Chapter 9 - The Ultimate Sacrifice
"Stay back, Annie!" Mark yelled, drawing his service weapon and aiming it squarely at my sister's head.
"Drop the knife right now, or I will put a bullet between your eyes!" Mark warned her.
My sister laughed hysterically, completely unhinged by the collapse of her perfect life.
"Shoot me, and my hand slips," she taunted the FBI agent.
"I want a car waiting outside right now, and I am taking the brat with me as insurance!"
My mother fell to her knees, sobbing and begging her youngest daughter to stop.
"Please, sweetie, don't do this!" my mother wailed pitifully.
My sister looked at our mother with absolute disgust.
"Shut up, you pathetic old woman, you caused this by being broke!" she screamed back.
I looked into Amelia's eyes and saw the absolute terror radiating from my beautiful little girl.
I knew the FBI agent couldn't risk the shot without endangering my daughter.
I knew my sister was crazy enough to actually use that knife.
There was only one way this was going to end, and I was entirely prepared to pay the price.
"Take me instead," I said calmly, stepping forward with my hands raised.
"What?" my sister snapped, momentarily confused by my offer.
"Amelia will slow you down, she is terrified and she will fight you," I reasoned softly.
"Take me as your hostage, I will drive the car wherever you want to go."
My sister hesitated, her greedy mind calculating the logistics of the escape.
In that single, fleeting second of hesitation, her grip on Amelia loosened just a fraction.
I didn't wait for her answer.
I lunged forward with explosive speed, grabbing the blade of the knife with my bare hands.
Pain ripped through my palms, but I ignored it and shoved Amelia out of the way.
My sister shrieked in anger and violently yanked the knife, driving the blade deep into my shoulder.
I collapsed to the floor, gasping for air as blood soaked through my dress.
But as I fell, Mark seized the opportunity.
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He charged forward, tackling my sister to the ground and slamming her face into the hardwood floor.
The knife clattered away, and Amelia rushed to my side, completely unharmed.
