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Antonio grins and plants a kiss on the top of my head.
“Good. Whatever you need, I’m here. All you have to do is ask. I’ll listen to whatever you have to say.”
Whatever I have to say. That reminds me…
“Antonio.” I look up.
He meets my gaze. “What is it?”
“There’s something I have to tell you. I…”
Just then, a baby’s cry rips through the air, piercing the sound of the running water. I freeze.
Lara!
Chapter Twelve
Antonio
I wrap my towel around my waist as I bolt from the bathroom and out through the bedroom. The cool air hits my wet skin. Puddles form in my wake. I ignore them both and rush to the room at the end of the hall. The fact that Lara’s cries have stopped abruptly worries me even more.
As soon as I enter the room, I see her – strapped to a man in black. Before I can say a word, he jumps out of the open window.
What the hell?
I hesitate for a moment before taking my own leap, which seems to be the only choice. If I run downstairs and go around the house, I’ll lose sight of the kidnapper. I can’t let him get away.
I manage to land smoothly, but I have no time to catch my breath. I run after the man as fast as I can.
He runs towards the river. Does he have a boat waiting? A companion? His movements tell me he’s well-trained. He must be getting paid to do this, which means he has a plan.
I can’t let him accomplish that plan. I can’t let him reach the river.
What do I do? How do I stop him and take Lara back? I don’t have a weapon. I don’t have the advantage of speed or strength. What can I do?
You’re smart, Antonio. Think.
The man’s voice comes out of nowhere. Another memory? No time for that now.
Whoever the voice in my head belongs to, he’s right. I have to outsmart this guy. The question is: How?
You know what to do. You’re a genius. Of course, I’m a genius, too, but I’ll let you be the brains. I’ll handle the nitty-gritty stuff.
A different voice?
I suddenly have an idea. I may not have the training this guy has, but I know this area better. If he’s heading towards the river, I know a shorter route.
I take it. Sure enough, I get to the river ahead of him. Now what?
As I look around, I notice a pile of snakeskin. I grab it and hide behind a tree. When the kidnapper approaches, I throw the skin at his face. It startles him and I’m able to dodge behind him and deliver a blow to the side of his neck, just like I did to Otto’s friend. I still have no idea how I learned to do it, but it works. The man goes limp.
I lower him carefully to the ground and then take Lara. My forehead creases as I realize she has her pacifier taped to her mouth. I quickly take it off.
Who on earth tapes a pacifier to a baby’s mouth. Don’t they know that can be lethal?
I’m suddenly tempted to kick this unconscious criminal, but Lara starts to cry. I hold her over my shoulder and pat her back as I whisper in her ear.
“Shh. It’s alright. You’re safe now.”
Is she, though? Who is this man and why was he trying to take Lara?
I want to bring him with me to the house so that I can question him, but I can’t carry both him and Lara. I should just tie him up and then come back for him.
I do that, using the straps from the baby carrier he had and the snakeskin. Then I head back to the house. Lara has stopped crying, but I can still sense her anxiety. I rub the back of her head.
“It’s alright, Lara. Everything’s going to be alright.”
~
“This isn’t alright,” Bernie tells me as he bangs his fist on my dining table the morning after. “Ever since that woman came to this town, she’s brought nothing but trouble.”
“Now, now.” Diane places a hand on her husband’s arm. “Let’s not be rash.”
“It’s true,” he tells her. “First that fight with Otto and now this… criminal.”
“None of that is Triss’s fault,” I point out. “Otto picked that fight with me and tried to kill me. And what happened last night? That was an attempted abduction. It’s not like Triss invited that man here and asked him to take her baby.”
“No,” Bernie agrees. “But if it wasn’t for her baby, that man wouldn’t have shown up here. What if he decided to grab some other babies while he was in the area?”
The thought makes me want to roll my eyes. “That’s absurd, Bernie.”
“The fact that a professional killer has showed up in our peaceful town is absurd,” he tells me.
