Special Forces Father - By Mallory Kane Page 0,64

nobody can get in.”

Kate felt around on the dirty, sticky floor, trying to get an idea of how large the room was and what all was in it. She knew that if Shirley figured out where they were, she could shoot through the wooden door. Kate needed something that could serve as a shield. Next to the toilet was a large plastic wrapped case of toilet tissue. It was hardly enough to stop a bullet, but maybe if the slug went through the door, then through the paper, it would slow it down. Then, in the far corner, next to the lavatory, she struck gold. A large metal waste can.

“Max,” she said. “Want to play a real game of hide-and-seek?” She had no idea how Max was going to react to the idea of being stuffed into a smelly waste can in a smelly bathroom. But if that’s what it took to protect him, then she’d make him do it. By now her eyes had adapted to the dark as much as they were going to. She could see a sliver of light coming in over the door. It wasn’t enough light to lend color, or even shape, to most things, but she could see the trash can. She picked it up and emptied the contents on the floor as far into the opposite corner of the room as possible. Then she brushed Max’s hair back from his forehead.

“Max, I want you to climb into this can, okay? It’s your secret hiding place.”

“Mommy, I’m sleepy.”

“I know, honey, and you can go to sleep as soon as you’re in the ca—the hiding place. Come on. I’ll help you in.”

“I don’t want to,” he said firmly. “That’s not fun.”

She pulled him close. “I want you to hide in there. The bad guys are coming and we have to hide. Now you need to get in the hiding place. Right now. I’ll be right behind the can and you can knock and I’ll knock back. We can tap out songs on the can—the hiding place. How’s that?” She could hear the desperation in her voice. If Shirley kept up the pace she’d been jogging, she’d be across the road any second now.

“Okay, Mommy,” Max said, so solemnly that Kate knew he was reacting to her fear and worry. She quickly lifted him into the can. “Now crouch down and get comfortable, okay?” she said.

“Okay,” he muttered in a subdued voice.

“I’m right here,” she whispered, tapping the side of the can with her knuckles as she maneuvered herself into position in front of the can and held on to her toilet-tissue shield. That put three layers between any bullet Shirley could fire and Max. Dear God, she hoped that would be enough.

Chapter Eleven

Within moments, she heard muffled footsteps. It had to be Shirley, because she hadn’t heard a car. Where was Lucas? Kate crouched behind the flimsy toilet-tissue shield.

“Mommy?” Max’s small voice ripped into her heart.

“Hey, sweetie,” she whispered, reaching around to tap on the can. “Guess what this song is.” She tapped out the alphabet song. He didn’t answer. “Okay, Maxie, listen.” She sang softly. “A B C D, E F G...H I J K, L M N O P.”

“I’m scared, Mommy,” he whined. “Put on a night-light for me.”

She had to hold her breath to keep from sobbing out loud as the sound of footsteps on gravel got louder. “Can’t right now, Maxie. The bad guys are looking for us. If we want to—” She stopped. Stay alive. She couldn’t say that to her little boy. “If we want to win, we have to be quiet. Okay?” She tapped quietly on the can and heard his small fingers tapping back.

“El-um-ino-pee,” he sang quietly.

“You’re so brave, Max,” she muttered brokenly. “Just like your daddy.”

The crunching footsteps stopped. Kate couldn’t tell exactly where the person was, but she knew they were close. Was it Shirley? Was it Lucas? Drawing herself into the smallest ball she could, she held the pack of toilet tissue in front of her and ducked her head.

“Mommy?” Max whimpered quietly. “Too dark, Mommy.”

Kate reached behind her and tapped out the “Alphabet Song” on the can and sang in a whisper.

Then she heard the footsteps moving again—closer. They stopped right in front of the door. Kate bit her lip and made herself as small as possible as the knob turned, then rattled.

“Damn it to hell,” a muffled voice spat. It was Shirley. An involuntary whimper escaped Kate’s throat. She swallowed and