Chapter 5 - Betrayal at HomeThe reality hit me like a physical blow. Rex hadn't just been protecting Sara from the snakes; he had been protecting our home from them. He had recognized Marcus’s scent from the remodel, realized the danger, and tried to strip the wall bare to warn us.
And I had locked him out in the cold.
"Enough talking," the man in the suit said, resting his finger on the trigger. "Marcus, lock him in the van. We'll make it look like a tragic house fire tonight. The wife, the nursery, the secret—all burned to ashes."
Sara!
Fear for my wife unlocked a reservoir of desperate strength inside me. Before the man could pull the trigger, a loud, metallic screech echoed through the warehouse.
Rex, using every remaining ounce of his strength, had thrown his entire body weight against the weakened latch of the rusted cage. The door burst open with a snap.
With a roaring bark that shook the metal walls, Rex launched himself through the air, sinking his teeth deep into the armed man's wrist. The gun went off—the bullet ricocheting harmlessly off the concrete floor—and spun across the room.
"Aaagh! Get him off me!" the man shrieked.
"Rex, hold him!" I yelled, turning instantly to tackle Marcus before he could hit Rex with the iron pipe. We crashed into the shelving units, boxes of heavy hardware raining down on us. I grabbed a wrench from the floor and slammed it into Marcus's chest, knocking the wind out of him.
I snatched the fallen revolver from the floor, cocking the hammer back. "DON'T MOVE!" I roared at the suited man, who was bleeding profusely on the ground, pinning Rex under his arm.
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Rex let go, retreating to my side, panting heavily, his eyes gleaming with fierce loyalty.
I pulled out my phone, dialed emergency services, and placed it on speaker. "I have two armed intruders at the industrial complex on West 4th Street. Send armed response immediately!"
