“What’s going on in here?” a man asked.
“Lloyd.” Annie pulled away as she wiped her tears. “Nothing’s going on. We’re just talking.”
“Who is this, Annie?” he asked.
She had her hand on my arm, but she surprised me with her answer. “My daughter.”
“Your what?” He narrowed his eyes.
The door opened again, and Lewis appeared.
In a blink of an eye, Lloyd pulled a pistol out of a holster under his jacket and aimed it at Lewis.
I screamed, and Annie shouted at Lloyd to put it away.
Lewis was just as fast, and a pistol appeared in his hand.
Before I had time to react, Lloyd grabbed me by the arm andpulled my back to his chest. His arm was like a vise around my waist, forcing the air from my lungs.
Lewis’s face blanched, and his pistol dipped before he leveled it out again.
“Get out of here, Annie,” Lloyd yelled at her. “Through the back entrance.”
“Let her go,” Annie demanded. “She’s done nothing wrong.”
“I’ll let her go when I’m ready.” He was pulling me backwards with him into the depths of the cave.
“I said let her go,” Annie told Lloyd.
“Do as she says,” Lewis said, “so no one gets hurt.”
“I don’t aim to get hurt.” Lloyd continued to pull me as Annie and Lewis followed. “Stay there,” he yelled at Lewis. “Annie, get out of here.”
“Not until you let her go.”
A small opening at the back of the cavern revealed another pitch-black cave. Lloyd nodded at Annie. “Get in there. It leads to an exit outside.”
“I won’t move until you let her go.”
“I’ll shoot her if you don’t get moving,” Lloyd yelled. “Now move, Annie!”
Annie hesitated, and Lloyd shoved the barrel of the pistol hard against my temple.
I tried not to whimper as I pleaded with my eyes for Lewis to do something. Fear hovered in his gaze. All his police training had not prepared him for this moment.
“Fine,” Annie said. “But let her go the minute I’m in that cave.”
She moved to the opening but turned to look at me one last time. “I’m sorry, Caroline.” And then she was gone.
Lloyd continued to pull me to the opening, and Lewis stepped closer, both hands holding his gun pointed at Lloyd.
With a shove, Lloyd pushed me away and I stumbled to the ground, my knees hitting the hard sandstone with blinding pain.
I turned just in time to see Lloyd disappear into the inky darkness.
Lewis rushed to my side as he put his gun away. “I’m so sorry, Carrie. I shouldn’t have let you be alone with her.”
“It’s not your fault.” I stood, but my knees were aching, and my heart was sore.
