Chapter 3 #2
More shots fly by me, some of them grazing me enough I can feel their heat but not making contact.
I zig and zag as I move, making sure not to give them an easy shot, and I hit the door hard, the brunt of my body slamming it open.
I back up against it, hear the bullets hit and embed in thick steel.
Ahead of me is a short loading dock with four large trucks waiting to be loaded.
I look around quickly, realizing that the bay doors leading outside are open, gunfire in the distance. .
I run to the doors, stopping to peer around.
The dirt road ahead is large enough for the trucks to turn and then head out through the thick trees, completely undetected.
I take a deep breath, praying that our guys took out the ones on the roof, and rush for the trees, trying to stay low and as close to the shadows as I can.
I hear the steel door behind me slam open.
We don’t have much time before they find us.
I race into the trees, looking around in the dark as much as I can to figure out where the hell I’m going. The sounds of the gunfire get increasingly distant the further I go, but I’m not safe. We’re not safe yet.
I shift Lucy in my arms, lifting her higher against my chest as I make a quick left, spotting thick foliage ahead that will hopefully hide us long enough for Alonzo and the others to pick us up.
I finally stop when I hear no more sounds, not even the shouts of the men after us. I pull out my phone quickly and type out my position and send it to the others, letting them know I have Lucy. My phone buzzes softly to let me know that Tony is on his way to me. None of the others answer.
A small bead of worry fills me, but then I push it aside.
They can handle themselves. We’ve been through much worse than this before.
Instead, I force myself to wait, and glance down at Lucy.
She’s watching me, her eyes still unfocused.
“We’ll be out of here soon, bella,” I assure her softly.
“We’ll get you cleaned up and checked out.
You’re safe with us.” Her lips move but no sound comes out.
She tries again, and this time there’s a breath of something, some kind of word, but even when I put my ear close to her mouth, I can’t make it out.
“The drugs will wear off soon and then you’ll be able to talk,” I assure her, giving her an encouraging smile.
Her eyelids blink slowly, like she’s trying to comprehend what I’m saying, but then they flutter and close again.
At first, I think she’s passed out once more, and then they open again, like she’s fighting the drugs in her system.
I can’t help but smile. Lucy is strong. A fighter.
Just like her sisters and cousin. Yes, she’ll fit right in with them.
The process of her opening and closing her eyes goes on for another couple of minutes, with her trying to speak, but only small sounds coming out of her mouth.
I try to tell her to relax, but she doesn’t listen.
She just keeps trying over and over again, and every time it doesn’t work, frustration fills her eyes.
I hear a car approaching through the trees and quietly make my way until I see the main road.
I watch and wait until I see the SUV pull over.
I rush forward, even as I hear more vehicles coming down behind it.
I climb inside, and Tony pulls away before we even shut the door.
Alonzo is sitting against the other door, and he looks down at Lucy, sympathy in his eyes.
“She’s been drugged,” I tell him as I keep Lucy in my lap.
I’m not ready to let her go yet, easing her up a bit so she can look around.
Her eyes widen, focusing on Alonzo. “You’re safe,” I assure her.
“This is my friend, Alonzo. Don’t be frightened. ”
She starts to shiver, and I wrap my arms around her tighter, trying to give her some comfort. I know she must be scared out of her mind, and while I want to ease that fear, I doubt anything I say or try to do is going to fix that now.
It’s a long tense ride back, no one saying anything as Tony weaves his way through the city streets, ensuring our tails can’t catch up. It’s not until we almost reach Nico’s gates when I finally hear the words that Lucy has been trying to speak. “Milk. Drugged.”
At first, I’m not sure I’ve heard her right, and from the surprised look on Alonzo’s face, he’s thinking the same. “What was that, Lucy?” I ask, looking at her.
“M-M-Mi-i-ilk d-d-drugged,” she stutters out, her throat working around the words.
“They drugged her using milk?” Alonzo asks in confusion. “Why the hell would they do that?”
A part of me wants to dismiss it as the drugs making her ramble out those words, but something in her eyes stops me from doing that.
Pleading. There’s fear there, sure, but it’s like she’s begging me to help her somehow.
My heart clenches in my chest and I murmur, “We’ll get it figured out.
We’re almost there, and then we can figure out the drugged milk. Just hold on a little longer.”