by Jane Jamison
“You’re so good to us.”
Julie blushed, even though no one could see her. “I’m good to me. I enjoy helping.”
“Yes, I know. The women really appreciate it, too.”
“Like I said, I enjoy it.” She hated it when anyone tried to acknowledge or thank her. “I’ve got to get back inside.”
“Okay. Have fun.”
“Will do, boss.”
She’d just ended the call when a cry jerked her attention toward the restaurant. Fear slammed into her, and a primal instinct to survive kicked in. Crouching behind the front seat, she peeked out, afraid of what she might see.
Flashes of the man in her nightmare rushed her. The Silhouette Man was coming. And this time, he was real.
This time he was Hank.
Another scream rent the air, stunning her back into the here and now.
Molly!
Hank wouldn’t bother Molly. Only her father would threaten her.
Slamming the van’s door behind her, she was off and running toward the café. “Molly! Where are you? Molly!”
“No! Let me go! Help! He’s kidnapping me! Stranger danger!”
Panic tightened Julie’s legs, but she kept moving. As she rounded the side of the building bordering the road, her heart leapt into her throat.
Molly’s father had Molly by the arm. Randall yanked her toward an older car. “Damn it, kid, shut up. I’m your father. You’re coming with me.”
“No! Mommy!” Molly struggled, yanking her arm and pulling away from her father. She was fighting as hard as she could, using her body’s dead weight to slow him down, but it wasn’t stopping him.
“Leave her alone!” Julie wouldn’t fare much better against Randall, but she had to try. If nothing else, she’d throw herself in front of the car and pray he wouldn’t run her down.
The sunny sky above them suddenly darkened. Vaguely, she wondered where the storm cloud could have come from so quickly. But when a great burst of air struck her, propelling her forward so hard that she almost lost her footing, she had to turn around.
What is it?
The sky above her was still blue and clear of clouds, and yet, a large area above her seemed dark for a moment, as though a black cloud hung just out of sight, yet not entirely hidden. She gaped, instinct telling her that something was flying over her. The air shimmered, and when she squinted, she could make out a faint outline.
It can’t be.
For only a moment, she would’ve sworn she saw a dragon.
Chapter Seven
Julie craned her neck so far back that she ended up flat on her ass. Still, she stared into the sky.
“No, Daddy. I don’t want to go!”
Molly!
Julie scrambled to her feet as Randall picked up his daughter and bodily tossed her into the car. He hurried around the front as he headed for the driver’s seat. Halfway around, he stumbled, his clothes and hair blowing forward as though a great gust of wind had struck him. Crying out, he twisted around and lifted his gaze skyward. Confusion contorted his face, but it was soon lost in a mix of amazement and horror.
“Fuck!”
Randall turned to run then fell. He got back on his feet and started running again to the buildings across the street. He glanced back again before turning the corner and disappearing.
Something was chasing him, but she couldn’t see what it was.
Julie dashed toward the car just as Molly pushed the door open. The terrified girl threw herself against Julie and clung to her. Julie held on to her, her heart cut to shreds by the poor girl’s sobs.
Where’s Randall?
Julie’s gaze jumped to the sky above the alleyway where Randall had gone. What had she seen? Had she really seen anything at all, or had she imagined it? And yet, she was certain Randall had seen the same thing. Whatever that thing might have been.
“I want my mommy,” moaned Molly.
“Come on.” Keeping her arm wrapped around Molly, Julie led her back to the café. Fear stiffened her joints as she glanced over her shoulder, but there was nothing to see.
“Miss Julie.” Joe rushed out the front door of the café, followed by the women and children. Brenna, her face a mask of fear, rushed toward them.
“Mommy!” Molly broke free and rushed toward her mother. Brenna clung to her daughter, wrapping her in a protective hug.
“What happened, Julie?” Joe searched her face then followed her line of sight to the buildings across the street.
“Her father tried to abduct her again.” Yet was that all that had happened? She was sure it wasn’t, but how could she know? How would she ever explain what she thought she’d seen?
“Damn bastard. I’m calling the cops right now.” Joe eased away from the group, pulling his phone out. He wouldn’t want the children to hear what he told the police.
Brenna gripped her hand. “Thank you so much. I don’t know what I would’ve done if he’d taken her.”
A whirl of emotions struck Julie, converging into a mass of irritation churning her gut. “How’d he get hold of her? Did he get into the private dining room? Why weren’t you watching her?”
She felt sick to her stomach, both from Brenna’s shocked expression and that she’d yelled at the poor woman. The other ladies took hold of their children and backed away.
“She had to use the restroom. I thought it was safe.”
“It’s not Mommy’s fault. I—” Molly hesitated, obviously hesitant to admit to doing wrong. “I thought I heard a puppy crying, and when I went to look, Daddy— I’m sorry, Miss Julie. I’m sorry, Mommy.” She didn’t go on but ducked her head and clung to her mother even harder.
No doubt Randall had pretended to be a puppy making whimpering sounds to lure his daughter outside.
“It’s okay, honey. You didn’t know.” Tears made tracks in Brenna’s makeup as she looked up at Julie. “I’m sorry, too.”
Julie gritted her teeth and did her best to calm down. She knew she was blaming the victims, but having fear and anger combine was too much for her to control. “You didn’t go with her? Damn it. We talked about this before we came.”
“I know. I’m sorry.” Brenna’s voice was barely audible.
“Why the hell didn’t you go with her? Damn it. Just think what could have happened to her.” Her stomach did a sickening flip-flop. What if she hadn’t heard Molly’s cry for help? What if Randall hadn’t been frightened off by—
By what?
She searched the sky again but saw nothing that reminded her of the dark, yet invisible cloud. How could a cloud be unseen? Yet she’d seen something, even if it was only a ripple in the air.
There was no way in hell she’d seen a dragon. Her imagination, spurred on by her fear, had formed something out of nothing.
Brenna’s sobs joined her daughter’s. Julie closed her eyes and gathered her composure. She couldn’t take it out on them. Instead of helping them, she was hurting them.
“Oh, God, Brenna. Molly, I’m sorry.” She hung her head in shame. “I’m so sorry. I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I was scared and upset, is all. You didn’t do anything wrong. Neither of you did anything wrong.”
Brenna wiped away her tears. Molly sniffed, her own crying finally coming to an end. Julie pulled them both into a hug. “I’m just glad it turned out the way it did. You did a great job of calling for help, Molly.”
The young girl wiped her nose and sniffed again. “I remembered the lessons you taught us.”
The workshop where Julie had taught the children how to react if someone tried to kidnap them had been great, but until now, she’d never known if she’d gotten her message across.
“You called out ‘stranger danger.’ That was smart thinking.”
“He’s my daddy, but I still used it.”
“Yes, because you knew it would catch people’s attention. You couldn’t have done any better. Good going, sweetie.”
Hopefully, once she was back at the shelter, Molly would tell
the other children what had happened and how her training had helped saved her. She didn’t want to frighten the other kids, but knowing what to do, and knowing that it had worked for one of their own, was important.
Breathing easier now, Julie wanted to see how Joe was doing with the call to the police. “Are they coming?”
“Yeah. But it’s weird. They said he’s been caught and that they’re sending a squad car.” Joe scratched his head. “Beats the hell out of me how they knew what he’d done. Maybe some passerby called.”
“Then he’s already in custody? But how?”
“Maybe he can tell us.” Joe pointed behind her, back toward the other side of the street.
Micah pushed Randall ahead of him. The man’s fingers were laced behind his back and his scowl wasn’t unexpected. Yet, as the two men came closer, she could see the dazed look in Randall’s eyes.
“Micah, what are you doing here?”
Micah’s green eyes caught her, taking her breath away. The look he gave her was nothing short of lustful. She glanced at the others, wondering if they could see the same thing.
“I was in the area and saw all of it.”
“You were? But where? I didn’t see you.”
“You were busy at the time.”
“Fuck you, man.”
She’d expected to see anger, revenge, and pure evil on Randall’s face, and she did. Yet there was another emotion underneath. Fear. He kept looking at the sky.
Randall struggled, but Micah tightened his grip and held him fast. “How about getting everyone back inside? The kids don’t need to see this.”
“You’re right. Everyone, please wait inside. In fact, Joe, can you take them home?” She handed the keys to the driver and waited for them to go before she turned back to Micah. Standing so close to Randall brought chills to her. If she hadn’t heard Molly… She pushed the awful idea away.
“Goddamn it. Let me go.” Randall’s gaze jerked to sky again. Suddenly, his anger was gone, replaced by worry and confusion. “I saw it. Did you see it? You saw it, too. Right?”
She sucked in a hard breath. Had they seen the same thing? Yet even if she admitted it, what would she say she’d seen?
“On second thought, I’d feel better if you’d get back to the shelter, too.”
“But I want to wait for the police to arrive. Joe”—she motioned to the driver who was still lingering nearby—”said they’ve already been called. I guess you called them?”
“Yeah. As soon as I got him under control. I can take you back to the shelter if you want to hang around. The police might want your statements, along with Brenna’s and Molly’s.”
“Then I should call them back outside?”
“Nah. They can give their statements later once they calm down.”
“Really? But how do you know? You’re not a policeman.”
“I’ve picked up a few things from Ryan. It’ll be fine. Joe, go on and take them back to the shelter.”
Joe looked to her for permission, and she nodded, giving it. “I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
“I didn’t do nothing wrong. She’s my fucking kid.” Randall had stopped glancing up, yet he still oozed an underlying fear.
The urge to slap the awful man was almost too much for her to resist. She clenched her fists and somehow managed to keep them by her side.
Randall struggled, trying to break free. Micah jerked him back and forth, causing the man to yelp. “Knock it off. If I had time, I’d do a lot worse to you.”
“Leave me the fuck alone. You’re not a cop.”
“No, I’m not. Which means it wouldn’t be police brutality if my fist just happened to accidentally slam into that shit hole you call a mouth. Now shut the fuck up.”
The shelter’s van came down the narrow drive leading from the back parking lot to the main street. Brenna’s worried face peered out the window. She was still watching as the van did a right turn and sped away.
Randall grumbled a few curses, but he was smart enough to know when to stay quiet.
“Are you sure you can hold him? Maybe I could find some rope or something inside.”
“What’s going on?” Giorgio stepped through the door. “I heard a man tried to kidnap one of the kids.”
“It ain’t kidnapping when it’s my own damn kid.”
“Shut up, Scruggs. You don’t have custody. That’s kidnapping.”
“I’m sorry if we disturbed your other customers, Giorgio.”
“No, no. Don’t worry about it. It’s okay as long as everyone’s all right.” His dark gaze jumped from her to Micah. “Are you okay? Do you want I should find something to tie him up with?”
The sound of sirens drew their attention. Randall cursed and tried to get free again, but Micah held him without any problem. “Calm down, asshole. You’re not going anywhere. And no thanks, sir. I’ve got a good hold on him. They’re almost here anyway.”
“Okay. You come and get me if you need me, Julie. If the cops need to talk to me, you send them on inside. You got that?”
“I’ve got it, Giorgio. Thanks.”
Giorgio disappeared inside as the patrol car pulled into the small lot in front of the café. Two large policemen got out. The taller, older man strode over to them. “Are you Micah McKnight?”
“I am.”
Micah pushed Randall toward the other officer, who took hold of him and slapped a pair of zip ties around the man’s wrists and pulled them tight.
“Put him in the back.”
The younger officer nodded at his partner then planted a hand on Randall’s shoulder and steered him toward the patrol car. He started reading him his rights along the way.
“Name’s Officer Mike Holcomb. Tell me what happened. Are you the mother of the child in question?” The first officer checked his notepad. “Are you Brenna Scruggs?”
“No, sir. I’m a volunteer at the women’s shelter.” She didn’t offer her hand to him. Did people shake hands with police officers? “My name’s Julie Brooks, and this is my friend, Micah McKnight.”
“I’ve met you before. You’re a friend of Ryan’s.”
“That’s right.”
“Where are the mother and child?”
“They’re being driven back to the shelter.” She didn’t add that Micah had said it would be all right. The last thing she wanted to do was to get him in trouble.
“Why didn’t they stay until we got here?” Officer Holcomb shot her, and then Micah, an irritated look. “People involved in a crime shouldn’t leave the scene. Especially not the victims.”
“It was my idea, officer,” added Micah. “They were both understandably upset. You wouldn’t have gotten much out of them right now. Besides, I’m an eyewitness. I saw it all.”
“I did, too. At least, most of it.” Would she tell him everything? Then again, if she did, she’d sound crazy and might hurt the case against Scruggs.
He frowned then grabbed his hand radio. “Grant, call the precinct and have them get a car over to the women’s shelter.” He checked his pad. “Tell them to get statements from a Mrs. Brenna Scruggs and her daughter Molly.” He ended the call and turned back to Julie. “So this man tried to kidnap a child. Is that right?”
“His name’s Randall Scruggs. He’s Brenna Scruggs’ husband and Molly’s non-custodial father.” She wanted the officer to know what kind of man he was. “He’s abused Brenna physically and emotionally. That’s why she came to the shelter.”
“I figured as much.” His dark eyes held a hint of compassion. “And the girl?”
“I don’t know if he ever did anything to her.” She’d had horrible thoughts about what Molly had seen and sleepless nights worrying that Scruggs had done physical harm to the child. If he’d touched her, surely Brenna would’ve told her or one of the counselors at the shelter. At least, she hoped so.
“Do you know how he found us, officer?” She’d given Ryan hell about Randall locating the shelter and now he’d shown up at the restaurant.
“Not yet, but we’ll find out.”
“He found his wife and child at the shelter before this.”
The officer gave her a thoughtful look. “Then I’d say he’s stalking the place.” He turned toward Micah. “So what’s your part in all this? How’d you catch him?” asked Officer Holcomb.
She let out a soft breath, having wondered the same thing. Was it luck or something else that had brought Micah there?
“I saw what he was trying to do. Thankfully, Julie stopped him, and he took off running.”
But had she stopped him? Or had something else frightened him off?
“Anyway, I grabbed him when he went around the corner.” Micah pointed to one of the buildings across the street.
“Are you out to put me and my partner out of business?”
“No, sir. Just wanted to stop a shithead when I saw one.”
Officer Holcomb chuckled. “Okay, Miss Brooks, tell me your side of it. Just the basics for now. We’ll get a more detailed account later.”
“Okay. I was at the van getting my phone when I heard Molly shouting for help. I ran from the back parking lot and found Randall Scruggs forcibly taking her to his car.” She paused, wondering how she’d tell the rest of it.
“And?” Officer Holcomb’s eyebrows shot up.
“And then something scared him and he ran across the street. The next thing I know, Micah’s got him.” She was only telling half the truth. Telling the whole truth wasn’t possible when she didn’t know what the whole truth was.
“Okay.” He flipped his booklet closed. “That’ll be enough for now. We’ll take him in, but you two need to get down to the station soon. We’re going to have more questions.”
“No problem. We’ll be there,” added Micah.
The officer nodded then strode away, calling to his partner to “get ready to roll.”
“Are you all right?”
Was she? She started to answer Micah’s question but decided she didn’t have a good answer. Molly and Brenna were safe, so why was she shaking so much? “I think I need to sit down.”
“Come with me.” He took her by the arm and led her away from the café toward a newer model pickup.
“Are you taking me to the shelter or to the police station?” She didn’t care which as long as he stayed by her side. She trembled, nearly stumbling. If he hadn’t had hold of her, she would’ve fallen. Suddenly, the rush of emotions she’d held in check came rushing back.