Chosen

by Denise Grover Swank

  Emma worried that Jake might get frustrated by Will’s slaughter, but he seemed more determined to beat him. Jake removed a single peg. Will finished him off on his next turn.

  “How’d you do that?” Jake gaped.

  “I told you, strategy.”

  “Will you teach me?” Adoration shone from his eyes.

  “Ah.” Will hesitated. “I guess.”

  They reset the pegs in the wooden block and Will tutored Jake on where to move his pegs to get the most moves. After they finished the second game, Jake begged to play again. Emma watched, surprised by Will’s patience and tolerance. The food arrived in the middle of the match, not that it slowed them down.

  “Jake, that’s the last round and then you need to eat.”

  His mouth pursed in a pout.

  “Your mom’s right. After you finish eating your chicken, we’ll play another game.”

  Jake’s face brightened and he dug into his food.

  Will and Emma ate in silence, his foul mood now gone. She almost regretted yelling at him earlier. Jake could be impulsive and Lord knew when he decided to do something, he did it. He probably just ran out without Will. Plus, Jake hadn’t sensed the Bad Men, even if she felt uneasy. Jake crammed dinner in his mouth, trying to hurry so he could play.

  “Slow down there, big guy. I’m not going anywhere,” Will laughed.

  Jake slowed down, but not much. “Done!” he mumbled through a mouthful of food after stuffing the last piece in his mouth.

  “I’m not, so you still have to wait.”

  Emma expected Jake to pout again, but instead he fingered the pegs, practicing moves. Will’s mouth lifted into a small grin as he shifted his eyes to catch a glimpse of Jake.

  “Thanks,” Emma mouthed.

  Will winked. “I’ll collect later.”

  Shaking her head, she turned her attention to her food.

  After another round, Will paid the bill and Emma tried to ignore the shame that burned in her gut. They walked through the store on the way out and Will headed to the toy area. Jake and Emma tagged behind.

  “Where are you going?”

  Will didn’t answer. Instead, he found a packaged peg game and handed it to Jake. “Here, I’ll get you one of these and you can practice. We’ll see if you can beat me next time.”

  Jake broke into a huge grin. “Really?” He threw his arms around Will’s legs, nearly tackling him. “Thank you, Will!”

  Will’s mouth dropped then he rubbed Jake’s head with a couple of swipes and looked away. “Hey, no problem. Why don’t you pick out something else to play with, too? Tomorrow’s going to be a long day of driving.”

  Guilt washed through Emma in waves, lapping at the little confidence she had left in her mothering skills. While grateful for Will’s generosity, it only reinforced that she couldn’t provide for her own son. “Will, you really don’t have to do this…”

  “I’m doing this for me,” he growled and turned to watch Jake searching the shelves. “I’m worried he’ll bug the shit out of me if he doesn’t have something to do.”

  “Can I get a book instead?” Jake asked, thumbing through a basket.

  “Yeah, sure. Whatever you want.” His tone was short. “Just pick it out and let’s get out of here.” Will stormed off toward the register.

  Emma worried Jake’s feelings would be hurt by Will’s sudden mood change, but Jake didn’t seem to notice, his eyes shining with happiness.

  * * *

  He wasn’t sure what to make of this kid. One minute he freaked Will out; the next he wormed his way into Will’s softer side. He was just as surprised as Emma that he bought the peg game and book for Jake. This kid was getting to him.

  This was why he didn’t work with kids.

  His bad mood returned. He glanced over at a confused Emma. His mood was flip-flopping like a woman with PMS. Get a goddamned grip.

  Emma moaned lightly. Her face was strained when he shifted his gaze over to her. “Are you okay?”

  “I don’t know. Something’s wrong.”

  Will glanced over his shoulder. “Jake? Do you sense anything?”

  Jake had been practicing the peg game and looked up surprised. “No.”

  Maybe Emma was a hypochondriac. Jake seemed to be the guy in charge, still a hard concept to swallow. He didn’t seem worried, so Will didn’t see any reason to worry either.

  Will checked his GPS. “Salina’s only an hour and a half away. We can spend the night there.”

  “Sure, whatever,” Emma mumbled, her face turned to the window.

  They drove the next hour in silence. Jake played with his peg game in the backseat until he announced he had to go to the bathroom.

  “We’re almost there. Can you wait?” Will asked.

  “I dunno.” He sounded unsure. Will decided it was best to pull over at the next stop. He sure didn’t want the kid peeing on the backseat. He exited, driving past the truck weigh station and to the rest area. The setting sun cast long shadows across the almost empty parking lot.

  “Something’s wrong,” Emma said, her voice tight.

  “Jake?” Will whipped his head over his shoulder.

  Jake shook his head, confused. “I don’t see anything.”

  “Can you park in a space in front of the bathroom? Please?”

  “Sure, why not?” He drove closer to the restroom entrance and parked in a space. “How’s this?”

  Emma looked around the parking lot, her eyes wide and her mouth drawn. “Thanks.”

  Emma’s really losing it. Will opened the door.

  “Jake’s coming with me this time.”

  “Fine by me.” He had no desire to spend any more quality time in the restroom with Jake.

  Clutching her purse to her side, she grabbed Jake’s hand.

  “Let’s make this quick.” Will leaned against the truck and watched her drag Jake into the restroom entrance about twenty feet away. He opened the back door, reached under the backseat and pulled out the metal case, deciding it was better to be prepared. He reloaded his rifle and tucked it beneath a blanket under the seat. The gun on his ankle was loaded, ammo under the driver’s seat.

  A family emerged from the restrooms and wandered back to their car. Will turned to watch them get in their car. A black SUV appeared out of the corner of his eye on the passenger side. He tensed. There were a million black SUVs out there. Seeing one didn’t mean anything. Then another pulled in behind it. Will grabbed his rifle.

  “Emma!”

  The Navigators advanced toward them as the car with the family pulled away. Will cast a quick glance toward the bathroom entrance. Emma stood in the doorway alone, the color drained from her face. “Jake says they’re coming!” she shouted.

  No shit. So much for Jake as an early warning system.

  Will would have preferred having Emma and Jake run out to the truck, but the SUVs were too close. They were probably better off behind concrete walls.

  “They’re already here. Stay there!”

  “We have to get out—”

  Will shut the back door, his rifle now where Emma could see it. “Stay in the bathroom!” He lowered himself behind the front of the truck and raised his rifle over the hood. He checked the doorway, but she had disappeared.

  Will really didn’t want a shootout with his truck in the middle, but he didn’t want to abandon it, either. He ran to a sheltered vending area about fifteen feet from the building and hid, rifle aimed. The SUVs pulled up parallel to the buildings and lowered their windows. Handguns pointed out the window and gunfire exploded into the evening. Will felt compelled to yell to Emma to take cover, but she seemed experienced enough to take care of herself. Will took out one of the men in the rear SUV. A couple of men came from behind the cars. He had to make sure they didn’t get to the restroom.

  His best guess was there were six to eight bad guys. He was outnumbered, but he’d been in this situation before. One of the men hiding outside the SUV darted toward the restrooms. Wi
ll took him down with one shot. Patience was the key. As long as they weren’t moving toward him or Emma, he could wait all night. He only got paid if he delivered Emma alive and he’d be damned if he lost his money now. Two of the men moved toward the restroom entrance. He shot one but the other darted to the safety of the building.

  Son of a bitch.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  The sight of Will pulling a rifle out of the truck scared Emma, but there wasn’t time to think about it with the SUVs approaching. She ran into the bathroom and pushed Jake into the last stall. Emma sat him on the back of the toilet and shut the door behind them.

  Gunfire echoed in the parking lot. She pulled her own gun out of her purse and unlocked the safety. While she worried why Will had a rifle, but the sounds of a gun battle told her he must be on their side. Sitting on the toilet, she placed her body in front of Jake’s and pulled her feet up off the floor. Her hands trembled as she pointed the gun at the stall door.

  “It’s going to be okay, Mommy.” Jake rubbed her shoulder with his small hand. She wanted to burst into tears.

  This is so bad. “Are you sure, Jake?” This was all backward. She was supposed to reassure him.

  “Yes. Will’s going to help us.”

  Emma wished she were more sure of that fact. The sound of the gunshots slowed down. What if they shot Will? Panic crashed through her.

  Jake’s hand rested on her shoulder, a burn searing her shoulder blade.

  It’s okay Mommy. We’ll be okay.

  She heard Jake’s words in her head and jerked around in shock. A small smile lifted the corners of his mouth, then quickly faded.

  A Bad Man’s coming.

  The gun quivered in her hands as she turned back to the door. Soft footsteps echoed off the bathroom tile and mingled with the slow drip of water from one of the faucets. Maybe it was Will.

  No. It’s a Bad Man.

  Not only could she hear his voice in her head, he heard her thoughts as well. She didn’t have time to dwell on this revelation. A stall door slammed open and the partition walls shook. Emma tensed. There were four stalls, and they were in the last one. Her breaths came in short bursts she tried to control. Calm down, Emma. Get a grip.

  The fluorescent light flickered overhead as the second stall door slammed. The dull thud of metal hitting metal interrupted her thoughts. Her chest constricted, making it difficult to breathe. Jake’s hand on her shoulder radiated a heat through her body, spreading slowly, slightly calming her.

  You can do this, Mommy.

  The third door slammed open. The walls shook violently. A round of rapid gunfire went off outside.

  Their stall was next. She braced her elbows into her sides to help steady the gun, her finger on the trigger. Oh God, what if it’s Will? Tears filled her eyes, blurring her vision.

  It’s not.

  The door slammed open. She squeezed the trigger and held it down. Several shots burst out of the gun. The eyes of the man in the doorway flew open in surprise as he stumbled back. His gun fell and bounced, clacking on the tile floor. He hit the wall and slid down, leaving a bloody streak on the tile behind him. Emma stifled a sob.

  Oh, my God. I killed him.

  * * *

  Will needed to get over to the building without getting himself shot. A row of dumpsters stood about four feet away. If he could get behind those, he could dive behind the building and break open the small window in back. He let out a volley of shots and dove behind the bins. Other than a few scrapes from the concrete, he remained unscathed. He dashed to the far edge of the dumpsters, realizing that the entrance to the restroom was unguarded. Just then several shots echoed in the bathroom.

  Shit. His heart lurched to his throat.

  He sprinted the short distance from the dumpster to the back of the building. Back to the wall, he smashed out the window out with the butt of his rifle, then turned, holding it up and ready. One of the gunmen sat on the floor, slumped against the wall, blood pulsing from his chest. From the amount of blood, he had to be dead. Emma’s head jerked up in alarm, turning the gun in her hand toward him, her face ashen. The gun tip lowered.

  “Are you okay?” He didn’t have time to ask where she got a gun.

  She nodded.

  “Where’s Jake?”

  Jake poked his head from behind the stall door. His eyes were wide, but he seemed unscathed.

  Will knocked the remaining glass from the frame and hopped through. He dropped down and picked the gun off the floor. He checked the clip and handed it to Emma. “Obviously, you know how to use one of these.”

  She took it, her trembling hands catching him by surprise. He pulled his keys from his pocket and handed them to her. She stood frozen, staring at his hand.

  He knelt down and pulled a gun out of an ankle holster. “I want you and Jake to get to the truck. Put Jake in front on the floor. I’m going to cover you two. Once you get in the truck, pull up to where I am. I’ll get in and we’ll go. Okay?”

  Emma peered down at him, her wide dark eyes a sharp contrast to her unnaturally pale face.

  Will stood and grabbed her face with his free hand. “Emma, snap out of it. Stop being a goddamned baby. I need you to focus.” His fingers dug into her cheeks. “Are you ready or not?”

  Anger burned in her eyes. She jerked her face out of his hand. “Yes.”

  Will moved to the restroom entrance. “Stay behind the wall while I keep them busy, then take Jake and run as fast as you can to the driver’s side and get in. Put Jake on the front floor. Okay?”

  “I heard you the first time,” she spat.

  “Just remember to come back and get me.” He winked, crouched at the opening, and started firing.

  * * *

  Emma put the second gun in her purse and pulled Jake behind her along the concrete wall. Anger replaced her fear. Will was an ass and his flippant attitude pissed her off. Maybe he was used to gunfights, but she wasn’t.

  She saw the truck parked in front of the building about twenty feet away. Will ran out of the doorway, away from the truck, shooting with both guns. Emma inched closer to the edge, her gun pointed forward, ready to use if necessary. She took several deep breaths.

  Her heart pounded furiously as she grabbed Jake’s arm in her left hand. “Stay behind me, Jake.”

  “They won’t hurt me.”

  Maybe not, but she wasn’t taking any chances. She ran for the truck, her gun aimed toward the SUVs. One of the gunmen saw her and pointed his gun at her, but fell to the ground before he could fire. Will must have shot him.

  It was surreal watching men die, but she told herself she’d deal with it later. Emma pulled Jake behind the side of the truck, opened the door and pushed him in. Her adrenaline kicked in. Behind the wheel of a car, she knew how to fight the Bad Men.

  “I hope this thing has four-wheel drive,” she mumbled to herself.

  She put the truck in reverse and then forward, running over one of the gunmen in her path. His body flopped onto the hood and flew off to the side. She didn’t let herself dwell on the fact that she probably just killed someone else. The truck jumped the curb and she bounced in the seat, gripping the steering wheel to remain in her seat. Stupid. She hadn’t stopped to buckle her seat belt. The truck skidded to a halt behind the vending machine, and she leaned over and opened the passenger door. Will got in, scrambling over Jake’s hunched body on the floor, and slammed the door behind him. He threw himself into the back.

  “Go!”

  Emma tore through the grass, cutting over to the road. Gunshots fired behind them. Will opened the back window and thrust his rifle out. “They’re going to follow us. I need you to do some of that fancy driving.”

  Emma maneuvered the truck onto the parking lot surface. “Any particular direction?”

  “Surprise me.”

  Emma glanced in the rearview mirror. An SUV followed them. At least there was only one. Jake sat cross-legged on the floor, staring up at her, his face lit by the parking lot ligh
ts. She was amazed that he didn’t look frightened.

  The entrance ramp to the highway was ahead. She floored the gas pedal as she merged into more traffic than she expected at this time of night, the highway probably full of summer vacationers. She hated to think she was playing Pied Piper to a gun toting SUV.

  A line of cars loomed ahead of her. The cars were spaced far enough apart that she could weave around them, but the line appeared endless. This didn’t look good. She reached over and grabbed the seat belt and buckled herself in. Her gun lay tucked under her leg to hold it in place.

  “They’re catching up,” Will said.

  Emma checked the mirror. The headlights of the SUV were getting closer. She continued weaving, but the pack of cars got tighter and she found herself blocked in the right lane. A guardrail ran down both sides of the highway. The SUV swerved over to the right shoulder, ramming the edge of the back bumper. Emma fought to gain control of the truck and prevent it from crashing into the car in front of her

  “Son of a bitch!” Will cursed. “Get us out of here!”

  “I’m trying!”

  A car occupied the left lane next to her. Emma laid on the horn and swerved in their direction. They hit the brakes, honking their own horn as she shot into the opening they created.

  “I’m gonna have to get us off this highway.”

  “Whatever you have to do.”

  The SUV darted into the spot they had vacated. Cars around them responded to the erratic drivers in their midst. Some slowed down, others pulled to the side of the road.

  “I don’t see any exit signs. I don’t know how soon we can get off.”

  Will leaned over the back of the front seat and pushed buttons on his GPS. “Son of a bitch. The next exit is six miles ahead.”

  The SUV hit the back of the truck, pitching Will forward. His head hit the dashboard. “Shit!”

  “Are you okay?”

  Will touched his head. His hand came back covered in blood. “Not for long if we stay on this highway.” He slid into the backseat.