Chapter 1 - THE CAGE
Adrian Cole saw the cage before he saw his children.
It sat in the sunroom beside the kitchen, a black steel dog crate meant for a Great Dane they had never owned.
Inside it, Lily was curled against Noah's chest.
His six-year-old daughter had both hands over her ears. Noah, nine, had one arm around her and the other wrapped through the bars like he was trying to hold the door shut from the inside.
Vanessa stood over them.
"You stay there until you learn not to lie."
Adrian stopped outside the tall window.
He had come home two hours early from New York. His driver was still unloading luggage at the front entrance. Nobody inside knew he was there.
Vanessa grabbed the cage door and rattled it.
Lily screamed.
"Dad will come," Noah said quickly. "He always comes back."
Vanessa laughed.
"Your father is tired of your stories. That's why he leaves you with me."
Something inside Adrian went cold.
He entered through the side door.
The latch clicked.
Vanessa turned.
Her face changed so fast it was almost frightening.
"Adrian. You're home."
He looked at the cage.
Then at her.
"Open it."
She smiled nervously. "You don't understand. They locked themselves in there."
Noah stared at his father.
"No, we didn't."
Vanessa snapped, "Noah."
Adrian crossed the room.
"Open. The cage."
Her hands began to shake.
"They're out of control. I was trying to calm them down."
Adrian took the key from her fingers and unlocked the door.
Lily crawled out so fast she tripped over the threshold.
He caught her.
She wrapped herself around his neck.
"Daddy, don't go again."
Noah stepped out more slowly.
There were red marks around both wrists.
Adrian saw them.
Vanessa saw him see them.
"Those are from soccer," she said.
Noah looked straight at his father.
"I don't play soccer anymore."
May you like
The room went silent.
Then Noah added, "And the cameras saw everything."
