“Yeah, but it’s an access point and I want it sealed.”
“Wait!” Heather said. “Take the doll out first. We might need him. And grab those fireworks. They’re weapons.” She grinned with glee at her friends. One by one, the eyes of the women of Knit Or Die went wide.
“We can fire them at the intruders,” Margaret said with awe.
“That’s much better than balloons,” Shona said.
“This is going to be great. You heard Caroline,” Jean said. “These babies take off limbs.”
Margaret grabbed the box of fireworks and headed to the corner of the room, followed by her cronies. Heather tucked the Josh doll under her arm.
“Put the doll back. There’s no reason to remove him from the cupboard,” Caroline said on a groan.
“We might need a decoy.” Heather held the doll tighter. “I like the tux. Was it one of Josh’s?”
“Can somebody bring the doll in here?” the prisoner shouted from the bathroom. “I want to see it too.”
“No,” everybody in the room shouted back.
Then there was a crash outside the bedroom door, a shout and the sound of a gun going off.
The women screamed. The doll was forgotten.
“Get that dumb waiter barricaded now,” Joe snapped.
Ryan pulled a heavy wooden dresser over in front of it.
“Are they trying to shoot their way in?” Jean asked in a tremulous voice.
“No.” Heather grinned. “Sounded like someone slid on the olive oil, fell and their gun went off. Here’s hoping the bullet ricocheted off the wall and embedded in his head.”
“Wow,” Jena said. “Bloodthirsty. I like it.”
Then there was a thud at the door and the barricade shook.
“Windows,” Joe said. “Shut them. Lock them. Block them.”
“But we need space to shoot the fireworks out,” Margaret shouted.
“No time. Security first. Firing back later.” Hopefully never.
The women rushed to carry out his order as the door thudded again.
21
* Rainne and Alastair *
“I see the snowmobiles,” Alastair said.
The words were muffled by the hood of Rainne’s jacket. She struggled out from behind his large frame, which he’d been using to block the wind from her, and spotted the snowmobiles immediately. One of them had been left with its headlights on.
“That’s going to waste the battery,” Rainne muttered.
Alastair tugged her behind a thin tree that did little to hide them, but fortunately the black night and thick falling snow made up for its shortcomings.
“I don’t see anyone.” Alastair spoke close to her ear, his breath warm against her cheek, making her shiver.
Her lips still tingled from his unexpected kiss. Although she knew it wasn’t wise, she couldn’t stop a little seed of hope from planting in her soul. She knew now, after hearing the story abo