Chapter 1 - The Assessment
David had spent twelve years working as a child protective services agent.
He thought he had seen every type of bad parenting in existence.
He thought Sarah was just another careless mother.
She was late to pick up her son Leo for the fourth time this week.
When she finally arrived, she parked her rusted sedan across two handicap spaces.
She did not even apologize to the school staff.
David stood by the school gates and blocked her path.
He told her firmly that they needed to have a serious conversation.
Sarah looked around frantically like a trapped animal.
She begged him to let them just go home.
David refused and told her he was filing a report of negligence.
He pointed out that Leo was wearing a jacket that did not even fit him.
He also mentioned that her car license plates were covered in thick mud.
Sarah pulled David roughly into the shadows of the brick wall.
She told him that the mud was entirely intentional.
She said she had to be completely unpredictable.
David scoffed and asked her who she was trying to fool.
Sarah reached into her coat and pulled out a scanner that was beeping rapidly.
She looked David dead in the eye with pure terror.
She told him that if she followed a routine, her ex-husband's cartel would know exactly where to plant the bomb.
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A deafening explosion suddenly ripped through the parking lot.
David turned to see Sarah's rusted sedan completely engulfed in orange flames.
