Chapter 6 - THE SCHOOLYARD SHADOW
I didn't go to the shipyard. I told the police. They staked out the area, but Evan was a ghost. He never showed. It was a test, a psychological game to remind me that he was always watching.
The terror reached a boiling point three days later. It was a Tuesday afternoon. Noah was finally attempting a half-day back at kindergarten. Dad had insisted on doing the pickup, driving his heavy-duty Ford truck and carrying his permitted concealed carry weapon just in case.
I was at home, nervously pacing, when Dad called.
“Lena,” he said, his voice clipped and tight. “We’re okay. We are safe. But he was here.”
My heart plummeted into my stomach. “Who? Evan?”
“I was waiting by the gates. Noah came out with his teacher. I saw a man in a black hoodie and a surgical mask walking rapidly toward them from the visitor parking lot. It was him, Lena. I know his walk. I yelled out, stepped between them, and unclipped my holster so he could see I meant business.”
“Oh my God. Did he run?”
“He stopped, looked right at me, then turned and melted into the crowd of parents. The school is on lockdown, and the police are sweeping the perimeter. I’m bringing Noah home now.”
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When they walked through the front door, I dropped to my knees, pulling Noah into my chest, ignoring the agonizing flare of pain in my ribs. Noah was trembling, holding his stuffed dinosaur by the neck.
Evan had crossed the final line. He wasn't just trying to intimidate me anymore. He was trying to take my child.
