Jim didn’t bother to chase her. He slowly approached, taking in the scene.
“Tsk, tsk, tsk,” he said, shaking his head. “You know better than to run away from me.” He nodded to the other man, who stepped forward to grab the child.
“Don’t touch her,” Rebecca said, knocking the man away. She backed Megan against the wall, positioning herself between her and the three men.
“You’re making your punishment even worse,” Jim warned almost gleefully. “Give her over.”
“Fuck you,” she sneered. “You’ll have to kill me first.” Rebecca heard Megan sniffle, but she didn’t have time to comfort her. She risked their lives with this impromptu move and her heart refused to let her back down.
The men came from all sides. The one to her left made the first move, and she kicked out, knocking him sideways. The second man dived for her, pulling on her arm. Megan let out an ear-piercing scream as she clung to Rebecca’s shirt. Jim grabbed her and tried pulling her away. Rebecca struck him with her fist, hearing the satisfying crunch of his nose. He dropped Megan, holding his nose and stomping his foot.
“You bitch,” he shouted. “Grab her.”
Rebecca didn’t think. She scooped up Megan and took off running. The little girl clung to her neck for dear life as she darted down the hallway, evading the men. Between the lack of food, water, and exercise, she felt herself tiring but she refused to stop.
Seeing the door leading to outside, she increased her pace. Another truck sat in the driveway and she passed it, surprising one of the guards as he opened the back. Her eyes widened at the number of children inside the hot vehicle.
She crossed the driveway, the rocks cutting into her feet, and the sound of being hunted spurred her on. On the opposite side of the road, she saw a lake. She glanced around and felt confident they were in Florida. Did she risk her and Megan’slives to the possibility of alligators in the lake? Traffic sounded on the opposite side. If she managed to get around the water, they might make it to civilization.
“You better stop right now, bitch,” Jim called out, panting as he ran toward her. Deciding the punishment at this point might be worse than death, Rebecca jumped into the water with a splash.
“Hang on to my neck,” Rebecca ordered Megan, who cried. “We’re all right. It’s a little swim.”
She glided toward the center, praying nothing attacked them as she glanced toward the edge.
“Jump in and get them,” Jim ordered the men.
One man dived in while the other ran alongside the lake. Jim took the other side.
“Stay with me, Megan. Hang on tight,” she said, almost out of breath as she swam toward the shore.
The sound of frenzied splashing and the man behind her, swimming, cried out, “There are gators in here. Help me. Help me.”
“Don’t look, baby. Tell me what you see ahead,” Rebecca encouraged, moving faster, praying they made it out of the water.
The sounds behind her grew more frenzied, and the man screamed bloody murder and then fell into complete silence. Her feet kicked faster and they made it across. She pulled Megan off her as she stood in the water and pulled her along. Her arms ached from getting yanked and from the marathon in the water. Jim seemed to find a second wind as he ran toward them. They reached the edge of the lake and she picked up Megan. The child grew heavier with the wet clothes and her exhaustion. She ran through the grass, glancing back and seeing Jim gaining on them. Her heart pounded in her ears as she pushed forward.
“He’s coming, Becca,” Megan cried out.
Rebecca didn’t waste energy talking. She pushed herself hard as panic set in.
Megan screamed, and then Rebecca was jerked back by the guard as Jim grabbed the little girl. Rebecca pounced on him, beating him with her fist and hitting his nose again and again. “Leave her alone,” she screamed desperately. A pair of hands grabbed her shoulders and shoved her to the ground.
Rebecca screamed as she fought her new attacker. Jim rose, shoving Megan on the hard ground.
“Run, Megan, run toward the highway and wave for someone to stop,” she shouted. Megan jumped up like a rabbit, as fear and terror took over.
Jim growled and knocked her to the ground and took out his belt, putting it around her neck. “Stop fighting right now, or I’ll choke her to death right in front of you,” he threatened as he jerked hard on the leather strap.
“Stop,” Rebecca pleaded and gave up. Her harebrained escape came to a stop at the threat to Megan’s life.
“Take off your belt and wrap her hands,” Jim ordered the guard. “If you try anything else, her death will be your fault.”
Rebecca choked back the tears as she saw Megan’s terrified expression. She held out her hands, allowing them to tie her up. The guard jerked her hard as they walked around the lake. Jim kept taunting her by making Megan walk along the water’s edge.
Once they crossed the driveway, she let out a relieved sob. She glanced at the truck holding the children. It sat empty, making her skin crawl. Kara mentioned an auction for only children. She swallowed down the nausea. With all her CIA training, Rebecca failed to save them.
The guard turned her toward the hall they fled from while Jim led Megan in the opposite direction.
