Free Safety Lost (Killing the Dead Book 3) by Richard Murray

terrain would be invaluable. Candice had proven she couldn’t be trusted and I was fine with leaving her behind.
    I left my soiled clothing on the floor of the changing room and rejoined Emma and Julie. I disliked leaving the mess behind but I had other things to think about, namely who I would have to kill to be able to leave this place.
    Excitement at the prospect of violence and death rising, I followed along behind Julie as she led the way through the Outlet Store.
     
     

Chapter 10
    The rest of the day passed slowly. I sat with the others in the cafe and listened as Alan tried to charm Candice. John sat with his beady eyes staring hungrily at Candice and it was easy to imagine him eager for a new bed mate, willing or not. I was ostensibly ignored and that suited me fine.
    Akhtar had been instructed to check all the entry points to ensure they were secure and Beth had gone with him. The hammer which looked to be my only weapon was with my rucksack in the crafts section of the store, where Emma and I would be spending the night. I had no idea where Candice was staying.
    Beth and Akhtar returned as the light began to fade and immediately set to helping Julie light some candles before heading into the kitchen to start preparing food with John following along behind. I noticed that Beth had several new bruises.
    When the meal was ready, plain pasta with a tomato sauce, I ate slowly as I considered my options. Ideally I would leave in the night without any fanfare but if Julie was willing to come along then I would need to wait for her. Candice could stay and rot for all I cared, she had shown herself to be unreliable and the way she was lapping up the attention was pitiful.
    After the meal was cleared away we sat and drank some tepid tea while we listened to Alan regale us all with tales of his former life. When Emma yawned widely I seized the opportunity to make my escape.
    “Well thank you for the pleasant afternoon and the wonderful meal, but I think I shall get the little one to bed.” I said with my most pleasant smile.
    “No problems. What time are you leaving us tomorrow?” Alan asked.
    “Oh, sometime after it gets light if that is ok with you?”
    “That is absolutely fine” Alan replied with a fake smile that didn’t touch his eyes. I recognised the smile. I had used one like it many times before myself.
    “I’ll take you back to your sleeping place” Julie said as she picked up a candle.
    Alan watched as we walked from the room and I was sure his gaze fell more than once to Emma. We followed Julie along the corridor and into the craft section in silence.
    “Here” Julie said as she handed me a sharp bread knife. “I don’t think they noticed.” She added with a fearful look over her shoulder as though afraid we had been followed.
    “We need to leave as soon as possible, before they wake would be best.” I said with a look towards Emma as she wrapped herself in her coat and settled down beside the rucksacks.
    “It’s my turn with John tonight so I can’t go anywhere till he’s asleep” Julie said. “They will notice if I try and leave before it’s light.”
    “Fine, I shall be ready to leave first thing in the morning but if you can get away before then...” I left the sentence unfinished and she nodded. I could tell she was scared, I was intimately aware of how someone looked when terrified.
    Julie left and I moved across the room to sit beside Emma. She was warm beside me and curled up much like the puppies I had seen in pictures and on TV. I felt a curious sense of peace as I sat in the darkness beside the child and I settled down to wait for morning.
    Sometime around midnight the first shadow entered the room. A large bulky frame moving slowly as he tried to stay quiet. He was followed by the shape that could only be Alan. They each carried a weapon in their hands as they moved across the room to the sleeping space, though it was too dark to see what type of weapon.
    When I was sure