Chapter 11

With winds gusting to thirty miles per hour, Casey suits up in a waterproof jacket and heavy boots to investigate the suspicious light in her shed. She decides against an umbrella, pockets her compact Glock G43X, and recalls her father’s patient marksmanship lessons that now steady her nerves.

Stepping into the storm, Casey notes the dangerously swaying tree by her cabin but focuses on the shed, now dark. She approaches without a flashlight to keep the element of surprise, reassured by the gun in her pocket, and prepares for a potential confrontation.

At the shed, the wind tears the weakened door off its hinges, leaving the interior in darkness. Feeling vulnerable, Casey turns on her flashlight, illuminating the lawn mower, a rusty shovel, and a small, blanket-covered lump in the corner.

Keeping one hand on the gun, Casey calls out. When the lump shifts, she softens her tone, urging the hidden person to come out because the shed is unsafe in the storm. Gradually, a pair of blue eyes, red hair, and a hooded coat emerge from beneath the blanket.

Instead of an axe-wielding intruder, Casey finds a small girl clutching a knife. The immediate threat changes from anticipated adult violence to an unpredictable, frightened child with a weapon, leaving Casey facing a new dilemma amid the ongoing storm.