second, and when he returned to his rhythmic snoring, Katie crept out and stood on her bare feet. Brandee wondered if her cousin should take the time to put on her sneakers but decided against it. She just picked them up and gave them to Katie to hold. Then she looked to Nick and he tipped his head toward the staircase.
The girls glanced at Mr. B. while silently padding their way over to the stairs.
Nick followed behind them. He stopped Brandee with a hand on her arm and whispered, “Wait for me at the top.”
She nodded and stepped in front of Katie. If the little girl had an adult on either side, hopefully, she’d be safe.
The three of them crept silently up the stairs. Nick maneuvered around them as soon as they reached the top step. “Stay behind me until you see an opportunity to get outside, then take it.”
They both nodded. Brandee held her breath, wondering what he had planned.
He threw his whole weight against the door. His body smashed clear through and broke the lock. He shook off the door and checked behind him. Brandee suddenly realized he was using himself as a shield to get them to the outer door.
“Hey!” Mr. M. charged out from the office with a gun. Mr. B. had awakened and was swearing as he dashed up the stairs.
“Run, girls,” Nick yelled.
She grabbed Katie’s hand and rushed toward the outside door. A shot rang out and then another. Someone swore loudly, but she didn’t stop to see who it was. She yanked open the door and ran out of their prison, holding Katie’s hand.
Brandee didn’t stop running until they reached the end of the block and rounded the corner. She leaned over, panting, and her hair covered her face. “Call the police,” she yelled to no one in particular. Then she bumped into a tall, dark, solid body.
Looking up, she saw her boss. “Anthony?”
He braced her with his hands against her arms. “What happened?”
“Nick needs help.” She pointed to the alley.
“Stay here,” he ordered.
When Anthony rushed down the alley, she called out to stop him. All she wanted him to do was call the cops, not go running into gunfire.
“Oh, my stupid bravery!”
A young couple neared them, took one look, and began to cross the street.
“Wait. We need your help. If you have a cell phone, call 911.” The couple just rushed off faster. “Please!”
***
Nick had managed to disarm Mr. M. without getting shot, but now he was wrestling both thugs for the gun. He shoved Mr. B. against the wall, hoping to knock him out, but that only happened in the movies. Mr. B. got right back up and jumped on Nick’s back as Nick fought with Mr. M. He landed a good blow to Mr. M.’s chin and stunned him for a moment. Just long enough to flip Mr. B. off his back.
A good right hook to Mr. B.’s diaphragm knocked the wind out of him and temporarily stopped him from getting back up. Nick saw an opening and kicked, aiming for Mr. M.’s knee. The guy cried out and crumpled to the floor.
Anthony rushed through the back door at that moment and took in the scene. “Looks like you’ve got things well in hand.”
Mr. B. jumped up and said, “That’s a little premature, asshole.” He rushed Anthony, but before Mr. B. could land a blow, Anthony stepped aside and the criminal ran right past him and bounced off the wall.
“Let me,” Nick said. He grabbed Mr. B. by the hair and slammed his head against the wall again. This time Mr. B. slid down the wall into an unconscious heap. “He won’t give us any trouble for a while.”
Nick was panting, heavily. “Are the girls safe?”
“Yeah, they’re at the end of the block. I told them to wait for me there. Why don’t you step outside and catch your breath,” Anthony suggested.
“First, I’d like to know who hired these guys and why. I have the feeling someone else was having them do his dirty work. Someone who knew about the little girl’s ability.”
“I’ll mesmerize them and see what I can find out. I’ll meet you and the
The girls glanced at Mr. B. while silently padding their way over to the stairs.
Nick followed behind them. He stopped Brandee with a hand on her arm and whispered, “Wait for me at the top.”
She nodded and stepped in front of Katie. If the little girl had an adult on either side, hopefully, she’d be safe.
The three of them crept silently up the stairs. Nick maneuvered around them as soon as they reached the top step. “Stay behind me until you see an opportunity to get outside, then take it.”
They both nodded. Brandee held her breath, wondering what he had planned.
He threw his whole weight against the door. His body smashed clear through and broke the lock. He shook off the door and checked behind him. Brandee suddenly realized he was using himself as a shield to get them to the outer door.
“Hey!” Mr. M. charged out from the office with a gun. Mr. B. had awakened and was swearing as he dashed up the stairs.
“Run, girls,” Nick yelled.
She grabbed Katie’s hand and rushed toward the outside door. A shot rang out and then another. Someone swore loudly, but she didn’t stop to see who it was. She yanked open the door and ran out of their prison, holding Katie’s hand.
Brandee didn’t stop running until they reached the end of the block and rounded the corner. She leaned over, panting, and her hair covered her face. “Call the police,” she yelled to no one in particular. Then she bumped into a tall, dark, solid body.
Looking up, she saw her boss. “Anthony?”
He braced her with his hands against her arms. “What happened?”
“Nick needs help.” She pointed to the alley.
“Stay here,” he ordered.
When Anthony rushed down the alley, she called out to stop him. All she wanted him to do was call the cops, not go running into gunfire.
“Oh, my stupid bravery!”
A young couple neared them, took one look, and began to cross the street.
“Wait. We need your help. If you have a cell phone, call 911.” The couple just rushed off faster. “Please!”
***
Nick had managed to disarm Mr. M. without getting shot, but now he was wrestling both thugs for the gun. He shoved Mr. B. against the wall, hoping to knock him out, but that only happened in the movies. Mr. B. got right back up and jumped on Nick’s back as Nick fought with Mr. M. He landed a good blow to Mr. M.’s chin and stunned him for a moment. Just long enough to flip Mr. B. off his back.
A good right hook to Mr. B.’s diaphragm knocked the wind out of him and temporarily stopped him from getting back up. Nick saw an opening and kicked, aiming for Mr. M.’s knee. The guy cried out and crumpled to the floor.
Anthony rushed through the back door at that moment and took in the scene. “Looks like you’ve got things well in hand.”
Mr. B. jumped up and said, “That’s a little premature, asshole.” He rushed Anthony, but before Mr. B. could land a blow, Anthony stepped aside and the criminal ran right past him and bounced off the wall.
“Let me,” Nick said. He grabbed Mr. B. by the hair and slammed his head against the wall again. This time Mr. B. slid down the wall into an unconscious heap. “He won’t give us any trouble for a while.”
Nick was panting, heavily. “Are the girls safe?”
“Yeah, they’re at the end of the block. I told them to wait for me there. Why don’t you step outside and catch your breath,” Anthony suggested.
“First, I’d like to know who hired these guys and why. I have the feeling someone else was having them do his dirty work. Someone who knew about the little girl’s ability.”
“I’ll mesmerize them and see what I can find out. I’ll meet you and the
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