Fire Triangle

Prologue “Stay put, okay?” “Mom…” Nine-year-old Mikey whimpered. “Hush, baby. Please be quiet. Mommy won’t be far away. You watch out for baby Danny, all right?” Mikey nodded, gazing down at his baby brother, who was wrapped in his blanket, still fast asleep despite being taken from his crib to be hidden with his brother inside the wardrobe. “Where’s Daddy?” Mikey asked before his mother closed the wardrobe. She stammered on her answer. “He…he’s here, too, sweetheart.” The truth was, she didn’t know where Andy was. The last time she’d seen him he was talking to Dave, their pool boy, in the study. But something was wrong with that young man. She just knew it. Her suspicion had mounted when Dave closed the door to the study and she heard raised voices. But she didn’t dare confront him. Her priority was to make sure that her children were safe. She shut the door to the wardrobe and backed away from it. “It’s okay, baby. Everything’s going to be okay.” She fumbled in the pocket of her pants for her cellphone. Her hand shaking, she was trying to press 9-1-1 when she turned around and— Dave was standing before her, his grin showing his teeth and his mouth stretched so wide it looked inhuman. The cellphone slipped out of her hand and she screamed.