Chapter 10 - The Last Message
Evan lay groaning on the concrete, the tire iron slipping from his bloody fingers.
The police officer rushed forward and placed his heavy boot firmly on Evan's back.
Dozens of other police cars arrived quickly, completely surrounding the building with flashing red and blue lights.
My father dropped his rifle and wrapped his good arm around my trembling shoulders.
I pushed past the arresting officers and ran frantically into the child services building.
Noah was sitting safely in a small chair, holding his stuffed dinosaur tightly against his chest.
I fell to my knees and buried my face in his soft hair, weeping with pure, unadulterated relief.
The long nightmare was finally over, and Evan was dragged away in heavy metal chains.
Six months later, the criminal court sentenced Evan to twenty years in a maximum-security prison.
My father, Noah, and I moved into a beautiful, spacious new house in a quiet, sunny neighborhood.
My ribs had fully healed, and I finally knew what it felt like to breathe without living in constant fear.
I sat peacefully on the back porch, watching my brave son play happily in the green grass.
Noah suddenly dropped his toy truck and walked slowly into the kitchen.
He was holding a strange, unmarked black cell phone that I had never seen before in my life.
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He handed it to me with a deeply confused look on his sweet, innocent face.
The dark screen suddenly illuminated with a chilling text message that simply read, "I get out tomorrow."
