Chapter 13
The courtroom erupted in chaos.
People screamed.
They ran for the doors.
My father pulled Emma behind him.
Daniel stepped in front of us.
The bailiffs drew their weapons.
"Everybody stay calm!" one of them shouted.
And then Linda walked into the courtroom.
She looked terrible.
Her hair was messy.
Her clothes were dirty.
Her eyes were wild.
And in her right hand, she held a gun.
"Nobody move!" she screamed.
The bailiffs had their guns aimed at her.
"Put the weapon down, Mrs. Harrington," one of them said. "Now."
"Stay back!" she said. "Or I'll shoot!"
Her eyes scanned the room.
They found Emma.
"There you are, baby," she said. Her voice was sickeningly sweet. "Grandma's here. Grandma's going to take you away from all these bad people."
Emma whimpered.
She clung to my leg.
"Don't let her take me, Mommy."
"Nobody is taking you," I said.
I stepped forward.
"Sarah, don't," my father said.
I ignored him.
I looked at Linda.
"Put the gun down, Linda," I said. "This is over. You lost. The judge gave me full custody. You're never going to see Emma again. And you're going to prison for what you did to Richard."
She laughed.
It was a crazy sound.
"Prison?" she said. "I'm not going to prison. I'm taking my granddaughter. And we're going to start over. Somewhere far away. Somewhere nobody can find us."
"She's not your granddaughter to take," I said. "She's my daughter. And she doesn't want to go with you."
"She's a child," Linda said. "She doesn't know what she wants. But I do. I know what's best for her. What's best for the Harrington name."
She waved the gun.
"Now bring her to me," she said. "Or I'll start shooting. And I don't care who I hit."
Daniel stepped forward.
"Mom," he said. "Please. Put the gun down. This isn't you."
She looked at him.
Rage filled her eyes.
"You!" she screamed. "You traitor! After everything I did for you! I gave you life! I gave you everything! And you betrayed me! For her! For the daughter of the man who destroyed everything!"
"You destroyed everything, Mom," Daniel said. "You killed Dad. You destroyed our family. You tried to destroy Sarah and her father. And you almost destroyed me. But I'm not your puppet anymore. I'm done."
Tears ran down Linda's face.
She looked at the gun in her hand.
For a moment, I thought she might put it down.
I thought she might surrender.
And then her face hardened.
"If I can't have Emma," she said. "Nobody can."
She raised the gun.
She aimed it at Emma.
Time slowed down.
I screamed.
I threw myself in front of Emma.
May you like
I heard the gunshot.
And then everything went black.
