Page 68 of Jobe

“No thanks, Paulina. I’m going to leave in just a little bit anyway and since Jobe is going to be late, I’ll fix something when I get home.”

Nodding her head, Paulina walked over and awkwardly hugged Mackenna before leaving the room as the three others continued to talk for a while. Little John began yawning, giving his head a little shake.

“I don’t know what’s wrong. I never get sleepy this early,” he said.

Terrance laughed but stifled a yawn himself. He rubbed his eyes, trying to hold them open. He looked up at Mackenna, but the fuzzy image of her would not come into focus.

Just then her phone rang again and she saw that it was Jobe. Before he could speak, she rushed, “Terrance is here and he’s falling asleep. So is Little John. Something’s not right.”

“Put him on,” Jobe ordered.

Terrance reached for the phone but could not hold it himself, so she held it up for him and put it on speaker phone.

“Jobe, sumsin wron. Drug coff,” Terrance slurred before his head hit the table.

Mackenna watched in horror as the two men went from yawning to slumping over on the table. She jumped up, closest to Little John, shaking him as she called his name. No response.

“Girls!” she shrieked. “Help me!”

“Jobe, they’re unconscious! What do we do?” she screamed into the phone.

“Get outta the house,” Jobe growled. “We’re on it.” She heard him shout to Gabe to call Tony and to Vinny to get hold of Matt and Shane.

“Where do we go?” she asked, her heart thumping as fear threatened to choke her.

“Get out through the back. If you can find a building to get into, then go. If not, head toward the park.”

She immediately heard the pounding of feet as the women in the house ran down the stairs and into the kitchen. The others crowded in, desperate to help but not knowing what to do. Mackenna’s eyes darted around, quickly taking a count. “Where’s Paulina? She was just here making the coffee!”

“She’s not upstairs,” Jerika said. “She never came back up after being down here.”

Fear warred with anger as Mackenna realized that Paulina must have put something in the coffee. “Fuck!” she cursed. “Jobe? There is only so fast we can go. I’ve got a pregnant girl. And I think we were ratted out by Paulina Orchuro.”

“Got it, now go!” he ordered again.

Mackenna glanced around the room at the girls’ terrified faces then back down to the drugged men whose head still lay on the table.

“Oh, Jesus,” she cried. “Help me hide them and then we’ve got to get out of here!” The girls moved forward and within three minutes managed to drag the two unconscious men into her office. Then, stepping gently over the two men on the floor, she locked the door behind her.

Sprinting to the back door, she ordered, “Outside. We’re leaving.” The women ran out of the kitchen door and to the back gate. MacKenna quickly unlocked it and they dashed through. Once into the alley, the women all turned toward her.

“We’re heading to the park.” Just then the sounds of gunfire at the front of the center could be heard along with sirens that seemed too far away to assist the girls at the moment. Jerika and Yesenia grabbed each of Gabby’s arms and assisted her as they jogged down the street. Tina reached the corner first and waited for the others.

Making a quick decision, Mackenna said, “We’ll do better separated. Tina, run up to the street first because you’re faster. If you can hail a cab or get on a late bus, then do so and have them take you to the police station. Don’t worry about money. Tell them who you are and where you’re from.”

Tina nodded and with a flash of sympathy in her eyes, she took off to the right running as fast as she could. Makenna then turned to Gabby. “Honey, let’s face it. They’re after you and me.” Turning to Jerika and Yesinia, she said “Follow Tina. Run as fast as you can. If you find a business or person who will take you in until you can call the police, then do so, but stay together. I think there’s a bar about six blocks from here. If you run in screaming for the police, then no one’ll mess with you!”

Once again, with sympathy on their faces, the two women began running down the street, as they held hands.

“It’s you and me, girl,” Mackenna said. “Let’s go try to outsmart these fuckers.” Gabby gave a nod and the two women hurried across the street. Making their way into the dark park, illuminated by only the path lights, Mackenna diverted Gabby off the path and into the shadows. “We’ve got to stay hidden as much as possible,” she whispered.

After just a few minutes, Gabby stopped suddenly, bending over at the waist and moaning while clutching her stomach. With tear-filled eyes, she looked at Mackenna and gasped, “I can’t go, I can’t do it.”

Mackenna wanted to rail at the girl to keep going, but one glimpse at her tortured face and she knew they needed an alternate plan. Just then a huge, dark figure loomed over them, the light behind his body casting his features into shadow.

Just as Mackenna opened her mouth to scream, he pointed a gun right at her. The scream died in her throat as she moved protectively in front of Gabby. The pregnant woman dropped to her knees, a slight moan escaping her lips.

“Don’t, please don’t kill us,” Mackenna pleaded, knowing her words were falling on deaf ears.

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