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 From the front door, I could see the living room and outdated, disgusting kitchen.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.”
I sat on the couch, securing Mary in my lap as I discreetly took in my surroundings. I didn’t want to ask questions on how she’d ended up in here or if she’d lived here all her life. I’d grown up in Tennessee and moved to Florida, and now, we were here, in Illinois. I doubted her existence here in this state was a coincidence.
The whole area, kitchen and living room, was one big square. You could see everything by standing in the middle of the room. I found the closest exits to be the back door by the kitchen and the front, where we’d just walked in.
“I’m renting this place. It’s an Airbnb.” Her voice was light, almost friendly.
I could almost pretend that we were having a cordial conversation if she didn’t have a gun in her hand.
I nodded vaguely. It was as though she could read my thoughts through the dimly lit room.
She went to the fridge and grabbed a water. She opened it up and chugged it down without offering us any. “So, what have you been up to lately? You’re a nanny now. How long have you been with this family?”
Small talk? Is she serious?
I stared at her, pulling Mary closer into my chest, and stayed silent, my shock turning to fury. I bit my tongue hard because if I lost my temper, this would not end well.
We weren’t going to pretend that everything was normal when it was far from it.