Chapter 13 - THE GIRL WHO FINALLY SCREAMED
Kendrick reached the street too late.
The van disappeared around the corner.
He turned on Barrett.
"WHERE?"
Barrett pressed one hand against his wound.
"I don't know."
Kendrick grabbed him.
"Where would Samuel take her?"
"I don't know!"
Evelyn pulled Kendrick back.
"He's bleeding out."
"I don't care."
"I do if he knows something."
Lucas searched Barrett's pockets.
Phone.
Keys.
A folded shipping manifest.
Evelyn opened it.
"Pier 19."
Kendrick looked up.
The original meeting location.
They moved.
No police.
No ambulances.
Kendrick left men behind with Barrett and Lucas.
Evelyn went with him.
"You stay."
"Stop telling me that."
"This is my daughter."
"And she trusts me."
His anger flashed.
"So do I."
That stopped her.
Kendrick stared at her.
"I don't know when that happened."
Evelyn's breath caught.
"Neither do I."
He looked away.
"Which makes you dangerous."
Despite everything, she smiled.
"Good."
They reached Pier 19 at dawn.
Fog covered the river.
Shipping containers formed narrow corridors.
Kendrick's men spread out.
Then they heard Titan barking.
Not barking.
Roaring.
They ran.
Samuel stood near the edge of the pier.
Penny was beside him.
Titan was chained to a steel post.
Blood marked his muzzle, but he was alive.
Samuel pressed a pistol against Penny's shoulder.
"Stop."
Kendrick stopped.
Evelyn did too.
Samuel smiled.
"You know, I always wondered what would finally break you."
Kendrick's voice was quiet.
"Let her go."
"Put the weapon down."
Kendrick dropped his gun.
Evelyn didn't.
Samuel looked at her.
"You too."
"No."
"Evie."
"Don't call me that."
Samuel smiled.
"I raised you more than your father did."
"You monitored me. That's not raising me."
"I kept you alive."
"So you could use me."
Samuel's eyes hardened.
"Gun down."
Evelyn looked at Penny.
The little girl's face was wet with tears.
But she wasn't frozen anymore.
She looked angry.
Good.
Evelyn slowly lowered the weapon.
Then Penny did something nobody expected.
She bit Samuel's hand.
Hard.
He screamed.
Penny ran.
Samuel fired.
Kendrick lunged.
Titan ripped against the chain.
Evelyn grabbed Penny.
The bullet struck a container.
Kendrick tackled Samuel.
They hit the concrete.
Samuel drove a knife toward Kendrick's ribs.
Kendrick caught his wrist.
Evelyn pushed Penny behind cover.
Titan tore the chain loose.
The huge dog charged.
Samuel saw him coming.
His face changed.
He kicked Kendrick away and raised his gun at Titan.
"No!"
Penny screamed.
It wasn't a whisper.
It wasn't a broken word.
It was a full, terrified scream.
"STOP!"
Everyone froze for half a heartbeat.
Titan didn't.
He hit Samuel like a truck.
The gun flew over the pier.
Samuel slammed into the railing.
Kendrick grabbed his jacket before he fell.
Samuel dangled above the freezing river.
Kendrick looked down at him.
Samuel laughed.
"Go ahead."
Kendrick's grip tightened.
"You want revenge."
Samuel smiled.
"You've wanted it your entire life. Men like us always do."
Kendrick looked at Penny.
She was crying in Evelyn's arms.
Titan stood protectively beside them.
Then Kendrick pulled Samuel back onto the pier.
Samuel looked shocked.
Kendrick punched him once.
Hard.
Then stepped away.
"No."
Police sirens approached.
"My daughter doesn't watch me become you."
Samuel's smile vanished.
Officers flooded the pier.
Samuel was arrested.
Kendrick turned toward Penny.
She ran to him.
"Daddy!"
He caught her.
For the first time in three years, his daughter was sobbing words.
"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy..."
Kendrick held her and cried openly.
Evelyn turned away.
Then Penny reached one hand toward her.
"Come here."
Evelyn hesitated.
Kendrick looked at her.
"She said come here."
Evelyn joined them.
Titan leaned against all three.
For one brief second, they looked like something none of them had expected to become.
A family.
Then Kendrick's phone rang.
Lucas.
Kendrick answered.
His expression changed immediately.
"What happened?"
Evelyn's stomach dropped.
Lucas's voice came through the speaker.
"It's Barrett."
A pause.
May you like
"He's asking for Penny."
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