Chapter 5 - The Trap is Set
The reality of our situation crashed down around me with terrifying clarity. Sarah wasn't just a deceitful wife; she was a dangerous criminal holding her own sister captive while slowly starving my children. And she was due to return home at any moment.
“We have to get out of here,” I said urgently, helping Elena to her feet. Her legs buckled under her weight, starved of proper nutrition and movement for weeks, but she caught herself against the wall.
“Mark, we can’t just run,” Elena warned, grabbing my arm with trembling fingers. “Sarah has cameras installed around the perimeter. If she sees us leaving or notices the front door open before she walks in, she’ll disappear—and she’ll take our assets, our bank accounts, and our legal standing with her. She’s cunning. She has powerful friends.”
I looked down the hallway toward the living room, where little Lily was still holding baby Tommy, watching us with wide, trusting eyes. My children had suffered enough. I wasn't going to let this monster slip away into the night to fight another day.
“She won't have time to run,” I said coldly, a surge of protective fury overriding my shock.
I helped Elena down the hall to the kitchen, sitting her at the table and handing her a large glass of water, which she drank with desperate, shaking hands. I gathered Lily and Tommy into the kitchen as well, feeding them small sips of water and comforting words while my mind worked at hyper-speed.
We needed evidence. We needed an airtight trap.
I pulled my smartphone from my pocket, dialing the direct cell number of Detective James Miller, an old friend from college who worked out of the city’s major crimes division. It was Saturday afternoon, but James picked up on the second ring.
“Mark? Everything alright on your trip?” James’s voice came through the speaker.
“James, I need you and two patrol units at my house immediately,” I said, keeping my voice low and steady. “Don't use sirens. Don't announce yourselves. Code red. My wife has been holding her twin sister captive in our house, starving my children, and assuming a false identity.”
There was a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line. “Mark... are you serious?”
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“Dead serious. My wife will be walking through the front door in less than ten minutes. I want her caught red-handed when she tries to walk in.”
“We’re rolling right now, Mark. Five minutes out. Sit tight and stay safe.”
