All it took to get Savvy back on the streets again was a roll of mint dollar bills worth a grand.
Working at the shelter kitchen afforded her enough for one meal a day but she wasn't crazy about food. She needed a place of her own. Living on the streets had worn her down. At thirty-eight, she wasn't getting any younger.
But she was still fit which was why Greg hooked her up with a job. A simple one, he said. Go to Hilton Fort hotel, grab the package in a stroller and deliver it to a couple in a black SUV.
Lean and tall, the man in the SUV called Max appeared aloof and dangerous, his eyes darting as if something or someone might show up. The woman however was his opposite—petite, bubbly and overly friendly.
Savvy had no complaints. A thousand dollars for a simple task was a lot of cash. She could finally move out of the run-down, grimy women's shelter into a fine, one bedroom apartment and probably get a decent job in sales.
And be free of Roy's gropings and assaults in the night. The shelter provided a roof over their heads. That was it. But survival meant being nice to Roy, the assistant manager.
She hid in the supply room after Greg sneaked her into the hotel. Hilton Fort was a classy five star and the opulence left her agape. Changing into a housekeeper uniform, she grabbed a trolley of toiletries and pushed it towards room 0198.
She knocked. “Housekeeping.” There was no response.
Savvy quietly opened the door. A stroller sat in the middle of the room, soft gurgling sounds coming from it. She stepped closer to the stroller and froze. A chubby baby with light blue eyes grinned at her, gums pink and toothless. It felt like she'd been hit by a bomb—a love bomb.
“Hey! Stop! My baby!”
A young, dark-skinned woman screamed moments later, running towards Savvy. The woman watched with despair as the elevator doors closed before she could reach it, her baby in the hands of a stranger.
Savvy sneaked out of the hotel the same way she arrived, the sweet baby swaddled around her chest.
She boarded the train just leaving the station, a little out of breath. A young man smiled at her and offered his seat. She thanked him and sat down, her heart racing.
Reckless didn't even begin to describe her action but she didn't care. Thoughts raced through her mind—Why didn't I ever try to have a baby? I won't be alone anymore. The child would love me.
Yes. She’d always longed for love. She imagined she could lay low in the next town for a few d—
A loud explosion.
Screams followed as the train veered off the rails while a part of it went up in flames. Bags and bodies collided in chaos. Someone just attacked the train with a bomb. Savvy held tightly onto the sleeping baby with one hand and gripped a handrail with the other.
One of the entry doors burst open. A tall, muscled man in a black trench coat stepped in. His dark eyes landed on her. Slowly, he raised and pointed a gun at her. Three other men dressed in black with guns appeared by his side.
The train had stopped and the passengers crouched on the floor in fear. Savvy paled from the action before her.
“Put my baby down and step away from him,” the man growled. The voice of a father who would eviscerate everyone if it came to that to save his son.
Savvy felt the fearful and indignant eyes of the passengers on her. How did they find me?
“No. He's my baby,” she cried, clutching the baby tighter.
It all started as a simple job for good money but she didn't expect the ‘package’ to be a child. And now she wanted the baby for herself. Promises of a better life took away her reasoning, blinding her to the truth—she was a pawn in a deadly game between two rival gangs.
The man in a trench coat stepped closer to her while his men pointed their guns at the terrified passengers. No one could make a move.
“I know Max is psychotic but this! He has crossed a line,” he bit out. “Did you think I wouldn't protect my child? He has a tracker on him. Now hand over my baby and I'll let you live.”
Savvy trembled in fear, her gaze darting to the exits. There was no way out. Still, she took a step towards the door by her left and immediately a bullet lodged itself in the centre of her head.
Before her body could meet the floor, the man tugged the swaddle off her and cradled his baby. Savvy crumbled to the floor, her mouth slightly parted as tears rolled out of her eyes.
Her dreams of a better life died with her.
I hope you enjoyed reading this short piece. Blame it on watching too many action movies. It's inspired by Freewrite #dailyprompt word “love bomb”.
Thank you for visiting my blog.
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