Chapter 10 - Sirens in the Night
The doors of the police cruiser flew open instantly, and two local sheriff's deputies tumbled out into the rain, their service weapons drawn and aimed directly at Claire and Ray.
"Drop the weapon! Drop it right now!" Deputy Miller shouted, his voice cutting through the wailing siren and the howling wind as he advanced with his pistol locked on Claire.
Claire froze, the Glock still gripped tightly in her hand as she squinted against the blinding glare of the cruiser's headlights. She looked from the deputies to Ray, who was scrambling out of the mud near the porch, and then back to Daniel, who was holding Ethan safely against his chest.
"She has a gun! She held us at gunpoint and tried to kill my son!" Daniel shouted over the noise of the engine, his voice cracking with exhaustion and adrenaline.
"Drop the weapon, ma'am! Last warning!" Deputy Miller roared, taking another decisive step forward.
Claire's chest heaved violently. For a second, her finger tightened on the trigger, as if she were contemplating a final, catastrophic mistake. But as the second deputy flanked her from the side and cocked his shotgun with a loud, metallic clack, the reality of the situation finally settled in.
With a bitter, defeated gasp, Claire let the pistol drop from her hand. It hit the wet gravel with a dull thud.
"I want a lawyer," Claire muttered coldly, staring straight ahead as Deputy Miller lunged forward, slamming her hands behind her back and clicking the steel handcuffs into place with a sharp snap.
The second deputy moved quickly toward Ray, who was still trying to brush the mud off his canvas jacket and claim innocence.
"Ray Higgins, you're under arrest for conspiracy, kidnapping, and the unlawful concealment of a homicide," Deputy Miller's partner announced, shoving Ray face-first against the side of the cruiser and slapping the cuffs on his wrists.
Daniel stood in the middle of the yard, the cold rain washing over him and Ethan, but he didn't feel cold anymore. He felt an overwhelming, heavy wave of relief wash away the nightmare that had haunted their lives for years.
"You okay, buddy?" Daniel whispered, pressing his cheek against Ethan's wet hair.
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Ethan nodded sleepily, his breathing finally steady. "We can go inside now, Daddy. The bad people are gone."
"Yeah, buddy," Daniel said, his voice choking with emotion as he carried his son toward the warm lights of the porch. "We're going home."
