The SEAL's Surprise Son (The Admiral's Seals, #1) - Leslie North Page 0,3
She’d experienced it firsthand. The man was shaking and sweating, mumbling to himself about how this wasn’t the plan.
If the police had been thirty seconds later, the robber would have been out the front door with the jewels. As it was, he was trapped in the store, and the rest of them were trapped with him. Carolyn tried to focus, take in the details of the situation. Their lives might depend on it.
“Not what I signed up for.” The robber stalked past her again, nudging Nina with his foot. Nina didn’t make a sound, keeping her head on the floor.
Carolyn peeked up. The robber had a hairy mole on his right cheek near his earlobe. That could be used to identify him if he somehow got away. What else could she see? Work boots stained with paint. Frayed jeans. He was sweating profusely despite the air conditioning going full blast in the store. Nerves? Drugs? Hard to tell.
The store’s phone rang, sounding loud in the tense atmosphere. No one moved to answer it. After several rings, the machine picked up. When the store’s message ended, a calm, firm voice spoke into the machine. “This is Lieutenant Jerod Schneid with the Sheridan Falls PD. Can you pick up the phone, please? We’d like to talk and find a peaceful solution to this situation.”
“Like hell I will,” the robber shouted at the phone, although the officer couldn’t hear him. He stalked around the store, his movements erratic and his eyes wild. “Damn police, trying to trap me. Sons of bitches aren’t getting away with that.” He tapped the gun to his forehead, continuing to mumble to himself.
Carolyn could only catch snatches of more swear words. At that moment, Jenna shifted her leg, catching the robber’s attention. He stalked toward her and held the gun to her skull. Carolyn pressed her lips together to keep from crying out.
“I told you not to move,” he spat. A bead of sweat dripped from his nose, landing on Jenna’s shoulder. She didn’t budge. Her face, turned toward Carolyn, was scrunched in fear, her eyes squeezed shut. After a minute, the robber moved away, walking between the display cases but cautiously avoiding the windows.
How much longer could this go on? Carolyn had to do something to end it. She felt responsible for everyone in the room, and having Austin there was unnerving. From the training she’d received through the security company, she knew the police wouldn’t come in for fear of causing injuries. They might be trying to pick off the robber with a sharpshooter, but the robber’s only appearance in the front window had been with her and Austin. He’d chosen his hostages wisely. The fact that the police now knew her son was in there would make them even more cautious.
The robber strode past her again, almost stepping on Austin’s outstretched hand, which still clutched the toy tractor. He was spinning the tires, focused on their movement. Thank goodness, the toy was distracting him from the terror around them. But she didn’t want him to attract attention. While the robber’s back was turned, she reached for Austin’s hand, easing it back. When Austin opened his mouth to speak, she quickly shook her head, signaling for his silence. She’d never been so grateful for a compliant child. He let her shift his position while she smiled at him, trying to convey that everything was okay—no matter how untrue that was.
The robber prowled past again, still muttering but seeming to ignore them for the moment. Austin chose that moment to glance toward Nina on his other side. She smiled as well, and without words, she and Carolyn each scooted a tiny bit closer to the boy, who was now resting his chin on the carpet and tracing its pattern. He seemed content for the moment, and Carolyn breathed a sigh of relief.
She moved her head a fraction of an inch to better see her employees. A soft sob reached her. Michelle, her junior salesperson, was hunkered down in front of a smashed case that had held wedding bands and engagement rings. Michelle was young, just twenty-two, with an infant daughter at home. Carolyn silently willed her to be silent, but another, louder sob rippled through the air. It caught the robber’s attention. He pivoted on one heel and strode toward Michelle. It was all Carolyn could do to remain still. She wanted to run to Michelle and protect her, but she couldn’t leave Austin.
Her body tensed as