“What’s happening?” She asks the same thing I did a minute ago before Ringo went charging out of the room.
“There’s still people who want this baby for the wrong reasons,” Vender explains quickly. “It must be them. I’ll be right outside the door, and Trigger is right outside the window. Just stay in here. We’ll have this resolved soon.”
Caroline nods as Vender closes us in, and my heart races as I hear the guys yelling to each other, their heavy pounding feet moving around the cabin with urgency. Lifting Bobbi out of the crib, I lay her on thebed, still sleeping, and swaddle her tightly in a thick blanket in case we have to leave in a hurry.
“This is what Elizabeth was trying to protect your baby from,” Caroline whispers, her voice trembling as she passes me a tiny beanie hat to slip onto Bobbi’s head. “She wasn’t a bad person.”
“And you?” I snap, lifting Bobbi back into my arms, swaying from side to side in case she starts to wake. “What was in it for you when you worked with the doctor to steal her?”
Caroline’s furious glare falls as she ducks her head. “Money. At first.” She looks back up at me. “But then I realised I was doing a good thing.”
“Is that what you tell yourself so you can sleep at night?” I snap, but our conversation gets cut off by the shattering spray of bullets tearing through the windows, and a scream gets stuck in the back of my throat as I drop to the floor with Bobbi huddled in my arms.
“Oh my God, we’re going to die!” Caroline cries out from somewhere behind me, and I hope like hell she’s not right. I will gladly die for Bobbi. There’s no doubt about it, but I don’t want to.
I want time with her.
Why the hell won’t this world give me time with her!
I want to see her smiles, and hear her coo. I want to feel her fall asleep on me. Watch her eyes light up when she sees me. Help her explore what foods she likes. What music gets her head bopping. What colour dresses she feels like a princess in.
I’m supposed to take her to kinder on her first day, and watch her join in with the other kids while I reluctantly leave her in the care of someone else so she can socialise and learn. I’m supposed to walk awayfrom the kinder crying, because what mother wouldn’t after leaving a piece of their heart alone in the world for a short time.
There are so many moments I need to be there for. To share with my daughter, and I’ll do whatever it takes to have them with her, or I’ll die trying. Without a doubt.
As glass shatters and wood splinters, Bobbi starts to squirm under me as I try not to crush her with my body. I try to shield her with every part of me, desperate to save her from getting hurt. Or worse.
No.
NO!
I can’t think of that.
I will NOT think of that.
Suddenly, the door flies open, and Vender charges in, tearing away the shredded blind and starts shooting through the shattered glass, the silencers they are all using changing what would be loud cracks, to soft whistles.
Caroline grabs the back of my hoodie roughly, quickly dragging me across the floor towards the wardrobe.
“Get in here,” she cries, helping me shuffle inside, staying low, and we both huddle in the corner of the closet, shielding Bobbi as best we can in case more bullets come our way.
“Are they okay?!” Ringo bellows from somewhere in the cabin, and the door slides open a second later revealing a savage-looking Vender, his eyes raking over us as I rock Bobbi and press a dummy to her lips as she starts to rouse more.
“Yeah!” Vender calls over his shoulder. “They’re okay!”
“Fuck!” JD yells from somewhere outside the room. “Incoming!”
The sound of more glass shattering deeper in the house has us jolting in terror, and Vender closes us in before his retreating heavy boots pound out of the bedroom and down the hallway.
“We’re going to die.” Caroline sobs next to me, her arms around both me and Bobbi as she tries to protect us.
Shit. She could try to run, but she’s not. She’s still here, doing everything she can to protect my daughter.
Household items crash to the floor somewhere in the cabin, and grunts and yells are accompanied by what sounds like a scuffle, like the fight has turned to fists.
Shit. Ringo. Please be safe.
I want to check on him, but I can’t leave my daughter. I feel so torn right now.
