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I spoke desperately into the phone, “Charles, we’ll call you. I’ll get Mary back to you. I promise.”
I hung up and then threw the phone in my purse. It was his phone, the phone he’d given me. There was no doubt he was tracking it right now. And to my advantage, I knew that wasn’t on the forefront of Kate’s mind. If she were smart, she would have confiscated our phone already.
“Out,” Kate said, opening the back door of the car so I could slide out.
Mary followed. As soon as her eyes met my mother’s and the surrounding area, she hugged my center. “I don’t feel safe,” Mary whimpered.
My heart broke in that instant because my job was to ultimately make her feel safe, to make her feel loved and happy, and I was failing on every level.
I’d brought this upon her. I’d brought this fear and heartache upon this family that had only taken me in. I swallowed hard, holding my chin higher. The guilt would cripple me if I let it, but I couldn’t let that happen right now, so I forced that guilt to amplify the anger within me.
I lifted Mary up in my arms, and her legs wrapped around my waist. “You’ll be fine.” Then, a thought pushed through, a breadcrumb of a plan that would get Mary to safety.
I walked behind Kate as we ascended the creaky wooden steps to what looked like an abandoned house.
I spoke so softly against Mary’s cheek, so Kate wouldn’t hear, “I’m going to tell you a secret. Do you remember where I used to hide when I got scared?”
Mary lifted her eyes to mine and nodded. “Under the bed,” she whispered.
I nodded. “When we go inside and when I give you a signal, I want you to go there. Can you do that for me? And if there isn’t a bed, I want you to play the best game of hide-and-go-seek there is. I want you to imagine that at the end of the game, there is a trip to the toy store, and you can get whatever you want to get.”
She shivered against me. “But why?”
“Just do it, Mary,” I whispered. “And I know Daddy will find you. I’ll wink at you, okay? That’s our signal for you to hide.”
When we walked up the stairs and into the house, her face crumpled. “But I’m scared.”
My mother’s back was toward us. I could have made a run for it with Mary, but I couldn’t risk it. I wouldn’t be able to outrun a bullet, and I wouldn’t put Mary in danger if I couldn’t guarantee her safety.
My voice stayed at a whisper. “Don’t be. You’re brave. When you’re scared, you hide. Somewhere the monsters can’t get you.”
She didn’t seem convinced, so I held her gaze and prayed to the heavens that she would listen and go with the plan.
“Just do it, okay, Mary? For me. For Daddy.”For yourself.
When she finally nodded, I kissed her cheek.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
“You’re so brave, my sweet Mary.”
The house was small, dusty, and smelled like mildew. From the front door, I could see the living room and outdated, disgusting kitchen. The lights in the house were dim, and the one light in the kitchen flickered, giving the ambience of a horror movie.
The only furniture in the house was a floral old couch, and the color had faded over the years. A kitchen table was at the far end of the room with a few folding chairs.
I surveyed the room, noting where all the exits were.
I’d risk myself to ensure Mary’s safety. I didn’t know what was going to go down today, but I knew that much.
“Sit down, but don’t get too comfortable.” She pulled out the gun and waved it in our direction.
I pushed Mary’s head into my shoulder, trying to shield her from what was happening.
“I’m thinking of the closest location that he can drop off the cash.”
I almost balked. You’d think she’d planned and plotted all this out, but she hadn’t, which only meant that she was reckless.
When I stood there, unmoving, she jerked the gun straight at me. “I said, sit down.”
