The little girl with dark eyes held up her arms, this time seeming to understand that the small bundle Margo held needed special care. Margo placed one baby into the other baby’s warm and open arms. She had grabbed more blankets off the crib to drape on top of her stolen cargo.
Margo prayed with every step that no one would stop her as she pushed her filled cart closer and closer to freedom. Just as she was rounding the last corner before the exit doors, a voice called out from behind her.
She remembered that panicked moment in which she debated whether she should stop, turn around and try to talk her way out of here, or make a run for it. Something told her to turn, and there stood Kevin, the janitor, smiling flirtatiously.
“So do you need any help, after all?” he asked.
Margo had tried to disguise her tremendous relief to see it was just this unassuming fellow who had stopped her. With an attempt at a casual smile she said, “Thanks for the offer Kevin, but I got it.” A quick wave good-bye and she had kept walking, pushing her little stowaways.
In her mind’s eye she saw herself hurrying to her car still waiting for sirens to blare and a chopper to swoop down, but nothing happened. She put the children on the floor of the back seat, left the empty cart in the parking lot and drove away from The Institute hoping she would never come back.
And here she was. Lying on the floor of a dusty, empty, locked room thinking how grateful she felt.
She smiled, though it hurt tremendously to do so, thinking how blessed she had been to have spent twelve years with the most precious gifts from God. She felt honored that they called her mother. She knew she had done the best she could teaching them about life and love, faith and family.
Margo lay slowly dying from the wounds inflicted by a monster, but she was at peace. Because though the devil meant it for evil, God turned it to good.
Chapter 43 The Beginning of the End
The back of the truck was packed with their newly acquired supplies. They decided the safest and most logical thing for them to do now was to try to get a motel room. They needed a place to rest, pack and plan. But just as importantly, they needed a place to spread out as they designed and built the explosives.
It was four in the morning when they drove around looking for a place that seemed likely to accept cash and ask no questions about their ages. Alik looked the oldest, so he was going in to talk with the desk clerk.
Pulling into a modest establishment that had lights spilling from its front lobby windows, Alik jumped out of the truck and walked confidently up to the doors.
As I watched him, I tried to imagine what others saw when they looked at my brother. I had a clear view of the empty desk and smiled ruefully when it was a younger, cute blond girl who appeared behind the desk. She smiled sweetly at my brother. He was patting around his jean pockets and running his hand down the sides of his jacket as if feeling around for something.
He was pretending he couldn’t find his wallet, where his ID was held. But look at this, he found a wad of cash in his jeans. Would she mind just letting him pay cash and when he found his wallet, he’d bring it back to check in properly?
The girl glanced from side to side as if looking for her boss. Her eyes locked onto Alik’s for a moment, and she let loose with a huge grin. Alik passed her several bills and in exchange she gave him a room key. He flashed one thankful glance back at her before he walked back to the truck where Evan, Maze and I were waiting.
I shook my head in amazement. My brother, the flirt! I was still chuckling to myself when Alik returned. He whispered, “Hush. I got the room, didn’t I?” He knew he had laid it on pretty thick for the girl. But I didn’t feel too bad for him. He seemed to be enjoying his newfound ability to sway girls.
“You got the room or two nights, right Alik?” asked Evan.
“Yeah,” Alik yawned.
Room 117 was perfect for us. It was around the back of the building, so passersby wouldn’t see our bullet hole riddled truck and there would be fewer, if any, people to witness us bring our multiple bags into the room, with no sign of an adult.
Alik backed our truck up to the door of the room. Just a few steps and we’d be out of view—safely inside. We jumped out of the car and got to work.
I opened the door and ushered Maze inside, hitting the light switches as I went. Maze jumped up on the bed and lay down as if he was trying hard to stay out of the way.
Evan came in first, arms loaded down with items. Close behind him came Alik, both of his ample arms were balancing even more merchandise. The boys put everything on the floor between the beds and Evan walked out to retrieve the fragile materials that would be the juice behind our explosives. I followed him out, closing the truck’s door behind him as he used two steady hands to hold these goods.
Once the truck was unloaded, the curtains drawn and the door locked, it was time for some rest. We would be no good to mom exhausted and making stupid mistakes during her rescue.