Police assured him the fugitive couldn’t have gone far. A manhunt spread through the woods, searchlights sweeping across fields. Before leaving, the lead officer pressed a card into Daniel’s hand. “Lock your doors. Keep your family together. If anything happens, call this number. I’ll be back by morning.”
That night, Daniel pulled mattresses together in the bedroom. Claire tucked the boys in close, whispering promises of safety. Daniel sat in the armchair by the door, phone in hand, listening to every creak of the old house. Sleep came in restless fragments, broken by the weight of his dread.