Chapter 9 - The Amber Alert
I ran through the freezing rain, following the muddy footprints deep into the dark woods.
The terrifying sound of the roaring river grew much louder with every single step I took.
I swept my flashlight frantically across the trees, desperate for any sign of my newborn son.
Suddenly, the bright beam of light caught a figure standing precariously near the edge of the rushing water.
It was my mother, completely drenched, holding the baby carrier tightly against her chest.
David was standing right next to her, looking entirely panicked and arguing with her loudly over the storm.
I shouted their names, stepping out of the dark tree line into the open muddy clearing.
David turned toward me instantly, raising his empty hands defensively in the air.
He screamed that this crazy plan had gone too far and he wanted to surrender to the police.
He tearfully admitted he only ever wanted the trust fund money, not a murder or kidnapping charge.
My mother glared at him with pure disgust and called him a pathetic coward.
She took a dangerous step closer to the crumbling edge of the flooded riverbank.
She threatened to drop the baby carrier directly into the freezing rapids if we came any closer.
I froze in place, my heart hammering violently in my ears.
I begged her to let the baby go, falsely promising I would not press charges if she did.
She laughed bitterly, telling me I was always too soft and weak to protect our family legacy.
Just as she turned to throw the carrier, the muddy riverbank completely collapsed beneath her feet.
She screamed in terror as she slid rapidly down the steep embankment toward the violent water.
David lunged forward to grab her arm, but he slipped on the wet mud and fell backward hard.
I dove down the muddy slope, sliding recklessly toward the freezing river.
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My mother hit the freezing water, instantly losing her grip on the plastic baby carrier.
The carrier splashed into the violent river and began to float rapidly downstream into the darkness.
