Page 77 of Caught By the Chief of Staff

Chapter 24

Just run

Cara

Thirty minutes earlier…

“Mommy! Mommy, you have to wake up.”

I hear Rachel cry as she shakes me, and I force my eyes open. My head is pounding, and I feel like I’m going to throw up. Thank God I haven’t eaten anything today or I’m sure I would’ve. But even though I feel absolutely terrible, I realize my daughter is here.

“Rachel!” I cry as I push myself to sit up. I’ve finally found her, and nothing could stop me from pulling her into my arms.

“Mommy, I was so scared!” she cries. “They said you wouldn’t come, but you did.”

“I did, my sunshine girl,” I say softly as I brush her hair away from her face. “I told you I would always find you no matter how long it took me. I would never stop looking for you.”

And that’s true. Even when Rick and I were pretending like everything was fine, we were still looking for her. She was never forgotten. I look around the room where my daughter has been held for the better part of a week, and I want to scream. There’s nothing terrible about the room. It’s plain with a small window. There’s an old daybed against the far wall and a small metal card table and chairs where she’s clearly been getting her meals and coloring. There’s a door that leads to a bathroom off to the right. But that’s not what has me so upset.

She was so close, and I had no idea! It breaks my mothering heart to think she was so close, and I didn’t know. I carried her in my body. I should have felt something!

I help Rachel stand up, and then I push to stand. The room swims before me. Ashley didn’t pull any punches when she clobbered me on the head. I honestly thought she was just another spoiled socialite from the Upper East Side. I had no idea she had a homicidal streak in her. And I honestly can’t see how she was behind the plot to take down the president. She’s just not that smart.

I try the doorknob and it’s locked. Shit! I have to get Rachel out of here. The window on the far wall is up way too high and is too narrow for me to push her out of. Not to mention, she’d get hurt falling from a window this high. We’re going to have to wait for someone to come in here and open the door. Best-case scenario, I can distract them so my baby can get away.

I always knew I would trade myself for her. But actually knowing it’s going to happen is terrifying. I’m not afraid to die, because I would happily trade my life for hers over and over again. I’m afraid to say goodbye to my daughter.

Now I have to explain to her what I need her to do. That I need her to run to Amber’s house. I know she wouldn’t have done this if she weren’t afraid. But now I need her to help get my baby to safety. Rick will protect her from there and hopefully give her a beautiful life. They both deserve it.

“Come here, Rachel,” I say softly. I crouch down in front of her so she can see my face. It’s something I’ve always done when I want her to know I’m serious.

“What is it, Mom?” Her big hazel eyes, so much like her daddy’s, look at me wide and scared.

“I need you to listen to me. We’re in a pretty tough spot right now, but we’ve made it out of tough spots before, right?”

“Right,” she answers me like I know all the secrets of the world and I’ll never let her down. But I’m about to let her down now; she just doesn’t know it yet. But I’m not walking out of this room with her. This is where my story ends.

“I’m going to get you out of here,” I tell her. “But I need you to be very brave for me.”

“I know.” She smiles at me.

“When I tell you to run, you run and don’t look back.” I weight my words so that she knows how serious they are. “Promise me, Rachel.”

“I promise, Mommy.”

“Don’t look back,” I tell her.

God, please just let her run. Don’t let her hear or see anything. I need her out of this house of horrors before I die.

“I won’t,” she says quietly.

“It’s going to be okay,” I tell her.

Please, God, just let her be okay.

“Okay.” She nods her little head. Her dark brown curls are a rat’s nest. I hope Rick has the presence of mind to deal with combing this mess out, because she would not look good bald. This just goes to show that the things that run through your mind at the end are actually ridiculous.

“Daddy will find you.”