Chapter 8 - Code Silver
I didn't wait for the police. The rational part of my brain screamed at me to stay in the car, but the instinct to protect my boy overrode everything. I sprinted across the lawn, grabbing a heavy, iron fireplace poker that had been left near the porch woodpile.
I stepped into the house. It was terrifyingly quiet.
"Sarah!" I yelled, my voice cracking. "Leo!"
A muffled sound came from the kitchen. I moved down the hallway, the iron poker gripped tightly in my sweating hands. The kitchen was a wreck. Chairs were overturned, and a vase of flowers lay shattered on the tile.
Sarah was on the floor, clutching her head, blood trickling from a cut above her eyebrow.
"He's upstairs," she gasped, pointing a shaking finger toward the ceiling. "He took the dog... hit me... went for Leo."
I took the stairs two at a time. The sound of heavy boots echoing on the hardwood floor above fueled my adrenaline.
"You little ungrateful rat!" Greg's voice boomed from the end of the hall—Leo's room. "After everything I did to put a roof over your head!"
I reached the doorway. Greg was standing in the center of the room, looking wild and deranged. Barnaby was cornered, barking furiously, baring his teeth to protect the boy behind him. Leo was backed against the wall, clutching his pillows, his eyes wide with stark terror.
"Get away from him!" I roared.
Greg spun around, his eyes locking onto me. He smiled, a twisted, ugly thing. He reached behind his back and pulled a heavy hunting knife from his belt.
"Well, well. The hero doctor," Greg sneered. "You think you can just steal my family? That kid belongs to me. He's my property."
"He belongs to no one," I said, stepping into the room, putting myself between Greg and the corner where Leo and the dog were trapped. "And he's never going back to you."
Greg lunged.
I swung the iron poker with everything I had. It connected with his wrist with a sickening crunch. Greg howled in pain, the knife clattering to the floor. But he was a big man, fueled by rage, and he barrelled into me, sending us both crashing to the ground.
We wrestled on the floor, his heavy hands going for my throat. I struggled to breathe, the edges of my vision going black.
Suddenly, a massive weight slammed into Greg. Barnaby had attacked, sinking his teeth into Greg's shoulder. Greg screamed, letting go of my neck to swat at the dog.
Before Greg could recover, the wail of police sirens filled the street outside. Heavy footsteps pounded up the stairs.
"Police! Drop it! Stay where you are!" Officer Ramirez burst into the room, weapon drawn, followed by two other officers.
Greg froze, bleeding and panting, staring at the barrels of three handguns. He slowly raised his hands.
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I scrambled backward, gasping for air, and pulled Leo into my arms. The boy was shaking violently, but he buried his face in my chest, his small hands gripping my shirt like a lifeline.
"It's over, buddy," I whispered into his hair, tears finally spilling down my face. "I've got you. I've got you."
