And Then Came A Lion (Lions and Lambs Book 1) Read Online Free Page B

any sense he’d be somewhere else, but the urge for payback negated his better instincts. No one had ever interfered before and it rankled. Someway, somehow, he’d find out who she was and he’d ensure she never interrupted him again.
    He flexed his hands, rolled his shoulders, and rotated his neck. A little tension was good, kept him focused. Besides, patience always had its reward.
    ***
    Susannah set her book down and uncurled from the chair. It was time to stop procrastinating and get to the store. She didn’t even have the stuff to make pancakes.
    “Come on, Buddy. Let’s go for a ride.”
    She eyed the dark clouds as she backed out of the garage. Looked like a storm. With luck, it wouldn’t hit until she was back home. Thunderstorms were best viewed from inside .
    Susannah parked in front of the market and hurried through the glass door. She cut down the cereal aisle toward the coolers along the back wall, heading toward the dairy section. A young boy and his father blocked her way.
    “Excuse me.”
    The boy moved over. Susannah squeezed past. A casual glance suggested father and son shopping for a few groceries. A closer look at the boy told a different story. Telltale marks lay under his high-collared shirt and under the cuffs.
    She paused, reached for a box of cereal directly in front of the child, and touched his arm.
    “Oh, I’m sorry.”
    The man looked over, took the boy’s hand, and pulled him away. The child looked back. A silent communication passed between her and the boy. The boy’s face did not changed, but his eyes did. For a brief moment, they flashed with hope.
    Susannah walked to the end of the aisle, grabbed a half gallon of milk from the cooler, and went up to the checkout. The man stood ahead of her in line. She watched the pair pay for their purchases and exit the store.
    She handed the checker a bill, impatiently waited for her change, and then rushed outside. The man and the boy were on foot, just crossing the street.
    Susannah pulled out of the parking lot and headed in the same direction.
    She probably shouldn’t do this, but she had read that witnesses reporting abuse was the most common ways of rescuing kids from abusive situations. What was that agencies website that monitored the Amber Alerts? She’d read about a recent rescue in the paper…
    The pair entered a house at the next intersection. Susannah drove a half block further and pulled into an alley. She parked and ran back toward the street.
    After taking note of the address, she pulled out her cell phone. A few words typed in her browser pulled up the National Amber Alert Coalition’s website. She selected missing children for Washington State. Of course, the boy could be from anywhere, but her intuition indicated otherwise. Eighty-one names popped up. Half way down the list, she found the boy’s picture. Robbie Viens was last seen in Malden, Washington, playing in his front yard ― three months ago.
    The NAAC allowed online reporting. Susannah followed the links and filled out the form. She clicked off the website and dropped her phone back into her pocket.
    Wait or go home? It could be hours before police responded, except the website said response time was quick. She looked at her watch. She still had a little time before she’d have to rush home – if she grabbed some takeout for dinner.
    She went back to her car, pulling forward until she could see the house. She reached over and ruffled Buddy’s ears.
    “Well, Buddy. What do you think of us being on a stakeout?”
    He winked. It was one of the breed’s traits, but it always seemed to occur at the appropriate moment, as if he really understood.
    Minutes passed. She looked at her watch. She should just go home. She did all she could, except barge in and drag the boy out. That, she couldn’t do, unless...
    She could stand on the porch and pound on the door, using some kind of pretense to keep the man talking until the police arrived. Susannah put her hand on the