Chapter 2 - The Fake Badge
My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird.
I looked at the shiny silver badge pinned to his dark blue uniform.
In my panic, I finally noticed what was wrong with it.
There was no city seal stamped in the center, and no identification number engraved on the bottom.
He was not a real police officer.
I scooped up a jagged piece of broken porcelain from the porch and threw it directly at his face.
The sharp edge sliced his cheek, making him shout in surprise and drop his aim.
I did not waste a single second.
I spun around, grabbed my son Oliver by his pajamas, and dragged him inside the house.
I slammed the heavy wooden front door and twisted the deadbolt lock just as the man slammed his fist against the wood.
"Open the door!" the fake officer roared from the porch.
I pulled Oliver into the hallway, my hands shaking violently.
"Oliver, what exactly did Adele whisper to you last night?" I asked him, my voice cracking.
Oliver looked up at me with wide, terrified eyes.
"She said the bad men would be wearing blue today, and to give you this," my son answered.
He reached deep into his pajama pocket and pulled something out.
It was not a candy or a toy.
It was a heavy, antique black iron key.
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Before I could ask him what it belonged to, a massive crash shook the entire house.
Someone had just kicked the back door entirely off its hinges.
