Unraveling Midnight by Stephanie Beck Page B

filled the air. “Give me your money or I’m going to trash this place.”
    She peeked up and saw he was already working on destroying it. He poured everything he could find on the yarn around her and the mix steamed ominously. He was going to kill them both.
    “There’s no money. I swear there’s no more money. You can have my purse. There’s not much cash, but you can have it.”
    He lifted her by her hair. Chunks ripped out before she found her feet and stumbled along with him to the front. The chemicals he’d mixed permeated the main room and she felt lightheaded.
    “Get it, now,” he ordered.
    She grabbed the bag from under the counter and shoved it at him. The shop phone started ringing and when she saw Scott’s number on the screen, she almost hit her knees. The robber glared at the phone.
    “It’s my boyfriend,” she said, forcing the words through her lips. “He knows I’m here and I always answer for him.”
    “Fuck,” he said and picked up the phone. He threw it across the room, breaking the phone and the picture it hit as well.
    She cringed, covering her head and trying once again to stay out of sight. He spent another few minutes destroying the shop and when she thought he’d turn on her, the bell on the door rang and he ran out. Besides her stinging scalp, she wasn’t hurt, not a bruise on her. She shook with relief and disbelief.
    She was fine and could finally get help. When she tried to push up to find her cellphone and make a call for help, dizziness made it imposable for her to walk. She crawled, but the motion made her nauseous. She laid her cheek to the cold hardwood floor. She’d rest for a minute before trying again. Just a minute.
    * * * *
    Lucy wasn’t answering. Scott tried sending a text, but when she didn’t answer that either, he started to worry. He turned off the grill and covered the buns he’d brought out. The kids were in the process of bringing out the other food, but he couldn’t shake his bad feeling.
    “Guys, head to the truck.”
    “Why?” Jessie asked. “Did you forget the ketchup?”
    “No, I need to go check on Lucy. Hustle.”
    Just the mention of Lucy made everyone rush into action. The kids adored her nearly as much as he did. Driving too fast required all his skills and senses and the kids were silent, not distracting him as if they also shared the feeling of impending something. It couldn’t be doom. He’d never be able to associate trouble with Lucy.
    When he pulled up to the shop, his worst fears were confirmed. Smoke of some kind filled the windows, but it wasn’t fire smoke. The painfully astringent scent of chemicals burning together assaulted his nose before he even made it to the door.
    “Greg, run to the neighbor shop and call the police and fire department. There’s a chemical fire in there.”
    The kids didn’t know what that meant, but Greg ran and the others stayed in the truck, not needing to be told to stay out of the way. Scott opened the door and when he nearly passed out, he ran back to the truck and grabbed a rag, wrapping it around his face and eyes before attempting the shop again. With so much smoke and chemicals, he had a hard time pinpointing Lucy’s scent. When he tripped over her, he’d never been so grateful to fall on his ass.
    “Lucy? Lucy!”
    He didn’t wait for an answer, just grabbed her and pulled her out.
    Police sirens blared as he pulled Lucy to the curb. She was unconscious and barely breathing. He took a deep breath of fresh air and blew it into her mouth. It wasn’t CPR but he knew she needed something more than her lungs were getting.
    “Sir. Sir, what happened here?” a police officer demanded.
    “I don’t know,” Scott said, continuing to help Lucy. She took moderately larger breaths, but it wasn’t right yet. “She needs an ambulance. She was in the building and it’s full of smoke.”
    “We’re waiting for the fire department,” the officer said. “Is there anyone else in the