My brother … oh God. He’s …. No. He can’t do this. His zipper comes down and he knocks me in the face with his fist. My nose breaks and blood flies everywhere. “Fucking be still, dammit.”
The front door explodes open, and I hear shouting, but I can’t see anything as I crumble to the floor. I close my eyes in hopes that this is over. That I’m not dreaming someone is coming to my rescue.
My brain has to be playing tricks on me. There’s no way I really just heard Knave and Drew.
Knave called me,telling me that he had seen Donnie grabbing Maddie out of the car. He had been on his way over to help Maddie but didn’t want to intervene without backup. I told him I understood, and that I was ten minutes out. How Knave got my number, I can only wonder, but I’m glad he had it.
We were going to ring the doorbell, but I heard Maddie scream and lost it. With a swift kick to the door, it splinters, and I enter with my gun drawn. I notice that Knave isn’t empty handed. I look at the knife but it’s not of importance right now. No, getting to Maddie is.
We round the foyer, and I’m not prepared for the scene before me. Maddie is on the ground, naked, being pulled across the floor by her hair, as if she is a doll. She’s trying to fight her brother but she doesn’t stand a chance with her father whipping her. There’s blood everywhere, and I focus on what the source is.
“You son of a bitch!” Knave screams as he charges her father. I’m too busy running toward Maddie to stop him. I know I should, but my focus is singular and frankly I just don’t give a damn.
I hear Knave and the Chief scuffling but I charge Donnie and knock him down. Maddie drops to the floor and stays there. God I hope she’s alright. “You sick bastard. How …”
Donnie’s fist hits me square in the face. I sway and pull my gun. Without hesitation, I shoot and miss him because he dodges me, running toward the back door. I want to run after him, but that’s not the main goal right now. I turn back to my angel and she’s not moving. A thumping pain in my head makes me gasp as I try to calm my anxiety. Fuck me.
“You’ll never hurt her again.” I blink, turning toward Knave as he yells. He’s got the Chief on the ground and he’s stabbing the hell out of him. I should feel some kind of remorse for what he’s doing. But I don’t. Hell no. All I feel is gratitude.
“Baby, come on angel, stay with me,” I say as I bend down and check on Maddie. She’s breathing, but she’s unconscious. I’m glad. She doesn’t need to see the carnage.
“Knave.” I can barely get the word out as I assess the damage done. “Knave,” I say a little louder and he looks at me. He’s got a deranged look in his eye.
“He has to pay.”
“You got him. Put the knife down and call 9-1-1.”
“We can’t!” Knave says in a panic.
I glare at him. “We have to. We have a domestic abuse victim who needs an ambulance. One of the perps is near dead and the other is on the run. We need backup, and this was in defense of Maddie. I will testify to that.”
Knave looks down at the Chief and spits at him. “I should go after Donnie.”
“No. You call 9-1-1. I need to canvass the area and make sure it’s safe. Do not touch anything or anyone else for that matter. Put the knife down and do as I’ve asked.”
I kiss Maddie on the forehead. “I’ll be back for you, my love.” I get up, gun out in front of me and posed to shoot.
As I clear every room, I feel the dread sweep over me. Donnie’s gone. The Chief is as good as dead, and I don’t feel any remorse for it. In fact, I feel relieved that I don’t have to muddy his name through an internal affairs investigation. He’s ruined his reputation himself.
“Put your hands up!” I hear a police officer scream from the first floor. Sighing, I make my way from the second floor and see the chaos that’s going on.
Thank God, Knave isn’t fighting. No, he’s on the ground, hands behind his back and not talking.
“Stand down, officer,” I speak and everyone around me freezes.
“But this …”
“I said stand down. The real perp here is the Chief.”
“Detective, we have to take him in.”
“Yes I know. But stop shouting and let me explain what is going on.”
The Sergeant comes over and I look at him. “What the fuck is going on here, Detective?”
They wheel Maddie and the Chief out of the house on stretchers. My heart hurts knowing I didn’t get here in time. I feel like a goddamn failure. “We, myself and Knave, got here at the same time. We heard shouting, and I kicked the door in.”
“Where’s Donnie?” We hear the Chief yelling from outside. Fuck, he’s still alive. How?
