Chapter 11 - THE BOY WHO FOUGHT BACK
Margaret dragged Noah toward the helicopter.
“No!”
Evelyn lunged.
Margaret struck her with the gun.
Clara tackled Margaret from the side.
All three hit the roof.
Noah crawled away.
Dominic lay near the ventilation unit with blood spreading across his shirt.
“Dominic!”
Evelyn tried to reach him.
He shouted, “Noah!”
Marcus, still alive, suddenly grabbed Noah’s ankle.
The boy screamed.
Clara kicked Marcus’s hand away.
Noah scrambled toward Dominic.
“Dad!”
Dominic pulled him close.
“I’m okay.”
He was not okay.
The bullet had entered high near his shoulder, but blood was pouring heavily.
Margaret recovered.
Sirens screamed below.
She looked toward the helicopter.
The pilot had abandoned it.
She had no escape.
Then Margaret ran toward Noah.
The boy turned.
For two years Noah had hidden.
Under beds.
Inside closets.
Behind Clara.
Behind silence.
This time he did not hide.
Margaret reached for him.
Noah screamed, “NO!”
The word echoed across the roof.
He shoved both hands against her.
It was not enough to hurt an adult.
But Margaret was already near the broken edge.
Her heel slipped.
She fell backward.
One hand caught the metal railing.
She dangled over five stories of concrete.
Dominic struggled to stand.
Margaret looked up.
“Help me!”
Nobody moved at first.
Then Dominic stepped forward.
Despite everything, he grabbed her wrist.
Margaret stared at him.
“You’d save me?”
“You’re still my father’s daughter.”
She began laughing.
Then reached for the small knife hidden in her sleeve.
Clara saw it.
“Dominic!”
Margaret stabbed upward.
Dominic released her.
She fell.
Her scream disappeared beneath the sirens.
Noah turned away.
Clara covered his face.
Dominic collapsed.
Evelyn dropped beside him.
“Stay with me.”
He looked at her.
“You’re really here.”
“I’m here.”
His eyes closed.
“Dominic!”
Noah screamed.
“Dad!”
Paramedics rushed onto the roof.
Clara held Noah while they worked.
One medic shouted for blood.
Another cut open Dominic’s shirt.
Evelyn stood beside them, shaking.
Then the medic looked at her.
“Ma’am, we need you to move.”
Noah grabbed Dominic’s hand.
May you like
“Dad.”
The monitor began screaming.
