Chapter Three
Over the past week, Aubrey hired two men from among those who had approached her for a job at the shelter. Both were homeless and in need of work. For now, they would stay at the shelter every night, ensuring that there was no trouble. Greg and Vic were there to teach them what was needed, clean the locker rooms, and collect towels and blankets to send to the cleaners each day.
The job paid little, but it was enough for David and Kenneth when safety and a shelter were high on their list of needs.
Having only male employees allowed her to leave once the doors were locked at eight o'clock. She could sleep in her own bed until she was due at the shelter in the morning to help set up everything for the next night. She was also there to handle any deliveries from local food banks.
She hoped that by the end of the month, she would have volunteers to add to the schedule. However, based on her previous volunteering experience in college, she suspected it would be harder to find anyone willing to commit long-term.
Letting herself out the front door, she stepped onto the sidewalk as a car passed in front of the building. She inhaled deeply, taking in the night air. Despite the size of the gym, when fifty homeless people congregated inside, the smell could get rather ripe. Even after all the showers were completed, their clothes and belongings still carried a foul odor.
Offering a laundry service was out of the question. She had no idea how to fix that problem. All she could handle were the three necessities. Shelter, food, showers.
She ensured the door was locked behind her and carried her keys in her right hand, along with the attached canister of pepper spray. Parking was prohibited in front of the shelter, so she had to use the lot at the end of the block, where luckily, she had twenty-four-hour security for her car.
Halfway down the block, the back of her neck tingled. Turning her gaze to the side, she used her peripheral vision to spot someone behind her. She quickened her pace, keeping her head up and her shoulders squared.
Before she reached the parking lot, a hand covered her mouth, cutting off her scream. She fumbled with her keys as the arm around her middle lifted her off her feet.
"Settle down. I'm not going to hurt you." The man's lips brushed against her ear. "I'll let you go, but you have to promise not to scream."
She nodded, attempting to glide her thumb over the top of the pepper spray, determining which direction to aim the canister. There was no way she could spray over her shoulder without blinding herself in the process.
"Drop the spray," said the man.
Tears burned her eyes, blurring her vision. If she dropped the canister, she'd have nothing to protect herself.
"My name's Serge Adams. I met you the other night. I'm the one who set off the alarm in the gym."
She kicked out, whipping her head side to side, trying to dislodge his hand. In her struggle, she dropped the keychain and fought harder.
Knowing who it was failed to calm her. It was the second time he'd scared her.
"Settle down." He turned her to face the nearest building. "Don't scream, and I'll remove my hand."
He slowly peeled his fingers from her mouth. She sucked in air, prepared to scream and he planted his hand back on her mouth, stealing her breath.
"That wasn't nice." He shifted, turning her toward him without letting her go.
She flicked her gaze over him, trying to commit everything to memory so that she would remember to tell the police when she reported him for assault, kidnapping, or whatever he planned to do to her.
She glared, trying to shake loose. Screaming behind his hand, she kicked out.
"Let's try this again." He slid his hand off her lips. His gaze followed the movement.
