Book 1 - Back of the Shadows

Chapter Twenty Eight

Ben is driving around town running errands when his phone rings with an alert that someone entered the house. It's weird because Sadie is at work and the kids are at school. He pulls over and opens his phone and clicks on the camera and when he does, the hair on the back of his neck stands up. He sees a tall, long-haired man, and lots of tattoos walking around the house. This man starts to trash the living room. There is no order or reason. He isn't looking for anything, he is just throwing stuff everywhere. Ben starts to pull his work phone out to call in and he watches the guy move towards his office. Just before he dials the office a new alert notification that someone else has entered the house. He switches cameras and sees Sadie walk through the kitchen and puts the groceries down. She is supposed to be working and panic floods Ben's body. He has to painfully watch her walk through the house and he knows who is there. He watches as they meet in the hallway and when Sadie takes off for the system Ben can't help the scream that comes from the deep part of his throat.

"FUCK!!!! SADIE!!!" Ben screams.

He turns his truck around and starts to drive as fast as he can back home. His eyes flutter between the road and the camera on his phone. He watches this guy pull her by the head back and forces her to the ground. They are on the other side of the kitchen and he can see there is a struggle but he can't see everything. All of a sudden he sees blood spray on the wall and he is horrified by the sight. He calls the office with his work cell and gives them all the information and to get a rescue to the house. His co-workers said they got a call from the alarm company and had police on their way to his house already. As he pulls in the driveway about the same time his coworkers do and he lets them go in first before he barrels in to find Sadie on the floor covered in blood. She is immediately telling Ben that it is the same guy from the coffee shop. Ben does what he can to keep her awake but her face is swollen and red. He notices some blood on the side of her head where she hit it on the corner of the cabinet. Ben is running in robot mode not sure what to feel, just going through the motions.

He watches rescue assess her and load her in the ambulance. He is climbing into the ambulance when he sees Investigator Kilroy and he screams to him, "Kilroy, can you call the kids?"

"Yeah, the Deputy will get them a message to meet you at the hospital," Kilroy says.

EMT's close the door and they go to the hospital and when we arrive at the emergency room it's full of chaos. They are talking and shouting orders and a nurse pushes me back to the waiting room so they can check her over and get her cleaned up.

"No, I have to stay with her, Please!!" Ben pleads.

Ben is begging as nice as he can to the nurses who assure him that she is in good hands. As a cop, no matter how many times they sit with families or push them back so doctors can do their work, it never prepares you for when it is your turn to be pushed back. He feels a hand on his shoulder and Kilroy is behind him strong-arming but gently pushing him back to the waiting room.

As Ben is walking back to the waiting room he eyes the nurse. "Don't let anything happen to her! I swear to god, you do not let anything happen to her!"

"Come on Ben let's sit and talk," Kilroy says.

Ben sits down and drops his head into his hands. "Kilroy, I can't believe this!"

"Do you know what he is after?"

"No clue, but he walked the house as he knew it!" Ben says.

"You have him on video?" Kilroy asks.

"Yeah, here," Ben says, handing his phone to Kilroy. He shows him the video and watches Kilroy emailing the video to himself for the investigation. Ben proceeds to tell him what Sadie said earlier in the week about seeing him with Brittany at the coffee shop. He tries to be as detailed as possible.