The Swiss Escape

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It’s an hour past when Alex said he would be home. I pace back and forth. The only thought running through my head is if John got to Alex. If John did, is Alex still alive? My phone rings, it’s Alex. Trying to sound calm, I answer, “Hello,”

“Schatzi, I am sorry if I caused you to worry. I am on my way home now and will explain everything to you. Some officers will stay in front of our house. I will be home shortly.”

I tell Alex to drive safely, and we get off the phone. Something feels off. There must be a reason Alex is late. It isn’t acceptable in Switzerland to be tardy.

Looking over at the couch, I see Kayla asleep, and Mittens is right next to her. I walk over to them; Mittens begins wagging her tail. I pick up Kayla and carry her to bed. She doesn’t wake up as I tuck her into bed. Mittens walks in and takes her place next to Kayla’s bed. I know it’s been a while since she went outside, so I call her, “Come, Mittens, want to go outside?”

She gets up and follows me. I open the backdoor and let her into the yard. I wait right outside the door for her. It doesn’t take her long before she’s heading back to me. She is just a few steps away from me when she turns around. Mittens begins to growl and bark. She dashes off to the back of the fence and starts to paces back and forth. Something has her upset. Hearing the commotion, one of the officers appears around the corner. “Is everything alright?”

I turn to look at him. “No, she doesn’t act like this. Somethings out there, and she believes it to be a threat.”

The officer watches Mittens closely. “Why don’t you go inside? I will check on what is causing her distress.” I nod and go inside. I can still hear the barking. This is the second time she’s done this. In the three months since getting Mittens, I can count on one hand the number of times she has barked. Most are because someone walked through the front yard. Last night was the first time Mittens ever barked and attempted to go after something.

A loud bang breaks my thoughts. It sounded like a gunshot. I ran to the backdoor and threw it open as three officers were coming around the corner headed for the fence line. I look around. There is no sign of the first officer or Mittens. “Go back inside, Miss. We will investigate.”

“My dog, where is she?” I start feeling panicked. “Where is the other officer?”

The man looks at me, and I can see the worry in his eyes. “We are going to find out what happened. Go inside and lock your doors. I will stay back here, and another officer is at the front of your home. No one is going to hurt you.” It takes my brain a moment to process everything. I finally give the officer a nod and go inside.

A sense of dread washes over me. Does John know where to find me? Does he know where we live? Is that why Alex was so upset earlier? Was he in or near our yard, and that’s what upset Mittens? And the gunfire, did someone shoot the officer, or did he shoot someone? Or did someone shoot Mittens?

It feels like non-stop questions are running through my brain. Suddenly I hear someone at the front door. Panicked, I grab Alex’s gun. I don’t know if it’s loaded or how to shoot it. The doorknob is jiggling; when the door finally opens, I see Alex. He puts his hands up, “It’s me, Schatzi.” I put down the gun and find it difficult to breathe. Alex quickly takes the gun and wraps me into his arms. “It’s okay.” His hand moves up and down my back. It isn’t until I pulled away and noticed the tear stains on his shirt that I realize I’m crying.

“Mittens is gone. I thought since the officers were here, she could go outside. I was worried she would have an accident in Kayla’s room, so I had her go outside before I let her lay down with Kayla. Mittens was almost back to me when she started barking and growling. She ran towards the fence line, and one of the officers checked out why she was upset. He told me to go inside. I did, and then I heard a loud bang. When I opened the back door, both the officer and Mittens were gone. I think something happened to them and it’s my fault. I should have let her go into the front yard. The thought crossed my mind, but I didn’t do it.”

Alex pulls me to him again. I feel him kiss the top of my head. “It’s okay. The officers will find out what happened. You didn’t know what was going to happen.” Alex’s voice is soothing, but I’m still upset. I may have cost someone their life. How could anyone be okay with that?

There is a knock on the front door. The officers announce themselves. Alex opens the door, and two officers walk into the house. “Do you know what happened?” I can’t mask the worry in my voice.

“Yes, it seems your dog caught the scent of someone. She led the officer right to them. We are guessing it’s the same three from earlier. One of them shot the officer, and your dog attacked him. The shot isn’t fatal, and he is being sent to the hospital now. As for your dog, we are not sure what happened to her. Someone is now taking her to the vet. It appears she injured one of them pretty badly. There was a lot of blood in her mouth. All hospitals and clinics are to call in anyone with a dog bite or suspect a dog bite.”

“What do we do now?” I ask the officer.

“Since this situation is extreme, we are going to keep your house heavily monitored. Do you have any travel plans?”

“Yes, my girlfriend and her daughter will be going to Sweden tonight. They will stay with my parents. I will stay here and help with the investigation.” I look at Alex. Is he going to send me away?

“We will have four officers escorting them. They will stay the entire time. If Johnathon Miller tries to follow them, we will know about it.”

“How do we make him think they are still here? Is there a way we can trick them into showing up here?”

“It’s something we are considering. The men Johnathon is traveling with have a long record. We are not dealing with petty criminals. These men are going to be harder to catch.” Alex nods, and the officers turn and leave.

“I’m not going to Sweden without you.”

“Yes, you are, Schatzi. Now isn’t the time to argue about this. My parents know you’re coming. It isn’t safe for Kayla to be here. Your ex will not stop until he has you.” He lets out a sigh. “Earlier today, he took Mila and Baldrick.” I feel my eyes go wide in fear. “Don’t worry. They are safe now. I was about to call them when my phone started ringing. When I answered the call, it was him on the phone. It was made clear to me that he will stop at nothing to get you back. The way that man talked about you and Kayla as if you both were toys to him. He told me my time of playing family with you was up and that he wants his toy back. Thinking of him taking you is too much for me. Sweden is the only option to keep you safe.”

“Then come with me. Don’t stay here and wait for John to hurt you.”

“Kamryn, if I leave, it will look suspicious. Staying here will make him believe you’re here. Him taking you away from me is the worst thing he can do to me. Please, go to Sweden. When we catch him, and this is all over, you can come back. We will never have to look over our shoulders again. But you have to go now. I will purchase your tickets. Go pack for you and Kayla.” I stare at Alex. I don’t know if I can leave him. The thought of something happening to him makes it hard for me to breathe.

Realizing this isn’t a fight I will win; I go back a bag.