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“He does,” Hailey spoke up. “He’s talked about it before. He thought Dottie was paranoid.”
Gareth groaned softly and muttered, “Fuck.”
“Does he have the combination to the safe?”Pierce signed.
“No,” Dottie said without a shred of doubt after Rhiannon translated. “Only managers have that.”
“We need to get that gun before they do.”
Rhiannon froze and looked at Pierce in horror. “That’s not a good idea.”
“What did he say?” Hailey asked, wide-eyed.
Even without translation, Gareth was already nodding. “He wants the gun.”
Rhiannon’s heart raced as she looked between Pierce and Gareth. They both looked like the soldiers they once were in that moment. She shook her head, tightening her grip on Michael. “No, absolutely not. We can’t escalate this situation with a weapon. If nobody else has access to it, then we should leave it right where it is.“
“It’s not about escalation, Rhia. It’s about protection. If they get that gun first, we’re all in danger.”
As he signed, Gareth said, “Will might not have the combination, but if they get desperate enough, that won’t stop them.“
Dottie nodded grimly. “Gareth is right, and I assumed Pierce said something similar, so I’ll go. They won’t suspect anything if I’m just puttering around behind the counter.”
“We’ll create a distraction,” Gareth offered. “Draw their attention away from you.”
Pierce nodded in agreement.
So they were all determined to ignore her.
Fine.
She tucked Michael against her chest and called Raszta to her as she retreated to the farthest corner of the store, behind several toppled shelves. They would be safe back here if bullets started flying. Michael protested as she tried to set him down on a bed of sweatshirts.
“Shh,” she murmured and wiped at the tears streaming from her eyes. She signed,“It’s okay, sweetie. We’re just going to play a little game.”She tried to keep her expression soft and calm as if there was absolutely no danger just on the other side of those shelves.“We’re going to hide here with Raszta and be very, very quiet. Can you do that for me?”
Michael’s lower lip trembled, but he nodded, his blue eyes wide and solemn. He curled up against Raszta, burying his face in the dog’s wiry fur. Rhiannon’s heart clenched at the sight. She combed her fingers through his hair. He was sweating, and if she wasn’t mistaken, he felt warmer now than he had a few moments ago.
Dammit.
“Stay with him,”she signed to Raszta.
The dog’s tail wagged once, and she took it as agreement.
Rhiannon took a deep breath, steeling herself. She couldn’t just sit here and hide while the others put themselves at risk. With one last glance at Michael and Raszta, she crept back toward the group.
Across the room, she saw Gareth and Pierce conferring in low voices. Dottie had already slipped behind the counter, her movements casual as she straightened a display of postcards. Brooke and Hailey huddled together near a rack of t-shirts, their faces pale with fear.
Dottie’s hands moved deftly behind the counter, her motions appearing natural to anyone not looking closely. But Rhiannonsaw the tension in the older woman’s shoulders, the slight tremor in her hands as she knelt to punch the code into the safe.
Across the room, Gareth and Pierce lifted a large chunk of concrete from the hallway and threw it aside. It landed on the floor with a thunderous crash. Heads whipped around, and shouts of alarm rang out as dust billowed up from the impact.
“What the hell are you two doing?” Alan bellowed, storming towards them.
Pierce signed a response, his movements sharp with irritation, and Rhiannon translated it loudly, drawing even more eyes their way.
“We’re trying to clear a path out of here. Unless you’d rather stay trapped here forever?”
Alan’s face reddened. “You’re going to bring the whole ceiling down on our heads!”
