Chapter 1 - Gasping for Truth
The thick plastic of the zip-ties gave way with a sharp snap against the blade of Marcus’s tactical knife. Leo slumped forward, his nine-year-old body completely devoid of strength. Marcus caught him before he hit the gazebo floor, his large hands immediately reaching into his cargo pocket for the emergency albuterol inhaler he always carried.
"Breathe, buddy. Take it in," Marcus urged, his voice tight with a suppressed, lethal rage. He pressed the inhaler to Leo’s pale lips and administered a pump.
Behind them, Beatrice Sterling didn't even flinch. She adjusted her designer glasses, her tablet clutched tightly against her pastel cardigan. "This is a gross overreaction, Chief Vance. The boy was trespassing on community property. The restraints were a necessary precaution until the HOA board could convene."
Marcus didn't look at her. He waited until the terrifying wheeze in his son's chest began to subside. When Leo’s eyes finally fluttered open, filled with tears and terror, Marcus stood up. He turned to Beatrice, stepping into her personal space so quickly she stumbled backward.
"If you ever touch my son again," Marcus whispered, his voice deadlier than a loaded gun, "there won't be a committee to save you."
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He didn't wait for her sputtering reply. Marcus scooped Leo into his arms and carried him toward their house. But as he turned, his trained detective's eye caught a glint of sunlight reflecting off the birdhouse hanging from the oak tree. A hidden camera lens.
"Dad," Leo croaked, his small hands gripping Marcus’s shirt. "Dad, the drone. Don't let them find the drone."
