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Stone was still in the back of the van, wishing the painkillers he had taken a short while before would kick in and make it easier for him to breathe, and watching Owen Keating, who remained on the bench in the play area, when his phone rang. He gave a sharp gasp as he reached into his pocket for his phone, though the pain was driven from his mind as he answered the call and listened to what was being said – he couldn’t believe what he was hearing, it was so unexpected that it pushed aside not only the pain of his injuries, but everything else that had been occupying his thoughts as well.
When the call was finished, Stone set the phone down in his lap and sat for several long moments, his astonishment so great that he couldn’t speak. He found his voice presently, and immediately addre
