Chapter 6 - The Stuffed Turtle
The words written by my innocent little boy echoed terrifyingly in my mind.
Victor dropped me onto the hardwood floor, leaving me gasping deeply for air.
He immediately turned his furious attention to the dark hallway leading toward the kitchen.
"Find the boy and find the toy turtle," Victor barked at his heavily armed men.
My heart stopped completely as the men drew their weapons and stomped toward the pantry where my children were hiding.
I scrambled desperately to my feet and threw myself in front of the kitchen entrance.
"You cannot touch my children," I screamed, fighting like a wild animal to block their path.
Evan remained frozen near the couch, too cowardly to defend his own stepchildren.
One of the massive bodyguards grabbed my shoulder and effortlessly threw me against the kitchen counter.
He yanked the pantry door open with incredible force, ripping the handle completely off.
I squeezed my eyes shut, expecting to hear my children scream in absolute terror.
Instead, the bodyguard let out a confused grunt and kicked a bag of flour onto the floor.
"The closet is completely empty, Boss," the man called back to Victor.
I opened my eyes and stared at the empty pantry shelves in pure, overwhelming relief.
The small window at the back of the pantry was wide open, letting in a cool breeze.
Maddie and Mason had used their survival instincts to escape the house entirely.
Victor cursed violently and kicked a wooden dining chair across the room, shattering it into pieces.
"They could not have gone far on foot," Victor sneered, pulling a sleek black handgun from his jacket.
"Spread out and search the entire neighborhood immediately," he commanded his men.
The bodyguards rushed out the broken front door, leaving Victor alone in the house with Evan and me.
I realized I needed to buy my children as much time as possible to find a safe hiding spot.
I slowly reached into my purse, which was resting on the kitchen island, and wrapped my hand around my attorney's envelope.
"They do not have the turtle, Victor," I lied smoothly, staring directly into his cold eyes.
Victor paused and aimed the barrel of his gun directly at my chest.
"I saw the boy put the stuffed animal into his backpack before we even went into the pantry," I continued.
"I took the drive out of the toy months ago because I knew exactly what it was."
Victor narrowed his eyes suspiciously, clearly doubting my desperate story.
"Then where is the decryption drive right now, Sarah?" he demanded quietly.
I pulled the thick legal envelope out of my purse and held it up for him to see.
"It is locked inside a secure vault at my attorney's office, and this envelope contains the only access codes," I bluffed.
Before Victor could demand the envelope, the screech of tires echoed loudly from the street outside.
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Marsha's luxury sedan smashed violently through my wooden fence and parked directly on my front lawn.
She stepped out of the car, holding the stuffed green turtle high in the air with a manic, victorious smile.
