by April Wilson
The wail of sirens alerts us to the arrival of local law enforcement. Two police cars screech to a halt in front of the convenience store, lights flashing, sirens blaring. They cut the sirens and step out of their cars, taking defensive positions behind their open car doors.
“Coming to you!” I yell, crouching down and making my way to the side of one of the police cars. “Two perpetrators, both armed,” I say. “Eight hostages visible, but there are at least two more souls in that building that are unaccounted for. My wife and sister.”
The deputy at my side looks me over, his gaze hesitating on my handgun.
“Shane McIntyre of McIntyre Security,” I tell him, reaching into my back pocket for my wallet and identification. “Former military special forces. What kind of tactical capabilities can you muster?”
The deputy, a young man barely out of his twenties, shrugs, looking more than a little overwhelmed. “It’s just the two of us on duty today. We can call on the county or state forces. There’s a SWAT team in Blanchard, but they’re an hour away, longer if they’re already deployed.”
“That’s too long,” I say. “I can have a tactical response team here before that.”
The deputy shakes his head. “This is our jurisdiction.”
“Not if you lack the resources. I have the resources.”
“You can’t just—”
But I’ve heard enough. I’m not going to sit here arguing with a junior deputy. I make my way back behind the Escalade to Jonah. “Any sign of Beth or Lia?”
He shakes his head. “No. Where could they be?”
I call Jake, and he answers quickly. “Listen carefully. I need a full tactical response team to my location: 126 Main Street, Galford. Pull out all the stops and get a team here. There’s an armed robbery in process, with hostages, at a convenience store. Beth and Lia are in that building, exact whereabouts unknown. I need a team here, ASAP.”
“Jesus,” Jake says, falling silent for a moment. “All right.” I can hear him typing rapidly on a keyboard. “Hold on.” There’s a moment of silence, then he returns. “Okay. There’s a private air field ten miles to your west. I can have a team there in forty-five minutes.”
Forty-five minutes seems like a lifetime to me. “Hurry, Jake. I don’t think we’re going to get much support here from the locals. This is a small town. Their capabilities are limited, and the nearest SWAT team is at least an hour away.”
“I’m on it. I’m sending out code red alerts now to Cooper, Sam, Killian, Cameron, and Jason Miller.”
“Jason?”
“He’s a former combat medic and a former paramedic. We might need him.”
He’s right, of course. Shit! The thought of Beth needing medical attention makes my vision go dark around the edges. I feel myself listing to the side.
Jonah grabs me, propping me up. “Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not okay!” I bark at him. “My pregnant wife is in there!”
Chapter 10
Beth
My pulse is thundering in my ears, and I feel sick when Lia presses me into a dark space between a metal cabinet and a stack of cardboard boxes.
“Wait here,” she whispers.
As she steps away, I grab her arm. “Where are you going?”
“I need to find out what’s going on,” she whispers. “Stay here.” And then she’s gone, leaving me alone with my mounting panic.
I press myself against the wall, trying to hide in the shadows as my mind races. Where’s Shane? And Jonah! Dear God, let them be okay. The last I knew, the guys were outside pumping gas, but they might have finished and come inside looking for us. I have no way of knowing. I heard at least six shots fired. Had someone been hit? One of the customers? Or an employee?
When I hear more gunshots in rapid succession, followed by more shouts and screams, my stomach roils. This can’t be happening!
Lia returns in a flash, grabbing my wrist and hauling me toward the back of the storage room into a dark corner behind a coat rack and more stacks of boxes.
“Can’t we go out the back door?” I say, pointing at the metal door on the back wall.
“No good. It’s padlocked, and I can’t find the key. Wait here.” She pushes me down to a sitting position on the wood floor.
Then she’s gone again, leaving me to drown in my frantic thoughts. God, I want Shane! Where is he? Surely he heard those shots, and the screams. He has to be beside himself, worrying about me and Lia. And Jonah too! Oh, my God. My eyes sting with tears, and I have to grit my teeth to hold back a sob. The baby kicks at that moment, hitting my ribs and nearly knocking the breath out of me. In my panic, I’d forgotten all about the baby. My hands go to my belly, covering the mound as best as I can, as if my poor pathetic hands would be enough to protect the tiny life inside. My heart sinks. This can’t be happening!
I squeeze my eyes shut and lay my forehead on my arms, which are braced on my knees. When I feel a hand clamp down on one of my wrists, I jump, poised to scream.
“Shh!” Lia whispers, holding her finger to her lips. “Follow me.”
She hauls me to my feet, and I follow her through a maze of boxes and palettes filled with cases of beer and water bottles and soft drinks. We stop when we reach one of the walls, and before I can ask her what she’s doing, she opens a door and pulls me through it. Lia closes the door behind us, and it’s so dark I can’t see a thing. My skin starts to crawl until Lia flips on a penlight and shoves it between her teeth. Then she grabs my wrist again and leads me across the small dark space.
I can barely make out the outline of an access panel about four feet high. She slides open the panel and pushes me through it, then follows behind me, sliding the panel back into place. It’s even darker in here, and I nearly scream when I walk into a cobweb. When she shines the penlight on the walls around us, I see bare wooden studs and exposed electrical wiring covered with more cobwebs.
“Where did you get a flashlight?” I whisper.
“Shh!”
Lia sweeps the small space with the flashlight until she spots a steep, narrow staircase that goes…up up up. She starts climbing, pulling me after her. All I can see are open studs, fraying electrical wires, and an obscene amount of cobwebs. Obviously no one has been up here in decades, if not longer. I stumble on the too narrow steps, just catching myself from falling face down.
She doesn’t answer me. Instead, she trudges up the steps, dragging me along with her, until we reach a small landing at the top. Up here, the air is hot and stale, and I can barely catch my breath. There’s a door to our left, and when she tries the old-fashioned knob, it turns with a rattle. She pushes open the door and shines her flashlight inside, making a quick sweep of the cavernous room.
Lia pulls me into the room and shuts the door behind us.
“Where are we?” I say, my voice no more than a whisper.
“In the attic.”
“Lia, what’s going on down there? And where are Shane and Jonah?”
“Armed robbery,” she says, leaving me to make a quick circuit of the room, shining her flashlight into dark corners and crevices behind more boxes and a wide assortment of cloth-covered furniture. “Two men armed with handguns and assault rifles. I don’t know where the guys are, but I didn’t see them inside the store. Hopefully they’re still outside.”
The attic is huge, extending the entire width and breadth of the building. There are small round windows on the three exterior walls, each letting in a modicum of light…just enough for us to realize we’ve stepped into an old storage room, most likely long forgotten. The room is musty and dank and hot, with no apparent ventilation. The air is thick with dust motes that dance in the air as we pass. Immediately I start coughing, covering my face with my top to muffle the sound. This place is an asthmatic’s worst nightmare. There’s dust everywhere, most likely mold, too, based on the smell.
Lia steps up to one of the tiny circular windows and rubs some of the grime away with the side of her fist, lettin
g in a tad more light. “I see them,” she says, as she peers down at the ground.
I make my way through the maze of discarded furniture to Lia’s side to glance out the window. Down below, our Escalade is still parked at the gas pump, and I can see the tops of Shane’s and Jonah’s heads as they crouch behind the vehicle. They’re in a heated discussion, and Shane’s keying something into his phone.
I sigh, relieved to know they’re safe.
Lia’s phone vibrates in her pocket and she pulls it out, checking the screen. “It’s Shane.” She reads his message, then holds her phone out to me so I can see.
Shane: Lia, do you copy? Is Beth okay?
She texts him back.
Lia: She’s fine. Two gunmen, male, caucasian, early twenties. Strung out. Prob drug addicts. Armed with Glocks and assault rifles. Both carrying backpacks. Extra ammo? Explosives? Look up. Attic window.
She hits the send button, and a moment later, Shane and Jonah both crane their necks upward to study the window near the top of the roofline. I wave, not sure if they can see me through the dirty glass.
Lia’s phone buzzes, and we both glance at Shane’s reply.
Shane: We see you. Stay up there. We’ll get you out. How much batt power do you have?
Lia: 86%
When her phone vibrates with an incoming call, Lia spares me a quick glance. Then she answers the call. “Shane, go ahead.” She watches me as she listens to him. “Yes.” A pause. “No, she’s not hurt.” Another pause. “I know. I will. Here she is.”
Lia holds her phone out to me. “He wants to talk to you. Make it quick. We need to conserve the battery.”
My hand shakes as I hold Lia’s phone to my ear. “Shane?”
“Listen to me carefully.”
I’m stunned by how cold and detached he sounds.
“You’re safe up there. Just don’t make a sound. Do what Lia says. She’ll keep you safe. Do you hear me?”
“Yes. Shane—”
“You’re going to be fine. Sit tight. I’ll get you out of there.”
“Shane—”
“I don’t have time to talk. Hand the phone back to Lia.”
My throat tightens and my heart aches as I hand the phone back, trying not to dwell on how distant he sounded. Not one word of comfort, not a single note of compassion or even affection in his voice.
Lia studies me for a moment, her brow furrowing, then speaks into the phone. “Jesus, Shane, what the fuck did you say to her?”
My eyes flood with tears, and my body starts quaking. I feel light-headed and dizzy. Lia continues to scowl as she listens to Shane. Then she looks at me and points to a cluster of upholstered recliners a few feet away, her message clear. Go sit down before you fall down.
Failing miserably to mask my disappointment, I head for one of the chairs and sit down, causing a cloud of dust to waft up from the material. Immediately I start coughing again, trying my best to muffle the sound.
The ache in my back is intensifying, the physical pain matching the emotional pain that’s swamping me. I have to look away from Lia, who’s reading Shane the riot act, and try not to cry. I know he’s worried about us, but he didn’t have to sound so cold…or cut me off so quickly. He could have at least said something. Even an I love you would have sufficed. Instead, he came across like a complete stranger, cold and indifferent. And then it occurs to me—he’s angry. At me? Oh, my God. Does he blame me? I was the one who wanted this trip in the first place. If it weren’t for me, we wouldn’t be in this predicament. He’s right, though—it is my fault.
A cloud of dust particles sends me into another coughing fit, and Lia shoots me a dark look that is easy enough to interpret. Be quiet!
I lean back in the chair, squeezing my teary eyes shut as I try to steady my breathing. A ripple in my abdomen brings my attention back to the baby, and I cradle my belly with both hands, stroking the firm mound as if my touch can comfort him. My chest tightens painfully, constricting my lungs, and my breaths come shorter and faster. With a sense of dread, I realize I’m headed for a full-blown asthma attack.
I automatically reach for my purse, needing my rescue inhaler, but I come up empty handed. Oh, crap! Where did I leave my purse? I think back. The last time I saw it was in the restroom downstairs. I left it hanging on the hook behind the door. Lia’s going to kill me.
I start wheezing, unable to get enough air.
A single gunshot breaks the silence, making me jump. Horrified screams erupt from the ground floor. I glance at Lia, who’s scowling at her phone screen. “Shit! Shane says they shot one of the hostages.”
I freeze, sitting as still as a statue, and all of a sudden everything catches up with me. Oh, my God, there are actual gunmen downstairs–criminals. Numbness settles over me as my body starts shaking. We’re trapped up here, and there’s not enough air.
I can’t breathe!
My heart starts pounding and my entire body seizes as a crushing weight presses down on me, sucking all the air out of my lungs, leaving me gasping.
“Beth?”
I can’t breathe!
“Beth!” she snaps, more sharply this time.
Suddenly, Lia is in front of me, crouching on the floor, holding my hands. “Look at me! It’s okay. Calm down.” She scans my body and frowns.
I barely manage to wheeze out a couple of words. “Can’t… breathe…”
“Where’s your purse?”
I shake my head frantically, pointing down below.
“Downstairs?” she says, scowling. “Shit! In the bathroom?”
I nod.
Lia stands. “I’m going downstairs to get your purse.”
“No!” I grab her wrist. She can’t go down there! They might see her.
She twists easily out of my hold and grabs my hands, holding them securely. “Beth, listen to me. You need your inhaler. I’ll be right back. Try to stay calm.”
The sound of yet another gunshot coming from downstairs makes us both jump. Right on the heels of the gunshot are renewed screams.
“Shit! Those fuckers are unhinged.” She pats my leg. “I’ll be right back.”
And then she’s gone, slipping out the door and closing it quietly behind her.
I sit in my chair, shaking, and try not to cry. I feel like screaming, and I would give anything to be with Shane right now. I need to feel his arms around me. And then I think about what he must be going through right now. He’s got to be worried sick.
My heart hammers painfully in my chest, and my lungs are heavy as lead. Tighter and tighter, my chest contracts until I can’t get enough air. I start gasping, fighting against outright panic. This room is closed up tight! There’s no ventilation! There’s not enough air!
I jump up from the chair and run to the window that overlooks the parking lot, frantically trying to open it, desperate for some fresh air, but the window is clearly not designed to open. I can see Shane and Jonah crouching behind the Escalade, out of the line of sight of the gunmen. Shane’s talking on his phone, his expression tense.
I lift my hand and lay it against the dirty glass, willing him to look at me. When his head snaps up, his gaze latches onto mine, cold and stark. He stares at me, looking like a stranger. Gone are the gentle smiles and teasing glances. In their place is a cold-minded intensity I’ve never seen before. I stare at him, transfixed, and he never once looks away, not even when Jonah says something to him, tugging on his sleeve to get his attention.
I don’t know how long I’d been standing there, staring at Shane, when hands clamp down on my shoulders, making me jump. I turn to see Lia behind me, holding my purse and a plastic shopping bag filled with loot.
“Sit down,” she says, leading me back to the recliner.
Once I’m seated, she hands me my purse. I pull out my inhaler and administer the medication. Then I grab my phone out of my purse, desperate to see if I have a message from Shane. Anything. But there aren’t any. I try not to feel hurt, because I know he’s stressed rig
ht now, but it’s impossible not to.
Lia takes my phone from me. “You’re down to forty-four percent,” she says, scowling at the screen. She powers off my phone and tucks it back into my purse. “Leave it off. We’ll save your phone as our backup.”
Lia pulls a bottle of spring water out of the shopping bag, screws off the cap, and thrusts it into my hands. “Drink.”
I don’t realize how parched I am until the water hits my tongue, and then I can’t get enough. I end up drinking half the bottle in one go before she takes it from me and screws the cap back on. “Pace yourself. We could be here a while. And remember, what goes in must come out. I’ll scout around for a bucket, or something we can use as a makeshift toilet.”
The thought of peeing in a bucket is more than I want to contemplate right now, so I focus on the immediate priorities. “Thanks for getting my purse. And for the water.”
She nods as she reaches into the sack and pulls out a protein bar, handing it to me. “Eat.”
The last thing I feel like doing is eating, but as she went to all that trouble, I can’t refuse. I unwrap the bar, and as I take my first bite, an abdominal cramp hits me, making me crumple forward with a cry. I press my free hand to my belly, which feels hard as a rock, and pant through the discomfort.
“What’s wrong?” Lia says, her voice sharp.
I shrug, not sure what to make of it myself. “A cramp, I think.”
“Is that normal?”
I force myself to breathe through it, finally relaxing when it subsides. “I guess. I’ve had them before, but they’re usually not that bad. I’m fine now. It’s gone.”
Lia eyes me skeptically.
“I’m fine, Lia, really.”
“Finish your food,” she says, rising. “I figure we’ve got enough food and water to last us at least two days, longer if we ration.”
“Two days? Are you serious?” I’m horrified at the prospect of being up here that long.
She shrugs. “There’s no telling how long this will go on. We need to be prepared for the worst.”