Baby On The Run

“Why, you think I’m crazy?” Chloe snapped.

“No, I’m just not sure how to help you.”

“You already have.”

“Are you sure there isn’t someone else?”

“Yes.”

A few moments of silence passed between them.

“As long as he has Bubba, his bear, he’ll be fine.” Chloe handed Jenna a piece of paper. “If anything happens to me, keep Eli safe and find this man.”

Jenna glanced at the note and slipped it into her pocket. “Who is it?”

“My cousin Marcus Garcia. He lives north of Missoula, in the mountains. Don’t trust anyone else with Eli, okay?”

Jenna nodded. That wouldn’t be a problem since trusting people was a skill she’d lost years ago.

“Marcus is the only family I’ve got,” Chloe said, wistful.

“What about Gary?”

Chloe sighed. “I was so naive when I married him. I thought he was my Prince Charming.”

Jenna knew that princes only existed in fairy tales.

“But he is Eli’s father,” Jenna said.

“Gary is a selfish man,” Chloe said in a firm tone. “He doesn’t care about us.”

“Chloe—”

“He’s dangerous.” She pinned Jenna with intense eyes. “Gary is a monster.”

Prickles skittered across Jenna’s nerve endings.

Keep it together, Jenna.

“Dangerous how?” Jenna pressed.

Chloe stood suddenly. “I’m going to be sick. Watch Eli.” She rushed across the office and disappeared into the hallway.

“Chloe!” Jenna wanted to go after her, but couldn’t leave Eli alone.

“Mama?” he said.

“She’ll be right back, buddy.”

He clung tighter to his bear. Jenna kneeled beside the table and struggled to smile at Eli. Her own son would have been a little older than Eli now.

I’m sorry, baby Joey.

“Stop,” she whispered and turned her attention to the toddler. “Choo-choo, choo-choo,” she said, running a small wooden train across the table. Eli grabbed another train and mimicked her action.

As she watched him intently move his train back and forth, she couldn’t help but smile. There was something so pure about a child. Most of the time, when she was around kids, she was able to revel in that innocence instead of being pulled down by sadness. Sometimes it allowed a slight ray of hope to pierce through the darkness of her own grief, grief that drove her to start a new life in Cedar River, Montana.

The sound of shattering glass echoed down the hall. Jenna sat straight up.

“Let me go!” Chloe’s voice echoed.

Jenna automatically rushed across the room and snatched the canister of pepper spray out of her bag. She peeked into the hallway...

Two men were escorting Chloe to the exit: an unusually tall man wearing a knit ski cap, and a husky, broad-shouldered guy in a leather jacket.

Heart pounding, Jenna pulled out her phone to call for help. Her petite stature was no match for two thugs, even with her self-defense training and the pepper spray clutched in her hand.

“I won’t let you hurt him!” Chloe shouted.

As Jenna’s trembling finger pressed the 9-1-1 buttons, a male voice said, “What’s going on?”

She peeked around the corner and spotted Police Chief Billings.

For once she was relieved the cops had arrived.

“Stop it!” Chloe squirmed against the tall man’s grip.

“Release her,” the chief said.

Jenna was about to announce her presence when the chief grabbed Chloe, spun her around and put her in a choke hold.

Paralyzed with fear, Jenna watched as Chloe struggled against his firm grip, kicking and thrashing.

The thrashing slowed.

Chloe’s body went limp.

She fell to the ground.

Jenna darted out of sight. The floor seemed to tip sideways beneath her feet.

“Put her in the trunk,” Chief Billings said.

No, this can’t be happening. Please, God, help me.

He’d never listened before. Why should He start now?

“And find her son,” he said.