Chapter 2 - The Truth Revealed
Mark stopped entirely dead in his tracks.
He looked down at his terrified son in utter confusion.
He quietly asked Jake to explain what he meant by those words.
Jake whispered that a man in a black mask had broken into the house before Mark arrived.
The boy explained that his mother had actually fought the intruder to protect him.
Mark felt a sudden, sickening drop in the pit of his stomach.
He slowly looked up at the lead operative standing just outside the heavy car door.
The man smiled, but the expression did not reach his dead, cold eyes.
He politely told Mark to get inside the vehicle so they could depart immediately.
Mark took a slow, calculated step backward onto the pavement.
He demanded to know exactly who these men were working for.
The operative dropped his polite facade instantly.
He pulled a suppressed pistol from his tactical vest in one smooth motion.
He pointed the weapon directly at Mark's chest without a hint of hesitation.
He coldly stated that the boy belonged to the boss now.
Mark acted purely on paternal instinct and adrenaline.
He slammed his heavy boot directly into the operative's knee.
The man grunted in pain and dropped his aim for just a fraction of a second.
Mark used that tiny window to grab his son and dive behind a concrete planter box.
A suppressed bullet shattered the stone right where his head had been a second earlier.
Mark grabbed his truck keys from his pocket with frantic, shaking fingers.
He sprinted toward his own parked vehicle, using the darkness as cover.
He threw Jake into the passenger seat and jumped behind the steering wheel.
The engine roared to life as he slammed the gas pedal directly to the floor.
He rammed his heavy truck violently into the mercenaries' armored SUV to clear his path.
He sped blindly down the dark suburban street with his heart pounding in his ears.
His cell phone suddenly rang through the truck's Bluetooth system with a restricted number.
He answered it, fully expecting the lead operative to threaten him.
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Instead, a terrifyingly familiar voice from his dark past filled the cabin.
His estranged father simply laughed and said a grandson should always live with his grandfather.
