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“What?” Jack frowned at her.
“His legs.” She rocked Sophie, keeping her voice calm and soft. “He lost them in Afghanistan and was fitted with prosthetics. They look like something the Terminator would have, all black metal and computer parts. They give him extra strength and power.” That much was true—she’d seen how Callum had used them to destroy the man he’d fought at her house. “And he has all that training. He was SAS. Aren’t they the elite of the armed forces?”
Jack nodded, hope in his eyes. “Yeah. So he doesn’t have anything left of his real legs?”
“Nothing from the thigh down.”
“No way.” Jack looked as awed as she’d felt when she found out.
“I know. He really is Superman. Only he can’t fly. I think.” For all she knew, those high-tech legs had booster rockets built in.
Sophie took her thumb out of her mouth. “Wanna see Clam’s legs.”
Isobel kissed her hair. “I’ll make sure he shows you once this is over.”
There was a thud outside the door, and the three of them stilled. Isobel’s hold on Sophie tightened, and she had to make herself relax before she hurt her daughter. She looked at Jack, who had to be as nervous as she was, but seemed to be a whole lot better at hiding it.
“I’m going to see who it is.” Jack whispered.
“No!” Isobel felt sick. “Stay here.”
“We’re safe in the basement.” Jack didn’t sound so sure. “It could be someone who needs help.”
“No.” She shook her head adamantly. “Stay in here.”
“I’ll just sneak a look.” He reached for the door handle.
A scream stuck in Isobel’s throat. She couldn’t get to him to stop him because Sophie was in her arms. “Jack!”
“It’s okay, I have this.” He held up the stun gun and opened the door a crack.
Isobel’s whole body broke out in a sweat.
Callum! she silently shouted for him.
Jack put his eye to the crack.
It felt like time slowed down completely as she watched her son.
Sophie whimpered and Isobel stroked her hair.
“It’s—”
The door crashed open, throwing Jack back into the room. He landed in a sprawl on the floor. And a man Isobel had never seen before filled the doorway.
“Where is chip?” His accent was heavy and difficult to understand. Eastern European, Isobel thought, but she had no idea which country.
Sophie started to wail as Jack jumped to his feet and aimed the stun gun at the man. With a sneer, the man lunged at her son.
Isobel hadn’t even noticed the knife in the man’s hand until it was thrust at her son’s gut.
“No!” she screamed, and rushed at them.
Jack froze, a look of utter disbelief on his face. The useless stun gun fell from his hand. A second later, Jack crumpled to the floor after it.
“No!” Isobel landed on her knees beside him, Sophie still in her arms. “Jack!” She reached for him, but the man grabbed her hair, stopping her.
Complete and utter panic paralysed Isobel. Jack lay sprawled on the floor, his head and shoulders propped up by the end of the bed. His hands covered the bleeding wound in his abdomen and his eyes were wide with shock. Sophie was wailing as she clung to Isobel. The tip of a bloody knife was pressed against Isobel’s cheek. She couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t move. All she could do was sit there, frozen in horror.
