Chapter 9 - Judgement Day
The courtroom was packed for the verdict. David and Sarah sat holding hands, their knuckles white.
The jury foreman stood up. "On the charge of first-degree kidnapping, we find the defendant, Elena Vance, guilty. On the charge of child endangerment, guilty. On the charge of conspiracy to commit murder, guilty."
Elena’s face finally cracked. The serene mask shattered, replaced by raw, ugly panic. "No! No, he’s my boy! You can't take my boy!" she screamed, thrashing against the bailiffs as they hauled her away to spend the rest of her natural life in a concrete cell.
Mark, having taken a plea deal for his role, was sentenced to forty years without the possibility of parole.
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As the judge slammed the gavel, Sarah let out a breath she felt she had been holding for two years. David pulled her close and kissed her forehead. The monsters were caged. The nightmare was legally over.
But as they walked out of the courthouse and into the bright Texas sun, David knew the real work was just beginning. You don't just erase fourteen months in the dark.
