The Great Escapee Series

Chapter 11

Eleven

Bea's little fingers braided Dolly's hair over and over. Braided, then combed out. Braided, then combed. The doll's hair broke off easily from age, but also from being brushed again and again. Braided again and again. Ever since Mommy had taught Bea to braid.

She smoothed her own hair. Then Dolly's. Then hers again.

Comfy in her car seat, Bea hummed and swayed her head with the melody. The car was quiet and warm, with a window partway open. Licking her thumb, she washed Dolly's dirty face, just as Mommy did her own. One doll eye stuck open, the other eye blinked. Bea held up the doll to admire and smiled. Then she hugged Dolly, sighed, and settled in to wait for Mommy.

Almost asleep—

Screech!

Bea jumped and looked at Dolly, then at the store front. No Mommy. She closed her eyes again and relaxed.

Screech!

This time she jumped out of her car seat. She checked the entry door of the store.

No Mommy.

She dropped Dolly to the floor, bending to peek under the seat, the floor, around her car seat.

Screech!

Goosebumps rose on her arms and she shivered, rubbing them. She picked up Dolly and hugged her tight as she looked out the car windows, left and right.

Stop.

There.

She pressed her face against the window, eyes wide. An old man. And a bird. A big bird. The bird flapped its wings, flew higher, then dove for the man.

Mommy opened the car door and tossed a sack onto the seat. Glass clinked in the bag. "F-n store. F-n people. F-n headache." She rubbed her temples. "But. But, big score. We can eat for weeks. Months."

Screech!

"What the ... what's that sound?" Mommy turned behind her, hands covered her ears. "God that hurts." She gasped. "That bird is going to kill him." She turned to look at Bea. "Wha?"

Bea lifted her eyebrows and shoulders.

"Stay here, Bea." Mommy slammed the door and started running.

Katty dashed to the old man who stood pounding his chest, gasping. The hawk flew off, flapping its huge wings.

The man turned away as she rushed toward him. "I'm all right. Leave an old man alone."

"That's exactly why I won't leave you alone. Because you're old."

He rushed her, armed with a pipe, and glared. "Yeah, I'm old, but I'm not dead."

"I didn't say you were, old man." She bent to brush his pants off, blocking herself from the pipe.

He slapped her hand away. "Stop. I'm okay."

"Old fool. Old man. Where's your family, old man?"

"I don't have any family," he yelled. "Just me. Nobody else."

"Why? You chase 'em off, didsha?"

He clenched his fists. "None of your damn business." He looked behind her. "You're drunk. You can't even take care of the family you have." He pointed toward her Nova station wagon.

She swung around. Bea was crawling out the open car door. Katty yelled. "Bea. Get the f- back in the car seat." She charged back toward the car. "You know better than that. Get. Back. In. There."

Bea stopped short of stepping onto the concrete. She whimpered, her eyes focused behind Katty.

"Baby, I know I kept you waiting a long time, but I'm sick. And I broke a jar of pickles in the store and made a mess." She smelled her hands. "Shtinky."

Bea wrinkled her nose.

Katty picked her up tossed her into the car seat. "Stay there. We don't have far to go. Just sit still."

Katty dragged herself into the car, slammed the door and turned over the engine, then glanced at the old man. The bird still circled above the parking lot. "Stupid old man. He's gonna get hurt by a stupid bird." Gunning the car, she backed out only to slam on the brakes as another car swerved into the parking space beside her. "Damn! Why don't people look where they're going?"

She reached behind her. "You okay baby?" She pushed Bea back onto her car seat, then gunned the car again, only this time—

Scream.

Thud.

"Oh, God. Oh God. I hit something." Katty gripped the steering wheel. "Or someone. Oh God. What'd I do?"

She shifted into park, slowly opened the car door and stepped outside. One foot in front of the other. Until she reached the back of the car.

"Oh no."

A woman pushed herself off the concrete, brushed herself off and picked up her purse. "You hit me! I thought you saw me. What were you thinking?"

Katty leaned over to help pick up the woman's groceries, and the world started spinning. She reached out to steady herself on the car.

"You are drunk. You shouldn't even be driving. And you have a child with you." She grabbed a can of peaches from Katty. "Of all the nerve. You should be arrested."

"Oh no. Please Ma'am. I just got over the ... flu ... and I had to come out to get my baby some milk. It's not what you think."

"Liar. You're just lucky I'm not hurt. By the looks of you, I'd never get a dime out of you anyway." She shoved Katty away and limped to her car.

"Ma'am, everything okay?"

Katty spun around.

Oh oh.

A young officer, black haired and skinny, tipped his hat to Katty. "I was driving by when the department got a call from the store here. Are you all right?"

Katty slowly put her hand on the bumper of her car. Deep breath. Hopefully the pickle stink covered up her breath. "We're fine. Just a little shaken up." She pointed to the woman walking away. "She said she's fine, too. This parking lot is dangherous."

He walked to the side of the car. "This your daughter? She isn't buckled in."

Katty jumped. "Oh! Did she get out again? She is getting good at that."

He smiled down at Bea. "Hey there, Little Houdini. Cute." Hand on his pistol, he returned to Katty. "I don't think I know you ... uh, I'm new in ... "

Her lips curved into a seductive smile. "Thesh parts?"

The officer nodded. "Yeah. Um, I didn't catch your name."

"That's because I didn't throw it at you." She grinned and shrugged her shoulders. Good line. "Why do I feel like we're in a movie?"

He smiled and hesitated. "I just need to see your driver's license before I let you get back to your daughter." He nodded at Katty and waited.

Katty stopped breathing. "Uh, yeah. Sure." She didn't move.

"Is there a problem, Ma'am?"

"No. No. I'll just shcoot by you to get my purse." One step at a time. "It's right here."

She sat in the driver's seat and rummaged in her purse. "Yeah ... " She opened the glove box and dug around. Oh oh. "It's here somewhere." She attempted a laugh then staunched it. Back to her purse. "It's here ... " She panicked. She flashed a smile. "It must be in my other purse. I'm so sorry."

He shoved his hat off his forehead and reached inside his jacket. Ticket pad out. Pen poised. "I'm going to have to give you a warning. Driving without a license." He scribbled then tore off a sheet. "Here you go. You need to be sure you have your license with you at all times."

Katty folded the paper and stuffed it in her jeans pocket. "Yes. I'll go right home and get that purse." She snapped her fingers at Bea. "Bea, don't let me forget to do that."

He pointed at Bea. "You might have to tie and buckle her in the car seat."

Deep slow breath. She attempted a laugh. "Thanks, uh, Officer for stopping. Nice to know you'll be around ... uh ... you're around when I need you ... when we have problems." Katty fluttered her eyelids. She stood slowly, opened Bea's passenger door and climbed in. "Let me buckle you in again, Sweetie. I don't know how you get out."

She leaned into the car, her face inches from Bea's. "Now let's pretend these straps aren't all twisted and," she dug under the liner, "all caught and I'm buckling you in, okay, Sweetie?"

Bea nodded; they played the game well. "Okay Mommy. I'll sit still while you buckle me in again."

Katty smiled and rubbed noses with Bea as she made a clicking sound with her teeth and tongue. "There. You're all safe again." She ruffled Bea's hair. "Now don't unbuckle yourself again, ya hear?"

Katty stood slowly, gaze following the young officer to his squad car. Her stomach churned. Her head was pounding.

Breathe.

Bea gripped the sides of her seat and stretched to see the old man.

As Mommy slowly backed the car out, something happened. Bea stared at the old man's eyes; he stared into hers. She didn't understand but knew she couldn't look anywhere else but his blue, blue eyes.