WHERE'S MY SON? (13 page)

The man
had pulled back for another stab when Katie planted her feet in his chest, sending him back against the opposite wall. She heard a thud, and watched him slide to the floor.

Katie scrambled up the steps, her cut leg leaking blood
, as she dragged it. Her first thought was getting to the phone and calling 911. She made it to her bedroom, grabbed the phone, and dialed.

Her attacker had gathered himself, and
he made it to the top of the steps just as Katie got through to the police. He charged her, knocking the phone away, and shoving her onto the bed, where he landed on top of her.

She was much smaller than
he was, and he easily pinned her beneath his weight. He reached over and grabbed a pillow, forcing it over Katie's face. Katie fought with everything she had. She clawed at his arms and face, pulled at his hands, and tried to roll her head, but he was too strong. Things started to fade, getting dark as she thrashed around looking for anything to save her.

Her hands landed on the bristle end of her hairbrush. She gripped it
, and swung upwards with everything she had left. The handle of the brush rammed into the side of the man’s head.

He screamed with pain
, rolling off Katie. She pushed the pillow away, gasping for air. Blood poured out of the man’s ear and down the side of his face.

Coughing and ch
oking, she jumped up, grabbed her phone, and fled downstairs. “Help! Help!”

“Ma
’am, this is emergency services. What's happening?” The operator was still on the line, listening to the whole attack.

“Someone is trying to kill me! Send help, please hurry!” She set the phone down while she searched for a knife in the kitchen drawer.

*******

Michael regained his composure and went after her.
He ran from the bedroom and started down the stairs. As his foot left the top step, he heard a voice.

“Leave my mom alone!”

Michael instantly recognized his son’s voice. As he started to turn toward him, Jack lunged at him, pushing him from behind, and propelling Michael into a freefall down the stairs. He landed on his left shoulder, breaking his collarbone. He lay there, looking back up at his son.

Didn't his son know he was here for him
?

Michael watched as
Jack ran back into his room and shut the door. He got to one knee and then stood all the way up, his left arm cradled against his stomach.

He
moved down the hall toward the kitchen, ducking into the bathroom, and closing the door to a crack.

As Katie
moved down the hall from the kitchen, knife in hand, Michael exploded through the bathroom door, knocking the knife away and pinning Katie against the wall. She pushed back off the wall, jamming Michael's shoulder against the bathroom doorframe. He let out a cry of pain, and she broke free.

Getting to the end of the hall, Katie tried to round the corner and go back upstairs
, but she slipped on her own blood. She crumpled against the wall and lay there. He picked up the knife and moved toward her.

*******

Jason and Sam arrived at the address. Jason was out of the car and running before Sam could put the car in park. The detective hit the front door at a dead run, found it unlocked, and burst in with his gun drawn.

Katie Duncan sat on the floor, unable to move, lo
oking down the hall. She turned her head, looked at Jason with dazed eyes, and then back down the hall. Jason saw Michael come around the corner with a knife.

He raised his gun.
“Michael, freeze!”

Michael stopped and lo
oked at Jason. “I have to do this, Jason. They took my son, and I made a promise to Tammy. Don't get in the way.”

“Don't move, Michael. I
will
shoot you.”

Michael stared at the detective for a minute and then lunged at Katie. Jason fired two shots.

*******

Wade arrived right behind the detec
tives. He ran to the front door and just as he got there, he heard two shots. They stopped him in his tracks. He heard a scream.

Kati
e!

He was moving again, and when he came through the door, he f
ound a man lying on top of his wife. Blood was everywhere.

The detective
saw him and swung his gun around on Wade.

“Who are you?”

“Wade Duncan…that's my wife,” He ignored the gun and moved to Katie. “Kate! Kate! You okay?”

He dragged at the man
sprawled across his wife, pulling him off Katie. He cradled his wife in his arms.

“I think so.”

“You okay, Mom?”

They
turned to see Jack looking down from the top of the stairs. She gave him a weak smile. “Yes, I'm okay. Are you okay?”

“
Yeah, who is that man?”

“I don't know
, Jack, but he won't bother us ever again.”

Epilogue

Sam was still talking to
the forensic team when Jason left with Wade and Katie in the ambulance. Shirley had shown up and taken Jack to her place for the rest of the night. The EMTs had managed to get the bleeding from Katie's leg stopped, and she was being transported to the hospital. Jason had questions that needed answers.

“Do either of you know the man who attacked Katie?”

They both shook their heads no.

“Do you know why he
accused you of stealing his son?”

Again, they both sho
ok their heads.

“Do the names Susan and Stan Turnbull mean anything to you?”

For a third time, they both shook in unison.

Jason had a theory forming in the back of his mind.
“Is it true your son Jack is adopted?”

Wade paused before answering.
“Yes, why?”

“I believe Michael
thought your boy was actually his missing son, Kristian. About ten years ago, Kristian was kidnapped in Texas.”

Katie tried to sit up
, but she was strapped to the gurney. “Jack is our son, adopted legally. We have the papers.”

Jason noticed Wade didn’t say anything.
Jason paused and assessed his options. He’s sure if he checked the papers, they would be fakes. He didn't know how Michael had made the connection to this family, but the dates were too coincidental. Jason was also pretty sure he could solve the biggest case of his career by following his theory.

However,
both Tammy and Michael Barton were both dead. Exposing Jack as illegally adopted would take him from the only home he’d ever known.

He made the decision wi
th his heart rather than his head. Some things were more important than solving a case.

“I'm not challenging your adoption, Mrs. Duncan. I said Michael Barton believed
you kidnapped Jack,” Jason paused. “I didn’t say I did.”

He put away his notebo
ok and pulled out his phone. After several rings, Lieutenant Patton answered.

“Patton.”

“Lieutenant, Jason Strong.”

“Yes Jason, any news?”

“The newscasts paid off and we found Michael Barton. Our theory was correct. He’s dead. I'll give you more details when I get back to my hotel.”

“Save the briefing for when you get back
in town. Get some rest and we'll see you then.”

Jason closed his phone. He
’d do everything in his power not to destroy a family just to close an old case.

A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR

My wife told me when I started this project that the hardest part would be “putting yourself out there.” She was right. We are all great in our own minds
, but it is you, the reader, that will ultimately judge our efforts. I appreciate the time you have taken, and the effort you have made, to allow this project to be part of your life.

I also want to thank Beverly, my beautiful wife, for telling me to do this in the first place, Gavin for telling me I could do it, and David for making me do it correctly. (“Don’t use the tab button!!”) Also, thanks to Kristian for my fantastic cover.

I welcome any and all comments at:

[email protected]
or my website
www.jcdalglish.webs.com

Also, you can visit Jason at his Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/DetectiveJasonStrong?ref=hl

God Bless,

John Dalglish

February 18, 2012

I John 1:9

Other Clean Suspense Books

by

John C. Dalglish

BLOODSTAIN - Det. Jason Strong - #2

FOR MY BROTHER - Det. Jason Strong - #3

SILENT JUSTICE - Det. Jason Strong - #4

TIED TO MURDER - Det. Jason Strong - #5

ONE OF THEIR OWN - Det. Jason Strong - #6

DEATH STILL - Det. Jason Strong - #7

LETHAL INJECTION - Det. Jason Strong - #8

And a New Christian Series

CROSSOVER – The Chaser Chronicles #1

JOURNEY – The Chaser Chronicles #2

DESTINY – The Chaser Chronicles #3

THE CHASER CHRONICLES – (Books 1-3)