Chapter 16 - The Aftermath
The flashing red and blue lights of the police cruisers illuminated the pouring rain like a grim disco. Paramedics rushed inside, tending to Rachel’s head wound and checking on Leo.
I sat on the back bumper of the ambulance, a heavy trauma blanket wrapped around my shoulders. The gunshot wound on my ribs had been patched. It was painful, but superficial. I survived. We both did.
A medic carried Leo out of the house. As soon as his feet touched the pavement, my son sprinted toward me, burying his small face into my chest, sobbing uncontrollably. I wrapped my arms around him, burying my face in his hair, letting my own tears fall for the first time since the woods.
"I got you, buddy," I whispered, rocking him back and forth. "It's over. The monsters are gone."
Detective Carter from the original precinct arrived an hour later, looking visibly ashamed. He watched the coroner wheel Arthur Thorne's body out in a black bag.
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"We arrested your mother and sister down in Charleston," Carter said quietly, standing next to me. "David, too. The feds are tearing their accounts apart. You were telling the truth, Marcus. I... I'm sorry."
I didn't look at him. I just held my son tighter. "Sorry doesn't fix the scars, Detective. Just make sure they never see the sun again."
