Free Eve Langlais by The Hunter Page B

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    After their picnic lunch, Jessica wanted to be pushed on the swings again while Jared wanted to play in the sandbox. Hunter went with Jared and started helping him build some roads with trees and bridges while Suzie pushed Jessica on the swing and exhorted her to pump her legs. To no avail, apparently only Mommy pushes would do.
    A tinny song erupted from the vicinity of Hunter’s pants , some catchy salsa number that had her raising her brow in amusement. Hunter pulled out his cell phone with a sheepish grin.
    “I changed the ringer by accident and can’t change it back.” Hunter looked at the number on his cell phone’s display. “I have to take this. Are you all right with the children for a few minutes?”
    Um hello, who does he think has been watching the twins for the last three years? “Take the call. We’ll be fine.”
    Hunter wandered off with his phone, and Suzie kept pushing Jessica while Jared played in the sand.
    “Down, Mommy,” said Jessica, tired of swinging.
    “Okay, sweetheart, hold on. Let me slow you down”. Moving around to face Jessica and grab the swing’s ropes, she turned her back for a moment on Jared. She brought the swing to a standstill and 31

    helped Jessica off the swing. Jessica took two steps, and legs wobbly from swinging, fell on her knees in the pea gravel.
    “Ow!” Jessica wailed.
    “Let me see,” said Suzie, crouching down to sit Jessica on her bent leg. Jessica raised the gravely injured knee—a little, white scratch, oh my—and Suzie, as was her habit, kissed it.
    “All better,” sang Jessica, jumping off Suzie’s lap and racing off to the sandbox behind Suzie to join Jared.
    Suzie turned to watch her go and then felt her heart stop.
    Where’s Jared?
    Suzie didn’t panic yet, although her pulse sped up. “Jared!” she called. Maybe he’d wandered back to the slides while she’d been tending his sister. She scanned the playground, but couldn’t spot him on the slides or anywhere in the playground area. Where the hell is he? Oh God, did he fall in the pond?
    Running to the edge of the play area, she looked around and finally spotted him talking to someone with a cap pulled down low. Jared backed away from the man who reached out a hand. Jared, though, slid sideways, out of reach.
    “Jared!” she hollered and started running. “Jared!” The man speaking to Jared ducked his head, turned, and started walking away quickly.
    Hunter ran by her, heading for Jared while asking over his shoulder, “What happened?”
    “I was helping Jessica,” she panted, running. “I just turned my back for a second and, when I turned to look again, Jared was almost out of the park talking to that man who took off.”
    The man in question had jumped into a car parked on the road bordering the playground and drove away.
    Jared came running to Suzie, who hugged him tight, then scolded him.
    “Jared, what has Mommy told you about talking to strangers?”
    “Mommy,” he said, tears starting to fill his eyes at her angry tone. “Dat man thay he my daddy. He thay he mith me an’ he gonna take me home. But I don wanna go, Mommy. I wanna thtay with you.”
    Suzie’s face froze.
    No, no, no , went the screaming in her head. This couldn’t be happening. The man had to have been lying. There was no way he could have found them.
    “I no like dat man, Mommy. He thcary,” said Jared in a tiny voice clogged with tears.
    “Did he say anything else?” asked Hunter as Suzie crouched there, paralyzed with fear.
    “He thay, tell Mommy hi an’ dat he come back to take me ‘way.”
    “Never baby, never. That man was lying. Mommy would never let anybody take you.” Suzie crushed Jared to her chest and held in the wail that threatened to burst out of her. This can’t be happening . I’ve been so careful. There was no way he could have found us!
    Jared squirmed out of her arms, her tight embrace scaring him. Suzie felt her mind swirling in a panicky mess, her only coherent