Chapter 5 - THE MAN AT THE DOORThe door shook.
“Open up, Helen.”
Helen grabbed the fireplace poker.
“Go to the bathroom,” she whispered.
Sarah shook her head.
“No.”
“Sarah.”
“No!”
“If he gets inside, you climb through the bathroom window.”
“I won't leave you.”
“You don't get to argue with me right now.”
The door exploded inward.
A tall man stepped through the rain.
Dark jacket.
Black gloves.
Calm eyes.
A handgun hanging loosely from one hand.
He didn't look like a criminal.
He looked like an executive arriving late to a meeting.
“Richard stole three million dollars.”
Helen tightened her grip.
“He made his choices.”
“And now you have $1.2 million.”
“I don't have access to it here.”
The man smiled.
“I came prepared.”
He pulled out a satellite phone.
Then his eyes moved toward the hallway.
“Where's your daughter?”
Helen said nothing.
The man's smile disappeared.
“Don't make me search.”
He stepped forward.
Helen attacked.
The poker smashed against his arm.
He screamed.
The gun hit the floor.
But he recovered quickly.
He tackled Helen.
They crashed into the coffee table.
His hand closed around her throat.
Helen clawed at him.
Her vision blurred.
She couldn't breathe.
Then—
A flash of white light.
The man screamed.
Sarah stood behind him holding the flashlight.
And in her other hand was bear spray.
“Mom!”
Helen reached for the gun.
Her fingers closed around the cold metal.
She pointed it at the attacker.
“Don't move.”
For the first time, the man looked afraid.
Helen's hands were shaking.
But her voice wasn't.
“You came here hunting us.”
She stared directly into his eyes.
“You made one mistake.”
He swallowed.
May you like
“What mistake?”
“You thought we were still afraid.”
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