Web of Deceit (23 page)

Click.

Kelly turns her
head away from the gun sentencing her to death and gazes back at Beth who is
struggling to chase after her.

“I believe!” Kelly
shouts back to Beth.

Bang!

The gun goes off,
and Kelly’s body falls out of the car onto the road.

“Kelly! Kelly!”
Tears stream down Beth’s face as she watches Kelly’s lifeless body skid across
the highway.
That woman is mad
!
Shock is starting to overcome
her, but she shakes it off and forces herself to her feet, this time
succeeding. Beyond a snow-covered embankment, a mall looms in the cold January
night. She begins to run toward it.

Exhausted and
cold, she stops for a moment. Her heart is racing so fast, it feels as though
it could explode at any second, and her lungs burn with every breath she takes.
This is hopeless; I’m in the middle of an empty mall parking lot. It’s been
closed for hours.
“Oh God.” Beth lifts her eyes up towards the heavens.
“What do I do?”
Run!
a strong reply from within answers. Peace and
warmth shower over her, renewing her mind and body, enabling her to focus on
reaching the mall.
Thank you, Jesus, for reassuring me. I’m really not alone
anymore, am I?

As Beth nears the
entrance, she senses the inner voice speaking to her again.
It’s locked. Go
to the main entrance around the corner.

Disregarding the
voice, Beth runs up to the first door and tries opening it. “It’s locked,” she
says. “I can really hear you, can’t I?”

Yes,
answers the voice,
hurry
!

Beth runs around
the corner. “Wow. The main entrance. This is so cool!”

Run.
the
inner voice says.

Beth pauses to
gaze back, hoping she has lost Mrs. Freedman.

Don’t look
back. Keep moving forward.

“OK, God, you lead
and I’ll follow.” She reaches for the door, and it opens without hesitation.
She runs through and doesn’t stop until she comes to the escalators. “There are
three different halls to choose from, Lord. Which way do I go?”

Take the one
less traveled.

“What do you
mean?”

An exit light
flickers on and off revealing a door below. “That one?”

Yes
.

Through the door
and down the hall to the right is a sign reading, “Security Office.”

“Oh, thank you,
God!” Beth knocks on the door twice. After hearing no answer, she twists the
knob and enters. “Hello, is anyone here?” Beth takes a moment to scan the
office with her eyes for someone on duty. “A phone,” she says, relieved. Beth
sits down at the nearest desk and dials 911. As the phone rings, seconds feel
like minutes until …

“Nine
-
one
-
one.
What is your emergency?” the woman on duty asks.

Tears of joy fill
Beth’s eyes and trickle down her cheeks. “My name is Beth Doyle, and I’m being
chased by an extremely dangerous and armed woman. I have escaped to a shopping
mall across from highway fifty-six, and I’m hiding in the security office.”

“It’s going to be
all right, dear,” the operator says. “I’ve dispatched the orders to send help
to the Townsend Mall, and they’ll be there soon. Would you like me to stay on
the phone with you until they get there?”

“Actually, if you
don’t mind, it feels great to hear a voice of sanity.”

“Not at all.”

“I think I hear
someone coming.” Beth whispers into the tightly clenched phone.

“Stay calm. It’s
probably just the security guard.”

As the footsteps
get closer, Beth hides under the desk.

“Are you still
there?”

“Yes, shh. The
door is opening.”

The door widens
and …

“Gr-r-r-ruff ruff
ruff.”

Beth’s heart
pounds as fear tries to grip her.

“Mae, calm down,”
an elderly man says in an endearing voice.

“Ruff. Ruff.
Ruff.”

“What’s wrong,
girl?” the old man asks the dog.

Beth peeks around
the desk with tears streaming down her face. Controlling her emotions has
always been necessary. Weakness is not something she ever admits, but somehow
all her walls no longer seem important.

“What’s all this?”
The sweet, elderly man eyes Beth peering out from the side of his desk. He is a
stout, five-foot-six man wearing a security uniform. His salt and peppered
hair, weathered wrinkles, and the wire-rimmed glasses that rest atop his round
pudgy nose show evidence of his many years. Standing next to him is a proud,
fearless, well-groomed white and gray Siberian husky and German shepherd mix
with beautiful green eyes.

“It’s the security
guard.” Beth stands to her feet. “Thank you for all your help. I should be fine
now.”

“You are most
welcome. Hope everything works out for you.” The operator says with true
sincerity before ending their conversation.

“Hi,” Beth says.
“I’m sorry to have startled you. My name is Beth. I was being chased by a car,
and I ran into the mall to get away. The police are on their way.”

The elderly gentleman
gazes at the young woman with his warm, caring brown eyes.
Poor girl—she
seems so scared and exhausted. Oh, Heavenly Father, please help this young
lass. You know her needs, God; please protect her. Thank you, Jesus, for all
you do. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
“Well, my name is Sydney, and this here is my
partner Mae. I’m sorry about the circumstances, but we welcome the company. It
gets pretty lonely on this shift.”

Mae trots over and
lifts her paw to shake Beth’s hand.

“Oh, how sweet.”
Beth brightens as a smile zips across her face.

“That’s better,”
Sydney says, referring to Beth’s smile. He reaches for a cup and places it into
an automated machine on the small condiments counter. He opens the top placing
a wafer-like disc inside and clamps it closed. “Do you like hot cocoa?” he asks
as the machine makes a skipping rumble.

“Yes,” Beth
responds while petting the fluffy canine. “How old is Mae?” She glances up at
Sydney to watch him retrieve her cup from the machine.

“She’ll be seven
years this fall,” Sydney answers, already in route to hand her the cup of
cocoa.

“Thank you.” Beth
smells the sweet aroma. “Wow, she’s so young and spry for her age.”

“Yes. Healthy diet
and a lot of love—that’s the secret to my Mae.” Sydney pats Mae on the top of
the head and gives her a gentle rub under her neck. Puzzled, he stands up,
placing his hands on his hips. “Hey, how did you get in here?”

“Through the main
entrance.”

“That’s odd.”
Sydney pulls a large key ring off of his belt loop. “I just checked that door,
and I was certain it was locked. Well, come on, Mae.” He opens the door. “We
have to check that door out.”

Obedient to her
master, Mae stands to her feet and leaves Beth’s side.

“Wait for me.”
Beth rises to her feet. “I’d like to join you, if it’s all right.”

“Of course,”
Sydney says. “Mae and I would love the company.”

“Are those the
doors you entered through?” Sydney asks, pointing past the large water
fountain.

“Yes.” Beth’s eyes
search the large mall in every direction, worried Mrs. Freedman made it in as
well.

Now in front of
the door, Sydney reaches out and grasps hold of the large metal handles to test
them. “Huh.” Sydney scratches his head. “Are you sure this is the right door?”

“Yes.”

Sydney shakes the
doors, verifying they are still locked. “They won’t budge. What made you choose
these doors?”

“Well, you may not
believe this, but God told me to come to this door. I tried another, and it
wouldn’t open, so I decided to listen to his voice. He led me to your office.”

“You are a Blessed
Savior!” Sydney says to the Lord, lifting his eyes up toward the heavens. “God
knew that old Sydney and Mae would help you. You are an awesome God!”

“Gr-r-r-ruff,” Mae
interrupts, growling at the doors.

“What’s wrong,
girl?” Sydney asks. Mae’s barks becoming more fierce.

Beth peers out
through the double glass doors.
What’s bothering Mae.
Beth’s heart races
as she succumbs to her fear. “Sydney, run! The woman chasing me! She’s coming
through the …”

Sydney’s attention
fixes on the mall entrance as the gray Cadillac barrels into the first set of
doors. The little man begins to run.

Smash!

Glass shatters as
the car crashes through the main entrance. The engine races louder as Mrs.
Freedman pushes her car through the second set of doors.

Beth runs for her
life.

An evil grin is
smeared across Mrs. Freedman’s face as she breaks through the inner set of
doors, smashing into a wooden bench that is bolted to the floor. The bench
thrusts forward sliding along the tile floor, heading in Sydney’s direction.
Sydney tries to dodge the impact, but the bench rotates and slides sideways,
hitting Sydney and knocking him to the ground.

“Ugh!” Sydney
grunts in pain.

“Sydney!” Beth
shouts to her new friend as she glances back at Mrs. Freedman. “We have to go!”
Beth says, now at Sydney’s side, reaching for his hand to help him up.

“I can’t, child.
It’s you she’s after. Leave me and run, and take these.” Sydney throws her his
ring of keys. “You’ll need these to escape.”

Beth grabs the
keys mid-air. “Not without you!” She scans the surrounding area. The wheelchair
rental sign next to the escalator catches her eye. She takes a second glimpse
at Mrs. Freedman, who is shouting words Beth can’t understand.

Mrs. Freedman
pounds on the dashboard because her car is stuck on a slab of concrete that
held the bolts of the bench. The engine revs higher and higher as she struggles
to free her car.

“Oh God, please,
keep her busy so I can help Sydney,” Beth prays as she runs as fast as she can
to the wheelchair rentals. Beth jumps over the counter, grabs a wheelchair, and
drops it on the other side. After climbing back over the counter, she pops the
chair open and hurries to Sydney’s aid.

Bang! Bang!

Mrs. Freedman
fires her weapon in Beth’s direction.

“Sydney! Keep
down, I’m coming.” Beth races to his rescue.

“Forget about me
and run!”

“Not a chance.”
Beth touches his arm, startling him.

“You keep that up,
and you won’t have to worry about that lady. I’ll be dead of heart failure.”
Sydney teases Beth as she helps him in the wheelchair.

Bang! Bang!

Mrs. Freedman hits
the bench this time.

“Ugh!” Sydney
pulls himself up by the chair’s arms. Beth helps by supporting his waist.

“Are you OK?” Beth
runs, pushing Sydney towards a wheelchair ramp.

“Yeah, I think
it’s only a broken bone or two,” Sydney responds.

“Thank you,
Jesus!” Beth prays. “Do you have a car?”

“Excellent plan.”
Sydney encourages Beth. “I have a truck. It’s parked at the east entrance. Keep
right.”

Zing! Smash!

Mrs. Freedman
aimed a shot at Beth’s head and missed by a fraction, causing a store window to
shatter and setting the alarm off. She punches the accelerator again, only this
time, the vehicle is set free. Her tires squeal and echo inside the otherwise
deserted mall.

“Which way?!” Beth
asks, loud enough to be heard over Mrs. Freedman’s ruckus. They near the end of
the wide hall.

“Left!” Sydney
answers. “Quick, Beth. It’s over there. The exit at the end of that narrow
hall.”

“I see it, Sydney.
Do you have your truck keys ready?”

“Yes … uh … Beth,
where’s Mae?”

“Mae! Here girl!
Mae! Come on, girl!” Beth hollers each time louder than the last in hopes of
being heard above the noise. Beth reaches the exit and slams her backside into
the lever causing it to open.

Bang!

The exit light
shatters, sprinkling shards of glass on Beth and Sydney.

“Here Mae!” Beth
pushes Sydney through the door.

“Thank you, Lord!”
Sydney says as Mae comes running through the door behind them.

“Hurry to your
truck.” Beth begins to close herself inside the mall. “I’ll have her chase me
out the other side through the store next to us so you have time to get away.”

“No, Beth, what
are you doing?” Sydney asks as tears come to his eyes.

“It’s me she’s
after. Get out of here while you can!” Beth allows the door to close,
separating her from Sydney and what appears to be safety.

“No!” Sydney bangs
on the door. Let me help you!”

You already
have
…
by sharing your love and strength that God has given you and
reminding me of who is really in control. To God be the glory,
Beth thinks.

Bang! Spew!

Beth ducks as
another bullet misses her
. Oh father, I have the keys, but I’ll never
make
it to the main door. Please direct my path.

Bang!—Smash!

A bullet plunges
into the window causing an entire wall of glass to shatter.

“Thank you,
Jesus!” Beth says. God used the bullet meant to kill Beth to create a path for
her to get away.

Mrs. Freedman eyes
Beth escaping into JC Penney. She blasts an opening in the front of the store
and chases after her.

Beth weaves in and
out of the clothing racks as the sounds of the Cadillac, gunshots, and
shattering glass grow closer.

“I had enormous
plans for you!” Mrs. Freedman shouts loud enough to be heard. “We could have
created a perfect world together. You were to be my replacement. Why can’t you
see what you are missing?”

“No! You’re the
one that doesn’t get it! It’s impossible to be prefect. That is why your
subjects keep failing. You are looking for peace to come, but he already came,
and they nailed him to the cross,” Beth shouts back at Mrs. Freedman.