I try to remain calm as I navigate the store, constantly checking the Apple watch Zayne strapped to my wrist just before we came inside. It’s tethered to his phone so I can’t communicate with anyone but him. However, I’ve made eye contact with several employees in passing, hoping they can sense my distress.
It’s forty-five minutes after we arrive when my wrist finally vibrates.
Aisle six. You have five minutes.
I look up to see that I’m on aisle twelve. I suck in a deep breath.
You can do this.
All I have to do is stay calm. I reach for the handle of my cart but stop short when I see him standing at the end of the aisle.
Asher.
My entire body goes rigid. A sense of relief and dread warring with my emotions. He moves to walk toward me but I quickly hold up my hand and shake my head. I look down to see Lyla still playing with the toy that has held her attention for the last five minutes, thankful she hasn’t seen him.
Tears well in my eyes as I return my gaze to his. I point to her backpack and mouth the wordbomb. His eyes widen, fingers curling into fists. Then I point to the aisle sign above me and hold up six fingers. With pursed lips, he quickly nods and darts away. My heart sinks in my chest as I begin pushing my cart toward my fate.
Chapter 29
Asher
I make my way to aisle six, kneeling down to withdraw my gun from my boot and keeping it at my side. I attempt to swallow down the fury threatening to bubble up as I peek around the end cap and find the man I’m looking for.
The hair on the back of my neck stands on end when I spot him lingering near the blonde woman at the far end, her buggy containing a baby carrier.
Right away I know it’s him by the way he’s eyeing the woman.
She pushes her cart away from him, heading in the opposite direction, and once she’s gone I start moving toward him. It only takes a few steps before my movement catches his attention. His face remains calm as he narrows his eyes.
“Don’t you fucking move,” I demand, aiming my gun at his head as I take several more steps. I hold my stance, making sure there is plenty of distance between us. “Put your hands where I can see them.”
“You don’t want to do this,” he warns, holding his hands up, flashing a black remote held firmly in his right hand. “If I let go of this detonator, that little girl and her mother will both die, not to mention all the innocent bystanders. You don’t want to put them at risk, do you, Officer?”
Dread grips my chest, my mind scrambling with my next move, knowing I’m running out of time, but before I have a chance to plan anything, Danny comes into view behind him, not realizing what he’s holding in his hand.
“No!” My warning comes out too late. The gun goes off, driving right into the back of his head.
