Free Ride the Nightmare by Richard Matheson

happened?”
    She caught herself, forcing down the rage and anguish. Chris stared at her, waiting. His heartbeat was a slow, painful jolting.
    “They came to the house,” she said, quietly, measuredly. “You knew they were coming, didn’t you?”
    “Why didn’t you leave when I phoned?”
    “You knew they were coming.”
    “Helen, for God’s sake!” It was there now, the shock, the horror, all of it.
    “They took her away, Chris. Just
took
her away. They said they’d—” her teeth clenched. “—they’d
kill
her if you didn’t bring the money.”
    She stared at him balefully. “Now tell me you didn’t know,” she said.
    “Helen, I swear—”
    “Yes, swear, swear! I’m sure it’ll bring her back!”
    Chris glanced out at the store in time to see Jimmy look away again. He raised his eyes to the clock. It was after ten.
    “I’ll get the money,” he said, “I’ll bring her back.”
    “You’ll bring her back.” Abruptly, Helen began to cry, both hands pressed shakingly across her face. “
You’ll bring her back
.”
    “Helen, you didn’t call the police?”
    She turned again, jerking down her hands, a near deranged look on her face. “The police!” she said. “Is that what you’re worried about?”
    He grabbed her shoulders. “Now, listen to me,” he started.
    “Is that all you’re—?”
    “
Listen to me!
” Her head snapped as he jerked her shoulders violently.
    “Go on,” she said, “Tell me your troubles.”
    “Did you call the police?”
    “No! Are you happy now? Are you relieved?”
    His voice shook as he answered her.
    “Helen, if the police come into this, Connie hasn’t got a chance and you know it.”
    “
Oh God
,” she whimpered. She almost fell as a spasm of grief wrenched her. “I want my baby.”
    “Helen, I’ll get her.”
    She pulled away from him and, stumbling to the wall, leaned against it, crying helplessly.
    “My baby,” she said, “I want her now. I want her.”
    “I’ll get the money,” he said.
    “Yes, get the money, get the money,” she echoed hollowly, “Save yourself.”
    He started to say something, then checked himself. There was no sense in trying to reason with her now.
    “We’ll never see her again,” said Helen.
    “Yes, we will, Helen. I’ll get her back.”
    “No, no, no.” She almost crooned the word, shaking her head.
    “We
will
.”
    She turned abruptly, pale with fury.
    “How many kidnapped children ever live!” she cried, “
Tell
me!”
    He caught her hands and held them so tightly that she winced.
    “She’ll be all right,” he said, “They won’t hurt her because they’re planning to ask me for money again. Can’t you see that? They figure I’ll go on paying to protect myself and they’re not going to—”
    “And you will,” she said.
    He looked at her for a few moments before dropping her hands.
    “No,” he said, “I won’t.”
    He picked up his topcoat and put it on.
    “Where are you going?” she asked.
    “To the bank.”
    “I’m going with you.”
    He started to speak, then changed his mind. There was no time.
    “Come on then,” he said.
    ***
    He could remember joking about it to Bill Albert.
    “You know which line in the bank moves the slowest?” he’d said. “The one I’m in.”
    Chris’s gaze moved for the seventh time to the clock over the vault entrance. Ten twenty-one. He watched the long second-hand turning. Swallowing dryly, he turned back to the line. The man at the counter was pushing rolls of change into his cloth sack. Chris glanced at the other lines. One of them was shorter but he didn’t dare take a chance on changing. He’d done it once already and lost time.
    He drew in a quick breath. Come on! his mind cried. He thought of Connie being held by Adam and Steve, he thought about Adam’s gun. He twitched as a drop of sweat trickled down his side. Hurry, he thought. Please hurry.
    He looked around and saw Helen still sitting on the bench by the wall. She looked as if