uncontrollably and sobbing, wearing holey tennis shoes and a jacket two sizes too big.
Danny approached him slowly, stopping to leave enough space so the kid didn’t feel threatened. He crouched down, placing his forearms on his knees. “Hey, there.”
The little boy turned to face him, eyes soaked with tears, snot running down from his nose, and face bright-red from the bitter temperature. His teeth were chattering so hard Danny could hear them banging against one another.
He smiled. “My name is Danny. What’s your name?”
The little boy started crying harder, calling out for his mommy.
Which turned Danny’s stomach, hard .
“If you tell me your name, I can help you find your mommy, okay?” The boy eyed his uniform, so Danny tried that angle. “I’m a police officer. Did your mommy or daddy ever tell you it’s okay to trust a police officer? That we will always help you and never hurt you?
After a brief pause, the little boy nodded. “ At…school…told….us… ” he hiccupped out.
“They told you that at school?” The little boy nodded. “Good. They were right.” Danny leaned in. “So do you think you could tell me your name? So I can you find your mommy?”
“ Ethan ,” he whispered.
“Ethan?” When the boy nodded, so did Danny. “Okay, good. Thank you, Ethan. Can you tell me your last name?”
“Patterson.”
“Ethan Patterson?” When the little boy nodded, Danny smiled wide. “That’s great, Ethan, thank you. Now can you tell me how old you are?”
He lifted up four fingers and Danny gave him a thumbs-up. “Very good. Now, do you think you can walk with me into the restaurant so we can feed you some pizza and get you warm?”
The little boy started sobbing again, calling out for his mommy.
Danny slowly stood up. “Okay, it’s okay, Ethan. You don’t have to move. But I have to make a quick call and then we’ll start looking for your mommy, okay?”
Danny backed up a few steps, pulling his two-way off his belt. He hit the button and said, “Dispatch, this is Nine. Not on duty yet, but I have a lost boy down here at Pineridge Mall. Caucasian male, four years old. Anybody report anything?”
“ Copy that, Nine. No missing kids have been reported at this time .”
“Ten-four. Send an ambulance, please. No backup needed yet. I’ll let you know.”
“ Ten-four, Nine. Standing by .”
“There you are!”
Danny turned to find a big dude with a dark beard and potbelly storming toward the kid.
“Your mom and I been looking all over for your ass!” the man yelled.
“Ethan!” A thin, scraggly-looking woman called out, jogging toward the boy.
As soon as the boy saw his mom, he jumped up and ran into her arms.
“Did I or did I not tell you to keep your ass in our sight at all times?” the bearded dude yelled at the kid.
“Hey, hey, hey,” Danny said, approaching, head shaking. “None of that.” He eyed both adults. “You’re his parents, I assume?”
The guy gestured to the boy. “This is my dumbass step-kid. Ran away from us in the movie theater…” The guy shot the kid a dirty look. “After we told him not to wander.” The guy sneered. “Not that he listens worth a shit. Ever .”
Danny met the mom’s wide, wild eyes. “Take him into the restaurant. We need to get him warmed up. Tell them to feed him something, too. I’ll be back in there in a few minutes.”
The woman nodded and hustled off with the kid.
Probably damn glad to get away from the giant jackass Danny was about to straighten out.
Danny gestured for the guy to approach. “Can you step over here with me for a second, please, sir?”
The guy hesitated, Danny rested his hand on his Glock, and the guy moved his ass. He stopped about six feet shy of Danny.
“Closer, please,” Danny said, waving him in.
The guy reluctantly stepped forward until Danny lifted his hand for him to stop.
Danny eyed him, sick to his stomach thinking about that little boy living with this monster. And
Danny approached him slowly, stopping to leave enough space so the kid didn’t feel threatened. He crouched down, placing his forearms on his knees. “Hey, there.”
The little boy turned to face him, eyes soaked with tears, snot running down from his nose, and face bright-red from the bitter temperature. His teeth were chattering so hard Danny could hear them banging against one another.
He smiled. “My name is Danny. What’s your name?”
The little boy started crying harder, calling out for his mommy.
Which turned Danny’s stomach, hard .
“If you tell me your name, I can help you find your mommy, okay?” The boy eyed his uniform, so Danny tried that angle. “I’m a police officer. Did your mommy or daddy ever tell you it’s okay to trust a police officer? That we will always help you and never hurt you?
After a brief pause, the little boy nodded. “ At…school…told….us… ” he hiccupped out.
“They told you that at school?” The little boy nodded. “Good. They were right.” Danny leaned in. “So do you think you could tell me your name? So I can you find your mommy?”
“ Ethan ,” he whispered.
“Ethan?” When the boy nodded, so did Danny. “Okay, good. Thank you, Ethan. Can you tell me your last name?”
“Patterson.”
“Ethan Patterson?” When the little boy nodded, Danny smiled wide. “That’s great, Ethan, thank you. Now can you tell me how old you are?”
He lifted up four fingers and Danny gave him a thumbs-up. “Very good. Now, do you think you can walk with me into the restaurant so we can feed you some pizza and get you warm?”
The little boy started sobbing again, calling out for his mommy.
Danny slowly stood up. “Okay, it’s okay, Ethan. You don’t have to move. But I have to make a quick call and then we’ll start looking for your mommy, okay?”
Danny backed up a few steps, pulling his two-way off his belt. He hit the button and said, “Dispatch, this is Nine. Not on duty yet, but I have a lost boy down here at Pineridge Mall. Caucasian male, four years old. Anybody report anything?”
“ Copy that, Nine. No missing kids have been reported at this time .”
“Ten-four. Send an ambulance, please. No backup needed yet. I’ll let you know.”
“ Ten-four, Nine. Standing by .”
“There you are!”
Danny turned to find a big dude with a dark beard and potbelly storming toward the kid.
“Your mom and I been looking all over for your ass!” the man yelled.
“Ethan!” A thin, scraggly-looking woman called out, jogging toward the boy.
As soon as the boy saw his mom, he jumped up and ran into her arms.
“Did I or did I not tell you to keep your ass in our sight at all times?” the bearded dude yelled at the kid.
“Hey, hey, hey,” Danny said, approaching, head shaking. “None of that.” He eyed both adults. “You’re his parents, I assume?”
The guy gestured to the boy. “This is my dumbass step-kid. Ran away from us in the movie theater…” The guy shot the kid a dirty look. “After we told him not to wander.” The guy sneered. “Not that he listens worth a shit. Ever .”
Danny met the mom’s wide, wild eyes. “Take him into the restaurant. We need to get him warmed up. Tell them to feed him something, too. I’ll be back in there in a few minutes.”
The woman nodded and hustled off with the kid.
Probably damn glad to get away from the giant jackass Danny was about to straighten out.
Danny gestured for the guy to approach. “Can you step over here with me for a second, please, sir?”
The guy hesitated, Danny rested his hand on his Glock, and the guy moved his ass. He stopped about six feet shy of Danny.
“Closer, please,” Danny said, waving him in.
The guy reluctantly stepped forward until Danny lifted his hand for him to stop.
Danny eyed him, sick to his stomach thinking about that little boy living with this monster. And
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