Crouched behind the stacks of forgotten crates of cardboard and dust, under a broken window pane, McKenzie clutched a shaking Jasmine in her arms. Her breathing shallow as her heart pounded like a bird trying to escape its cage.
As she made her way behind the warehouse looking for a hiding spot, the discovery of the hidden hole along the deteriorated back walls of the warehouse seemed like a stroke of good luck. Now, silence gripped the air and she wondered if the danger had passed.
Soft footsteps approached the window and she pressed Jasmine's face into her coat making sure not to smother her as McKenzie's pulse quickened.
"McKenzie? Where are you? We've gotta go! I'm not sure how long we have before Alejandro gets wind of what's happened here tonight."
At the sound of Alejandro's name, McKenzie felt sick to the stomach. But, just as she was about to reveal her hiding place she heard the sound of a muffled phone ringing. Something within her nudged her and told her to stay put and listen.
As she strained to hear, the timbre of Richard's voice became clearer, his frustration seeped into his tone. "We had a situation here and she got away! What the fuck was I supposed to do, tie her to my waist?"
It was quiet for a few seconds then Richard spoke again. What he said made McKenzie's breath catch in her throat.
"When I find them, I'll take them to the station. As long as I get my promotion I don't care what the fuck happens to them!" Richard's voice darkened.
A cold realization settled over McKenzie. The man Dwayne called his 'best-friend' planned to hand her over to the police. She was positive they were going to hand her over to the feds, to get her to testify against Alejandro.
McKenzie had to get out of there, now!
When Eddie had told her about his plan to send Richard to watch her back at the warehouse she was skeptical. But, Eddie told her it was a chance she had to take, just in case things got out of hand during Jasmine's retrieval.
The revelation of Richard's betrayal wasn't the most shocking thing that occurred that night. Her father stepping out of the shadows with Jasmine in his arms made her heart stop.
Her father, whom she hadn't seen in twenty years, a ghost of her past had suddenly become her knight in shining armour. The past, once buried, clawed its way to the surface, intertwining with the present like vines in a haunted forest.
He had always been a handsome man; tall, athletic with a smile always tugged on the edges of his mouth. With added wrinkles and highlights of white in his long brown hair that had been pulled back into his signature ponytail, he didn't look much different, except for his green eyes. They had lost their spark and now they seemed dark and dangerous.
Emotions had surged through her and she wanted to ask so many questions. She wanted to know where he'd been and how he found her. But, he told her that now wasn't the time and his focus was to get his daughter and granddaughter to safety.
"McKenzie, I can't explain everything now. Don't tell anyone I'm back in town." The urgency of her father's words resonated with her. "Trust no one. Things are far more complicated than they seem. Find a safe place to hide for a few days. In the bag, you'll find an untraceable phone, money, and two passports, just in case you and Jasmine need to make a quick escape. I'll contact you soon."
Jasmine's soft whimper drew McKenzie's attention back to the present, a reminder of the fragile life she held in her hands.
"McKenzie? Are you in there?" Richard demanded.
McKenzie knew she had to get them to safety.
"McKenzie! Come out, McKenzie! There's no use hiding. You can't escape me." His words dripped with menace, and a chill ran down McKenzie's spine.
Suddenly, shards of glass rained down on her and Jasmine as Richard punched through the remains of the window above them.
Jasmine began to cry and McKenzie got up from her hiding place and tried to shake off the glass remnants from her coat.
"Ah, there she is. It makes no sense running McKenzie. This ends today!"
McKenzie's fear mingled with the scent of the industrial decay as she weaved through the darkness swiftly. When she stopped to listen, footsteps were heard in the warehouse.
Not knowing whether it was friend or foe she and Jasmine cowered in the shadows behind a floor-to-ceiling cylinder. She couldn't bear the fact of being separated from Jasmine again.
A thunderous crash echoed through the cold, dusty walls followed by muffled voices and the unmistakable sounds of a scuffle taking place. Embracing the chaos, she realized that this was her chance, her window to escape.
McKenzie sprinted from her hiding place, no longer confined by the fear of discovery. The warehouse seemed to hold its breath as she frantically searched for an exit.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her beacon of hope, a broken exit sign that hung limply from the ceiling. With a sudden burst of adrenaline, she tore through the shadows towards her portal of freedom and thrust open the doors.
The cool night air kissed her face offering momentary bliss from the suffocating confinement of the musty warehouse.
With Jasmine in tow, she sprinted towards the city lights, her lungs on the verge of collapse, hoping and praying they would find a haven before Richard found them.
Narrow alleyways and deserted streets became the stage for McKenzie and Jasmine's desperate flight. With each twist and turn, the city unfolded giving them more cover as more persons filled the streets.
The air buzzed with anticipation, a symphony of laughter and music, persons unaware of the danger she and her child had just escaped. She needed to get back to the safety of the bunker. She knew Yellows' men would protect her and Jasmine with their lives. But, first they needed to hide.
She slid into a crowded burger joint praying he hadn't spotted them.