Dana Lynn - Interrupted Lullaby

Maggie slumped in her seat, drained and exhausted. She stayed in the car as Dan got out to confer with the officers in the remaining cruiser. She lacked the energy even to try to listen to what they were saying. She’d had it. She closed her eyes, not even opening them when the driver’s door opened. Dan had returned. She’d known him only a short time, but she already knew the scent of his cologne.

“I checked for bugs. There are no tracking devices on the car. Do you have a cell phone?”

“No.”

“Let me check out the diaper bag and the car seats.” Fifteen minutes later, she sighed in relief when he announced all clear.

“And do we have another plan?”

“Same plan, Maggie.” His voice rumbled. “We are going to continue to the cabin, but via a different route.”

Different? The route was an impossible and ridiculous one, Maggie thought hours later. Long drives were one thing, but spending the drive coupled with two children who’d had enough of being strapped into car seats was another. They had allowed themselves the luxury of stopping once for food and diaper changes.

Maggie stepped inside the cabin, Rory sleeping peacefully in her arms. In the past four hours, Dan had made so many turns, she wasn’t even positive they were still in Pennsylvania. Not a single landmark was familiar. A bone-chilling weariness settled around her. She was one step away from sliding down that rabbit hole. Between sleep deprivation and stress, she was starting to get a little wacky.

Dan entered, carrying a whiny Siobhan, as she was setting Rory down on a makeshift bed of throw blankets. Maggie wiped her mouth with her hand to cover the smile that was threatening to escape. The poor man was a bit wild around the eyes. His hair was no longer smooth. In places it actually seemed to be standing on end. But Siobhan had taken a liking to him. She whimpered whenever he tried to hand her off to her mother. If Maggie took her, the whimper morphed into a full bellow. She’d offered Dan earplugs at one point, only half joking.

“Do you think I can put her down?” Dan whispered. “I really need to check the perimeter and call my chief. Give him an update.”

Maggie stretched out her arms. “Here. Give her to me.”

He started to hand her over, then hesitated as Siobhan let out a warning whimper. Maggie took her, anyway. And the bellowing began.

Dan’s brow creased. “Are you sure—” he began.

“Go! She’ll settle down in a minute.” Maggie pointed an imperious finger toward the door.

Dan started to walk toward the door, then stopped with a chuckle. “I can’t believe this. You’re already telling me what to do.”

He disappeared out the door, leaving Maggie standing there, her mouth hanging wide-open. She stared at the door for a couple of seconds before realizing that she was getting nothing accomplished. Shaking herself out of the strange stillness that had come over her, she got her daughter settled with Rory and went to work making the tiny cabin comfortable. She turned on the heat. Hopefully, the place wouldn’t take long to warm up, since it was so small.

It was strange. As she waited for Dan to return, she felt uneasy. His presence was so big, so sturdy, that she had felt safe when he was there. Now, knowing that it was only she and the twins, she felt herself tensing as the silence stretched and grew. The wind blew against the little cabin, making creaks and cracks and groans. She felt as if someone was watching her.

A sharp rap sounded on the door. Maggie shrieked. She blushed as the door opened and Dan poked his head around it, his face breaking into a smile. His gray eyes danced.

“Now, who did you think was going to knock before trying to get in the door?” His tone was cocky but his expression was watchful.

“You just startled me, that’s all.” She chided herself for being so jumpy. Still, the memory of that man coming at her with a knife was looming large in the back of her mind.

The heat clicked on with a loud hum. Dan smiled. “I’m glad you turned the heat on. Not to complain, but it’s chilly in here.”

“I’m surprised at you. Coming from LaMar Pond, this weather is mild. The winters there are absolutely brutal. But you know that,” Maggie responded.

“Well, I’m not actually from LaMar Pond. I’m from Hershey, Pennsylvania. I moved to Pittsburgh when I got out of the army. I moved to LaMar Pond about two years ago. I was working undercover on a case. Actually, I was working to find out what was happening to the jurors from Melanie’s trial. Once the case was over, I decided to stay. It’s a nice little community. A little slower pace, but I like it.”

“Well, anyway, I know it’s going to get cold tonight. I figured why wait to warm the place up. I’ve got warm clothes for the babies, but nothing for me other than what I’m wearing.”

“It was a good thought,” Dan remarked. “But you won’t be staying here tonight.”

What? Why stop in such a remote place, why go through the trouble of searching the perimeter if this was only a break?

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