Page 73 of Still Afraid

At a quarter to midnight that night, Josh finally laid his gun, wallet, and keys on the bedside table. The evening went better than he’d expected given how crazy the rest of the day had been. His nerves were fried, and he was beyond grateful that Bonnie had insisted on feeding them dinner again. Before heading to her parents’ house, they stopped and purchased Chloe a new phone. A bonus blessing was Gabe had recovered her phone this afternoon and the SIM card had been usable.

After dinner they’d watched a movie, though Chloe had fallen asleep during it. They’d then gone on a moonlit walk around the pasture. He’d left his car with Chloe if she needed it, and Gabe had given him a ride back to town. Now Josh needed to wind his mind down enough to rest. His body was done, but the stress of everything had his brain on overdrive.

Once he was ready for bed, he collapsed and fell asleep in a matter of minutes.

His sleep was fitful though. Unwelcome dreams jerked him in and out of restful slumber.

A sound he couldn’t identify brought him to complete consciousness. It was only three o’clock. What had woken him up?

More noise. He’d lived alone for the better part of twenty years, so little noises didn’t bother him, but these weren’t normal house sounds. Was that glass breaking?

With a silent groan, he grabbed his phone and gun along with a flashlight from the drawer. He crept to the door and dialed 911.

A dispatcher answered right away. “Please state the nature of your emergency.”

“I believe someone may be in my home. I am armed.” He gave them his address.

The sound of the back door opening and kitchen chair scraping across the tile echoed through the house. Someone was here.

Josh slipped out of the bedroom and ducked behind a chair in the living room, peering around it to assess the situation. He slid his phone onto the end table so the dispatcher could hear what was happening.

Keeping his breaths slow and steady, Josh pointed his firearm at the floor. He never wanted to have to use his weapon.

A figure in black walked through the living room. Josh couldn’t quite see what was in his hands until light from the back window revealed the shapes.

What was perhaps a flashlight the intruder had yet to turn on.

And a gun.

Josh raised his and trained it on the figure. He wouldn’t shoot unless he had to. No way was he going to let a burglar prevent him from getting to his wedding. “Get out of my house.”

The intruder gasped and chucked the flashlight in Josh’s direction.

Josh ducked from the flashlight flying toward him.

Aah! He didn’t want to shoot, but what choice did he have?

He looked again, keeping his gun up in case this guy was determined to have a firefight.

The intruder scrambled for the back door, tripped, and went down in the glass from the broken window.

Josh grabbed his flashlight from the pocket of his shorts and turned it on.

The person, who matched Chloe’s assailant in build, wore black from head to toe. No distinguishing elements except the skin of his hands was white and now bleeding.

Josh had to let the intruder run. If the guy hadn’t had a gun, Josh would have chased him down and demanded answers, but he promised Chloe he’d see her tomorrow.

He punched the back of the chair and put his gun on the table, then picked up his phone. “The intruder left through the back door, where they entered. Five-nine, maybe five-ten. Thin build. Wearing all black.”

“Are you hurt, sir?” the dispatcher asked.

“No.” Sirens and lights filled the street in front of the house. “Police are here.”

“I have communicated to them that the intruder has fled.”

“Thank you.”

A knock sounded on the front door.