Page 38 of Nanny for the Firefighters
"Good God, woman. You're spectacularly observant, you know that?"
I will appreciate his awe in me later. "Is someone en route? No sirens. I don't want you to spook him before you can check him out."
"Yes, ma'am. Stay on the phone with me. Our unit is heading toward you now. Keep Lily safe." He relays the information, then he's back on with me. "You still have an eye on him?"
"I do. I'm slowly walking his way, along the outer perimeter. And you should know better. I will always keep Lily safe." The closer I get to the suspicious man, the more my heart races. Adrenaline and fear war with each other as I try to keep my gait slow and nonchalant.
The man shifts, glancing around with a bit more nerves than seems normal, furthering my skepticism of him. When I'm a few feet from him, I ask Marcus, "How far away are you?"
"We're close. A couple of blocks." The wind from the truck muffles his voice, but the rumbling of the wheels gives me a bit of calm.
"Hurry. He's acting squirrely, like he's about to bolt." I drop my gaze as I pass him, turning around and dropping onto a nearby bench with a huff. Grabbing the front of Lily's stroller, I coo at her, messing with her blanket and stealing glances at the man.
The other parents seem too calm when nothing happens around us. It disturbs me how quickly people can move on when someone else is in danger. So long as it's not their loved one, they don't want to dwell on the negatives. I can't stand for it. I always feel the need to do something, to deal out justice, to save others from the pains I've seen so many go through.
This guy is not going to get away.
When he shifts his stance from foot to foot, I stand again, shaking my hair out and jutting out my chest. He barely glances. The few other dads around the park look, and that solidifies it for me. This guy is not interested in grown women. He has to be the one who took that child. Where did he stash the child?
Glancing around the small, wooded area, I'm sure a five-year-old would be wailing by now if they weren't incapacitated. God, worry drops stones in my gut as I think about that poor little girl.
This idyllic little spot is perfect for this kind of thing. No one would suspect. Everyone's in their own bubble. None of them have likely experienced any grief even close to what Sarah's parents must be going through.
"What is keeping you?" I ask Marcus, who's been silent on the other end of the phone.
"We're coming, hitting every damn light on the way without the siren."
"Well, hurry up. I've got a bad feeling about this."
I take a deep breath to steady my nerves and make another lap around the park, faster this time without looking rushed. I continue to coo at Lily, trying to make it look like I'm soothing her before heading home. But she's already asleep in her stroller, oblivious to the drama unfolding in my chest.
When I'm twenty feet away, the man makes eye contact with me. I look down as quickly as I can, pretending that all is fine with the day when I honestly just want to light him on fire.. Shit.
He turns and walks in the opposite direction, not too quickly as to not attract attention. He's too slippery, and I'm afraid I may have provoked him.
Damn this to hell, I mutter to myself. Get your ass here fast, Marcus.
18
WILL
Every siren, every red light feels like an eternity. The thought of a child snatched from a safe space fuels a desperate determination. We weave through the morning traffic, the urgency in our every move palpable. Theo's driving like a man possessed, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. I sit shotgun, my eyes scanning the streets for any sign of the van.
"Come on, come on," I mutter, the tension making my voice rough. "We can't be too late."
Marcus, in the back with Ethan, leans forward, his voice cutting through the chaos. "Stay sharp, Sparks. We've got to get there fast, but we need to get there in one piece."
We blast through an intersection, narrowly missing a collision. The address we're heading to flashes in my mind. 45th and Elm, right by the park. It's a popular spot for families, usually a place for picnics and street performances. The thought of it being tainted by fear and danger twists my gut.
"We're almost there," Theo says, his voice tight. "Just a few more blocks."
I nod, every muscle in my body coiled with anticipation. "Everyone be ready. We don't know what we're walking into."
The truck barrels down the street, sirens blaring a relentless warning. As we turn onto Elm, I see the park up ahead, a splash of green in the urban landscape. And there, near the playground, I spot Ella holding Lily tightly against her chest, her eyes scanning the crowd with calm determination.
"There she is." I point, relief washing over me. "Pull up over there, Theo."
Theo swings the truck to a stop, and we jump out, moving quickly but trying not to draw too much attention. Marcus takes the lead, his voice firm and authoritative. "Ella, what's the situation?"