Playing For Keeps (21 page)

The man next to her suddenly spoke. “Shut up! All of you. Shut the hell up before I shut you up.”

The two girls sat back against the seat. Shanell continued to hum softly under her breath, seeming oblivious to what was really going on. The man cut his eye at her. He shot a quick look to the twins in the backseat but said nothing, then refocused his eyes on the road.

Cleo entwined her fingers between her sisters, the two clutching tightly together.

Claudia nodded her head. She whispered, her voice as low as it could be. “Do you remember what Mimi told us to do if we were ever in trouble?”

Cleo nodded back, neither one needing to say anything else.

 

 

Cilla was at the family's home when Malcolm pulled into the driveway. She and his mother stood holding tight to each other, their faces creased with worry. He shook his head as he stepped into her arms, hugging her warmly.

“We saw the Amber Alert. Do they know anything yet?” Mama Claudette asked, the woman shaking nervously.

He blew a slow sigh as they moved back into the home, past the police officer stationed at their front door. Inside, he dropped down onto a padded seat in the kitchen. “I called your friend Randolph. He's running point on this. We viewed the security tapes at the school and the girls are with Shanell and some man.”

“Well, that's something, right?” Mama Claudette said. “Shanell loves the girls. She wouldn't let anything happen to them.”

Malcolm shot his mother a look. “I don't know, Mom,” he said, his shoulders slumping. “The drugs are controlling Shanell right now. She'll do anything for them.”

“But she wouldn't hurt the girls!”

Malcolm held up a hand and he snapped. “I can't right now, Mom. Okay? I really can't do this with you right now.”

Mama Claudette took a step back and nodded. She took a deep inhalation of air. “I'm going to my room. I need to lie down for a few minutes.”

Moving back onto his feet, Malcolm wrapped his arms around his mother and hugged her close. Her tears dampened the front of his shirt. “I'm sorry,” he said as he kissed her cheek. “I know you're worried. And I want them to be safe just like you do.”

Mama Claudette nodded. She kissed her son's cheek then moved up the back stairwell to her room.

When she was out of sight, Malcolm and Cilla locked gazes, staring at each other momentarily. “What are you not telling us?” Cilla asked. She reached for his hand and pulled him back to the seat beside her. “Because I know that Randolph wouldn't be the point man on a missing person's case.”

Malcolm hesitated, tears burning hot behind his lids. He shook his head, fighting to control a sudden rise of emotion. He lowered his gaze, his head still waving against his thick neck. He took another deep breath and held it until his lungs began to burn. He shifted his stare back toward her as he slowly blew out the stale air. “Agent Taylor recognized the man on the videotape. He has a long history of crimes against children and women. Shanell's boyfriend worked for him. He's not a very nice man.”

Cilla stared at him, disbelief crossing her expression. The look he gave her back gave her pause, emotion wafting through her gut. “There's something else, Malcolm. What is it? I want to know.”

His expression was pained as he met the look she was giving him. “An hour ago headshots of both girls turned up on some underground website. That bastard plans to auction them to the highest bidder.”

“Oh, my God!” Cilla pulled a tight fist to her lips. She suddenly felt sick, bile threatening to spew. She swallowed hard, taking swift breaths. “What does Randolph say? What are they going to do?”

“He says to let them handle it but I think I'm going to Baltimore. I can't just sit here. I need to do something.”

“Do you know that they went back to Baltimore? They might still be here in Raleigh.”

“Taylor says this man is operating a porn business that's based in Maryland. The feds have been trying to shut it down but haven't been able to link it to anything illegal. And because of Shanell's connection to the town he's almost certain they'll go back to Baltimore.”

Cilla nodded. “I don't think you should go. I think you need to trust the police. You need to be here when they bring the girls back.”

He nodded. “I feel so helpless. Anything could be happening to them and I'm not there to protect them.” He dropped his head into her lap, wrapping his arms around her waist. He clenched the back of her sweatshirt with his fists.

Cilla wrapped her arms around his shoulders. She kissed his cheek. “Everything's going to be okay. Trust your girls. I don't think they're going to be that easy to take advantage of this time.”

 

 

The man was on his cell phone talking to someone in a language neither girl recognized. Frustration pierced his tone. Their movements were beginning to slow as traffic began to build, something down the road slowing their path. The stops and starts were abrupt and more than once the man slammed his fist against the steering wheel, cursing loudly as he did.

Their mother had fallen into a deep sleep, snoring softly from the front passenger seat. She'd admonished them one last time to not make any noise and then she'd dropped into a drug-induced stupor.

Cleo pulled her index finger to her lips, her gaze whispering for Claudia to be as quiet as she could be. Easing her backpack from the floorboard Cleo slipped her hand inside, searching with her fingers until she found a tube of bright red lipstick she'd hidden inside an inner flap and an ink pen from the bottom of the bag. When the backpack dropped to the floor with a low thud, the man tossed a quick glance to the backseat, his gaze shifting from one to the other. Neither girl moved a muscle meeting the look he was giving them. Claudia kicked the bag with her foot. When she swiped her eyes with the back of her hand he went back to ignoring them, focused solely on his call.

Cleo shifted toward the back window, easing her body against the door. Keeping one eye on the man in front of her she began to write backward on the side window. Their Mimi's words echoed in her memory.
You have to write it in reverse or no one will be able to read it
, she'd said. Cleo had practiced diligently until she'd been able to do it without thinking about it. The words
HELP PLS CALL 911
were quickly printed in bright red against the glass. Easing back, she handed the tube of lipstick to her sister who did the same thing on the other side.

Each girl shot the other a look, their expressions hopeful. Whispering a quick prayer, they knew they didn't have anything to lose. With any luck someone stopped in traffic beside them would venture to report what they'd seen. If enough people called, the police might take it seriously. And if the police came, there was nothing that man or their mother could do to stop them from screaming for help like they had never screamed before. Holding hands, the twins knew that all they could do until then was wait for the next opportunity to make another move.

Chapter Eighteen

Cleo eased upright in her seat. She glanced out the window to the cars traveling in the same direction. Just outside of Fredericksburg passage had come to a complete standstill, bumper-to-bumper traffic impeding everyone's travel plans. Sitting in wait, some drivers had begun to cut off their engines, even exiting their vehicles to try to see what was holding them hostage on the highway, the northbound lanes seemingly closed.

Beside them a woman sat next to her husband, pointing at the message across the window. Cleo saw the two of them talking, the woman gesturing excitedly with her hands. Her eyes widened anxiously as the lady pulled her cell phone to her ear. She tossed a look at Claudia who was staring where she stared. The man with the scar driving them suddenly slammed his fists against the steering wheel in frustration.

He turned to stare at them and that's when he saw the red writing against the glass. His rage was palpable as he began to scream, the profanity piercing loudly through the space. He slammed his fists repeatedly then shifted the ignition into park. He turned, grabbing for whichever twin he could get his hands on first. Both began kicking at him, throwing every ounce of energy into causing as much damage as they could muster.

“What . . . what's . . . what's going on?” Shanell muttered, the commotion pulling her from her slumber.

The man continued to curse, venom spewing past his lips.

“Run!” Cleo screamed, pushing open the car door.

Claudia winced, pain shooting through her arm from the man's grip as he grabbed hold of her. She used her free hand to jam the ink pen in his face, just missing his eye. He shrieked loudly. Cleo pulled at his arm, then bit him, hard, drawing blood, and he screamed again as he took a swing in her direction. Shanell blocked the blow, taking the brunt of it as she threw her body between him and the backseat, trying fervently to scratch out his eyes.

Cleo pulled her sister by the leg, helping her exit the car and then the two girls began to run through the stopped traffic, screaming for help at the top of their lungs. The man jumped from the car, staggering slightly before he began to run after then. As the girls darted between the parked cars, racing toward the road's shoulder, curious onlookers began to take pictures and video, multiple cell phones hanging out car windows.

Five vehicles down the driver of an oversize tractor-trailer sensed something was very wrong. He'd seen the two girls racing past, screaming for assistance, then spied the man giving chase in his side-view mirror. He called for help on his CB radio before jumping from his cab. He wasn't the only man to suddenly exit his vehicle, wanting to come to the girls' help.

In the distance, sirens could be heard coming from the other direction. On the side of the road, three women were huddled around the twins, each with her cell phone to her ear, calling 911 for help. The man chasing after them suddenly came to an abrupt stop. He looked out over the crowd that was gathering between him and the twins. Overhead the Channel Eight news chopper had begun to circle. Realizing this was a fight he couldn't win, the man with the scar did an about-face, racing in the opposite direction.

 

 

Malcolm snatched his phone, answering it on the first ring. “Hello?”

Both Cilla and his mother stood anxiously at his elbow, listening as he spoke to someone on the other end.

“Yes . . . okay . . . yes . . . I will . . . thank you . . . yes . . . we will.”

When he disconnected the line he threw his arms up excitedly, beginning to shake as relief flooded his body. “They found the girls!”

“Thank you, Jesus!” Mama Claudette cheered, laughing and crying simultaneously.

“Where are they?” Cilla questioned, concern still shimmering in her eyes.

“Fredericksburg. Agent Taylor is picking them up now. They're being flown into Raleigh-Durham International. They should be landing in the next hour.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Mama Claudette continued to chant.

Malcolm looped an arm around her, hugging her tightly. He kissed her forehead, his own tears dampening her brow. Cilla stood watching them, her hands clasped tightly together in front of her chest. Her own tears trickled down her cheek. Reaching out, Malcolm drew her into the embrace, hugging both women with the last ounce of energy he had left.

“Let's go get our girls,” he said, clearing his throat.

The ride to the airport was rife with joy. Malcolm shared what little the federal agent had been able to share. He knew the girls were safe. He knew they had never made it to Baltimore. He knew that their mother and the man who'd taken them were both in police custody. And he knew that they would soon be home, safe and sound. He didn't care about the rest, wanting only to hold them both in his arms and never again let them go.

As if reading his mind Cilla reached out her hand, dropping it against his forearm. She smiled, giving him a slight nod of her head. “They're going to be just fine,” she said. “But you can't smother them. Even though your first instinct is you wanting to lock them away to protect them, you can't do that. You just need to love them and keep teaching them how to protect themselves.”

Malcolm blew a deep sigh. He cut his eye at her. “I'll think about it,” he said as he pulled his car off the Lumley Road exit and turned onto Airport Road. “I promise. Next month, maybe even next year I'll give it some serious consideration.”

In the backseat, Mama Claudette laughed, the warmth of it feeling good to them all.

 

 

The local news had carried the story of the twins' rescue. The family had gathered around the television with the girls filling in all the details the media had missed.

“We did like you told us, Mimi,” Claudia said. “I stabbed him in the face with a pen. I tried to get him in the eye but I missed. It hurt though. You should have heard him scream.”

“I bit him, too, and we didn't panic. We stayed calm and waited for the perfect moment to make a run for it,” Cleo added. “And Mommy helped us. She jumped on him and we were able to get out of the car and run.”

“And we stayed where people could see us so there were plenty of witnesses.”

“Everyone came to help!” Cleo interjected. “A bunch of truckers gave that man a beat down!”

Malcolm looked from his daughters to Cilla and back. “Cilla told you to do all that?”

“Mimi's taught us all kinds of things,” Cleo said, leaning her head against Cilla's shoulder.

Cilla gave him an uneasy smile. “It's never too early for a young woman to learn how to protect herself. Every girl should know some self-defense.”

Malcolm nodded his head slowly.

Mama Claudette turned off the television, resting the remote on the coffee table. “You girls have had a full day. It's time for bed,” she said.

“Do we have to?” Cleo whined, looking toward her father.

“Can't we have a slumber party?” Claudia questioned.

He shook his head. “No. You two have school tomorrow.”

“School?” both exclaimed. “We have to go to school?”

“Yes,” Malcolm said. “You're going to school and then you're coming right home. You're on punishment until further notice for what you did.”

Both girls groaned but neither protested. Claudia rolled her eyes as she moved toward the door. Cleo followed on her heels. Both girls paused in the entranceway, turning back toward their father.

“What's going to happen to Mommy?” Cleo questioned.

Malcolm took a deep breath. “What your mom did was wrong. She's going to have to go to court and the judge is going to punish her.”

Cleo nodded. “Can we tell the judge that she helped us?”

Claudia's head bobbed in sync with her sister's. “Mommy didn't want us to get hurt. She really didn't, Daddy.”

Malcolm looked from one to the other. “We'll see,” he said finally. “Head up to bed. We'll all be up in a minute to tuck you in.”

When the girls were out of earshot he turned his attention toward Cilla. “I see you and I have a lot to talk about,” he said. “Self-defense? Really?”

She shrugged, a smile pulling at her mouth. “The more they know the better off they'll be. No man has a right to put his hands on them without their permission and if one does, they should know how to safely defend themselves.”

Malcolm chuckled softly as he reached to kiss her lips. “Why do I get the feeling that tonight's story time is going to be a whole other adventure?”

He reached out his hand to pull her onto her feet and into his arms.

Cilla kissed him warmly. “Because love always is.”

 

 

The girls were on the telephone with their grandmother Maxine when Malcolm and Cilla finally made it up the stairs. Mama Claudette stood in the doorway, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched them. She smiled as the couple moved to her side, both stopping to eye the twins. Everything felt right again.

Malcolm moved into the room, gesturing for the phone. “Hey, Miss Maxine,” he said into the device.

He could hear the smile in her voice. “They're really okay?” she asked.

He nodded into the receiver. “They're both just fine.”

She let out an audible sigh of relief. “Cleo said they arrested Shanell and the man she was with.”

“They did.”

“I imagine my daughter's not going to get out of this quite so easily this time.”

Malcolm paused, sensing that everyone in the room was staring at him. “It'll work out,” he finally responded. “I imagine that if we all pray hard enough that everything will work out the way it's supposed to.”

“God is good,” the woman whispered loudly.

“All the time.”

There was a moment of pause as the two collected their thoughts. After a moment Miss Maxine changed the subject.

“I told the girls that I'm coming to see them this weekend. They had me scared so I need to come love on 'em for a few days. I hope that's okay.”

“It's perfect,” he answered. “We can't wait to see you.”

He passed the phone back to Claudia. “Tell your grandmother good night, then give the phone to your sister so she can do the same,” he said.

Obedient, both girls blew kisses into the receiver then hung up the phone.

“Once upon a time there were two pretty princesses, who had two fairy godmothers,” Cleo started.

“One fairy godmother was poisoned by an evil witch, the dark spell making her sad and angry,” Claudia said.

The two girls both swung their gazes in their father's direction.

Malcolm took a deep breath. “But the other fairy godmother was there to show them how much the pretty princesses were loved.”

“And they were loved,” Mama Claudette added, “more than anything else in the kingdom.”

“And they all lived happily ever after,” Cilla concluded.

The girls laughed.

“That wasn't very creative, Mimi,” Cleo chimed.

“It was really bad,” Claudia added.

“It wasn't that bad,” Cilla laughed.

“It was,” Malcolm teased. “Really bad.”

Cilla looked to Mama Claudette for support.

The older woman smiled. “I liked it but then I'm always a sucker for a happy ending.”