He wasn’t much more than a bundle of rags, his tiny frame lost amongst his filthy clothes. A white face, skin so thin the skull protruded alarmingly, peered out at Cole as the scout crept forward, one arm outstretched, cooing, “Don’t be afraid …”
But the child was a great deal more than afraid. Terrified, he cowered away, shuffling on his backside deeper into the shadows. There, in the darkness with his huge, bulging eyes acting like beacons, he took up his whimpering again, a pathetic sound like a small, confused puppy calling for its mother.
Squatting down on his haunches, Cole stopped. He wished he had something to offer the poor child. A piece of candy would be perfect, but he had nothing, not even the tiniest morsel of food to give in an attempt to allay the child’s fears. Instead,
