Chapter 3 - The Amber Alert
The shrill beeping of the tracker echoed through the pitch-black house.
It sounded like a countdown.
David threw the device onto the floor and crushed it beneath his heavy boot.
The red light died, and the silence returned.
I fumbled for the doorknob leading to the garage, my hands shaking uncontrollably.
I could hear heavy footsteps crunching on broken glass in the kitchen.
Marcus was whispering to Sarah to fan out and check the bedrooms.
I pushed the door open, slipped into the freezing garage, and David followed right behind me.
He gently guided me toward his dark SUV parked in the center of the concrete floor.
I climbed into the passenger seat, keeping the newborn shielded under my coat.
David slid behind the steering wheel and inserted the key into the ignition.
He didn't turn it immediately.
He warned me that the engine noise would give away our escape.
I told him we had no other choice if we wanted to keep the baby alive.
He nodded, took a deep breath, and turned the key.
The engine roared to life, shaking the entire garage.
The door leading to the house burst open.
Marcus stood in the doorway, silhouetted by the moonlight, holding a long hunting knife.
David slammed his hand onto the garage door opener button on the visor.
The heavy metal door slowly began to grind upward.
Marcus lunged toward the hood of the vehicle, his face twisted in rage.
David threw the car into reverse and hit the gas hard.
The SUV shot backward, clipping Marcus and sending him sprawling across the concrete.
We flew out into the cold night air, the tires screeching on the driveway.
David shifted into drive and floored the accelerator.
We sped down the quiet suburban street, leaving the house far behind us.
I finally took a breath, letting the adrenaline fade just a little.
The baby had fallen asleep against my chest, exhausted from crying.
I pulled down the visor and turned on the overhead light to check my arm.
The scrape was ugly, but it had stopped bleeding.
David reached out and turned on the car radio to break the heavy silence.
He wanted to hear the local news to see if anyone had reported the break-in.
Instead, a harsh, emergency broadcast tone blared through the speakers.
The robotic voice announced an active Amber Alert for the local area.
It described a newborn baby boy abducted from a residential home.
It listed the suspects as armed and highly dangerous.
The names read out over the radio were mine and David's.
The license plate number of the very car we were driving was broadcast to the entire state.
We were officially fugitives.
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David slammed his hand against the steering wheel in panic.
Before he could speak, a police cruiser with flashing lights pulled out of a side street directly in front of us.
