Chapter 39Wilhelmina Briar experienced a rush of tremendous pain in her back as she exerted a massive effort to support herself with her hands and lift her face out of the dust. She felt as if someone had viciously slammed her with a two-by-four across her spine, while her muscles struggled with the commands that the girl’s still disoriented brain tried to issue. She lay on her stomach, half way between the old church and the steady Charger. She groaned and started slowly getting up, but her strength failed her and she barely managed to lean on her knee in order to avoid falling down again. Instead of standing up, Billie carefully turned around and adjusted herself into a seating position, passing with her right hand over her face as she pushed her bruised body up with her left. She was tr
