State of Emergency

CHAPTER 47


Simon had been crying nonstop for ten minutes. In many ways life had been easier when Marie had given up hope. Now that she harbored even the tiniest notion that she could get her message to Matt and he could use his genius brain to figure out a way to save them—all she wanted to do was scream right along with her baby.

Lourdes seemed bent on giving them just enough food to keep them alive until she could shoot them. A meager diet of nothing but cheese and bread was hard enough on Marie, but it put the baby’s stomach in knots. She tried her best to soothe him, rubbing his tummy, bouncing him on her knee, but day after day he got worse, throwing his head back and wailing.

Lourdes kept the laptop computer with her in the back room, where, thankfully, she stayed most of the time. Marie had grown attuned to the faint beep of an incoming video call and could barely contain herself when she heard it. Lourdes’s lumbering footfalls as she stomped down the hall confirmed that the call was her daily moment with Matthew.

The evil woman never allowed the calls to last more than a few seconds, so Marie knew she’d have to be quick if she wanted to get the message across. Often, Matt’s face was heavily pixilated and his voice little more than a string of disembodied garble. She prayed the connection would be clear enough this time.

Lourdes stomped to the edge of the mattress and handed her the open laptop. She crossed her arms over her chest and glared. “Say hello and then good-bye,” she said.

Marie took the computer and set it in her lap. “He needs to see his son,” she said, trying to ignore Lourdes.

Matt’s gaunt but smiling face greeted her on the screen.

“Are you all right?” The tension in his face seemed to increase when he saw her, and Marie realized she must look a sight. She pushed her bangs out of her eyes and forced a smile. “I’m fine,” she said, pulling Simon onto her lap. Thankfully, he quit crying when he saw his daddy. “We’re both fine. I’m worried about Miss Kitty though.”

Matt cocked his head to the side. “You’re worried about who?”

“Miss Kitty,” Marie sniffed. “I left her in the kitchen and we don’t have anyone to go check on her.”

“Marie, I—”

“That is enough.” Lourdes snatched back the computer and closed the screen. Tucking it under her arm, she shook her head in disgust. “You have but seconds to talk to your husband and all you can think of is your silly cat? He will be lucky to be rid of you.”

Marie let her head loll back against the wall and closed her eyes. Oh, Matt, she thought. I hope you understood.