Chapter 5 - A Familiar Stranger
The empty cavity behind the wall gave off the smell of rust and old dust. The three hundred dollars their mother had hoarded for three years was gone. Lily stood motionless in the center of the vandalized room, the ticking of the kitchen clock hammering like a countdown in her ears. She wasn’t just an abandoned child anymore; she was a target.
Mia clung to Lily's legs, burying her face into the damp wool of the lilac sweater. ""Where's Mama?"" the toddler whimpered, shivering.
Lily swallowed hard, fighting back the tears that threatened to blind her. ""Mama had to go to work far away, Mia. We have to go on an adventure now."" She quickly stuffed three pairs of socks, Mia's inhaler, and a warm fleece blanket into her faded backpack. She took the smartphone from the counter. The notification counter showed over ten thousand unread messages and three hundred missed calls from unknown numbers.
Leaving the apartment keys on the table, Lily walked out, deliberately choosing the back fire escape. The iron steps groaned under their weight as they descended into the shadows of the rear courtyard. They slipped through the loose chain-link fence into the adjoining bus terminal parking lot.
Lily needed to buy tickets, but ticket counters meant cameras and identification. As she hesitated near a row of vending machines, a shadow fell over her.
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""You shouldn't be wandering around with that sweater on, kid. Your face is on every billboard from here to Chicago.""
Lily spun around, backing Mia behind her. Standing before them was a middle-aged man in a faded denim jacket, wearing dark sunglasses despite the overcast sky. In his hand, he held a laminated badge: Child Protective Services.
