Chapter 8 - The Arrest
The cold concrete walls of the holding cell felt like a tomb.
I sat on the metal bench, my head buried in my hands, completely consumed by despair.
It was Friday morning, the day of the final custody hearing.
My court-appointed lawyer, a tired-looking man named Davis, sat across from me with a grim expression.
"Evelyn presented the forged DNA documents to the police, and they bought her story entirely," Davis explained.
"Child Protective Services has handed the children over to her for emergency placement."
I slammed my fist against the metal table, ignoring the sharp pain in my knuckles.
"She is a criminal, Davis, you have to check the trust fund records!" I shouted.
"I tried, but the judge for your hearing today is not Judge Miller," he sighed heavily.
"Judge Miller retired yesterday, and the new judge has already signed the transfer orders based on the police report."
I felt the last ounce of hope drain from my body.
I had failed them.
The five children were going to be separated, exploited, and lost in the dark underbelly of the city.
A young police officer walked up to the bars of my cell, looking nervous.
"Hey, Carter," the officer whispered, making sure no one else was listening.
He pulled a small, crumpled piece of paper from his uniform pocket and slid it through the bars.
"When I was loading the kids into the social worker's car, the oldest boy slipped this into my hand," the officer said softly.
I unfolded the paper with trembling fingers.
It was a drawing done in blue crayon, depicting a black SUV parked next to a large water tower.
And at the bottom, written in messy, childlike letters, was a terrifying message.
"The bad lady locked my baby sister in the trunk of the car."
My blood turned to absolute ice.
Evelyn didn't even want the youngest child; she only needed her alive long enough to sign the trust fund papers.
"Officer, do you recognize this water tower?" I asked desperately.
The officer nodded slowly, his face paling.
"It is the abandoned railyard on the edge of town, right near the state border," he replied.
"They are making a run for it," Davis realized, jumping to his feet.
May you like
I grabbed the bars of the cell, looking the young officer dead in the eyes.
"If you do not let me out of this cage right now, that baby is going to die."
