Chapter 5 - The Ambush at the ThresholdThe three hired enforcers froze in their tracks, their eyes going wide as they looked at the tactical sidearm held steadily in my hand.
"Woah, woah, man!" the lead enforcer gasped, raising his hands high into the air, stepping backward toward the open front door. "We weren't told anything about a gun! We were just hired to clear a house!"
"Get back here, you idiots!" Caleb shrieked, his voice cracking into a high, pathetic squeak as he looked at the barrel of my weapon. "He won't shoot! He has the baby in his arms!"
"Try me, Caleb," I commanded cleanly, my finger resting flat against the wall of the trigger. "Take one more step toward me."
WEE-WOO! WEE-WOO!
The sharp, high-pitched wail of state police sirens echoed through the rain-soaked trees along our driveway.
Red and blue emergency lights flashed bright against the front windows as four state trooper sedans and two unmarked Army CID vehicles pulled up onto the lawn, blocking Caleb’s SUV.
Margaret let out a loud, pathetic shriek, dropping her leather handbag flat onto the floorboards, stumbling backward against the wall. "No... no, no, no!"
Eight uniformed state troopers, flanked by three military investigators in dark raincoats, flooded through the shattered front doors with their weapons drawn.
Leading them was Senior Special Agent Marcus Sterling from the Army CID.
"STATE POLICE! DROP YOUR WEAPONS!" Agent Sterling bellowed, his voice echoing through the house like thunder. "EVERYONE ON THE GROUND! NOW!"
The three hired enforcers dropped their iron pipes instantly, collapsing flat onto their stomachs on the floorboards with their hands behind their heads.
Caleb dropped his crowbar, his knees buckling as he hit the hardwood floor, weeping tears of pure, pathetic terror as two troopers slammed him flat, pulling his arms behind his back, slapping heavy steel handcuffs around his wrists.
CLICK. CLICK.
Agent Sterling stepped up to me, his sharp eyes flicking from my tactical sidearm to the infant secured safely against my chest.
"Warrant Officer Daniel Miller?" Agent Sterling asked, his voice steady and respectful.
"Yes, Agent Sterling," I answered, slowly lowering my sidearm, engaging the decocker, and holstering the weapon. "The primary evidence files have been transmitted to your secure server."
Agent Sterling looked at Margaret and Caleb, who were being dragged toward the front door in chains, then looked back at me with deep, quiet respect.
"We received the video feed, Officer Miller," Sterling said softly. "Your wife was a brave woman. She protected your son until her last breath."
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I looked over at Emily’s quiet form resting in the wooden box near the window, a fresh tear spilling over my lash, cutting through the grime on my face.
"She saved him, Agent Sterling," I whispered softly, reaching down to gently stroke my son's dark hair. "Now it's my turn to protect him."
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