Chapter 5 - The Collision Course
Time dilated. In the fraction of a second before the woman’s hand could descend toward the little girl’s face, Jack moved with the explosive velocity of a predator breaking cover.
"HEY!"
The roar tore from Jack’s chest, a sound so primal and ferocious that it reverberated off the concrete walls like a gunshot.
The woman gasped, whipping around just as Jack lunged across the room. He slammed into her with full momentum, knocking her away from the mattress and sending her crashing hard against a stack of discarded drywall. She let out a sharp cry of shock as the drywall splintered beneath her weight, the wind knocked completely out of her lungs.
"What the—who the hell are you?!" she screeched, clawing frantically at the air as Jack pinned her down with one heavy, unrelenting hand against her collarbone.
"You stole my daughter," Jack whispered, his voice trembling with a terrifying, controlled fury that was far more lethal than outright rage. "You took my little girl, and you turned three years of my life into a living hell."
The woman’s eyes widened in genuine terror as she stared up into his bloodshot, manic gaze. "You're... you're crazy! I don't know what you're talking about! I found her! She was abandoned!"
"Don't you dare lie to me!" Jack shouted, pressing down harder until she choked on her own breath. "I know who she is. I know the mark on her ankle. I know every breath she took before you ripped her out of that park!"
Over on the mattress, little Lily had curled into a tight, shivering ball, burying her face in her hands and sobbing hysterically at the sudden violence.
"Lily," Jack breathed, his voice instantly softening as he glanced back at the child. He released his grip on the woman, stepping backward while keeping a wary eye on her. He sank slowly to his knees on the dusty floor, holding his hands out, palms open and empty. "Lily... look at me, sweetie. It's okay. I'm not going to hurt you."
The little girl peeked out through her dirty fingers, her sapphire eyes wide and terrified. She looked from Jack to the woman groaning against the broken drywall.
"M-mister?" she whimpered, her lower lip trembling. "Are you... are you the man from the bakery?"
May you like
"I am," Jack said, his voice cracking as hot, heavy tears finally spilled over his lashes, cutting clean tracks through the dust on his cheeks. He inched forward slowly, refusing to make any sudden moves. "I’m your daddy, Callie. I’ve been looking for you every single day for three long years."
The little girl froze. Her tiny brow furrowed in deep, intense confusion. She stared at his face, searching through a fog of fear, neglect, and suppressed memories, trying to bridge a gap that had been deliberately shattered when she was just a toddler.
