Chapter 5
The heavy metal flashlight connected perfectly,
smashing hard against the side of his jaw.
He grunted in shock and pain,
stumbling backward into the broken doorframe.
I didn't give him a chance to recover,
kicking him squarely in the kneecap.
He let out a sharp howl,
dropping the hunting knife onto the floor.
I kicked the blade away,
sending it skidding under the hospital bed.
Who sent you,
I screamed at him furiously.
He glared at me through swollen eyes,
spitting blood onto the clean linoleum.
You are dead, lady,
he hissed maliciously.
Suddenly,
Detective Harris burst into the crowded hallway,
his service weapon drawn and leveled.
Drop to the ground,
Harris bellowed at the injured intruder.
The man raised his hands slowly,
sinking to his knees with a defeated groan.
Officers swarmed the small room,
cuffing the man and dragging him roughly away.
Are you hurt,
Harris asked as he checked me for injuries.
I am fine,
I said, my chest heaving with heavy breaths.
But your men out front were useless,
how did he get past them so easily.
Harris looked deeply embarrassed,
running a hand over his stressed face.
He triggered a false fire alarm downstairs,
the officers went to secure the perimeter.
It was a classic diversion tactic,
and they fell for it completely.
I knocked on the bathroom door,
calling out softly to the terrified children.
It is safe now,
I promised them gently.
The door clicked open slowly,
and Mia peeked out with wide, scared eyes.
You beat him up, Mommy,
she asked in awe.
I smiled, pulling her into a tight hug,
I will always protect you, my brave girl.
I turned back to Detective Harris,
pulling the printed bank records from my bag.
I have Damian's entire operation,
I handed the stack of papers over to him.
He is using Leo's stolen trust fund money,
to finance a massive smuggling ring on the docks.
Harris scanned the highlighted documents,
his eyes widening in absolute shock.
This is exactly what we needed,
he whispered in pure amazement.
This gives us probable cause for a raid,
we can tear his warehouses apart tonight.
Do it,
I told him firmly.
Burn his entire empire down to the ground,
before he tries to hurt anyone else.
Harris nodded with grim determination,
turning to relay the orders into his radio.
I sat back down on the uncomfortable chair,
my entire body aching from the sudden adrenaline dump.
Leo climbed back into his hospital bed,
looking at me with a new sense of wonder.
You are like a superhero,
he whispered softly.
I chuckled weakly,
brushing a stray lock of hair from his forehead.
No, sweetie,
I replied honestly.
I am just a very angry mother,
and mothers do not lose when it comes to their kids.
The hospital secured the floor entirely,
placing a heavily armed guard at our specific door.
I finally allowed myself to close my eyes,
listening to the steady beep of the heart monitor.
We had won this small battle tonight,
but the real war was happening down at the docks.
I just hoped Detective Harris was fast enough,
to catch Damian before he disappeared into the shadows.
May you like
Tomorrow would bring a new set of terrifying challenges,
but tonight, my children were safely asleep.
