He let his mind wander to Katie. He loved her so much, and the decisions he'd made had put her directly in harm’s way, alone and unprotected. He thought of Jack. He didn't know what the man intended for Jack, whether he would hurt him or take him. He had never felt so alone, so helpless. He had to get free.

He remembered his cell phone, which was still in his front pocket. He rolled back and forth until it dropped onto the trunk floor. It lit up and he could see he had a missed call from Katie. Panic engulfed him. He tested the rope and thought it might eventually stretch. He knew that his trunk had an interior latch release and, if he could get loose, he could get out.

He began yanking his wrists back and forth, over and over. Little by little, the rope began to loosen. His wrists throbbed from the abuse, and he could tell he was tearing the skin, but he kept at it.

Finally, after what seemed an eternity, he pulled both hands free and popped the trunk release. He sat up and his head swam from the blow he had taken. He waited  for things to stop spinning, then grabbed his cell phone. Maybe he wasn't too late. He dialed Katie.

It was 10:45.

It rang until it went to voice mail.

“Damn!”

Wade hung up and dialed 911. While he was talking to them, he grabbed the magnetic key holder under the fender well, started the car and sped for home.

****

Katie rolled over and turned off the TV. She looked at the clock. 10:30 and Wade still wasn't home. She was about to get irritated when she thought she heard the front door click shut. She listened for several minutes, but didn't hear the normal sounds of her husband putting away his keys, getting a drink from the fridge or opening the mail.

“Wade? Is that you, honey?”

There was no answer. Maybe he hadn't heard her.

She got out of bed and went to the bedroom door. She thought she heard something.

“Wade? Wade, is that you?”

She started down the stairs to make sure she wasn't hearing things. She was just a couple of steps from the bottom when a man came around the corner and lunged at her with a knife.

She screamed and fell back against the stairs, the knife just missing her neck, instead slashing across her thigh. Blood soaked her sweatpants.

The man pulled back for another stab when Katie planted her feet in his chest, sending him back against the opposite wall. He hit with a thud, and with the breath knocked out of him, slid to the floor.

Katie scrambled up the steps, her cut leg leaking blood as she dragged it. Her first thought was getting to the phone and calling 911. She made it to her bedroom, grabbed the phone and dialed.

Her attacker had gathered himself, and he made it to the top of the steps just as Katie got through to the police. He charged her, knocking the phone away, and shoving her onto the bed, where he landed on top of her. She was much smaller than him, and he easily pinned her beneath his weight.

He reached over and grabbed a pillow, forcing it over Katie's face. Katie fought with everything she had. She clawed at his arms and face, pulled at his hands and tried to roll her head, but he was too strong. Things started to fade as she thrashed around, looking for anything to save her.

Her hands landed on the bristle end of her hairbrush. She gripped it and swung upwards with everything she had left. The handle end of the brush rammed into the man's ear.

He screamed with pain and rolled off of Katie. Katie pushed the pillow away and gasped for air. Blood poured down the side of the man’s face. Coughing and choking, she jumped up and grabbed her phone, fleeing downstairs.

“Help! Help!”

“Ma’am, this is emergency services. What's happening?” The operator was still on the line and had heard the whole attack.

“Someone is trying to kill me! Send help, please hurry!” She set the phone down while she searched for a knife in the kitchen drawer.

****

Michael regained his composure and went after her. He ran from the bedroom and started down the stairs. As his foot left the top step, he heard a voice.

“Leave my mom alone!”

It was Jack, the commotion bringing him out of his room. As he said it, he lunged at the man, pushing him from behind and propelling Michael into a freefall down the stairs. He landed on his left shoulder, breaking his collarbone. He lay there, looking back up at his son.

Didn't his son know he was here for him?

Jack ran back into his room and shut the door. Michael got to one knee and then stood all the way up, his left arm cradled against his stomach. He moved down the hall towards the kitchen, ducking into the bathroom and closing the door to a crack. As Katie got to the bathroom, Michael exploded through the door, knocking the knife away and pinning Katie against the wall. She pushed back off the wall, jamming Michael's shoulder against the bathroom door frame. He let out a cry of pain and she broke free.

Getting to the end of the hall, Katie tried to round the corner and go back upstairs, but slipped on her own blood. She crumpled against the wall and lay there, dazed.

****

Jason and Sam arrived at the address. Jason was out of the car and running before Sam had stopped. The detective hit the front door at a dead run, found it unlocked, and burst in, his gun drawn.

Katie Duncan sat on the floor, unable to move, looking down the hall. She turned her head, looked at Jason, and then back down the hall. Jason saw Michael come around the corner with a knife.

“Michael, freeze!”

Michael stopped and looked at Jason.

“I have to do this, Jason. They took my son and I made a promise to Tammy. Don't get in the way.”

“Don't move, Michael. I will shoot you.”

Michael stared at the detective for a minute and then lunged at Katie. Jason fired two shots.

****

Wade arrived right behind the detectives. He ran to the front door and just as he got there, he heard two shots. They stopped him in his tracks. He heard a scream: Katie. He was moving again, and when he came through the door, he found a man lying on top of Katie. Blood was everywhere.

Jason saw him and swung his gun around on Wade.

“Who are you?!”

“Wade Duncan…that's my wife.”

He ignored the gun and moved to Katie.

“Kate! Kate! You okay?”

He dragged at the man laid across his wife, pulling him off Katie. He cradled his wife in his arms.

“I think so.”

“You okay, mom?”

Jack was looking down from the top of the stairs. She gave him a weak smile.

“Yes, I'm okay. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, who is that man?”

“I don't know, Jack, but he won't bother us ever again.”

 

Epilogue

Sam was still with the forensic team when Jason left with Wade and Katie in the ambulance. Shirley had showed up and taken Jack to her place for the rest of the night. The EMTs had gotten the bleeding from Katie's leg stopped, and she was being transported to the hospital.

“Do either of you know the man who attacked Katie?”

They both shook their heads no.

“Do you know why he said you had stolen his son?”

Again, they both shook their heads.

“Do the names Susan and Stan Turnbull mean anything to you?”

For a third time, they both shook their heads no.

Jason had a theory that was forming in the back of his mind.