Page 97 of It's a Wonderful Knife

“I’m coming.” Royce’s hands shook slightly as he tugged the phone from his back pocket. “Max, the network is up.” He tossed the phone to me. “Call 911 and tell them what’s happening.”

I almost missed the phone but somehow grabbed it just in time. I watched as Royce, Leo, and Mona ran from the office. With trembling fingers, I dialed 911 and tried to formulate what to say. Did I mention the situation with Dakota first? Or the fact that we were trapped? Or that someone had been murdered?

When the operator came on the line, I blurted, “There’s been a murder.”

“What’s your name and address, sir?”

“I’m at the Giggly Elves Farm. I have no idea what the address is.” I swallowed. “There’s been a murder. It happened a day ago, but the bridge is washed away, and we can’t get out.”

“Take a deep breath,” she said calmly. “Now, what’s your name?”

“Dr. Maxwell Thornton. I’m not from here. I’m… I’m from Rainy Dale.” I felt the oddest pang as those words left my lips.I’m from Rainy Dale. I didn’t feel the usual dissatisfaction that reality had always filled me with. If anything, I’d have given my left arm to be sitting in front of the fire on Royce’s couch, with his arm around my shoulders and Grumpy in my lap. The desire to runhometo Rainy Dale was like a punch in the gut.

“You say there’s been a murder?”

“Yes,” I rasped.

“Are you in any danger, sir?”

I swallowed hard. “I don’t know. Maybe? But—”

Royce is certainly in danger.

I almost dropped the phone as the realization hit that he was outside at that very moment with a knife-wielding madman. I ran out of the office and through the deserted house. The sound of my shoes hitting the tile reverberated through the house as I sprinted for the front door.

I burst out onto the porch and found everybody outside, crowded around a tall, skinny man with matted dark hair and wild black eyes. He had his arm around Dakota’s throat, and he held a knife against the boy’s chest.

Royce stood in front of him, only about three feet away. He was speaking, but the blood was rushing through my ears so loudly, I couldn’t hear what he was saying. I stumbled down the steps and headed toward them. Mona was slightly behind Royce, sobbing. Leo had his arms around her, and his eyes were pinned like a laser on the guy holding Dakota.

Ezra was with the crowd. He looked stunned, but he made no move toward his son. I pushed through everyone and stopped just behind Royce. He glanced at me very briefly and then went back to talking to the guy.

“Nobody here wants to hurt you.” Royce’s voice was smooth, agreeable. “What is it you want? Food? Drink? A warm bed? We can get all of that for you.”

The homeless guy shook his head. “No. Stay back.”

I could faintly hear the 911 operator talking but couldn’t understand a word. I didn’t care. They had our location. If the river was still flooded, they probably couldn’t get to us anyway. I needed to be out here with Royce. If he got stabbed, he’d need me. If Dakota got stabbed, he’d need me. The operator didn’t need me.

“Please,” Mona sobbed. “Please don’t hurt him.”

“It’s okay, Dakota,” Leo said gruffly. “Don’t struggle. It’s okay.”

The boy’s eyes were wide, and tears streaked down his dusty cheeks. He didn’t speak; he just watched his Mom and Leo with a terrified expression. Maybe he couldn’t speak. The guy’s arm was clenched pretty tight around Dakota’s throat. His cheeks were flushed, and now that I looked closer, he was struggling for breath.

“You’re choking him,” I said gruffly, taking a step forward. “You need to loosen your grip on his windpipe.”

The guy’s glazed eyes flicked to me. “What?”

“You’re choking the boy. Loosen your grip. You’re going to crush his windpipe.”

For whatever reason, the guy listened. He slightly loosened his arm, and Dakota gasped for air like a fish out of water.

“Dakota,” Mona moaned. “It’s okay, honey.”

It was most certainlynotokay. While the guy had stopped choking Dakota, he still held the knife against his chest. What worried me was the guy seemed out of it. I feared he might stumble and accidently stab Dakota or just slip the knife in without realizing what he was doing. If I’d had to guess, I’d have said he was high. On what, I had no clue.

Jax was to the left of the guy, as if he’d come from the direction of the sheds. I was shocked when he moved toward the guy instead of slinking away like I’d have expected. “Let him go,” Jax said harshly. “He’s just a kid.”

“I see the light of truth,” the guy whispered. “The river purifies all.”