Chapter 2 - The Breached Door
The heavy wooden stick swung downward, but before it could make contact with my flesh again, a sound like a thunderclap detonated through the house.
The front door didn't just open—it shattered off its frame, splintering inward with violent velocity.
Victor froze in mid-strike. Helena gasped, her cruel smile instantly melting into sheer panic. Raul scrambled out of his chair, nearly knocking the kitchen table over. Nora dropped her phone; it hit the tile with a sharp clatter.
Through the cloud of drywall dust and broken wood walked my brother, Alex.
He didn't look like the gentle brother who used to help me with my homework. He looked like the machine the Marine Corps had built. His posture was locked, his shoulders broad, and his eyes burned with a lethal, terrifying focus. Behind him stood two of his former squad mates, men who moved with the quiet, predatory confidence of trained soldiers.
Alex didn't utter a word. He didn't ask questions. He took in the entire scene in less than half a second: me lying bloody on the cold tile, Victor standing over me with a wooden stick raised, and his parents watching like spectators at a blood sport.
Victor tried to puff out his chest. Put that stick down or I'll—
Alex closed the distance between them so fast it defied human motion. Before Victor could even complete his sentence, Alex’s arm shot out like a steel whip. He gripped Victor’s throat, slammed him back against the kitchen counter, and twisted the wooden stick out of his grip with a sickening snap of Victor's wrist.
Victor shrieked in pain as his arm was pinned behind his back, forced down onto the hot stove top right next to the burning skillet.
Don't touch him! Helena screamed, rushing forward with her nails bared. You can't come into my house and—
Alex’s teammate stepped in front of her, raising a single hand. Sit down, ma'am. Do not move another inch.
Raul backed into the corner, his face pale, all his earlier bravado completely drained.
Alex ignored them all. He forced Victor to his knees directly in front of me, pinning him with a knee pushed hard into his spine. Victor gasped for breath, his arrogant demeanour replaced by raw terror.
Look at her, Alex growled, his voice a low, terrifying rumble that vibrated through the floorboards. Look at what you did to my sister.
Alex... please... Victor whimpered, tears of pain leaking from his eyes. It was a mistake... she fell...
Shut your mouth, Alex snapped.
May you like
Alex turned his head slightly toward me, his voice softening instantly into something gentle and trembling. "I've got you, little sister. You're safe now."
One of Alex's buddies was already on his radio, calling for an emergency medical unit. Seconds later, the distant, screaming sirens of ambulances and police cruisers cut through the early morning air. I closed my eyes, letting the tears fall, feeling the coldness of the kitchen floor finally yield to the warmth of knowing I was no longer alone.
