Chapter 3 - THE FALSE SOCIAL WORKER
The man at the door introduced himself as Paul Jennings from Child Protective Services.
He showed Daniel a badge and asked to take Ivy and Skye immediately.
Daniel did not move aside.
“The office told me no one would come until Monday.”
The man smiled politely.
“An emergency order came through.”
“From whom?”
“That information is confidential.”
Behind Daniel, Margaret spoke quickly.
“Let the man do his job.”
Daniel glanced at her.
“You seem unusually eager to hand over two children you claim not to know.”
The second man stepped forward.
“Sir, refusing to cooperate may create legal consequences.”
Daniel looked at his shoes.
They were polished black dress shoes.
Not the kind anyone wore for an emergency welfare visit on a rainy Sunday night.
Then he noticed something else.
The first man’s badge misspelled the word “Department.”
Daniel quietly locked the door.
“Your identification is fake.”
The man’s friendly expression disappeared.
“Open the door.”
Daniel reached for his phone.
The second man slammed his shoulder against the glass.
Ivy screamed.
Skye began crying.
Daniel moved the girls behind the kitchen island.
“Ethan, call the police.”
Ethan stared at the men outside.
His hands shook.
“I cannot.”
Daniel turned toward him.
“What did you say?”
Ethan’s eyes filled with panic.
“I said I cannot call them.”
One of the men shouted through the door.
“We only want the children.”
Daniel’s expression hardened.
“Then you are leaving without them.”
The man lifted a metal tool and struck the lock.
Daniel grabbed the fireplace poker.
Lauren backed against the wall.
“This has gone too far.”
Daniel looked at her.
“What has gone too far?”
Lauren covered her mouth.
Margaret snapped at her.
“Do not say another word.”
Daniel immediately understood.
“You called these men.”
Margaret remained silent.
The lock cracked under another blow.
Daniel opened the security application on his phone and triggered the estate alarm.
Sirens exploded across the property.
Floodlights illuminated the driveway.
The two men ran back toward their SUV.
Before leaving, the first man pointed at Margaret through the glass.
“You said this would be easy.”
Then the SUV disappeared down the road.
Daniel turned around.
Margaret looked trapped for the first time in her life.
“You hired strangers to abduct two little girls from my house.”
Margaret lifted her chin.
“I was trying to save you.”
Daniel stepped closer.
“From what?”
May you like
Her answer came without hesitation.
“From finding out that those girls are not the only children Claire hid from you.”
