No Exit by Taylor Adams 2

1:23 a.m.
From her angle, Darby couldn’t quite see it.
But she knew what Ashley saw — Jay’s dog kennel
clumsily sawed apart from the inside, the Astro’s rear door
pushed open, and a pair of small footprints hitting the snow
and leading out into the darkness.
He stared, mouth agape with dull shock, before glancing
back to Darby: “If she tries to run, shoot her.”
She turned — but Lars had already circled the van and
appeared behind her with that stubby handgun held waist-high,
aimed at her stomach.
She caught her breath. Surrounded again.
“I don’t … I don’t believe it.” Ashley paced, his fingers
digging into his scalp, and Darby noticed his hairline was
every bit as severe as his younger brother’s. He just grew his
bangs out to cover the receding bits.
She couldn’t help but feel a grim satisfaction. She loved it.
For all of Ashley’s smugness and posturing tonight, she’d still
managed to hurl one hell of a wrench into their plan. Little
Jaybird was loose.
Ashley kicked the Astro’s side, bruising the metal. “I
don’t fucking believe it—”
Lars edged back.
But Darby couldn’t resist. Too much white-hot adrenaline
in her veins. Two minutes ago, he’d been asphyxiating her
with a plastic bag and she was still furious about that, still
bristling with reckless energy. “Hey, Ashley. I’m no expert on
kidnappings, but doesn’t it only work if there’s a kid in there?”
He turned to face her.
She shrugged. “Just my amateur opinion.”
“You …” Lars raised his pistol. “You should stop—”