Chapter One Hundred Three Piper
Chapter One Hundred Three
Piper
Piper ran next door to her own house, where she tore through the many gun-safety measures they had in place to protect the girls. She retrieved her Glock from the gun safe and removed the trigger lock. Then she ran out to the garage and opened the second safe, where they stored the ammunition.
She needed a badge. She needed handcuffs. But she had neither.
She loaded her weapon, strapped on her holster, and approached Chip’s house from behind, cutting through her neighbors’ backyards.
When she reached his house, she crouched and approached the single door on the backside of the garage.
She turned the knob.
Locked.
Damn it.
She pulled the multi-tool out of her pocket, flipped open the screwdriver attachment, and removed the screws around the doorknob. The knob fell into her hand, and she quietly set it on the ground. Then she tripped the mechanism to unlock the door.
She entered the garage, climbed into the car, turned off the ignition, and put the keys in her pocket.
Then she smashed her hand against the garage door opener. It lifted, filling the garage with fresh air.
She moved to the backside of the car, where a black rubber tube protruded from the exhaust pipe. A sour taste coated the back of her throat as dread flooded her body.
No. No. No. No. No.
Hands trembling, she followed the length of hose to the hole in the corner of the garage and tugged it free.
“Kiersten. Kiersten, are you there?”
No answer.
She whimpered as fear, grief, and rage tore through her body. She staggered out of the garage and moved to Chip’s backyard. Then she slid the basement door open and entered his house.