Safe Haven

Chapter 3

Hayley stood beside her mom outside Riddle's Jewelry store.

After lunch they'd visited the mall's restrooms and were heading back to the SUV. Halfway along the walkway, Alice saw a glittering display of jewelry and hadn't moved from the front of the store.

Hayley glanced at Tank, waiting for him to tell them to keep moving.

He shrugged and looked around them. "Another few minutes won't hurt."

Before they'd left the parking lot, they'd put her mom's supplement into one of Tank's backpacks. With his hands resting on the shoulder straps, he almost looked like any other person in the mall.

Alice's walker moved slowly forward. She looked at a display of rings and sighed.

"Which one do you like the best?" Hayley asked her mom.

Alice pointed to a large, sparkling solitaire at the back of the display. "That one. It's beautiful."

Hayley agreed with her mom. It was easily the prettiest in the window. She pointed to another one in the front. "What about the ring with the pink stone? Do you like that as well?"

"It's lovely. Nathaniel wouldn't buy me an engagement ring with a colored stone. It had to be a diamond."

Alice let go of her walker and held out her hand, showing Hayley her ring.

She admired the solitaire diamond, then brought Alice's hand back to the frame. "It's beautiful. Your husband has great taste."

"Is Nathaniel coming home for dinner soon?" Alice looked around the mall. "We're not at home."

"We'll be home soon. We've just had lunch with Tank."

The worry on Alice's face melted away. "Where is he now?"

"Right behind us."

Alice looked over her shoulder and smiled.

Tank waved back and Hayley sighed. He might look rough and rugged, but he had a big heart.

She took another step forward, hoping her mom followed and didn't get distracted by more jewelry. A sign further along the wide walkway pointed to the exit.

"Let's go to Tank's SUV— "

A loud shout and the sound of running feet filled the mall.

Hayley looked over her shoulder, wondering what was going on. Before she had a chance to see anything, Tank fell sideways and someone crashed into her back. She tried regaining her balance, but she was pushed forward, dragged toward the exit.

She grabbed hold of the man's arms, twisting against the tight grip that was getting tighter. She yelled for Tank, screaming at the top of her lungs.

They were halfway down the corridor that led to the parking lot. She couldn't let the man drag her outside. If he threw her into a vehicle, she might never see her mom or sister again.

Hayley thought of Tank and the pepper spray in her pocket but, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't reach it.

Panic froze her brain. She didn't know what to do, how to get away. 

Digging her heels into the vinyl floor, she desperately tried to slow them down. It didn't work. The man tightened his arm around her chest, hauling her toward the exit. 

She needed to do something, needed to break free before it was too late. 

When the man stopped to push his way through the door, she ignored the voice screaming inside her head, telling her to get away. She'd done self-defense classes with her sister. Their instructor had shown them what to do, drilled into her some basic moves that could save her life.