rage turned to confusion, as if he were shaking off cobwebs from the thick of a dream. He looked down at Alex, as if he was surprised to see him there, and then up to the bat, seemingly surprised again to find the weapon in his hands. He lowered the bat, looking around, as if lost.
Alex breathed a sigh of relief and started to stand. But then, just as Alex thought he was safe, Mr. Henderson’s eyebrows arched in anger, and he raised the bat again.
A gunshot exploded cracked behind Mr. Henderson, and a man in a black Paladin Security uniform appeared seemingly from nowhere, aiming a pistol at Mr. Henderson, screaming, “Drop the bat!”
Mr. Henderson turned to the security guard, and then, again, looked like he’d just been woken up, and realized what he’d been doing.
“Put the bat down,” the guard repeated.
Mr. Henderson looked up, then at Alex guiltily, and placed the bat on the porch, gently as if it might explode if he wasn’t careful.
“I’m so sorry,” he said, breaking down into tears as the guard grabbed one of Mr. Henderson’s arms and twisted it back, and then the other, handcuffing the man. Once Mr. Henderson was restrained, the guard turned from Alex, and used his radio to call dispatch.
“This is Sanders. We’ve got a situation over at Mr. Heller’s house.”
As Sanders started to inform dispatch what had happened, Alex heard the sound of his little sister screaming from inside the house.
Oh shit.
He pointed at the house, “My baby sister! I’ll be right back.” Alex motioned to Sanders, who nodded okay as he continued speaking into his radio.
Alex went inside and closed the door, even though he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. He sure as hell wasn’t going to leave it open with Mr. Henderson on the verge of violence. Alex bounded up the stairs and into Aubrey’s room to see her red-faced, screaming, crying her eyes out.
He picked her up, and pulled her to his chest, “It’s okay,” he whispered repeatedly, holding her tight, rocking her in his arms as he’d seen his mom do a hundred times before.
To his surprise, Aubrey calmed down, snuggling her tiny face against his chest.
Oh my God, she’s letting me comfort her!
Alex finally cried.
He held Aubrey for a long minute, inhaling her scent and feeling the glow of being a big brother that he’d never felt before.
Aubrey was asleep in minutes, also to his surprise. He laid her back in her crib, covered her with her baby blanket, then went back downstairs in case Sanders had any questions or needed to take a statement from Alex or anything.
He went to the front door, just as a black Paladin SUV rolled up into their driveway. Sanders led Mr. Henderson to the SUV, placed him in the back, as the man kept crying, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry” to the guards, too distraught to see that Alex was in the doorway. Probably a good thing, Alex figured, afraid the man might see him and go off again and get himself shot.
Sanders returned to Alex, taking out a notepad and pen.
“Can you tell me what happened?” Sanders asked.
Alex stepped onto the porch, keeping the door partially open so he could hear if Aubrey cried again. The black van was still in his driveway, probably waiting for Sanders to finish.
Alex told him what happened, saying that Sanders didn’t miss anything, as he showed up pretty quickly right after Mr. Henderson got there.
“Thank you,” Alex said. “You saved me.”
“No problem, kid,” Sanders said, even though he was 30, tops, hardly an old man, with a baby face and brown hair, cut military-style, like all the guards who worked for Paladin. “Now, did Mr. Henderson say anything to you?”
“No, he just said ‘you’re gonna pay.’”
“Because your dad killed his son?” Sanders asked matter-of-factly, as if he were used to asking kids about their crazy dads who had just shot up the school.
“ I guess. I don’t know what else he could’ve been mad at. I mean, I didn’t know Teddy
Alex breathed a sigh of relief and started to stand. But then, just as Alex thought he was safe, Mr. Henderson’s eyebrows arched in anger, and he raised the bat again.
A gunshot exploded cracked behind Mr. Henderson, and a man in a black Paladin Security uniform appeared seemingly from nowhere, aiming a pistol at Mr. Henderson, screaming, “Drop the bat!”
Mr. Henderson turned to the security guard, and then, again, looked like he’d just been woken up, and realized what he’d been doing.
“Put the bat down,” the guard repeated.
Mr. Henderson looked up, then at Alex guiltily, and placed the bat on the porch, gently as if it might explode if he wasn’t careful.
“I’m so sorry,” he said, breaking down into tears as the guard grabbed one of Mr. Henderson’s arms and twisted it back, and then the other, handcuffing the man. Once Mr. Henderson was restrained, the guard turned from Alex, and used his radio to call dispatch.
“This is Sanders. We’ve got a situation over at Mr. Heller’s house.”
As Sanders started to inform dispatch what had happened, Alex heard the sound of his little sister screaming from inside the house.
Oh shit.
He pointed at the house, “My baby sister! I’ll be right back.” Alex motioned to Sanders, who nodded okay as he continued speaking into his radio.
Alex went inside and closed the door, even though he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do. He sure as hell wasn’t going to leave it open with Mr. Henderson on the verge of violence. Alex bounded up the stairs and into Aubrey’s room to see her red-faced, screaming, crying her eyes out.
He picked her up, and pulled her to his chest, “It’s okay,” he whispered repeatedly, holding her tight, rocking her in his arms as he’d seen his mom do a hundred times before.
To his surprise, Aubrey calmed down, snuggling her tiny face against his chest.
Oh my God, she’s letting me comfort her!
Alex finally cried.
He held Aubrey for a long minute, inhaling her scent and feeling the glow of being a big brother that he’d never felt before.
Aubrey was asleep in minutes, also to his surprise. He laid her back in her crib, covered her with her baby blanket, then went back downstairs in case Sanders had any questions or needed to take a statement from Alex or anything.
He went to the front door, just as a black Paladin SUV rolled up into their driveway. Sanders led Mr. Henderson to the SUV, placed him in the back, as the man kept crying, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry” to the guards, too distraught to see that Alex was in the doorway. Probably a good thing, Alex figured, afraid the man might see him and go off again and get himself shot.
Sanders returned to Alex, taking out a notepad and pen.
“Can you tell me what happened?” Sanders asked.
Alex stepped onto the porch, keeping the door partially open so he could hear if Aubrey cried again. The black van was still in his driveway, probably waiting for Sanders to finish.
Alex told him what happened, saying that Sanders didn’t miss anything, as he showed up pretty quickly right after Mr. Henderson got there.
“Thank you,” Alex said. “You saved me.”
“No problem, kid,” Sanders said, even though he was 30, tops, hardly an old man, with a baby face and brown hair, cut military-style, like all the guards who worked for Paladin. “Now, did Mr. Henderson say anything to you?”
“No, he just said ‘you’re gonna pay.’”
“Because your dad killed his son?” Sanders asked matter-of-factly, as if he were used to asking kids about their crazy dads who had just shot up the school.
“ I guess. I don’t know what else he could’ve been mad at. I mean, I didn’t know Teddy
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