distance, Jayne would take bets all that gold and glitter coming from the chains and bracelets the woman wore wasn’t costume jewelry. The woman was as out of place as a gelding in a breeding stall.
The man with her wore a tailored business suit that didn’t come off a discount rack, either. He carried a shiny black briefcase that he gripped a little too tightly. His gaze darted about the parking area, nervously expectant.
And his tie was red. The red clashed with the different red shade of the woman’s dress. Not significant surely, yet Jayne’s brain wouldn’t leave it alone.
Wouldn’t that make a great identification signal? Nearly everyone owned something red, yet it was a color that would stand out without looking out of place. Jayne could almost hear the baby-nappers telling the buyers to come to the meeting wearing something red. The more she toyed with that thought the more she liked it. She watched the two of them closely, and dutifully wrote down their license plate number.
They were a mature couple, obviously not hurting for money based on their expensive car alone. And they made it clear they were waiting for someone. That didn’t make them baby buyers. More than likely they were Realtors or something, here to use the small business center located a couple of doors down from the grocery store. Except they weren’t paying the stores any attention at all. They scanned the parking lot as avidly as Jayne herself had been doing. She scrunched down a bit so they wouldn’t notice her and tamped down a rising excitement.
She’d already been surprised by how many strangers actually used this shopping center. Especially at this hour of the afternoon. Still, these two people definitely stood out.
Jayne reached for her camera and snapped off a couple of quick shots. The couple suddenly came to attention. She lowered the camera and swept the parking lot to see what had captured their interest. A flame-red sedan drove sedately down the next aisle over. She’d never seen the car before nor either of the two men inside, but if she were going to typecast a couple of thugs, these guys would make her list. No necks, broad shoulders, low-sloping foreheads—perfect.
Jayne sank even lower in her seat. Since she wasn’t tall to begin with, she didn’t have to sink very far. Anticipation sent her heart dancing. What if this was it? What if she’d actually picked the right spot?
The red car pulled through a parking space and came to a stop only a few cars down from her. The two men stepped out, dressed in ill-fitting suits.
And they both wore red ties.
Her heart tried a triple jump in her chest. This had to be it. It had to be!
Raising her head cautiously, she watched them peruse the parking lot before striding toward the eager couple. Then she remembered she was supposed to be filming the exchange. The baby must still be inside the red car. From her angle, she could just barely make out a car seat jutting up in the rear seat closest to her.
This really was it! She’d done it! They were going to make the exchange right here in front of her!
Jayne reached for the video camera, shaking with excitement. When she turned back, guns had appeared in both beefy hands. The couple looked horrified. Jayne’s own pulses leaped. The man was shaking his head, arguing, while the bigger of the two thug-types was staring at something beyond Jayne and to the left of her position.
Before she could twist around to follow that gaze, she saw the muzzle flash as his gun discharged. Something had gone horribly wrong.
The woman screamed. The man with her shoved her back toward their car. The other two men crouched down and fired again. Someone was shooting back and the car with the baby in it was right in the path of the bullets!
The couple fled toward their vehicle. Jayne dropped the video camera and opened her door. She had to get the baby to safety. If the men made it back to their car, God alone knew what would happen to the child. She could at least prevent them from taking it away.
Jayne flinched at the popping sound the guns made as she ran forward. Beside the car seat, the door was locked, but she glimpsed the infant sound asleep inside. It was so tiny it must have just been born. Any hesitation she had was gone. She must rescue the baby.
One of the thugs noticed her. He aimed his gun right at her. Jayne ducked and wrenched her shoulder opening the driver’s side door. Keys dangled invitingly from the ignition. She seized the easy opportunity to get the baby out of the way and prevent the men from escaping at the same time. She slid inside and started the engine, but she had to stretch to reach the pedals with her toes. The driver was a lot taller than she was.
The big man lunged toward the car. Her fingers clicked on the automatic lock a split second before he grabbed the handle trying to get inside. He reached into the open window, and grabbed a handful of hair and the front of an earring before Jayne threw the car in gear. The man swore and brought up his gun. Using the tip of her shoes on the gas pedal, she pulled out of the parking space with a jerk. A shot whizzed right past her head and exited the driver’s side window. Another man suddenly sprang out from between parked cars. He also aimed a gun at her.
The baby-nappers had brought backup!
Jayne hunched down behind the steering wheel and pushed down on the gas. The man fired right before he leaped out of her way. The windshield cracked as a hole appeared.
Quaking from head to toe, Jayne stayed as low as possible and tore out of the parking lot. The fiery red car nearly careened into an oncoming pickup truck. Avoiding the other vehicle forced her to turn right instead of left into town.
Her body trembled in reaction while her heart threatened to explode. She tore away from the scene with a squeal of tires. Shaken, but also giddy with her amazing success, she pushed the speed as fast as she dared. She had disrupted the exchange. She had saved the baby from being sold!
Unfortunately, she was speeding down the two-lane road away from town. She needed to get the car turned around so she could drive the baby into Bitterwater and the police station there. Her brother was going to have a cow!
Only, even scrunched down like this she could barely reach the pedals. She was going to have to stop for a minute and adjust the seat for her much shorter legs or she’d wreck.
Her elation was so high she was shaking. Wait until she walked into the police station with the baby in her arms. Her brother wouldn’t be able to tease her about her choice of career anymore.
Jayne pulled off on the side of the road raising a cloud of dust. She fumbled for the lever that would let her pull the front seat close enough to the steering wheel that she could drive the car in relative comfort. Her left shoulder was beginning to actively hurt. She must have wrenched it badly. She resisted an urge to rub the sore spot. Instead, she cast a look over the back seat to make sure the baby was okay. The car seat faced away from her so she could barely make out the small infant, but it still appeared to be sleeping.
Confident now, and bubbling with excitement, she pulled back out onto the road ignoring her shoulder. There was a crossroad up ahead. She could turn around there. The scarred glass with the bullet hole in the center made it a little tricky to see, now that she was sitting up, but she could manage. She’d just rescued a baby amid a hail of bullets. She could do anything!
She glanced in the rearview mirror as she pulled out. A silver car was barreling up behind her.
Intuition, or even a premonition, had her pressing down on the gas pedal. Lots of people drove fast. It was practically a rule. It didn’t have to mean a thing. But the car was gaining on her
