by Lexie Ray
Daren had never realised how much effort actually went into getting a carnival ready for the public. Machines had to be set up, dozens of vending booths, food stalls, bathrooms, and rodeo gates needed to be arranged, and they had to pin up what felt like a thousand stuffed toys. And through it all, they had to try and keep the place looking clean. If he had one more person tell him to be careful not to scuff up the grass, he might lose it.
The carnival employees had taken to having the team around and gleefully gave them the worst jobs available. Hard labor and the gathering heat of the day made sure that each one of them was drenched with sweat before midday.
“Did I reenlist without realising it?” Jamie asked as he pulled a hand through his blond hair.
Dwayne put all his effort into tightening up one of the bolts and groaned. “I just wanted to be a clown.”
“I still don’t get that,” Jamie said.
Dwayne got back to his work without giving anything that could be taken as an answer. After a few moments of just starting at Dwayne, Jamie resigned himself to the fact that he was never going to get an answer and turned to go and get another heavily loaded box.
Daren swallowed down the urge to ask if he needed help. It had been a long day, and Jamie had been running back and forth for most of it. Over the hours, his confident stride had slowed and diminished. Every now and then, he was unable to fully hide the pain in his steps.
Daren didn’t know the whole story, and according to the government, he wasn’t supposed to. But it didn’t take a genius to put together that one of Jamie’s past missions must have gone sideways and left him in a bad situation. One that left him with quite a bit of damage to his feet. It was usually easy enough for the ex-SEAL to hide it. Sometimes, though, even he couldn’t hide his winces or properly smother his grunts of pain. There was no real point in bringing it up, though. Jamie would just deny it. And then they’d be stuck in one of those awkward situations where they both knew he was lying but had to pretend that he wasn’t.
Still, he made sure to keep an eye on the man as he cut across the open area to get the next load. Jamie’s path took him straight past the Jones’ trailer where he stopped just long enough to have a quick conversation with Sophie. They had wanted to keep her close while they worked, so for the last few hours she had been stuck on the trailer steps with only her home-school books for entertainment. She was eager for any kind of distraction, and Jamie didn’t have any trouble getting her attention. The difficulty came in extracting himself from the conversation to get back to work.
Daren had to hand it to the kid. For someone so young, she was really good at hiding the pressure she must have been feeling. He couldn’t really imagine the ticking clock that had to be in her head. According to both Sophie and Rebecca, the creep only showed up when the park was in full swing, so he was due to make an appearance in the next few days.
“You okay, Daren?”
He turned back to see Dwayne watching him, his head tilted to the side like a curious puppy.
“It’s just always worse when it’s kids.”
“Yeah,” Dwayne said with a twitch of his mouth. “But I can see them getting through it. They seem too stubborn to let this guy win in the end.”
Daren ducked his face to smirk at the floor. He could just imagine what Rebecca would do if she ever got this guy alone. They probably should set up a plan to make sure that didn’t happen, or they’d all be facing criminal charges. He almost jumped when his earbud crackled. Dwayne easily kept his expression neutral as Jai’s voice snapped along the line.
“You still got eyes on Sophie?”
“She’s at home avoiding schoolwork,” Dwayne confirmed.
“I noticed a flash in the east side boundary,” Jai say. “I’m checking it out.”
They didn’t need more than that for Jamie to head behind the trailer to better see anyone lurking from the tree line.
“Roger that,” Daren said before raising his voice to call out over the space. “Hey, Sophie.”
Her pigtails bobbed as she lifted her head, her eyes sparkling with the hope of a decent distraction. “Yeah?”
“Ya mind getting us some water?”
Slumping with disappointment, she closed her book with a loud thump and placed it on the step next to her. She instantly kicked it off as she headed into the trailer and ducked out of sight. With an excuse in hand, Daren edged closer to the door, subtly scanning the area and the people that shuffled about working.
He couldn’t spot anyone that wasn’t a legitimate worker, at least according to the file Mads had handed them all last night. What had at first been a pretty good layout was quickly growing into a nightmare. As the carnival began to take form, the once open spaces became dotted with makeshift buildings and hiding places. Once the crowds started coming in tomorrow, it would be a lot harder to keep it all contained.
“Here.” Sophie shuffled out the door and awkwardly thrust one of the cups in his direction.
A good deal of the water sloshed over Daren’s hand as he took it. The other ones didn’t fare much better as she started down the steps.
“I’ll take ’em,” Daren said. “You get your books before your momma sees.”
Sophie let him take the cups and began to grumble about her coursework as she hopped down the last of the stairs. Dwayne was quick to come over, not letting Daren get too far from Sophie just to keep up the ruse.
Dwayne lifted the cup to hide his mouth before asking over the com line, “How you going there, Jamie?”
“All clear.”
“Jai, don’t keep me in suspense, man.”
“Air boy,” Daren grumbled.
The majority of Dwayne’s career had been spent either in a gym or in the air. Things like covert missions and stakeouts were a skill he had to learn, and he’d found that he didn’t really care for them. He was a man of action, not so much patience, and Daren had no idea why he kept being the one assigned to babysit him. Really, Jai was the patient one. And as a doctor, Jai was also the one who knew how to knock him out without potentially causing lasting damage.
“The area has been disrupted, but it’s hard to tell if it was our guy or those teens that used the long grass for some necking.”
“Those teens?” Dwayne said with a dramatic gasp. “Their names are Allison and Rick, and their love is pure.”
Daren narrowed his eyes on Dwayne. “There’s something wrong with you.”
“It’s called being romantic.”
Daren shook his head before shifting his gaze to check on Sophie again. She was shoving her books through the open door and looked all set to start moving about the place. He finished the water in one large gulp and hurried to intercept her.
“Thanks,” Daren said as he held out the cup.
She blindly tossed the last book through the door, practically vibrating with a need to get moving, when she looked up at him and pouted. “You can take it in.”
“Nah. Don’t feel right going into your home if your momma ain’t there.”
Sophie opened her mouth to respond but nothing came out. An instant later, she narrowed her eyes, and her mouth scrunched into a fine line.
“He’s here, isn’t he?”
“Sophie,” Daren said, “you just get back in there.”
Oblivious to the standoff, the carnival workers started testing the rides. The grinds and gasps of the machines sounded louder and strained without the normal sound of a crowd to cover them. Sophie balled her fists as her eyes skirted around the area. The thought hit Daren a second before it became an actuality. She’s going to do something stupid.
Sophie ducked to the side and broke into a run, heading right toward the area Jai was still nosing about. Daren choked down a few swear words and bolted after her. Having witnessed what was brewing, Dwayne was quick to move forward to try and cut her off. Before he could reach Sophie, she changed her direction without breaking stride, and headed for one of the machines. They couldn’t catch up with her
before she had a chance to scurry into the gaps that existed under one of the deconstructed rides. Once she was within the gaps, neither man had a small enough stature to follow.
“Jamie, Sophie’s done a runner.” Dwayne’s voice didn’t hold any strain as he bounded over the top of the machine. “I’m going to try and herd her back to you.”
Daren was fast on his feet, but he was better at having to dodge and duck obstacles than flat out sprinting. He rounded the machine just as Dwayne leapt down. They looked at each other just to confirm that neither of them had seen Sophie.
“I’m going to put a tracker on that kid,” Dwayne said as he dropped to his knees and glanced into the shadows under the machine.
The second he did, Daren caught a flash of movement out of the corner of his eye. When Sophie had managed slip past them, he had no idea, but she was already barrelling across the open stretch of land. Daren slammed his hand against the machine to get Dwayne’s attention before he broke into a run again.
For as small as she was, she was fast, and she had the advantage of knowing the layout. Every time they got close, she would scurry under another trailer, forcing the much larger men to run around the massive obstacles to catch up. Working together, Daren and Dwayne managed to block her in somewhat, pushing her further back into the carnival area instead of letting her get to the open field.
Leaping through the gap between two tents, Daren emerged into the area that would be the main hub for the children’s rides. They sat spread out in a circuit around him, a few having been left on for their test runs. They spun and whirled, their movement and noise making it harder to catch sight of her again.
“Sophie!” he bellowed as he jogged out toward the machines, his eyes scanning every nook and cranny.
The hint of a muffled cry made him turn. He snapped around to the sound, trying to pinpoint just where it had come from. The rides released a pressurized gasp and stilled for a moment. It was just enough that he was able to hear the scream again. He bolted toward the sound, ducking past the reaching arms of the colorful ride.
“Sophie!”
The stunted scream was louder now, matched with the sounds of a struggle. Daren’s legs were burning as he ran around the edge of the ride to find a man, covered from head to toe, hunched down with Sophie clutched tightly within his hold. She squirmed against him, kicking and thrashing like a wildcat.
The man lifted his head, his face hidden under a balaclava, and rose to his feet. Somehow, the man managed to keep his hold on Sophie, pulling her off her feet.
Daren took a step closer, and a desperate glint entered the man’s eyes. Sophie still squirmed and the man’s arms tightened until he almost broke her in two. Daren edged closer, trying to keep his temper under control.
“You’re gonna want to let her go,” he growled.
Sophie wrenched her mouth free from under the man’s hand and began to scream, kicking frantically. The man could see his control slipping and, noticing for the first time just how boxed in he was, backed up against moving metal and tent walls. Daren watched as the man’s eyes flickered about, searching for a way out. A cold rock formed in the pit of Daren’s stomach when he saw resolve bleed into the man’s eyes. The spinning arms of the ride made dozens of colorful carriages slip past them fast enough to create a wind that pushed at their clothes.
“Don’t do it, man,” Daren said. “Just put her down.”
The man backed up a step and hurled Sophie to the side. She hit the ground and tumbled into the path of the carriages. Daren lunged after her. Sophie sat up, her eyes widening as she saw a red carriage streaking toward her. Daren threw himself on her and tucked her against his chest, her small fingers clutching at the front of his shirt. He felt the blow. There was nothing after that.
Chapter Nine
Rebecca sat on one of her old camping chairs just outside of her trailer, waiting for Jai to emerge. Sophie had insisted on staying with Daren, crying and shrieking until Rebecca agreed. But that left little room for Jai to work, and the doctor had insisted that everyone else remain outside. It had been torturous to let her daughter out of her sight again, but Mads had been quick to calm Rebecca down and coax her out onto the makeshift patio.
While she didn’t remember most of what he had said to get her to calm down, Mads was surprisingly good at it. He now sat with her, looking out of place on the spare camping chair, quietly sharing her space. Neither of them had said a word in a long time and, thankfully, Mads didn’t look to have any desire to change that. Her mind was filled with all the alternative scenarios of what could have happened, and each horrific image burned painfully into her mind.
They both turned and got to their feet when the door opened and Jai emerged. She started forward, but Mads lifted his hand to prevent her from unleashing all the questions that where storming inside of her.
“Well, we’re lucky that it was a kid’s ride, and that his skull is as thick as a bowling ball,” Jai said. “He’s awake and responsive.”
“Shouldn’t we take him to a hospital?” she asked.
Jai looked up from closing his medic bag to smile at her, soft and comforting.
“Daren really doesn’t like hospitals. Don’t worry. He’s going to be fine, and I will keep a close eye on him. I’m just going to let him rest up for now.” He shifted his attention to Mads. “I don’t want to move him around too much.”
“The trailer I ordered should be arriving tonight,” Mads replied.
“He can stay here,” Rebecca cut in.
Mads turned to her. “Are you sure? We don’t mean to impose.”
“He took a blow from a carnival ride for my girl. It’s not an imposition for Sophie and I to share a bed for a night.”
“As you wish,” Mads said. “Thank you.”
“I’ll write up a list of things you should keep an eye out for. I’ll pop in later just to make sure everyone’s getting along.”
Rebecca nodded and folded her arms over her chest. “He’s never come at her like that. He’s never been that aggressive.”
“Then it’s a good thing that you called us when you did,” Mads said. “We’re going to take care of this.”
She nodded and wiped a hand over her forehead. It was getting harder to believe those words. It was getting hard to breathe, and she felt Sophie’s absence like a severed limb.
“I need to check on my daughter.”
Rebecca had never screamed at Sophie like she had when they had found her. But with her heart thundering and all the possibilities ripping her apart at the seams, she hadn’t been able to control herself. Mads had taken his own turn in addressing Sophie for her behavior. But, of course, his voice had retained its eerily stable tone. His overly calm demeanor had been enough to make Rebecca cringe, and she hadn’t even been the one it was aimed at.
Mads nodded as if bidding her farewell. “I’ll bring you some food later tonight.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“I can image that you won’t be inclined to cook tonight,” Mads said. “And I would appreciate the opportunity to check on Daren, if you’ll permit me.”
“Right,” she said with a hint of guilt. “Of course. Thank you.”
She awkwardly waved to both men, not quite sure what else to do, and crept up the metal stairs, careful not to wake Daren if he had fallen asleep again. The staircase rose and allowed her to peek around a dividing wall and glance down the short hallway into her room at the end.
Through the doorway, she could see Sophie sitting cross legged on the bed, staring at Daren as he released a pained groan and shifted. Rebecca figured he was trying to sit up, but it was hard to tell. She could see his hands ball in the thin sheets as he went still for a long moment.
“Does it hurt a lot?” Sophie asked.
“More than a little.” His normally rough voice now sounded like he was gargling gravel. “You okay, kid?”
Sophie nodded and wiped some tears out of her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Daren.”
He heaved a strained breath. “Ya momma yell at you?”
“Yeah.”
“And Mads?”
“He didn’t yell. It was more like that thing that Ma does sometimes.” She put on a voice that sounded nothing like her. “I’m not angry, I’m just disappointed.”
Daren winced. “I hate when he does that.”
“Me too.” Sophie hesitated as she twisted the bottom of her shirt around her fingers. “Are you going to yell at me now?”
“Nah. I’m sure they’ve already covered all of the best points anyway.”
“You’re not mad at me?” she asked in a soft, hopeful tone that broke Rebecca’s heart.
Daren snorted. “I would have done the same thing at your age.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. I was a real stupid kid.”
“Hey.” Sophie pulled her knees up under her chin and hugged her shins tightly.
“Just telling the truth. You don’t want to be stupid, stop doing stupid things.”
“That’s easy for you to say,” she grumbled.
“You got people here looking out for you.” Daren choked down another pained grunt as his fingers clenched. “Don’t be so quick to forget about that. It’s a lot more than some other people get.”
Rebecca’s eyes burned as she watched her little girl press her forehead against her knees. “I’m really sorry. I didn’t mean for you to get hurt.”
“Yeah, well, ain’t the first time. Ain’t gonna be the last.”
Sophie sniffed and crawled a little closer to his side. He didn’t shift again as she curled up next to him and hugged one of his arms, her back pressed against his side like she didn’t want him to see her crying. Rebecca made sure to keep her last few footsteps loud and clear, giving them both enough time to compose themselves before she intruded.
Sophie was red-eyed and still streaked with grass stains and dirt. Even bruised and battered, Daren looked at her with pleading eyes, glancing down at Sophie as if indicating the problem that he needed help with. She gave him a reassuring smile and leaned against the thin doorway that separated her large bed from the rest of the space.
