Chapter 4 - The Night The Violence Escalated
"Julian grabbed me by my hair and slammed me against the stone fireplace in the living room," Sarah confessed, fresh tears spilling onto her nightgown.
"Your mother stood right near the front door, Caleb... she watched him do it and didn't utter a single word."
"She just picked up her leather purse and said, 'Sign the papers, Sarah, or Julian will make sure you end up in a county facility.'"
"They kept me locked in the master bedroom for two days without my cell phone or my truck keys."
"They brought in a crooked notary public from San Antonio who watched me sign every page while I could barely stand up."
Caleb closed his eyes for three seconds, taking a deep, slow breath through his nose to keep his military discipline intact.
When he opened his eyes again, all traces of emotion had vanished, replaced by the mechanical, calculating mindset of a Special Forces operative executing an assault plan.
He walked over to his heavy duffel bag, unzipping the top compartment and pulling out a satellite communications device and a black leather notebook.
"The Vance Ranch has been in my family for four generations, Sarah," Caleb said, his voice flat and terrifyingly quiet.
"My great-grandfather broke that land with a horse and a plow after returning from World War II."
"My father bled on that soil, and I swore an oath on that flag to protect it from enemies foreign and domestic."
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He tapped the satellite screen, opening an encrypted military network channel.
"Evelyn and Julian think they bought a piece of real estate," Caleb whispered. "They're about to learn what a combat zone looks like."
