I nod, but my gut is screaming at me to find another way. This is not the answer. I try to count the time in my head. If I can just stall long enough—
“Well let’s move it.”
We head up to the main house and enter through the back door. “I have to press the alarm. It needs to be reset anytime someone goes in and out after nine at night.”
“You’re lying to me.” She points her gun, and I pivot to block Anna.
“I’m not. If I don’t reset it within thirty seconds, it alerts the security company. Along with my boss.” I hold her gaze, praying she doesn’t see through my lie.
Mrs. Taylor looks at me with suspicious eyes, then points the gun to the alarm. “Do it. Hurry. But I’m watching you. Anything funny and I’ll shoot you both.”
“Fine. I’m just going to punch in the code, okay?” I take two cautious steps toward the control panel, hoping she can’t read far enough to tell which buttons I press. Entering the panic code, I press set. The alarm beeps once, and the red light flashes to green. “There.”
“Okay. Now, walk.”
I nod and pick up Anna. I gaze down at her while we walk. She’s being so brave. “It’s going to be okay,” I tell her, but my voice cracks. Anna smiles up at me, oblivious to the danger we’re in. We walk up the stairs and enter Jonathon’s room. It’s set up for a king, the huge bed tucked away in the back of the room, dark silk blanketing the top with plush pillows and two massive nightstands on either side.
“Which one is it?” Mrs. Taylor bites out, pushing us forward. I stumble, almost dropping Anna. She lifts her finger and points to the one on the left.
Unsure of what to do, I walk toward the nightstand and place Anna on the ground. How long will it take for the police to arrive? My mind goes back to Chase. He’s lying there helpless. I need to focus. Keep us both safe until help arrives. What happens when we open this safe and there’s no money in it?
“Have her open it.”
I inhale a shaky breath, a tear falling down my cheek. “Honey, can you open the safe?”
Her head bobs up and down. She steps toward the nightstand and opens the bottom door, revealing a large black metal box. Reaching her little hands inside, she fumbles with the keypad. Anna gets it wrong the first time, and the safe beeps once.
It agitates Mrs. Taylor. She raises her gun to Anna, and I step in between them. “She will get it open. Please, put the gun down. She’s just a little girl—”
Three beeps echo, and the safe clicks open. I turn and bend down to Anna’s level. Nausea swarms in my stomach at the site of the gun. Where are the police? I’m counting numbers in my head, trying to figure out how much time has passed. They get jumbled and I have to start over. Three minutes? Maybe five? I don’t know! Mrs. Taylor is going to see there’s no money in this safe. My hands shake. The pain in my head is excruciating. Oh god! I’m starting to fall apart. Pull it together, Bridget. I squeeze my eyes shut and inhale a deep breath. I look down at Anna. “It’s going to be okay. I’m going to just stand up and go talk to her, okay?”
Anna stares back, and I force a smile. Standing, I face Mrs. Taylor. “You don’t have to do this—”
“Shut up and give me the money.”
I take a careful step toward her to put space between her and the drawer so she cannot see inside the safe. “I will. It’s all yours, but I want you to let Anna leave. When she’s safely out of the house, you can have the money and we can search for jewelry or—”
A shot rings in my eardrums. I don’t acknowledge where the gun shot came from before I jump and tackle Mrs. Taylor, bringing her to the ground. I fight for the gun, but she’s stronger. I lose my grip, and she presses the gun into my stomach. I wait for the onslaught of pain to blast through my flesh, but it doesn’t come. Wetness soaks my shirt. I look down just as her hand becomes weak and she drops the gun. Blood seeps between us. I shoot up, feeling my chest for bullet holes. When I look down, I realize Mrs. Taylor is the one who’s been shot.
My body trembles as I clutch my chest. I whip back to Anna, and my mouth falls open. “Oh Anna…” I whisper in shock. Anna stands there, her doe eyes staring back at me. It wasn’t Mrs. Taylor’s gun that went off, it was Jonathon’s. “Anna,” I groan and run toward her. “Honey, give me that, okay?” Her little hands tremble, as her eyes shift to Diane’s unmoving body. Oh god, what did she just do? I take the gun and throw it onto the bed. “Hey, don’t look. Look at me.” I cup her face. “It’s okay.” I pull her into my arms.