped, covering her mouth in shock. And then the
steady gaze he gave her made realize who indeed. "Devan?" she asked and Adam nodded.
He tried to pull her into his arms, but Beth was too distracted to even realize. She turned to get
her jacket from the closet and picked up her keys.
"Beth? You can't just run out like this." He said, blocking her path.
"Adam I am going to the hospital. She wouldn't be there if it weren't for me. I have to go."
"All right all right. But let's do this right … to keep you safe. Can you wait long enough for me to
work this out?" he asked and she told him she could. What he didn't want to tell her was that he
suspected that since Devan hadn't killed Esperanza, he was probably trying to draw them out
because he knew she would insist on visiting.
Adam took the stairs two at a time, stopping on the second floor to rap on Claudia's door and tell
her she needed to go with them. Richie had moved into his room on the third floor, and heard
him calling to Claudia through the door.
"What's up?" he called over the railing.
"We need to go to the hospital. Devan hurt Esperanza." He said, which had Richie rushing down
the stairs and helping move Claudia along.
Once at the hospital they learned that Esperanza would be ok, but she had a few fractured ribs
and a broken arm. They were keeping her for observation.
The four of them went into the room, and the older woman managed a weak smile when she saw
them. Beth rushed over and gingerly ran her hand along the bruised cheek of her friend before
giving her a kiss and telling her she was so sorry.
"No … it is not you." Esperanza insisted. "This man is evil and this is not your fault."
Beth wasn't convinced.
She moved back so Adam and Richie could give the woman a kiss on the cheek.
Esperanza reached out with her good hand and clasped Adam's arm when he pulled back. "You
will protect her? You won't let anything happen to her or the baby?"
"You know I will." He said with conviction. "And he won't be able to hurt you again either. We're
going to make sure of that very soon." He promised and then murmured an endearment in Italian
before stepping back and letting Beth introduce Claudia.
"Why don't the two of you stay in here." Adam said to Beth and Claudia. "I want to talk with her
sister and see if she can tell me anything that will help us locate Devan." He nodded to Richie to
follow him and asked if he would watch in the hallway while he went to the nurse's station where
he'd seen Rosa standing when they came in.
Rosa hadn't had anything to eat since the night before, so Adam took her to the cafeteria while he
asked about the men … how many there were … what they looked like. She didn't remember
much, but she tried.
They were almost finished with their coffee when Rosa's eyes widened and her face became
pale. Adam turned to see a young man dash out of the door.
"He is one of them." Rosa exclaimed, pointing in the direction the man had run.
Adam rushed after him.
Upstairs in the lobby outside Esperanza's room, a uniformed officer approached Richie. "Can I
see some identification son?"
"Is there a problem officer?"
"I need some I.D." the man insisted and Richie produced his wallet.
"You need to come with me." The man tried to take his arm.
"Wait … what is this? You don't understand. I'm guarding my friend's room. She was assaulted
last night." He protested as the man drug him further down the hallway. Richie knew he needed
to cooperate, but he couldn't leave Beth and Claudia unprotected.
"We were given a tip that someone matching your description assaulted an elderly woman last
night." The man continued and Richie knew this was a setup. "Just let me call my friend." Richie
pulled out his cell phone, but the man refused. "Man he's here in the hospital. Come on." He
continued to argue as the officer pushed him toward the elevator.
The phone rang in Esperanza's room, and Beth reached to get it for her.
"Hello Leandra." The voice on the other end was unmistakable. Beth dropped the phone.
"Beth?" Claudia asked, and then the sensation of another immortal hit her … but she knew
somehow it wasn't Richie and it wasn't Adam.
Esperanza realized something terrible was happening. "Leave." She insisted. "Go find Adam
and Richie and leave this place."
Claudia didn't have to be told twice, she opened the door and hoped to see Richie down the
hallway. But the waiting area was empty. Looking back to her left, her eyes locked with the eyes
of a young Hispanic immortal who she knew was here to hurt them. He was leaning against the
wall at the far end of the hall.
"Beth … we've got to get out of here now." She screamed as she grabbed her friend's hand and
they rushed down the hall toward the nurse's station. The alarms in every room appeared to be
going off and the nurses and attendants were so busy they couldn't notice what was happening
outside of their patient's rooms.
"Hurry." Beth whispered as she punched the elevator button repeatedly, but it would not come.
The immortal seemed to be taking his time, trying to heighten their panic as he casually strolled
toward them.
"This way." Claudia yelled as she spotted the stairwell.
"Pick up Adam … please pick up …" Beth pleaded with the cell phone that she managed to dial
as they rushed down the staircase.
Adam had lost the young man when he'd slammed a gurney into a crowd of people on the third
floor. He hit the button on the phone and answered.
"Adam?" Beth was noticeably out of breath as they continued to run.
"Beth? What's going on?"
"It's an immortal … he's chasing us … we're in the stairwell. I think we're almost to the
basement. All the other doors are locked." She was frantic with worry over what this was doing
to the baby.
"Wait … why are you running? Where's Richie?"
"Oh God … it's locked too." He heard Claudia scream and then realized they were continuing
down.
Adam ran for the stairwell as he waited for Beth to answer him, but it was locked.
"Richie wasn't … there …" Beth was completely out of breath. "Please Adam … we're so
scared.
He lost the signal when he got in the elevator, which only went as far as the lobby. Richie was
just coming back in the door when he spotted Adam crossing to the basement stairs.
"Adam … " he yelled and then followed him through the door.
"Damn it Richie why did you leave them?"
"It was a setup. They tried to arrest me …" he replied, where are we going?
"Beth and Claudia … they're down here somewhere." He said, bursting through the door and
cursing when he realized it was more than a basement. Below the hospital was a multi-level
heating, cooling and electrical system with catwalks and steep metal staircases.
"Beth?" he yelled, but couldn't hear a thing. He punched redial on the phone, but she didn't
answer.
"We've got to split up or we'll never find them" Richie said, drawing his sword when he saw
Methos do the same.
Beth and Claudia tried to hide behind a large cooling unit, but since the other immortal could
sense Claudia's presence … it was no good.
"You need to get away from me Beth. There's no sense in letting him get us both." Claudia said
bravely, even as tears fell from her eyes.
"No. We stay together." Beth replied, grabbing Claudia's hand and praying she could keep
running without hurting the baby.
"He's right behind us Beth." Claudia screamed loud enough for Adam and Richie both to hear.
By this time they were on different levels, but could see one another across the open space.
"Adam." Richie yelled. "Down there." He pointed beneath them. The young immortal had Beth
and Claudia cornered, circling his sword in a menacing arc as he closed in on them. Richie and
Adam realized there was no quick way for them to get down in time. They could only watch as
they rushed from ladder to stairwell to catwalk in an effort to reach them as soon as possible.
"Where is your sword pretty girl?" the immortal taunted Claudia.
"I'm not in the game. I'm not a part of this." She replied in a shaky voice, wishing now she'd
taken Duncan up on the offer to train.
"Oh but we are all a part of the game pretty girl." He replied.
"Beth get back." Adam yelled.
Beth heard his voice coming from somewhere above, and moved back until she felt the cold
cement wall and could go no further. She stared in horror as the immortal took a wide sweep at
Claudia.
But Claudia wasn't ready to die yet and somehow managed to duck out of the way before he
could land the blow. She fell against a piece of equipment and a steel bar tumbled over, hitting
her on the shoulder.
"Claudia pick it up." Adam ordered, seeing the luck in her fall. "Use it to block him."
Somehow Claudia heard and scrambled to her feet, holding the bar with her hands spread apart
and letting instinct take over as she blocked three hard blows over her head and one that would
have cut her in half if it had landed. She screamed, but she was unhurt.
Richie was almost to the lower level, but from where Adam had to climb down he had to run for
another catwalk to get there.
"You can't interfere." The immortal taunted Richie when he sensed him coming from behind.
"This isn't a fair fight and you know it." Richie shot back. "She isn't armed."
"She looks armed to me." The man replied, toying with her a little longer with blows that beat her
back toward the wall.
Adam had lost site of Beth, and worried because the space behind Claudia was growing smaller
and smaller.
The attacking immortal realized it was time to make his move. He slashed up, knocking the bar
out of Claudia's hands and was about to strike the deadly blow when a shot rang out.
The immortal froze and his sword fell harmlessly to the ground as he stared over Claudia's
shoulder to see where Beth had pulled the gun she'd forgotten she was carrying in her purse and
fired. He dropped to his knees and fought to remain conscious.
Seeing Beth appeared to be all right and that Adam was coming down the last staircase, Richie
started to move toward Claudia, whose eyes were wild with fear. But before he could reach her,
she bent over and picked up the sword.
"Claudia … what are you doing?" Richie asked, trying to calm her.
She didn't answer, but stared at the immortal that tried to take her life as she held the sword in
both hands.
"Claudia you don't want to do that." Richie said, knowing once she did, she could never go back.
It was the warning Mac had given him about being too eager to join the game.
Claudia looked up at him for a few long seconds, trying to listen … but the terror she'd felt when
this man had been chasing her and when he toyed with her, knowing in the end he would have
easily taken her head had Beth not intervened, was too great. She was tired of being powerless,
tired of being afraid. She wanted to live and now she finally knew what that meant. Now that
she'd faced the reality of how short her existence as an immortal could be, she did not fear losing
her ability to weave emotion into her music.
Adam saw what was happening and a part of him was relieved to see Claudia prepare to take a
stand. He knew all too well what happened to an immortal who refused to accept who they are
and embrace their destiny. And he could see in Claudia's face that she was ready. But he could
also see that Beth was much too close as she stood staring at the scene unfolding in front of her,
too shaken and completely unaware of the danger to move.
In one quick motion, Claudia closed her eyes and swung the sword with all the strength her small
frame could muster. She gasped in shock when she opened her eyes wide and realized she had
indeed hit her mark.
Richie could only step back out of the way when she looked up at him, wondering what she was
supposed to do now. She'd never seen a quickening and suddenly she was very afraid.
"Richie?" she cried, not knowing what was happening.
"It's going to be all right Claudia. You're going to be all right." His words reached her only a
second before the quickening began.
Adam managed to slip through racks of equipment and pull Beth away and under a catwalk
before she could be hurt by any falling debris that might occur. He held her tight, encouraging
her not to look, but Beth couldn't help it. She cared for Claudia, and Claudia had put herself
between Beth and the immortal. She had helped her maneuver the stairs when Beth didn't think
she could run any further. And now as she heard the first rush of wind and felt the room begin to
shake, she was afraid for the young woman who had been so brave.
A burst of electricity seemed to shoot from the body on the cement floor and shoot through
Claudia, knocking her back against the wall. And then the whole place seemed to explode in
color and light as bolt after bolt shot in every direction. Pipes burst overhead and dials and
valves began to spin and pop in rapid succession.
Claudia appeared to be suspended in mid air and completely unaware of what was happening to
her. She was like a doll caught up in a whirlwind.
"Adam what is happening?" Beth felt a tremor go through him and couldn't help but press herself
closer to his chest, realizing that whatever was happening to Claudia had affected him as well.
"She's receiving the power from the immortal whose head she took." He explained when he'd
caught his breath. "It's called a Quickening. It happens every time an immortal wins a
challenge."
"Is it always … this … big?" she asked, ducking a little as some of the sparks came in their
direction.
Adam pulled his coat around her and held her tighter. "This isn't very big actually. He must have
been fairly new to the game." He observed. "The more powerful the immortal … the more
powerful the Quickening." He continued, realizing this was about over. He knew she had more
questions, but they had to get Claudia and get out of there quickly before anyone came.
Claudia's body slid down the wall and she fell to her knees, catching herself on her hands. As
soon as he knew it was over, Richie was by her side. "Claudia, Claudia" he called her name and
she somehow managed to lift her head and focus on his face.
"We've got to get out of here. I'll help you, but we've got to go now." He said. "Do you
understand?" Richie asked as Adam and Beth reached them.
"Richie?" Claudia answered, letting him help her to his feet and guide her through the winding
maze of equipment, through a hallway and out the back of the building.
Adam slid the sword Claudia had picked up from the immortal inside his coat before leading Beth
by the hand as they followed Richie.
When they reached the SUV, Adam helped Richie get Claudia into the back while Beth climbed
into the passenger side. Claudia was weak from the effects of the Quickening and a bit shaken
by it. Richie understood and coaxed her head onto his shoulder, holding her as Adam got them
out of there.