The Defendant

by Chris Taylor

What the hell was happening?

  She tried to cry out, but all that she could manage was a croak. Her windpipe was slowly being crushed beneath the strength and weight of his ropy forearm and it was all she could do to snatch enough breath to stay alive.

  Her frantic thoughts flew to the boys and she prayed they would be spared. Another traumatic incident coming so soon after the two they’d already endured might be enough to tip them over the edge. Then she latched onto another thought: Chase. He was on his way out. He couldn’t be far away. All of a sudden she was torn between wanting him there and praying that something would keep him away, keep him safe.

  If he stumbled onto the scene unawares, heaven knows what would ensue. He’d immediately go into cop mode, but whether the outcome would be good or bad, only God knew. She found herself silently, desperately praying that he’d arrive and all would be okay, but the fear in her belly eroded any confidence that her prayers would be answered.

  The man pushed her roughly down the hall, past Daniel’s darkened room and into her own.

  “One word and you’re dead. Got it?” the man growled low in her ear. The knife pressed more tightly against her skin until she wanted to cry out, but she bit her lip until she tasted blood and tried to focus on the pain. It would take her mind off what was surely to come. She could feel the man’s erection through his jeans. He was pressed up close behind her and there was no doubt about his intentions.

  With the knife still held against the soft skin of her neck, he slowly eased his arm away from her throat until she could gasp and wheeze and suck in air.

  “Not a word, you understand?”

  Manhandling her over to the bed, he pushed her back, hard, and followed her down. The knife hovered in his hand, inches away from her face. He reached over her and with his free hand, switched on the nightstand lamp.

  “I want to watch you while I fuck you. I want you to remember me in your dreams.”

  She shuddered with fear and revulsion and swallowed down the bile that rose in her throat. While she fought the urge to vomit, all she could think of was Chase and keeping the boys safe. If she stayed quiet, maybe he’d leave right after he’d finished and the boys would never know what happened.

  One-handed, he pushed up her skirt and tugged down her panties; his hands were rough with haste. She heard the snap of his jeans and the slide of his zipper and bit down once again on her lip.

  She moaned softly in fear and pain and tears rolled down her cheeks. She tensed. Any moment he’d be inside her, violating her, making her worst nightmares a reality she could never escape.

  * * *

  Daniel heard a slight commotion at the front door and ducked out for a look. A lithe, well-built man held a knife to Josie’s throat. His muscles bulged beneath his cheap cotton shirt and he pressed his beard-roughened face against her ear. In an instant, visions of that night at his house, of his mother, struck him with an intensity that left him trembling with terror. It was happening all over again.

  He spun on his heel and ducked back into his bedroom, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to leap right out of his chest. His thoughts were fast and panicked and he tried frantically to think of a plan. He had to do something to help her, but this time he had to think first.

  She’d mentioned something about the detective coming over, but what if he got there too late? Daniel was already going to jail for one murder. What was another one, if it meant keeping Josie safe?

  He looked around the room, his gaze glancing off the furniture. Along with the beds, there was a dresser in one corner and a closet on the far wall. He raced to it and tore open one of the doors and waited for his eyes to adjust to the dark.

  The hanging space was empty, as was the area below it. He blinked rapidly, becoming increasingly agitated and then he saw it. Standing in the shadows, deep in the closet was a baseball bat, perhaps left there by the previous occupants.

  His mind skittered over the thought, but he didn’t have time to think. Right now, he needed a weapon and it was the closest thing he could find. He snatched it up and held it tight and crept back into the hall. The man had shoved Josie past Daniel’s bedroom. He could only guess she was in hers. It was the only thing that made sense. Apart from the main bathroom, it was the only other room at that end of the house. With silent steps and a pounding heart, he closed the distance between them and prayed he wasn’t too late.

  * * *

  Chase turned into Josie’s driveway and his heart skipped a beat at the sight of the Mustang. The front rooms of the cottage were lit up with soft lights that filled the windows with a warm yellow glow. He couldn’t believe how right it felt, coming home to her. Well, not exactly home, but he wasn’t going to quibble. Soon it would be home. Their home. Maybe not this cottage, but somewhere.

  He climbed out of his vehicle and reached into the backseat for the bottle of wine he’d stowed there. He’d remembered her penchant for Prosecco from the last time, and had stopped at the liquor store on his way out of town. With anticipation in his heart and a smile on his lips, he jogged up the front steps that led onto the porch.

  The screen door was open. He frowned and went to knock on the front door. It opened under his hand. He frowned again.

  “Josie?” he called out and then spied Jason in the living room. He was asleep on the couch. The television droned in the background. Chase left the room and went into the kitchen. A freshly made salad sat on the counter, along with a tray of steaks. The table was set for four. Everything was ready. But where were Josie and Daniel?

  More cautiously now, Chase returned to the hall and trod carefully toward the bedrooms. The first one he came to was the boys’. It was empty. His heart kicked up a gear and he told himself not to be stupid. They had to be in the house. It was dark outside. Where else would they be? Jason was asleep on the sofa. There was no reason to suspect anything was wrong.

  Still, as he crept closer, toward Josie’s bedroom, his cop instincts hummed louder and he strained to hear anything out of the ordinary. Nothing. And then it hit him: It was the silence that was amiss. There should have been the murmur of conversation or the sound of the running shower. Something. Anything.

  And then he heard it. A gasp and a cry and then someone yelling, “Stop!”

  “Stop it! Stop it, or I swear I’ll kill you.”

  It was Daniel and his voice was ragged with fear. Chase bolted down the hall and came to a halt outside Josie’s room. The door was closed. He put his ear to the panel, but could hear nothing over his racing heart. Reaching for his gun, he cursed under his breath when he came up empty.

  Of course he was unarmed. He was off duty. He’d left his gun locked in the safe at work, like he always did. Forcibly calming his frantic thoughts, he tried to come up with a plan.

  “Don’t come near me. I swear to God, I’ll knock your head clean off your shoulders.” It was Daniel’s voice again, but this time, Chase heard the answering murmur of a man. His blood ran cold at the implication, but he refused to ponder what might be happening behind the closed door.

  Unarmed, he felt useless, but there no time for thoughts that were anything but helpful. He wasn’t going to waste another second searching for a weapon—and calling for back-up wasn’t an option. By the time he made the call and his colleagues arrived there, it could be too late. He had to go in and hope for the best. It was the only possible way. He drew in a deep breath and shoulder-barged his way into the room.

  His heart stopped dead when he saw her, lying spreadeagled across the bed. A man leaned over her with a knife to her throat, his gaze darting between Chase and Daniel. Josie saw him and her eyes widened with relief. It was quickly replaced by fear. The knowledge that she was scared for him registered way down deep inside, but Chase refused to allow her concern to distract him from the deadly situation.

  “Police! Put the knife down.”

  The man stared back at him, his lip curled upwards with contempt. “I’m not finished yet.”

>   “Put the knife down now and step away from the bed.” Chase inched closer to Daniel, who seemed to be frozen to the spot. Chase noticed the baseball bat in the boy’s hand and tried to catch his attention. Right now, the bat was the best option Chase had.

  As if suddenly registering his presence, Daniel jerked toward him. Chase reached out and prised the bat out of the child’s hands. Daniel’s hands tightened momentarily and then he seemed to realize this was best and he released it without a word.

  Chase took the bat and wielded it with purpose in the direction of the intruder’s head. He advanced on the man and something in his expression must have given the other man pause. He looked from Chase to Josie and then back to Chase and with a curse, climbed off her. With the knife still in his hand, he half turned away from them and spat on the carpet.

  “Put the knife down. Now!” Chase yelled and waited and counted the seconds, praying the man would comply. The two of them stared at each other for long moments, before the intruder appeared to give in.

  An instant later, the man feinted to the left and then to the right, all the time slashing with the deadly blade. Chase kept his gaze narrowed on him and did his best to dodge the glint of steel. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and prayed that both Josie and Daniel had the sense to run. He didn’t dare turn his head and find out if his prayer had been answered.

  The man came at him again, a glimmer of triumph in his eye. It was obvious he knew how to use the blade and either didn’t care or didn’t believe that Chase was a police officer. Chase sidestepped another vicious swipe, but not quite quickly enough. Fire seared through his left bicep and he gritted his teeth against the pain.

  Glancing down, he saw blood quickly well up in the cut and drip down onto the floor. Dripping, not pulsing. That was good. It meant the prick hadn’t sliced through an artery. With fresh anger burning through him, he advanced on his attacker with icy determination. With deadly accuracy, he swung the bat and landed a hefty blow across the other man’s forearm.

  The intruder screamed in agony at the same time Chase heard the distinct sound of breaking bone. The knife fell to the floor from useless fingers. For good measure, Chase swung the bat again and caught the man across the shoulders. The intruder went down in another moan of pain, cradling his injured limb close to his chest. Immediately, Chase advanced upon him and grabbed his uninjured arm. He hauled him to his feet.

  Finding rope and duct tape in the man’s pocket, the realization of what he’d planned came rushing at Chase and the implications made him almost lightheaded. With gritted teeth, he thrust the terrifying thoughts aside and secured the man’s good arm to the steel frame of Josie’s bed.

  Leaving him there, Chase pulled out his phone and called for the police and the ambulance and then turned his attention to Josie. She stood just outside the doorway with her arms tight around Daniel. Tears streamed down both of their faces. It was hard to know who was doing the comforting.

  Dark purple and red bruises lined her throat. The sight of them infuriated Chase, but he swallowed his anger. He’d save it for the scum on the bed.

  He closed the distance between them. He pulled them both into his arms and hugged them hard. His chest tightened and he was so choked up on emotion, that for long moments, he couldn’t speak. They stood in a silence that was only broken by the occasional quiet hicuppy-sob.

  “I-I-I…”

  Chase pressed a kiss against Josie’s hair and tried to offer her comfort. “Shh. Don’t talk. It’s all over. You’re safe. I’m here and so is Daniel. We’re fine. Everyone’s fine. No one’s ever going to hurt you again.”

  She lifted her head and the expression of utter devastation in her eyes shook him to the quick. She turned to gaze at the boy by her side.

  “Daniel,” she croaked.

  He ducked his head. “I-I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner, before—”

  “But you…you did. You did. You stopped him. You’re my hero, my very, very brave boy.” Her voice caught on the last words and fresh tears coursed down her cheeks.

  Chase could see Daniel was trying hard not to cry again. The tears welled up in his eyes and his breath hitched on a sob. With a sigh, the boy seemed to give up the fight and buried his face against Josie’s chest.

  Chase took a moment to check the wound on his arm and was relieved to discover the bleeding had almost stopped. He tightened his arms about Josie and Daniel like they were a life raft on a stormy ocean. It wasn’t until he heard the faint sound of sirens in the distance that he loosened his grip.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

  Despite the hot air that blew from the courtroom vents, Daniel shivered. The day outside was cold and dreary, mirroring the day of his mother’s funeral. The feelings that weighed him down inside were just as dreadful, and a deep cold penetrated his bones. In a few short minutes, the judge would hand down his sentence and the final scene of the tragedy that had become his life would play out for all to see.

  Despite the excellent representation provided by Blake Harton Jr nearly a month earlier, and the expert evidence given by Doctor Leonard Heather, the judge had found Daniel competent to stand trial.

  When the announcement was made, he’d sucked in a breath, the judge’s words pounding in his gut. While the decision wasn’t entirely unexpected and his lawyer had warned him it was a real possibility, the totality of the judge’s had words hit him like a ton of bricks.

  When he finally could breathe again, he’d snuck a look at Josie who sat close by and wanted nothing more than to reach out and offer her comfort. Her expression was one of utmost sadness and desolation and tears sparkled in her eyes. Her reaction set off one of his own and he blinked hard in an effort to hold his tears. Now, the day of reckoning had arrived. In a few short moments, his sentencing hearing would begin.

  He glanced around the courtroom. Despite the fact his case had made national headlines, the public gallery was sparsely filled. He guessed it had a lot to do with the fact he was a minor and the judge had ordered a closed courtroom, keeping all but family and approved spectators outside.

  Josie and Chase sat side by side with their hands entwined, seeming to take strength from one another. Daniel’s lawyer had inadvertently told him Chase was footing Daniel’s legal bill. He’d been nearly overwhelmed with surprise and gratitude. His father, while always being a good provider and hard worker, could never afford to pay for the likes of a Blake Harton Jr. It was just another thing he was grateful to Chase for. Over time, since the attack on Josie, the three of them had cemented a bond and Daniel was pathetically pleased to see them here.

  His aunt sat near the back, on her own. He wondered, distractedly, how his grandmother was faring. His gaze drifted to the chairs directly behind him and he was overwhelmed to see his father and little brother there, their presence a reminder that he was loved and despite today’s outcome, he’d always have a place in their hearts. His father offered him an encouraging smile that wobbled at the edges, but that wasn’t what choked him up. The fact that his father was there was all that mattered.

  Daniel’s gaze shifted to Jason and he gave his little brother a wink. Jason’s expression remained solemn and Daniel understood. There was nothing funny about the likelihood he’d be sent to jail. It was just that he didn’t know of any other way to cope. If he didn’t make light of it, he’d likely fall apart, right there, in front of everyone. He had to stay strong and make out it didn’t matter. It was the only way he could survive what was to come.

  The rap on the door behind the bench signaled the arrival of the judge, and the clerk asked everyone to rise. Daniel stood on shaky legs, glad that at least half of his body remained hidden behind the high wooden enclosure of the dock. His lawyer shot him a sympathetic glance and Daniel gave him a nod of reassurance. He was fine. He’d get through this. If he thought that often enough, it might just turn out to be true…

  The judge took his place at the bench and everyone took their seats. To Daniel’s surpri
se, the judge then looked across at Blake Harton Jr and asked him to call his first witness.

  Daniel frowned and glanced around him to ascertain whether anyone else found this turn of events odd. He thought the giving of evidence was over. What was this all about? When Harton Jr called his father, Daniel was even more confused. He leaned forward and called out to his lawyer in a loud whisper.

  “Mr Harton, what’s going on?”

  Harton turned to face him and then bent his head low. “I’m sorry, Daniel. I forgot to tell you. We’re allowed to call witnesses at your sentencing hearing. The prosecution’s entitled to call them too, but in this case, they’ve declined.”

  “What are the witnesses for?”

  “To assist the judge in making his decision, insofar as punishment is concerned. I’m hoping once he hears from your dad, your counselor and Doctor Munro, he’ll be more inclined to listen to my pleas for clemency.”

  “You mean, I might not get sent to jail?” Daniel did his best to keep the hope from flooding his voice. The possibility was nothing short of the feeling he got when he thought of winning the state cross country championship.

  Harton shook his head and lowered his gaze. “You pleaded guilty to manslaughter. Like I said before, I don’t have any real hope the judge won’t impose a custodial sentence, but I’m going to do my best to ensure you’re given the absolute minimum.”

  Daniel nodded and then sat back in his seat, prepared to face whatever came next. He’d pleaded guilty against his lawyer’s advice, but it had been the right thing to do. He couldn’t imagine pretending otherwise, despite the fact he now faced going to jail.

  The sound of his father taking the oath and informing the court of his name and place of abode, snagged Daniel’s attention and he fixed his gaze on the only parent he had left. Harton got to his feet and methodically began to ask his questions, with a command that would make anyone pay attention.

  After covering his childhood and the times when they’d go hunting and shooting and fishing, Harton asked what Daniel’s father thought about the events that led them there this day. Daniel sucked in a deep breath and held it, almost too nervous to breathe.