Chapter 5 - The Corrupt Badge
"Officer Miller, thank God you are here," I gasped, instinctively taking a step toward him.
"My brother and my wife are trying to kill us, they dug this grave for my family!"
Miller didn't lower his weapon, and his expression remained completely stony.
"I know all about the grave, Marcus," the officer replied, his voice devoid of any emotion.
"I was the one who drove the tractor out here to dig it for them."
My last shred of hope shattered into a million tiny pieces.
David had bought off the local police, ensuring there would be no rescue coming for us.
"Why are you doing this, Miller?" I pleaded, shielding my kids with my body.
"Two million dollars is a lot of money for a guy making a cop's salary," he shrugged casually.
He pumped the shotgun, chambering a heavy slug with a terrifying metallic click.
"Turn around and get on your knees, all three of you," he commanded.
I looked at my terrified children, realizing this was the absolute end of the line.
I slowly dropped to my knees in the mud, bowing my head in apparent defeat.
As Miller stepped closer to press the barrel against my back, I noticed the muddy ground beneath his boots.
He was standing right on the edge of the freshly dug grave.
With a sudden, explosive yell, I lunged backward, sweeping my leg hard against his ankles.
Miller lost his balance completely, his arms flailing wildly as he tumbled backward into the deep pit.
The shotgun discharged into the air, the loud blast echoing like thunder across the forest.
I jumped to my feet, grabbed Ethan and Lily, and sprinted away from the clearing as fast as I could.
I could hear Miller cursing loudly from the bottom of the grave, struggling to climb up the muddy walls.
We ran blindly through the trees, completely losing our sense of direction in the storm.
My lungs burned, and my legs felt like lead weights, but the fear kept me moving forward.
Suddenly, the dense trees broke, and we stumbled onto the wet asphalt of a desolate country highway.
There were no streetlights, and the road stretched into total darkness in both directions.
Far down the highway, a pair of headlights suddenly appeared, driving fast through the rain.
I stood in the middle of the road, waving my arms frantically to flag down the approaching vehicle.
The car slowed down and pulled over onto the muddy shoulder, illuminating us in its bright high beams.
I rushed to the driver's side window, ready to beg for our lives.
May you like
The tinted window slowly rolled down, and a terrible chill ran directly down my spine.
Sitting in the driver's seat, smiling warmly, was my own mother.
