Never Surrender Page 13

  On that cheery thought she pushed back her chair, but across the distance, her gaze met Paulie’s. Maggie didn’t falter, even though her heart and lungs knotted before dropping into her toes, just turned her head, stood, and strolled toward the pathway. Anytime now, Quinn, would be good.

  “Hey. Cassie.”

  Ignoring the tone that sounded as feral as its owner, she picked up her pace. As soon as she was out of the pool of light, she took off as though the hounds from Hell snapped at her heels and didn’t stop running until she was through the pathway and the football field beckoned.

  There was no heavy tread chasing her. It was too easy. She tore across the field toward the swing park when lights from a car screeching around the corner arced across the field.

  Searching.

  Maggie flung herself onto the grass face-first and froze.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Dew, frigid and stinging, seeped through her jacket and into the Polo shirt beneath. Even her jeans felt sodden.

  Had they seen her in that brief flash of light? Move. She dragged herself through the grass commando-style, hoping like crazy the darkness would camouflage the trail her body left.

  A car progressed slowly down the road. It stopped. A door slammed. Dogs barked.

  Maggie’s breath stuck in her throat. Fear, like a thick, suffocating cloak, smothered her. Was this what it felt like to be an animal stuck in a trap, just waiting for something or someone else to decide how its life was going to end?

  Two nights ago, she’d believed she’d outsmarted Conrad and his associates. So, are you going to lie here, facedown, and allow them to decide your fate? Not friggin’ likely. Quinn’s earlier words bolstered her. You’re tough, smart, and resilient. I’d back you anytime. The noose of panic choking her loosened a little.

  Maggie burrowed her face into the cold, damp grass hoping it would help her gather her composure. She drew a slow, deep breath. Think. Keep Angel safe. Nothing else matters. Another deep breath and her head began to clear.

  Dogs still barked, but Maggie listened intently for the sound of footsteps. Nothing. Was she going mad? Was it Paulie and his off-siders who were driving the car, or was it just Mr. and Mrs. Average getting home late after a night on the town? She tilted her head to the side. No one.

  The lights of another vehicle coming around the corner dazzled her. It stopped further down the road. Had they called reinforcements?

  She wasn’t waiting to find out. Angel would be at the playground. No one followed when she left the street van, so time to move. Her body refused to obey. Then she heard it. That buzzing sound. Damn, they’d activated the lighting system. No wonder they hadn’t come looking for her. The blue glow from the lights confirmed it. There were only minutes until the lights were warmed enough to illuminate the entire oval.

  Not daring to stand, Maggie crawled as fast as her arms and legs would allow. When the grass became coarser, Maggie lifted her head. She was at the swing park.

  From a crouched position, she observed the area. Swings, a slippery slide, and farther along, a skate bowl. At the opposite end of the field stood the silhouetted clubhouse.

  She swiped her tongue across her dry lips. “Angel?” she stuttered in a husky whisper.

  “Here.”

  Maggie stood upright and bolted toward the half-pipe.

  “I’ve been so frightened something happened to you,” Angel said as Maggie drew her close.

  “You’re not on your own there, kiddo,” Maggie answered. “We have to move now,” she insisted, as the floodlights gained brightness. “Did you do much running at school?”

  “Yeah.” It sounded like a question.

  “Good. Here’s hoping I can keep up.” Maggie pointed. “Those houses.” She didn’t wait for a response. “They back onto the bush. That’s where we’re going. Now.” She grabbed Angel’s hand and ran, not caring if they were spotted. They had a few hundred meters’ head start. It would be enough.

  Their feet thumped against the bitumen paving. They wheeled into the first property without a fence and ran across the manicured lawn into the back yard where they were trapped by a six-foot barrier that fenced off the bush of a national park. They would probably add unlawful entry to Maggie’s list of crimes. She pushed the ridiculous thought aside. Recalling her academy training, she launched herself, grabbed the top, and with her legs pumping, hauled herself up. She watched as Angel scaled the enclosure and perched on the top beside her. As the floodlight filled the night sky, they leapt into the shadows of the bush.

  They stood next to the fence, hands on hips, dragging air into their tortured lungs. The racket they made climbing the fence had woken the residents, and lights flickered inside the house, accompanied by barking.

  Maggie pushed the girl before her. “Move. Those dogs are a dead giveaway.”

  Angel didn’t grumble, just trudged on, one foot in front of the other. She was a survivor. That she’d come through the abuse at the club proved it. Enduring the time on the streets after her friend Beth was murdered confirmed it. Maggie had been worried earlier when Angel had escaped inside herself, but Angel had come through. How much more could the kid take? Seeing Angel’s now-determined stride up a dark bush track, Maggie realized Angel would handle whatever came her way.

  As they hustled along, menacing shadows of huge gum trees loomed over them. Labored breathing filled the air as they pushed themselves harder. With all artificial light now completely obliterated by the bush, Maggie slowed.

  “Rest a minute,” she told Angel. Until now, the only sound Maggie heard was her heart drumming in her ears. Now the rustling sounds of creatures scavenging for food, as well as croaking frogs and crickets, drowned out her heartbeat. Any other time she would be soothed. Calmed. Not tonight.

  “How are you holding up?” Maggie asked.

  Angel looked up from where she sat on a fallen log and nodded. “Okay.”

  “Let’s go.”

  “Where?”

  “Back to meet Quinn. From there, we’ll stay with James, Lydia, and their baby.”

  Another silence. “If we do that, will they hurt them?”

  “I’ve asked myself the same thing a million times. I don’t believe they’ll be able to get anywhere near James and his family. Security at their place is top notch.”

  “You think?”

  “I know.”

  “You thought the other house was safe, and look what happened there.”

  Maggie tucked her hair behind her ears. “I don’t know what went wrong, but every precaution will be taken to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

  “Do you think your boyfriend’s worried about you? Us?”

  “Probably. But he believes in me. He knows I’ll be fine.” She gave Angel’s shoulder a light squeeze. “We’ll be fine.”

  “Is it a long walk?”

  Maggie laughed. “Here we are hiding from the scum of the universe, and all you’re worried about is how far we have to walk.”

  Angel stood and stretched her lean frame. “We’d better get moving then. Which way?”

  “Back the way we came.”

  “Really? Are you sure?” Angel asked.

  “We’ll follow the track to the houses. I’m sure there has to be an entry into the forest, and we’ll keep walking ’til we find it. That park is going to be the last place they’d look for us. We can retrace our steps back to the food van. I’m sure Quinn will be waiting.”

  “What about Paulie?”

  “I doubt that. He probably thinks we’re running scared.”

  “Instead of just scared.”

  “You’re really funny.”

  Angel smiled, and they laughed together as they made their way back.

  Although they seemed to be in dense bushland, the track leading them past the houses where they’d first entered the bush was graded and led to a small picnic area. Before walking out of their cover, Maggie checked out the area. A gate opened to a few feet of grass then the road. They wait
ed, watched. Nothing. No traffic, pedestrian or vehicular.

  After a couple of minutes, Maggie said, “Okay. Let’s go.”

  They snuck across the now-dark football field and made their way toward the path leading to the food van. The hair on Maggie’s neck bristled as though cold fingers brushed her nape.

  She squinted into the shadows, ignored the sinister atmosphere, and stepped onto the path. As shadows transformed into shapes with guns, she tried sucking in a breath, but her throat clogged, and her heartbeat raced. Frozen, she couldn’t breathe.

  Her feet were rooted to the spot. Fear gagged her. A voice demanded she respond. She couldn’t. Her eyes stayed on those shadows moving toward her. She couldn’t run to save her life. Or Angel’s. That voice in her ear grew more insistent.

  Maggie blinked like crazy. If they were real, she’d be dead by now. It will pass. Be calm. Imagine Quinn. Solid. Strong. Sexy as hell, Quinn. It will pass. A hard squeeze on her hand instigated another look. The shadows receded, and the voice beside her intensified. She shut her eyes, forced a breath past her clogged throat into her lungs, and focused on driving it out. She opened her eyes and again looked into the lane. The shadows still taunted her.

  “Have you finished looking at nothing?” Angel’s tone was sarcastic, yet the nails digging into Maggie’s hand showed Angel’s fear.

  “Panic attack.” It came out shaky. “I’m sorry if I scared you.” The first time she had one of those…the memory shamed her. Let it go, it’s finished.

  “Are you better? Can we go?”

  Maggie’s legs struggled to support her, and her insides had turned to mush. She wanted to run away, screaming and railing about the unfairness of life. What’s happening to me? She pushed the weakness aside. Keep Angel safe and get to Quinn was all she had to do, and standing here in the middle of the night would accomplish zilch.

  “We’ll take the long way back. I can’t walk through there.” She motioned toward the lane. “Don’t ask me why. I just can’t. C’mon.”

  Angel latched on to her arm. Maggie was glad of the warmth. They walked along the windy, suburban street toward the main road, focused totally on getting to safety. Their whispered conversation floated in the night air.

  The whoop of sirens behind them startled Maggie and Angel, too, if the sudden tightening of the grip on Maggie’s hand was an indication.

  Maggie turned and placed herself between the unmarked police car and Angel, shielding her from what, Maggie wasn’t sure. But protect Angel she would. She’d given her word to keep the girl safe. It was that simple.

  When the uniformed boys climbed out, Maggie sighed in relief, she was sure they would have been plainclothes. What she would have done if they had been, she didn’t know. Maggie scrutinized their faces and didn’t recognize them. Good. “Stay calm, Angel,” Maggie instructed through a plastic smile. Another squeeze on her fingers.

  “Hi, Officer. What’s up?” Her voice sounded shaky.

  “Bit late to be out by yourselves, ladies.” He flipped open his standard-issue notebook and reached for his pen.

  “I know,” Maggie answered.

  The radio crackled to life, and the older of the two climbed back into the car. Although Maggie strained to pick up on the communication, she heard nothing. Her breath solidified in her throat. Was it about them? How was she going to get them out of this? Any way she could. There was no way Maggie would allow them to be taken into custody. It wasn’t safe for either of them.

  “Ma’am?”

  Maggie turned her attention to the young officer when Angel spoke. “My boyfriend was hassling me, pushing me for…” She bowed her head, the rest of her answer adding to the tension strangling them. “I called my sister to come get me.”

  “Smart move. Can I see some ID?”

  “I left my bag at his house,” Angel continued within a heartbeat.

  He turned his attention to Maggie. “How about you?”

  There was no way he’d buy the same story from her. Maggie searched her extensive repertoire for a lie that would sound convincing and came up blank. Finally she blurted, “Me either. I don’t have a car, so I ran the whole way over to get her. She sounded so scared.”

  Angel burst into tears, huge gulping sobs that ripped into the predawn air. When Angel threw herself into Maggie’s arms, Maggie patted her back. A momentary reprieve was all they had, but it was better than nothing. “Don’t cry, love,” Maggie crooned. “You’ll be okay.”

  “I want to go home,” Angel wailed.

  Maggie eyed the young policeman over Angel’s shoulder. “Can we go? She’s distraught.”

  Before he could reply, his partner called him. Angel kept howling in Maggie’s arms.

  “Get ready to move,” Maggie whispered, but they wouldn’t get far. There was no cover. The houses sat farther apart, the lawns practically bare of trees.

  “Wait there.” The young officer swaggered the short distance to his vehicle.

  Maggie and Angel stood supporting each other. “Of course,” Maggie lied.

  “Urgent call.” The young policeman almost flew around the bonnet of the car. “Can I call someone for you?”

  Maggie could see he was hoping the answer would be no. “We’ll be fine.”

  He nodded before he climbed back inside the car. “Get home. And, young lady, you did the right thing.”

  With lights strobing, they took off.

  “Did you know them?” Angel asked as they started walking.

  “No.” The question nagged at Maggie. Why would Angel ask that? She didn’t know Maggie was a cop. Maggie thought about the times they’d spoken, even when she offered to get them out of the club. She’d never mentioned it. So how did Angel know? Quinn’s earlier statement about Angel being a plant sounded ominous. Could she be? Or had Angel just guessed because Maggie had interviewed them both and promised to use “connections” to get them out and home? Maggie searched the girl’s face. All she saw was exhaustion.

  So why was it that wherever Angel was, the goons eventually turned up? The safe house? The car? Yet when Maggie was with Quinn earlier, there had been no sign of them.

  “Angel, how did you know I was a cop?” Subtle Maggie.

  “Paulie at the club.”

  “He told you? When?”

  Angel shook her head. “That day you told us you could get us out, and then he pushed us around, and you stuck up for us. Remember?”

  Maggie nodded.

  “Well, after he dragged me off and locked me in that room, I heard him tell someone he was just marking time. Said he hated cops, and you’d get yours.”

  “So you didn’t know until after I’d told you I could get you out.”

  “No, but I thought you might have been. How else would you have been able rescue us?”

  “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “Because you didn’t say anything to me. Ouch, you’re hurting my arm.”

  Maggie hadn’t realized she’d grabbed Angel. “Sorry.” Maggie released her and processed what Angel told her. They knew Maggie was a cop. She wasn’t going mad. She wasn’t paranoid. She had been made. They knew about Maggie, and they would have had her under surveillance. If she hadn’t called Quinn and gotten out, she could have been dead by now.

  For the first time in days, a sense of relief bathed Maggie. She could trust her instincts again. She turned to Angel. “Are you working with them?”

  “What? Really?” The young girl burst into tears. This time there was no pretense. “How can you think that?” Angel hiccupped, dashing the tears away with the back of her hand. “They killed my best friend. They kept me against my will at that club, and if I didn’t get out, the next step was shagging men old enough to be my dad. And you’re asking me if I work with them?” Angel’s tone resembled wailing cats. “Go to hell, Maggie.” She stomped off down the street.

  “I’ve been there for months, and I’m not going back.” Maggie followed Angel and grabbed her arm. “I had to ask. I was with
Quinn all day. No one came near us. Yet as soon as we’re back at the safe house with you, bang, they’re there.” Maggie stopped walking and pulled Angel up beside her. “I just needed to know. Okay?”

  Angel didn’t look up.

  “Okay?”

  Angel lifted her chin defiantly and stared directly into Maggie’s eyes. Her scrunched-up, tear-soaked face didn’t soften Maggie’s attitude, only strengthened it.

  “I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings, Angel. I just needed to be sure I could trust you.”

  “I’d never work with them. Never. I’d rather die.”

  “Please think back to the night Beth was murdered. Did you see it happen?”

  “I heard her scream. I looked down from the window.” The whole time Angel talked she played with the ring on her finger.

  Maggie hadn’t noticed it until now. “Where did you get your ring?”

  Angel’s grip tightened, a defensive gesture. “Mum gave it to me for my birthday.”

  “How long have you worn it?”

  “I’ve never taken it off except…”

  “Except?” Maggie prompted.

  “To read the inscription. Then one night, after I fell asleep, it disappeared. I thought it was stolen, but it turned up a couple of days later. It was the only thing I had left. They took everything from me.” The young girl shuddered. “I hated being in the Melbourne club, hated how it made me feel about myself.”

  “That’s where I first saw you,” Maggie told her. “I worked there for months. The last few times I arranged for a raid, you girls had been whisked away. I assumed someone was giving inside information to Conrad.” Even now the thought of him made Maggie’s skin crawl. “Did Beth have something special?”

  “A chain with a star.”

  Maggie couldn’t believe she hadn’t seen it earlier. It was as they say: hide it in plain sight, and no one will find it. “I’ve been trying to figure out how they always turn up wherever you are. I think maybe I’ve found the answer.” Maggie twirled the ring around Angel’s finger. “Can you take your ring off please? I need to have a look at it.”