Chapter 6 - Into the Lion's Den
The north ravine was a jagged scar of earth and concrete that ran underneath the interstate, carrying storm runoff directly into Elliot Bay. The water was roaring like a freight train, a brown, violent torrent filled with broken branches and urban debris.
Marcus stood at the edge of the concrete tunnel, his powerful flashlight cutting through the mist. The beam reflected off something bright yellow caught in a cluster of old shopping carts near the drainage grate.
A yellow rain poncho.
Marcus scrambled down the muddy embankment, his boots sliding through the slick clay. He ignored the thorns tearing at his skin, his mind focused entirely on the small shape huddled inside the concrete pipe just above the rising water level.
"Milo!" Marcus shouted, his voice hoarse against the roar of the flood.
The small shape stirred. A pale, terrified face looked out from beneath the yellow hood. In his tiny, dirt-streaked hand, the boy was clutching a small green plastic tractor.
"Go away!" Milo cried, his voice trembling with hypothermia. "The bad men are coming! I want my mommy!"
The Rescue"Milo, look at me," Marcus said, stepping directly into the knee-deep, rushing water. The current slammed against his legs, trying to pull him down, but he anchored his weight against the iron grate. He held out his hand, showing the boy the cracked plastic bracelet with green beads he had taken from Wren's room for safekeeping.
"Wren sent me," Marcus said gently, his voice carrying an unmistakable authority wrapped in pure tenderness. "She’s safe, Milo. She’s waiting for you at my house. I'm Marcus. I'm... I'm your dad."
The boy stared at the green beads, his small chest heaving with deep, ragged sobs. The water rose another three inches, lapping at his small boots. With a desperate cry, Milo lunged forward out of the pipe.
Marcus caught him mid-air, pulling the freezing child tightly against his chest. He wrapped his heavy waterproof jacket around the boy, shielding him from the wind, and began the brutal climb back up the muddy hill.
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When they reached the top, Renee was waiting with the armored SUV, the heater already blasting warm air. As Marcus climbed into the back seat, holding his shivering son against his heart, he looked out at the city skyline.
The defense was over. The counter-attack was about to begin.
