Page 6 of Garr

“Garr? Garr, I love you. I love you, Garr.”

“Macie, I love you…”

His phone went dead, and Macie stared at the screen. She didn’t want to touch the dead clerk, but she had to find a place to hide. Pushing the body out of the way, she opened the storage room door and gasped, seeing two more dead bodies.

The footsteps were louder, coming toward her. Pushing against the cabinet, she realized that there were storage cabinets below the glass cases.

“Please let it be big enough,” she whispered.

Opening the door, she wiggled her body through and scrunched her knees to her chest. Using her fingernails, she pulled the door closed and prayed. Then she remembered what Garr had said. She tapped her tracker to be sure it was activated, then texted him, hoping the message would go through.

Even if he were able to drive a hundred miles per hour, he wouldn’t get to her for at least thirty minutes. It seemed as though she were waiting forever. The gunfire would go off rapidly, then suddenly stop. Then, it would start again, getting closer and closer.

Then she heard it. The sound of a helicopter landing on the outside seating area of the mall on the other side of the glass from the pretzel shop. It was a lovely place, normally. You could see the river and riverboats go by while you enjoyed your snack or lunch. On a beautiful day it was romantic and fun, filled with children and adults. Not today.

Chairs and tables were flung into the river, but it didn’t seem that Chipper or whoever was piloting gave a damn from the sounds of it.

Hearing men yelling at one another, she heard more gunfire, then silence.

Too terrified to move, she waited, still curled in a ball. When the sounds of someone walking toward the pretzel shop got louder, she wanted to scream. Covering her mouth with her hand, she held her breath, closed her eyes, and prayed.

“Macie! Macie, it’s me, honey. Macie!” he yelled. She kicked open the cabinet door, calling out to him.

“I’m here. I’m here, Garr,” she cried out. Garr knelt down, gently pulling her from the cabinet and into his arms. “Garr, Garr.”

She cried his name over and over again as their friends stood guard, weapons ready, while he comforted her.

“It’s okay, baby. I’m here. I’m here and you’re okay.”

“There were lots of them, Garr. I heard them. There were at least four, maybe five. They killed the employees here. They’re in the storage room.”

Leif opened the door to the storage locker and nodded at Garr.

“Okay, honey. Come on, let’s get up and get out of here. We’ll file your report with the police from home. Why did you come out here alone, Macie? I would have come with you.”

“I was trying to buy a gift for you,” she sniffed. “I wanted to buy you something special.”

“Oh, babe. You’re all I need, Macie. Didn’t you hear me? I love you.”

“I love you, too,” she cried.

Realizing she was going into shock, he lifted her and made his way toward the chopper. Leif, Forrest, Sor, and Conor stayed behind, searching for any additional shooters, helping the shoppers and staff get to safety.

Once secured on board, Chipper and Savannah took off, but it was Sebastian who nodded toward the windows and three speedboats racing beneath the bridge. Inside each one were two men dressed in black, with rifles held high.

Someone was running.

CHAPTER FOUR

Riley, Gabi, and Kennedy waited at the helipad for the chopper, a wheelchair and stretcher ready, just in case. Sam and Mia held one another, praying that their daughter was okay. When Sebastian told comms she was fine, just shaken up, they were all relieved.

As Garr led her from the Osprey, Sam ran forward, grabbing his daughter in a bear hug.

“Macie! Macie, baby, are you okay?” he asked, swallowing back the tears.

“I’m okay, Dad. I’m shaken up, but I’m not hurt. Garr got to me. He and the others got to me in time,” she said, smiling.

Sam and Mia grabbed Garr, hugging him fiercely. Sam pulled back, his trademark tortoiseshell glasses on his nose. He smiled up at Garr, slightly taller than his own six-feet-one.

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