Chapter 10 - INSIDE THE HOUSE
The kitchen window exploded inward.
I grabbed Lily from the hallway.
“Upstairs!”
She cried.
“Daddy!”
“Go!”
The alarm began screaming.
An officer outside shouted.
I heard footsteps.
Fast.
Heavy.
Someone entered through the broken window.
I shoved Lily into my bedroom.
“Closet. Now.”
“Don’t leave me!”
“I’m right here.”
I locked the bedroom door.
Then I heard a man’s voice downstairs.
“Ryan!”
Daniel.
Every hair on my body stood up.
“Ryan, come down!”
Police shouted outside.
“Daniel Mercer! Put your hands where we can see them!”
A gunshot cracked.
Lily screamed.
I pulled her against me.
Another shot.
Then silence.
My phone was downstairs.
No weapon.
No way to know what was happening.
Footsteps climbed the stairs.
Slowly.
One.
Two.
Three.
I moved Lily into the closet.
“Don’t make a sound.”
Her face was white.
“Daddy—”
“I love you.”
“Don’t go.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
I closed the closet door.
The bedroom handle moved.
Once.
Twice.
Then Daniel kicked the door.
Wood cracked.
Another kick.
I grabbed the bedside lamp.
Third kick.
The door flew open.
Daniel stood there.
Blood ran down one arm.
A pistol hung in his right hand.
“You ruined my life.”
I stared at the gun.
“You did that.”
“Where is she?”
“Not here.”
He laughed.
“You always were a terrible liar.”
He stepped inside.
“Give me Lily.”
“Never.”
“She belongs with Vanessa.”
“Vanessa told police everything.”
That hit him.
His face changed.
“She what?”
“She gave them the cabin.”
Daniel’s eyes widened.
Good.
I needed him angry.
Distracted.
“You’re lying.”
“They have the phones.”
His grip tightened.
“They have the documents.”
“You shut up.”
“They have everything.”
Daniel raised the gun.
I threw the lamp.
It hit his wrist.
The gun fired.
The bullet tore into the wall.
I charged him.
We hit the floor.
He punched me.
I grabbed his gun arm.
He drove his knee into my ribs.
Pain exploded.
“Daddy!”
Lily’s voice.
No.
Daniel heard it.
He smiled.
“Closet.”
He shoved me away.
I grabbed his ankle.
He kicked my face.
Stars filled my vision.
Daniel crawled toward the closet.
Then a voice boomed from the doorway.
“DROP THE GUN!”
Officer Ramirez.
Daniel spun.
Gunfire cracked.
Daniel collapsed.
I crawled toward the closet.
“Lily!”
The door opened.
She ran into me.
I held her.
Behind us, officers surrounded Daniel.
He was alive.
Shot through the shoulder.
Screaming.
Cursing.
Then Lily looked past me toward Daniel.
Her face changed.
She whispered,
“That’s not the man who took me.”
I stared at her.
“What?”
May you like
She pointed at Daniel.
“Daddy... there was another man.”
