Page 86 of Heart of a Hero

The woman stumbled, then swung her open palm, striking Marty on the side of the head. Olivia rushed forward to help Benji, but by now, Karen had made it to the group. “Olivia, get back! Get Marty in the house!”

Olivia tried to grab Marty, but despite being hit by his mother, he held Zannie with a steadfast grip.

Seeming emboldened, Carla swung again, this time managing to catch both Olivia and Benji in her slap. Karen was already seeing red, but rage filled her from the very depths of her soul. She circled behind Carla and wrapped her arm around Carla’s skinny waist, then with all her force, tightened her grip, not caring if she broke the other woman’s ribs.

Carla grunted in pain and loosened her grip on Zannie’s arm. Benji and Marty fell back, with Zannie now between them.

“Get in the house! Get in the house!” Karen screamed. By now, Carla was twisting and fighting, but Karen’s mama-bear rage was no match for the thin, stoned woman.

Karen, in the midst of her struggles, tried to scan the area to keep track of all the children. Laura was racing out of the front door and grabbed Olivia, shoving her behind her. Benji and Marty were doing the same with Zannie.

“Get in the house! Lock the door!” she screamed again, then stumbled as Carla attempted to twist. Carla dug her fingernails into Karen’s arm, breaking the skin. Karen felt the sting butsuddenly, with an adrenaline rush, tightened her grip again on Carla’s gut, and the woman started to go down to the ground.

“Let her go!”

A deep male voice rang out, and Karen prayed it was someone from the sheriff's department. But more screams from the kids had her jerk her gaze toward them to see their wide eyes before she swung Carla around and gasped.

Alan stood fifteen feet away, with a gun lifted toward her. Gasping, she was barely aware of Carla, now on the ground. Karen was filled with desperation to ensure the kids were safely indoors. Her peripheral vision allowed her to see that Laura was shoving the kids through the front door. As Laura turned and spied the weapon, she screamed, “Mom!”

“Stay in the house!” Karen yelled, praying Laura would do as she asked, knowing her oldest could best help by keeping the other kids inside. Her mind blanked on what else she could do. Alan swung his aim toward the house, but Karen’s arms jerked out to the side, her fingers widening. Waving at him, she willed him to look at her and not at the house filled with children.

36

Mark was not far from Karen’s house when the 911 call came through, shattering the calm of the late afternoon. He and Brad were on their way to the station to finish their day. But all that changed when the dispatcher instructed them to respond silently, with no sirens. Brad called in their response time, stepping on the accelerator.

Mark’s heart hammered in his chest, his fingers gripping the dashboard like a lifeline. His phone rang, and he hit the answer button, his stomach twisting as Laura’s panicked voice pierced through the line. “Mark!” she screamed, her voice ragged with fear. In the background, he could hear Benji shouting, “Dad!”

“Laura, what’s going on?” Mark’s voice was taut, straining to remain calm despite the dread clawing at his insides.

“They’ve got Mom! Some woman—” Laura’s words stumbled over each other in haste.

“It was Mom!” Marty’s voice cut in, high and frantic.

Laura barely paused. “She grabbed Zannie. Marty and Benji tried to stop her, but now Mom’s out there, and there’s a man with a gun?—”

“It’s Alan!” Marty cried again, panic evident in his voice.

“He’s pointing it at Mom!” Laura cried.

Mark’s pulse quickened, his mind racing as he tried to process the chaos unfolding at Karen’s home. His voice wavered, but he forced himself to stay in control. “Where is everyone now?”

“Marty, Benji, Olivia, and Zannie are inside with me, but you need to hurry! Mom’s out there alone!”

“Keep everyone inside,” Mark ordered, his voice steady but edged with urgency. “Stay away from the windows and doors.”

“But you have to hurry—” Laura’s voice was shaky, almost pleading.

“We’re coming, Laura,” Mark reassured her, his tone firm despite the tremor of fear tightening his throat. “Where’s your mom? Where’s Alan?”

“Carla’s on the ground... she hit the others, and Mom tackled her. They’re out in the front yard.”

“No!” Benji’s voice rang out, terror-stricken. “He’s getting closer, and Miss Karen’s backing up toward the porch!”

Mark gritted his teeth, his free hand clenching into a fist. “Tell Benji to stay away from the windows, Laura! And you do the same!”

He turned to Brad, his voice low and tense. “Kids are inside. Carla’s down. Alan’s got a gun on Karen, and they’re near the front door.”

Brad cursed under his breath, his knuckles white on the steering wheel. “Karen will protect the kids, but if Alan gets in, he could take the kids as hostages.”

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