Kara, securely bound, watched helplessly from the kitchen as Dr. Lerwick stood wrestling Zach in the entryway. The man's back was to her for the moment as the boy tried to pull away from him, to no effect.
In the den, Craig, sitting up with his legs stretched out in front of him, tried again to snap the old duct tape on his wrists and ankles, but succeeded only in falling over onto his shoulder. He pulled himself upright and tried again. The tape held. Nearing panic, he rolled his eyes in vexation, but only for a moment—then his eyes narrowed and Kara saw him calculating, strategizing. He bent himself double and stretched his fingers to work at the tape around his ankles. He pulled it this way and that; it would not budge. He tried to tear it. Kara stifled a gasp—the brittle tape tore apart! His hands were still bound, though. Craig climbed to his knees and edged toward the dining room, gaining a view of the entryway but keeping himself out of Dr. Lerwick's sight.
Dr. Lerwick grappled with Zach in the hall, facing away. The shorter Asian man continued watching out the window. A car rumbled into the driveway outside. "We are going," Dr. Lerwick announced. "Come, Zechariah."
The shorter Asian man reached over to help Dr. Lerwick manage Zach, but the older man pushed his hand aside. "I can control the boy. Go make sure no one is watching."
The Asian slipped out the front door, leaving it open for Dr. Lerwick to follow. Dr. Lerwick dragged Zach into the entryway, where the boy continued to struggle.
"Desist, Zechariah," Dr. Lerwick said idly. "It is no use fighting me. You are not strong enough."
"I don't want to go!" he bellowed. "Leave me here! Leave me alone! Dad! Dad!"
Again, Craig tugged mightily against the bonds around his wrists, but they held.
Dr. Lerwick maneuvered Zach toward the door, clutching his pistol in one hand and attempting to cover Zach's mouth with the other.
Zach kicked out and caught the door with his foot, knocking it shut.
"Zechariah, must you make this difficult?" Dr. Lerwick forced a chuckle; he was in control, but increasingly impatient, too. Wrestling Zach to his side with one arm, he reached out for the doorknob with the other.
Zach regained his balance and stomped with all his might on Dr. Lerwick's toes. The older man cried out, and Zach broke free of his grip.
"Dad!" Zach yelled again, and took a desperate step toward Craig.
But Dr. Lerwick, enraged, swung an open hand and caught Zach's ribs, slamming him into the small entryway table. Zach tumbled backward into the hall; the photographs on the table crashed to the floor. Kara saw, as if in slow motion, the photo of young Craig in his baseball uniform teeter on the edge of the table and then shatter on the tiles. Zach, bleeding, crawled into the bathroom and slammed the broken door shut with his foot. Dr. Lerwick stepped to pursue him.
Craig, his eyes suddenly wild, roared and strained with renewed rage against the tape binding his wrists. All at once the tape burst apart, and Craig launched himself across the entryway. With three quick strides he threw himself at Dr. Lerwick. The older man turned just in time to raise his pistol and bare his teeth.
Craig tackled him against the wall and they slid down it, wrestling each other to the floor. After a long moment's struggle, an ear-splitting boom tore through the house.
The struggle ended. Craig's body went limp on the floor, face-up and motionless. There was blood. Kara did not hear herself when she screamed.
*****
The Boy Who Appeared from the Rain Page 123