Dana Lynn - Interrupted Lullaby

Returning to the others, he kept his eyes peeled, constantly searching for movement in the line of trees behind them. He kept his voice low, cautious.

“Maggie, we need to keep moving. The department is sending us an unmarked car with enough provisions to get us through the next day or so if need be. Problem is, we’re going to have to walk a little ways yet to get to the drop-off spot.”

He focused his concerned gaze on her weary, dirt-smeared face. The twins were starting to get fractious. Rory had his fist in his mouth, gnawing on it. Siobhan was whimpering. Dan was worried. For a child as vocal as she usually was, did whimpering mean something was truly wrong? More than the situation at hand, that was?

A wan smile flitted across Maggie’s face. She nodded, then pulled the backpack off her back. She rifled through the contents and pulled out a small container filled with crackers. The kids fell to eating the crackers with a gusto that would have been humorous another time. She yanked out a bottle of water and gave some to one child, then the other, holding it steady even as water dribbled down their chubby chins. Still without a word, she grabbed a second bottle of water from her bag and handed it to Dan. Gratefully, he accepted it and took several thirsty swallows. She took a drink from the one the kids had used before replacing it in the bag.

“Here, let me take that.” Dan held out his hand for the backpack.

“But your back,” Maggie started to protest.

“It’s not really hurt. Mostly my jacket got burned. The fire didn’t even touch my clothes. But we don’t have time to argue. Got to keep moving.”

Her mouth thinned into a determined line, Maggie stood and pulled Siobhan into her arms. Dan hefted Rory onto his hip and led the way in the direction the dispatcher had indicated.

Every now and then, the small group rushed to hide, crouched down, as a car passed or as noises were heard. Once, they even heard voices nearby. Dan could feel Maggie tremble beside him. He was amazed at how quiet the children were. He kept up a steady litany of prayers under his breath.

“And there it is,” he announced almost an hour later. He could see two cars on the side of the road. A man and a woman stood there, apparently exchanging information. Dan recognized them both. When they turned toward him, his trained eyes could make out the shape of concealed weapons under their hoodies.

“Dan,” the man greeted him, his voice pitched low. “We have supplies in the trunk. And there are two children’s car seats installed, rear-facing, as requested. The tank is full. Do you need further assistance?”

Dan patted the officer on the shoulder. “Thanks, Craig. And you, too, Lori. We will take it from here. But I would appreciate it if you would tail us for a few miles just to be sure we are not being followed.”

* * *

More police officers.

Maggie had been running for so long, tensing every time she saw someone wearing a badge. Being in such close proximity with so many officers in one day was making her skin itch. They looked decent, though, and Dan clearly trusted them. Although she wasn’t ready to trust him implicitly, he had put himself in harm’s way several times to keep them safe. That had to say something about the man’s character. But she’d been fooled by men before. Her lips twisted as the memory of her stepfather crossed her mind. She shuddered in revulsion. And her real father was no prince, either. Charming on the outside, rotten on the inside. Even her husband had been hiding something. She hurried to stop that thought before she became overwhelmed.

Dan was talking to the officers in a low voice. He seemed at ease. Even so, these new officers were an unknown. She listened intently to their conversation as she loaded up the kids. Her neck felt stiff with tension, and her shoulders were beginning to ache. She fully expected gunmen to erupt from the woods behind them at any moment.

She didn’t allow herself to relax her guard until she and Dan were pulling away in the car. The children were holding a babbling conversation in the back, totally unaware of the tense situation. She couldn’t remember ever feeling that carefree, that trusting, even as a child. Of course, she’d had the bullies to keep her on her toes then. I’ve hidden from someone my whole life. The revelation did not please her.

“Where are we going?” She gazed out the window as she listened for his response. The trees created a fantastic landscape with their vivid leaves against the blue sky. Dramatic.

“There’s a hunting cabin I know of. It’s not mine. It belongs to my buddy Jace.”

Maggie swiveled her head to rest her gaze on his profile. Strange to notice how handsome he was at a time like this. But he was. His profile was strong. There was something so confident about the way he carried himself. She remembered how quickly he had moved at the house.

Suddenly, he tensed.

“Okay...”

“What? What is it?” Maggie straightened in her seat. “Tell me!”

“It’s probably nothing,” he stated slowly, though his tone suggested it was very definitely something. “There is a car behind us. I can’t be sure, but my gut says we are being followed.”

The muscles in her stomach tightened, cramped. She leaned forward slightly, crossing her arms over her stomach in an attempt to hold in the pain. “The other cops—they were behind us,” she gasped.

He flashed her a worried glance. “They were. They turned off several miles back. This isn’t them.”

She peered into the side mirror just as the car sped up, gaining on them.

“Hold on.” Dan’s mouth tightened into a grim line. His foot pushed down on the gas, and he gripped the steering wheel as he attempted to outmaneuver the other vehicle. Taking one hand off the wheel, he tapped a button on the console area, then replaced his hand on the wheel. Voice control is a grand thing, Maggie mused as she listened to him calling the precinct. With as few words as possible he informed the dispatcher of their current situation.

“I’ll stay on the line with you until we can intercept you,” the dispatcher droned.

Lord, help us. Maggie startled as she realized she was praying. In her experience, prayer really hadn’t worked in the past. But as Dan’s velocity increased around the curves, she found herself again praying. Now was not the time to reject even the possibility of assistance from God. Hopefully He was still willing to listen to her.

With every twist, the other car followed. Dan’s knuckles were white on the steering wheel, but other than that he appeared calm and focused. Maggie aimed another glance at her side mirror and gasped, horror leaping into her chest. A man was leaning out the side window at an impossible angle. The afternoon sunlight flashed against his sunglasses, making it difficult to make out his features clearly. She had no trouble making out the rifle in his hands.

The rifle aimed at their car.

Dan swerved suddenly, just as a shot rang out. It missed the car, but who knew if the second bullet would miss?

“We are one mile from exit 270.” He probably didn’t realize he was shouting.

“Take the next exit, Lieutenant,” the dispatcher directed.

Dan nodded. “On my way off now.”

With a quick spin of the wheel, he sent the car hurtling across the lane beside him toward the exit. It was a good thing there was no traffic to speak of. The car following them braked hard to avoid a collision. The man leaning out the window was forced to grab on to the door. She sighed in relief as he dropped the rifle on the road. It bounced and shattered as the rear wheels rolled over it.

As they roared onto the exit, two police cruisers shot into place along the berm, lights flashing. Dan steered off, but the car following them gunned the engine and shot past the exit. One of the police cars sped up the exit ramp the wrong way in pursuit.