Bree shot up in bed and grabbed it, opening it when she realized it was a call.
“Hello?”Her voice was tentative.She didn’t want to give away any information before knowing who it was.
“Bree?Get out now!”
“Mel?”
“They found you.”It was definitely Melissa.“Get the kids and get out of wherever you are.Destroy the phone.Hurry!”
“Mellie, are you safe?”
“Yes, they don’t know it’s me who gave you the phone, but they know it’s someone from inside the Organization.I didn’t realize they were tracking you already.Go now!”
Bree jumped up and pulled on her jeans and shoes.“But how will we get in touch if we don’t have the phone?”
She took Beth out of the crib and rushed her to the carrier.
“I don’t know.I’ll be at the symposium.We’ll have to find a way to get a message to each other there.We’ll worry about that later.They’re going to be there soon.I love you.Kiss them for me.”
The phone went dead.
Bree threw the phone on the ground and stomped on it until it broke into pieces.
They had to get out now.Get to her car and leave town immediately.She refused to even think about having to leave without any sort of word to Tanner.What would he think, especially after that kiss?She forced those thoughts away or she would never make it through this.
Grabbing Beth’s car seat carrier, she brought it over to the front door and set it down on the ground.Careful not to be noticed, she moved to the window and slid the curtain over just slightly so she could peek out.Her blood turned cold when she saw not one but two men walking toward her apartment in the darkness.
She darted to the back door and was pretty sure she could see someone in the darkness there.
Either door was going to spit her directly into their hands.
The only possibility would be climbing out the low kitchen window out the side of the building—maybe none of them would notice that.But the car seat carriers definitely wouldn’t be an option that way.
She darted over to the bed and grabbed the baby carrier one of the ladies at the diner had lent her a couple days ago.She’d said it might help with Christian’s fussiness.Bree prayed that would be the case now, because if he started howling before she made it to her car, the men would immediately be able to pinpoint her location.
She slipped the straps over her shoulder, wishing she’d paid more attention when the lady had shown her how to use it, and when it felt secure enough, she darted over to the crib and picked up Christian.
“Hey, sweet baby boy.Bree needs you to be nice and quiet, okay?”
Christian, of course, immediately began to fuss as she lifted him, but thankfully he settled back down when he was tucked up warm against her with the carrier.
“That a boy,” she murmured kissing the top of his head.
She ran over to Beth and unhooked her from the car seat.“I’m counting on you to be your normal sweet self, baby.”
Bree didn’t know what she was going to do when she got them to the car without their car seats, but that was the least of her worries.
Taking Beth in one arm, she pried the window open as quietly as possible.When she heard someone try the doorknob on her front door, she knew she was out of time.Abandoning all attempts at quiet, she began trying to fit herself through the large window while carrying two babies.
Getting through from the inside was easy, but there were bushes on the outside.As she heard the doorknob rattle again, she propelled herself through the window, twisting to land on her back in the bushes, protecting Beth and Christian.She swallowed a cry of pain as something sharp ripped into her shoulder, but immediately got up as best she could with arms full of babies.She heard the men, now inside her apartment, say something to each other and knew it was just a matter of seconds before they figured out where she’d gone.
She sprinted toward her car, wincing at the pain in her shoulder, afraid she might run into the third man at any moment.Deciding on stealth rather than speed, she slowed down and tucked herself into the shadows.She sucked in her breath silently when the third man passed by not ten feet away from her.He was watching the streets, obviously the lookout guy.
His phone rang, and he answered it, turning his back to her.
“What?”
She was too far away to hear what the other person said, but whatever it was, this guy wasn’t happy about it.
