> Julia opened up the duffle bag she had taken out of the
> trunk when they had first gotten to the hotel. Now, as if she had never
> been gone, sure and swift motions, she took out two guns, locking, loading
> and primed before Nick even got to the highway. She looked over at him
> when she was finished, putting the safety on and set them back down on top
> of the duffle bag at the ready before slipping her hand over to Nick's and
> dialing the cellphone to reach Alex and Philip.
>
> She waited until her friend answered before giving her the
> details of what happened - except for Mitchell's personal attack against
> her - and listened as Alex relayed what had happened at the store and
> what, if anything, she had heard before her own line went dead with Derek.
>
> "Alex," she suggested as soon as her friend had finished
> reporting, playing a hunch "Call the store back and see if someone at the
> bakery saw anyone near Kat."
>
> Julia's hand tightened around Nick's at the mention of
> Kat's name, giving him the only support she could at the moment while she
> tried to track down the facts "...and give me a call back as soon as you
> find out."
>
"All right," Alex agreed hanging up. She called directory assistance and
they connected her to the bakery where the same older woman answered. She
described Kat and asked about anyone who might have been talking to her.
The woman relayed a description of a woman the child left with. She had
assumed it was all right, because the mother seemed to be aware of what was
going on, so she didn't think much of it. Alex thanked her and called Julia
back. "It sounds like Traci left with her. We're headed back to the
house."
Alex
