Birthright

Chapter Two

Jordan staggered through the automatic doors of Wal-Mart, out of the brutal June heat in Las Vegas. She maneuvered her way through the hordes of people entering and exiting in the afternoon rush. Her chest throbbed with every intake of breath and she hugged an oversized camouflage jacket around herself despite the triple digit temperature. Jordan paused to take it all in. People talked on cellphones while carelessly throwing items in their carts. A toddler dodged behind Jordan while pelting his mom with grapes. 

“Move it!” someone snapped.

Jordan moved off to the side and tried to block out the voice on the PA. It seemed as if thousands of people pressed in around her. She ran a hand over her pocket to make sure the wad of cash was still there. Jordan pulled the bill of her ratty hat lower over her face. She splayed a hand over her middle and prayed for death, away from the unrelenting pain. 

Jordan scanned the crowd for a moment before she lurched into motion. She needed pain killers. She navigated her way through and around long checkout lines. At this time of day, the store was packed to capacity with nagging wagons and harried people just off of work. Callus people bumped into her and sent ricochets of agony through her. Barely suppressing a scream, she took refuge in women’s clothing. An unsympathetic lady huffed impatiently when Jordan blocked her way and muttered to herself in Spanish as she passed. Jordan hobbled to the lingerie section, which was less populated and leaned heavily against a rack of pajamas on sale. A worker wearing the Wal-Mart blue vest over jeans and a white tee frowned but made no comment as she hung bras on the correct racks. 

Jordan rested her forehead on her arm and tried to stop the panic that rose to choke her. Sweat trickled down her face and she tried to block out the overload on her senses. The lights in the store flickered on and off. The volume of the crowd rose in surprise and alarm.

Jordan stared at the sizzling lights and forced herself to focus. She was running out of time. She moved to the main aisle and took in roadblocks in the form of women, children and wagons. She took note of where the crowd was heaviest and where two workers muttered over a spill. She eased forward and looked right and left. As she raised her foot to step into the masses, a chill ran down her spine. Instinct whipped her head to the right and her eyes moved frantically over the crowd. Her mind screamed at her to run but she had to be sure. And then she saw him. Standing near the checkout lines, predator still with his black eyes on her was her worst nightmare. William.

Terror flooded her body along with a healthy dose of adrenaline. Without pausing another second she leapt into the most condensed areas amidst loud curses and shouts of “Hey, watch it!” She blocked out everything and concentrated on losing herself in the crowd. It was the worst feeling in the world to be surrounded by people and feel utterly alone. No one could save her from him. She clenched her hands into fists as she ran. He wouldn’t get his hands on her again. She crouched in the crowd, peeking through elbows and between couples into aisles when a hand closed firmly around her arm. Jordan opened her mouth to scream but no sound came out. Her heart felt as if it would pound out of her chest. She whirled, fist flying. 

A man in a basketball jersey dodged her swing and stepped back with his hands up. “Jesus. I thought you were my girlfriend.” 

When she didn’t relax her fighting stance he shook his head and muttered, “Crazy,” beneath his breath before he walked away. Weak with relief, she staggered into an empty aisle lined with picture frames and mirrors. People ignored Jordan who bent over, gasping for breath. Someone paused and Jordan looked up as a woman threatened to glue her kid’s butt to the wagon if he didn’t sit.  

The mirrors Jordan stood in front of showed eyes dilated with fright and a ghost white complexion. Jordan looked right and left, monitoring both entrances into her aisle. To her left was a shelf running perpendicular filled with stools and chairs. To the right was the main aisle.