Gingerbread Man

help here. I need you pissed. Up and fighting, like you've been doing up to now. Don't quit on me."
    She blinked, and made herself look at him. Her knees felt like water. She hadn't realized it before, but now she felt the shaking, the tightness in her chest as her breaths came faster, and her heart began to batter her rib cage. She hadn't felt the panic attack creeping up on her yet. Vince had spotted it before she had.
    "No," he commanded. "Don't you do this, Holly. Not now. There's no time for it now." His arm clamped around her waist like a vise, he propelled her to the punch bowl, scooped up a half melted finger from one of the ice hands, and laid it against the nape of her neck.
    She sucked in a breath at the coldness on her skin, but then steadied herself, let the ice do its work. It was effective. She covered his hand with her own to keep the ice there, lifted her head and looked Vince squarely in the eye. "Bethany?"
    "Missing. We've got all the exits covered, and the chief is leading a room-by-room search. We've got reinforcements on the way."
    "State police?"
    He nodded, taking her back toward the fireplace, setting her down. She looked at Amanda, knowing the woman was still lost in fear, the way Holly had been only moments ago. Holly took her hand, squeezed it hard. "Fight it, Amanda. If I can do it, so can you." Taking the melting ice finger from her own neck, Holly laid it across the back of Amanda's. The blue eyes fluttered, met hers briefly.
    Vince gave a shrill whistle. Silence fell. "I want all parents and children here by the fireplace, now."
    The lights were up now, as parents and children gathered hesitantly, their eyes wide and frightened and wet and suspicious when they fell on each other.
    "We need to try to piece together what happened," Vince said.
    "Piece together, my ass! We should be searching for Bethany!"
    "I just want to take my children home, where they're safe!"
    Vince held up his hands for silence, but, just when it quieted down, Val Stevens's shrieking made its way from somewhere above as she raced through the house in search of her daughter. If Reggie had caught up to her at all, she had apparently shaken him again.
    Holly gripped Vince's arm. "Go. Take care of Val, and then help with the search. I can handle this part."
    "Are you sure?"
    She held his gaze, clenched her jaw, nodded. "You don't want anyone to leave just yet, you need a headcount to make sure no one else is missing, you need to try to get an account from those who last saw Bethany, and you're probably going to want a list of who is here. It's not like I haven't been through the drill. I've got it. Go."
    The woman screamed again, and Vince went. He paused only once on the way, to pull Doc Graycloud from the group gathered there, then the two headed up the stairs after Val Stevens.
    Holly looked at the people who stood around her, drew a breath, and cleared her throat. "The state police are on their way. Rest assured they'll block off every road out of town, and begin a search immediately. I know the procedure by heart."
    "How?" someone asked.
    She tilted her head. "I've lived through it." She lowered her head briefly, to swallow down the lump that rose in her throat then raised it again. "And I work for the police department. In fact I was one of the people who helped Jim and the boys develop Dilmun's contingincy plan for missing children, and it is now in full effect. Now the thing is, we can't let anyone leave just yet. You all need to stay put until we get this organized. Anything different means we risk Bethany slipping through the cracks. You understand?"
    Several heads nodded. A few people sat down, resigned, it seemed.
    "Good." Holly glanced down at Amanda. She was rocking slightly back and forth in her chair. She didn't look good. If she was going to get a guest list, she'd have to get it from Reggie.
    "Everyone look around you, see if you can think of anyone who was here earlier who isn't here now. If you do, come up to me and tell me privately. Meanwhile, just make sure you still have sight of those you came with, sit here, and wait. Suzy Cooper, where are you hon?" Holly asked.
    The little girl who'd been wearing Bethany's hat raised her hand. Her face was tear-streaked and red. She clung closer to her mother, and held Bethany's hat in one hand.
    Holly moved closer, knelt down, and saw herself in the little girl's eyes. In her face. In her horror and guilt and fear. Gently, Holly brushed wet tendrils off