Attempted Abduction

by Sommer Smith

  Lauren would have to do everything she could to make sure she wasn’t stuck with Grayson any longer than necessary. She needed to be back home. She often took care of Britlan so that her mother, who hated to leave Britlan alone for even a few hours, could take care of a few errands.

  The problem was that Lauren had no idea how to get things with the marshal moving forward at a faster pace.

  She supposed she could start by getting some information. She swallowed the nervous lump that arose in her throat when she began to consider what questions to ask. She might as well start with the one burning her mind. Did he need her assistance indefinitely or did he have other plans in place? And how long did he expect this to take?

  She cleared her throat.

  Lily wailed.

  Lauren leaned in close to see what was wrong. “Uh-oh.”

  Grayson pulled the wheel slightly as he looked in the rearview mirror. “What do you mean ‘uh-oh’? What’s wrong?”

  “We are going to have to stop for a dry change of clothes. I think her diaper has leaked all over the gown she has on.” Lauren wrinkled her nose, feeling the pull of her lips into a grimace.

  “Oh, great. You didn’t bring a change of clothes from the hospital?” He practically rolled his eyes.

  “You didn’t give me time.” She frowned at his reflection.

  “Can’t you just strip her down? Wrap her in a blanket or something?” He shook his head at her.

  “She’s a newborn. Preemie or not, she isn’t used to exposure. It isn’t healthy for her, and she won’t be happy. Do you want to listen to her squall for the next fifty miles?”

  He had the decency to look contrite. “I see what you mean.”

  She’d noticed he didn’t exactly say she was right.

  “I’ll pull off onto the next exit. I think we are near Roanoke. I can stop there if it’s not too far.”

  By the time they took an exit large enough to lead them to a place with shopping venues, Lily was having a full-on angry fit. Grayson looked like he wanted to cover his ears. “Good grief. That baby has some powerful lungs.”

  Lauren nodded. “That’s a good thing. Do you want to shop or to stay with Lily? I’d rather not take her into a store wailing like this. And I also hate to take her in undressed or in wet clothing.”

  He looked like she had just dropped the most earth-shattering news he had ever heard on him. “I don’t shop. I mean, I don’t know how to shop for a newborn. And I can’t leave her.”

  “Okay, then stay with Lily and I will go.” She had finished stripping the wet clothes off the baby and changing her diaper. Wrapping her tightly in a dry blanket, she held Lily out to Grayson and watched his blue eyes go wide.

  “You promised you wouldn’t leave me alone with her. And she’s mad.” He looked utterly petrified.

  She wanted to laugh. “Well, it would only be for a few minutes. But that’s okay. I’m sure you can pick up a couple of sleepers and gowns without any trouble. Just get the Enfamil Low Iron and a couple of bottles made for newborns. I think about four will do while we are traveling, but we will have to come up with a way to sterilize them. Maybe they will have a portable sterilizer in stock.”

  Lauren stopped talking when he started to shake his head. “I don’t know what you are talking about. I have no idea what’s worse—a screaming baby or a newborn shopping list. Is there no other way?”

  She thought for a moment. “I can see if we have a dry blanket. If we wrap her tightly and keep her in the carrier, she should be okay for a few minutes. As soon as we get something, we can dress her.”

  He was looking at the baby like she was an alien, though her cries had softened somewhat now that the wet clothes had been removed.

  “Or I could just go and take her with me.” She said it softly, and his eyes grew large. It was obvious he didn’t want to let either of them out of his sight.

  “No, we’ll all go.” His face was a resigned mask. “See if you can find us directions to the nearest store with infant supplies.”

  Lauren wanted to ask how he was blocking the GPS signal on his own phone when he handed it to her to do the search, but she bit back her question. She supposed marshals had to have a way around those sorts of things. Now they had to concentrate on Lily.

  Once she located a store and they pulled into the parking lot, Grayson told her to stay put. “Let me do a sweep of the area before you take the baby out.”

  She waited as he scanned the area, located all security cameras and assured himself all was clear. He motioned to her and she began to detach the baby carrier from the base. He was there to take the screaming infant, carrier and all, while she led the way. She noticed an older couple watching them with a sweet smile. No doubt they thought them a happy couple with a newborn. Little did they know of the convoluted situation.

  Inside the store, Lauren wasted no time in locating everything they needed. Once the purchases were made, she asked where he wanted her to change the baby.

  He looked at her like she had lost her mind. “In the SUV. We can’t take a risk on staying here too long.”

  Lauren nodded, and they made their way toward the exit. Lily was still crying, but the tone of the wails had subsided to a more pitiful resignation. “We have to find some sterile water, a way to clean these bottles, and then feed her.”

  “I’ll take care of it.” Grayson was wearing that intense expression again. He directed her out the door and back to the SUV, watching their surroundings with a practiced ease. She felt safe, despite the situation, with him towering behind her.

  He drove them to a small strip mall, pulled in close to the back door of a restaurant and ordered her to stay put while he hopped out, keeping the SUV in sight with his body turned at a slight angle. He went to the door and spoke briefly to someone before handing off the bottles.

  Lauren took in their surroundings. The clouds had not dissipated, making things shadowy and still. They were parked between a convenience store and the restaurant. Her stomach growled and she realized that Grayson, too, was probably hungry. She longed to make a break for it to retrieve some snacks until they could stop for more food. Maybe she could talk him into going inside the restaurant once they had sterilized the bottles.

  Lily had calmed now that she was at least comfortably dressed and was working a pacifier. Grayson returned to a position nearer the SUV, waiting for the bottles, so Lauren decided to give Lily a break from the car seat. There was not another soul around, so she slid from the passenger seat and moved to the back seat to unbuckle the infant.

  She pulled Lily from the carrier and tucked her up against her chest. She slid out of the back seat with her before turning to find Grayson watching her with an angry expression.

  “What are you doing?”

  Lauren shrugged. “I thought Lily might be happy to get out of that seat for a little while. You made it sound like we have a long way to go before we get settled.”

  “You shouldn’t have her out in the open like this. Someone could be watching.” He ushered her back toward the vehicle.

  “Actually, I’m pretty hungry. Do you think we could go into that store and get some snacks while we wait for the bottles?” Lauren gestured in the direction of the convenience store.

  He didn’t look especially pleased but nodded his assent. “We will have to make it quick. The woman will be back with the bottles soon.”

  They ducked into the store and Lauren gathered a few things up with one hand, cradling Lily with the other. Grayson watched the door carefully as she went to the counter to pay.

  Grayson followed her outside, collar drawn up around his face. Lauren turned to see not the woman she’d expected, but a burly man coming out of the back of the restaurant with the bottles. Her gut twisted.

  Something wasn’t right.

  Grayson must have felt the same way as he ordered the
man to set down the bottles and go back inside. He reached for his gun but wasn’t quick enough. The man tossed the plastic bottles and lunged at him in one swift movement.

  Grayson reacted quickly, working the man over with his fists in self-defense, but not before another man appeared closer to Lauren.

  Grayson fought hard to get away from his attacker, but the man was at least twice his size and not easily deterred.

  Too far outside the store, Lauren picked up her pace as the wind hit her face. The man’s shadow fell across the sidewalk despite the overcast sky. Her skin prickled in cold fear. She started to run, cradling Lily carefully as she did, but before she could get to the SUV, the footsteps sounded close behind her.

  And a gloved hand grazed her shoulder.

  THREE

  Lauren tried not to panic.

  The shadow had overtaken her and was grasping for her. She lunged away from him, narrowly missing his grip before fleeing.

  The rush of rapidly moving blood flowing through her veins filled her ears. How could she and Lily have so easily become separated from Grayson? They had managed the shopping without any problems. She had been so vigilant about staying with him.

  There was no one in sight to help them, just the man in the dark hood coming toward Lauren and Lily. She had lost sight of Grayson, with the hooded man filling her vision. The buildings around them blocked her view of anyone else, as well. There was little traffic and the city streets were quiet. It seemed like an unpopular area. It had been a mistake to stop here. She thought a city would be safe, but the out-of-the-way mall provided too much opportunity for their pursuer.

  When she realized she was trapped and couldn’t reach the SUV in time, she tried to move back toward the restaurant where she had last seen Grayson, but the hooded man was between them. She should have been on constant watch. This shouldn’t be happening.

  Lily began to fuss, and Lauren let her, thinking it might not be a bad thing if the baby’s cries drew some attention. Lauren, too, cried out, Grayson’s name sounding hollow and too weak coming from her dry throat. Footsteps sounded in the distance. Lauren held her breath, but no one appeared.

  The man in the hood crept closer, like a shadowy villain from a comic strip, moving with almost no sound toward where she stood. Lauren backed away, unwilling to let him gain any advantage. The shadows deepened around them as the clouds seemed to thicken over the sun, and Lauren felt a scream bubbling up within her chest as the hooded man charged at them.

  “Lauren!” Grayson’s voice echoed toward her finally. His footfalls were close now.

  “Here!” She ducked out of the way. The hooded man narrowly missed grasping her and clamping a hand over her mouth. Her attacker dived at her again and pushed her to the ground. She let out a gasp of dismay, trying to keep Lily securely against her chest to protect her from the impact as she tumbled toward the sidewalk.

  He growled and tried to snatch the baby from her grasp, but Lauren gripped her tighter and turned away from his clutching paws. She kicked at him as she cradled the child. Lily was crying in earnest now, making Lauren more anxious. Lauren knew Grayson was close, because the last time she had caught a glimpse of him, he was headed toward them. He wouldn’t let them get far. She cried out again. The stench of the nearby dumpsters and exhaust from earlier traffic mingled to make her gag.

  “Grayson! Help!” She gasped again, tasting her fear on the indrawn breath.

  With one last attempt to wrest the baby from her grasp, the man gave up. Throwing a look over his shoulder at Grayson, he turned and fled. Grayson pursued him for a little ways while Lauren eased to her feet, holding Lily’s soft body to her the whole time. She was barely upright by the time he was back at her side.

  “He’s gone.” Grayson grunted out the words as he helped Lauren check on the baby in her arms. Lily sent out a serious howl and Lauren tried to comfort her with gentle whispers and small rocking motions. Other than hunger and upset, the infant seemed to be unharmed.

  “I’m sorry.” Lauren whispered the words to him. “This was a terrible idea. I shouldn’t have insisted we stop.”

  He pressed his lips together. “It was my final decision. It’s not your fault. I thought we had lost them for a bit. Are you okay?”

  She nodded, trying not to let him see how frightened she was. She could handle herself if it came down to her own survival. But being responsible for Lily was scary.

  “Look at me, Lauren.” She did so when his deep voice penetrated the fog of fear surrounding her.

  “I’m fine.” She felt like a child, squeaking out the words. “We’re fine.”

  “Yes.” He watched her face, studied her, eyes roaming and probing her own. “Yes, you are both fine.”

  She shivered. “I’m sorry, Grayson. I’m so sorry.”

  He reached for Lily. “Let me see her.”

  When she handed her over, the baby’s cries settled. She had sensed Lauren’s upset. Honestly, Lauren was a little envious of the comfort Lily was receiving in Grayson’s strong arms. It was an unwanted emotion that came to her without warning.

  She shook off the thoughts with a jolt. There was no room for that sort of thinking between them. She couldn’t allow herself to think like that about him. Not about any man, but especially not Grayson. She was nothing to him. He was just doing a job. She sensed he wouldn’t welcome those kinds of feelings from her. She had never been the kind of woman to inspire love and commitment from handsome men.

  “Lauren?” he asked, still looking at the baby.

  “Hmm?” She turned her eyes back to the infant, as well, wondering what he was studying there.

  “You have nothing to be sorry for.” He held out a hand.

  She took it, bracing herself against the warmth and comfort she found there. “Are you sure?”

  “I’m sure.” He looked at her face at last. She sensed something behind his eyes, a battle within his emotions, as well. Was she misreading it? Surely she was wrong. She should have learned by now that she was too trusting, too ready to believe the best in people.

  She nodded.

  “Can you walk back?” He returned his focus to the baby.

  “Yes. I’ll be fine.” She let go of his hand and picked up the sack she had dropped when trying to protect Lily.

  He frowned. “Then we’d better get going before he decides to return with reinforcements.”

  Once they made it back to the SUV and were headed out of town again, Lauren asked the question she had been wondering. “How?”

  He gripped the wheel tighter. “How did he find us?”

  “Mmm-hmm.” She bit her lip. “You turned off my phone. How could they track us?”

  He let out a little chuckle. “You’re never going to forgive me for the phone, are you?”

  She gave a half shrug. A tiny grin fought to appear, though. “Maybe. One day.”

  “Well...” He paused, turned down the radio and then gave a little grin in return. “I’ll make it up to you sometime. And as for how, I don’t really know. I have a GPS blocker installed in my SUV, the kind the military uses. I have no idea how they found us.”

  Lauren looked at him for a moment before nodding her acceptance of his answer. “So they can probably find us again.”

  His reply was almost too quiet. “Probably. I’m going to do a thorough search of the vehicle to make sure they haven’t installed another device while I was inside the hospital. It could be they have one advanced enough to override my GPS blocker somehow.”

  “Next time someone tries to snatch Lily, I’ll be ready.”

  He let out a sound that was a lot like a growl. “I plan to see to it that there isn’t a next time. They won’t get between us again.”

  * * *

  Once they were sure their ambushers were gone, Lauren climbed over the narrow console and into the back of the SUV to feed Lily
. It was obvious the little one was more than ready to eat; she attacked the bottle with noisy smacks that made Lauren smile.

  Grayson had found a secure place to stop down the road a ways, where he searched the vehicle for GPS blockers while Lauren had seen to getting the bottles sterilized again, this time under watch of several local officers who had responded to the call. He had found nothing, which he didn’t seem surprised by, and when Lauren had coaxed the gas from Lily’s tummy and settled her into the seat, he had sighed in relief.

  Now it was all still and quiet. Lily had gone to sleep almost as soon as the SUV began to move, and Lauren felt too alone with Grayson once more. The food seemed unimportant now. In fact, she couldn’t even think of eating with her stomach churning as it was.

  Grayson had chosen a two-lane highway as they drove out of town, rather than stick with the predictable and highly visible interstate. She felt a little isolated on the lonely road, but assumed he knew best given the circumstances.

  She tried to think of something mundane to discuss, anything that might turn their thoughts away from their predicament, but nothing came to mind. While she could ask questions to learn more about him, she didn’t have a clue where to start. So she sat silently in her insecurity.

  Grayson didn’t seem to notice, focusing on the road ahead with smoky-blue eyes that were almost unseeing. His hand was on his chest again. He did that a lot. No doubt his thoughts were occupied with doing his job. She wished hers could be so easily contained.

  Worry over her job, her family and protecting Lily warred for dominance. And there was always the fear that they might have missed something with Lily’s health. She seemed all right, but it wasn’t unheard of that something might surface later.

  She thought back to cases of such instances that she knew of, but Lily had no symptoms. Actually, she seemed healthier than many full-term babies. She had a perfect pink color about her, strong lungs and above-average developmental skills, and her Apgar score had been perfect. As a NICU nurse, it was important that she know what was normal for a newborn, especially a preemie. She saw all degrees of health in infants daily, and Lily was one of the healthiest she had ever seen. It almost seemed that, despite modern technology, the obstetrician had simply miscalculated her due date.