Cleo’s heart raced. ‘Wait.’
She took a sharp right, then another, winding through streets she knew by heart. The car behind them kept up.
‘Who are they?’ – She asked, making another sharp turn that made her passenger grab the door handle.
‘Faster… faster. They’ll catch up to us…’
A second pair of headlights showed up ahead. They were being corralled.
‘Trust me?’ asked Cleo, already turning the wheel.
‘What?’
She drove through the disused car park, skidding under the partially lowered gate. The pursuing cars couldn’t keep up with her, and there was barely enough clearance for her taxi.
‘Two years dodging drunken passengers who won’t pay,’ she explained, checking her mirror. The headlights were missing. ‘Never thought these skills would come in handy today.’
The baby squeaked violently, making her flinch.
‘You’re pregnant,’ the stranger said, noticing her discomfort. ‘God, I’m so sorry. I’ve put you both in danger.’
‘Sometimes the biggest risk is doing nothing.’ She met his gaze in the mirror. ‘I’m Cleo.’
‘Thank you, Cleo. Most people…they’d just ignore me.’
‘Yes, but most people haven’t yet realised how quickly life can change.’
After what seemed like an eternity had passed, they finally arrived at the hospital. Before stepping out, the man gently took her hand.
‘Why did you stop?’ He studied her face carefully.
‘The world isn’t too kind to taxi drivers these days, especially pregnant women working alone at night.’
Cleo hesitated. ‘This morning I saw a woman step over a homeless man who was having a seizure. Didn’t even pause her phone call. I promised myself I wouldn’t become that kind of person…someone who is so afraid of the world that they forget their humanity.’
He nodded slowly. ‘You didn’t have to do that. Because what you did today… it’s beyond your comprehension.’
Cleo hesitated for a moment, her eyes meeting his. She smiled encouragingly.
Then she turned and walked towards the waiting taxi. Once inside, she took one last look around and whispered: ‘What did he mean?’
The rest of the night passed like a blur. Cleo returned home, ate dinner and fed the cat. But her mind was a mess, and she went over the events of the night before as she fell asleep.
In the morning she was awakened from her sleep by the loud rumble of engines. Chester had left his place on the pillow, his fur stood up, as if he had been cornered by a neighbour’s dog.
‘What’s the matter, Chester?’ Cleo struggled out of bed and froze at the window.
A motorcade of sleek black SUVs, at least a dozen, lined her modest street. Men in dark suits and headphones moved with military precision, setting up a perimeter around her house.
‘Oh my God, who are these people? Did I really help a criminal last night?’ sighed Cleo.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock. Looking through the peephole, she saw three men. One was dressed in an expensive suit, another wore an earpiece, and the third was eerily familiar.
‘No way,’ she whispered, recognising the stranger from the night before.
The tattered clothes and crimson stains were gone, replaced by an immaculate suit that probably cost more than her monthly fare.
With trembling hands, she opened the door.
‘Ma’am!’ – The first man bowed slightly. ‘I’m James, head of security for the Atkinson family. This is Mr Atkinson and his son Archie, whom you helped last night.’
The world turned upside down. The Atkinsons were a billionaire family whose tech empire was making headlines. Their son had been kidnapped three days ago, ransom set at 50 million.
And she’d picked him up on the side of the road.
‘They’ve had me for three days,’ Archie explained, settling down on her worn couch while Chester sniffed his boots. ‘When they moved me last night, I saw my chance to escape at the petrol station. But they were getting close. If you hadn’t stopped…’
‘The men chasing you,’ his father added, ’were captured an hour after you took Archie to the hospital. Your quick thinking not only saved my son, but helped us catch a dangerous gang of kidnappers.’
Mr Atkinson then held out an envelope. Inside was a cheque that made Cleo’s legs give out.
‘Sir, this is too much. I can’t…’
‘It’s nothing compared to what you’ve done,’ he smiled softly. ‘Consider it an investment in your future!’ – he said, looking at her belly. ‘No child should start life wondering how his mother will provide for him.’
Tears streamed down Cleo’s cheeks, and Chester jumped into Archie’s lap and rumbled loudly.
‘That’s not all,’ Archie added, leaning forward. ‘We want you to lead our foundation’s new public safety initiative. The world needs more people who aren’t afraid to stop and help. People like you, Cleo.’
‘If you ever need anything, please give us a call,’ Mr Atkinson said, holding out a business card, his voice soft with sincerity and gratitude. ‘We are forever indebted to you.’
Cleo smiled and weakly said ‘Thank you!’ and tears of joy and relief filled her eyes.
As they left, she felt the heaviness of the last few months subside. For the first time since Mark had left, she allowed herself to believe that everything might turn out okay.
Cleo looked down at her stomach and smiled through her tears. ‘Do you hear that, baby? Looks like Mummy’s night job just got a promotion. And we did it just by being human!’
