Mark pulled his blue car into the gravel driveway after a long day at the office.
He carried his black leather briefcase in his left hand while unlocking the heavy wooden front door.
The suburban house was completely silent as he stepped into the warm oak hallway.
Something felt strange because his four year old daughter usually ran to greet him at five o'clock.
He walked past the framed American flag hanging proudly on the white hallway wall.
A sudden soft crying sound echoed down from the top of the stairs near the bedrooms.
Mark dropped his briefcase onto the hardwood floor and took three fast steps forward.
He saw his nine year old daughter Emily crawling on the floor while using her wooden crutches.
Her baby brother Tommy was tied carefully to her back in a bright yellow blanket.
Both children were sobbing uncontrollably while moving slowly toward the top landing of the stairs.
Mark gasped in utter shock and sprinted down the hallway toward his helpless young kids.
He slid to his knees on the hard floor right beside Emily and the baby.
"Emily, sweetheart! What is happening right now?" Mark asked with a trembling voice.
He quickly unbuckled the blanket and lifted baby Tommy safely into his strong charcoal grey suit arms.
The infant nestled against his shoulder while continuing to weep quietly against his shirt collar.
Mark put his warm right hand under Emily's small chin and lifted her teary face up.
Her soft cheeks were bright red and covered in hot tears as she looked into his eyes.
"Why are you crawling like this on your healing leg?" Mark asked with deep fear in his heart.
"I had to keep him safe!" Emily screamed out while clutching her wooden crutches tightly.
Mark cradled his daughter closer while his brain raced to process what was happening inside his home.
He glanced up down the dark hallway and saw his wife Sarah standing near the master bedroom.
She was dressed in a green silk blouse with her arms crossed tightly over her chest.
"Safe from what?" Mark shouted while standing up with both young children in his arms.
"Mommy said we had to stay quiet or bad men would take our house!" Emily sobbed out loud.
Sarah stepped back into the shadows as Mark's face turned completely pale with pure anger.
He looked at his wife and realized that something terribly wrong was taking place behind his back.