Chapter 5 - The Knock on the Door
I stared at the black screen of my phone, my hands shaking so violently I nearly dropped it onto the floor.
Emergency custody.
They weren't just going to cover up an attempted hit-and-run; they were going to weaponize the legal system to steal my son away from me to protect my mother’s reputation. It was a playbook they had used before on distant relatives who threatened the family name, burying them in legal fees, false police reports, and fabricated psychological evaluations until they broke.
I shoved the USB drive deep into the inner pocket of my winter jacket, zipped it up, and rushed down the short hallway toward Leo’s bedroom.
The room was dark, lit only by the soft, blue glow of his nightlight. Leo was curled on his side, his breathing soft and even, one small hand clutching the frayed fin of his stuffed blue shark.
“Leo,” I whispered, kneeling beside the bed and gently shaking his shoulder. “Buddy, wake up. We need to go on a trip.”
He stirred, blinking sleepily against the light. “Mom? Where are we going?”
“Nowhere far, just packing a bag for a sleepover,” I lied smoothly, fighting back the hot tears stinging my eyes. I grabbed his backpack from the floor and began tossing in clothes, his toothbrush, and the stuffed shark with frantic, hurried motions.
Suddenly, a loud, heavy pound echoed against the front door downstairs.
Bang. Bang. Bang.
My heart stopped.
I froze halfway across the room, listening intently.
“Police! Open the door!” a deep, authoritative voice shouted from the stairwell, followed by the sound of heavy boots trampling up the wooden steps.
Panic seized my chest. It wasn't real police—not yet. That was Arthur’s private security detail, wearing sheriff-surplus uniforms, armed with a fabricated emergency order signed by a corrupt local judge who owed the family favors.
“Mom?” Leo whispered, sitting up in bed, his eyes wide with sudden fear. “Who’s out there?”
“Shh, sweetie, everything’s okay,” I whispered fiercely, grabbing his hand and pulling him toward the open window that led out onto the metal fire escape overlooking the alleyway behind the bowling alley.
The heavy pounding at the front door splintered wood, the deadbolt snapping open with a violent crash.
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“Clara! We know you’re in there!” a man’s voice bellowed from the living room, footsteps rushing down the hall toward the bedroom.
I shoved Leo through the window onto the cold metal platform of the fire escape, pulling the window shut behind us just as the bedroom door handle began to rattle.
