Richard’s hands gripped the steering wheel tightly as he drove through the quiet streets, his thoughts racing. His daughter, Deidre, used to come down for Thanksgiving every year, but that had stopped four years ago after his wife passed away. Now, their relationship had boiled down to just weekly phone calls. He missed her more than he could express.
Today was his eightieth birthday. Richard was hoping to spend it with his daughter, hoping for a celebration that might bring them closer again. He could already picture her face when she saw him at the door.
With a grin, Richard pulled up to her house and parked. He threw open the car door and spread his arms wide. “Surprise!” he yelled, ready for her to be as excited as he was.
But Deidre didn’t greet him with a smile. Instead, her face twisted in shock, her eyes red from tears. “Dad? What are you doing here?” Her voice trembled.
Richard’s heart sank. “I came to celebrate my birthday with you… It’s the big eight-o!” His words faltered as he saw the distress on her face. “What’s wrong, honey? Why are you crying?”
Deidre quickly wiped her tears and tried to force a smile. “It’s nothing, Dad. Everything’s fine,” she said hastily. “I just… wasn’t expecting you. It’s not a good time right now. I need to focus on work. I’ll call you, okay? We can have dinner later.” She backed away and shut the door without another word.
Richard stood frozen for a moment, his heart heavy with confusion and concern. This wasn’t like her. Something was wrong, something deep. He knew it in his gut.
Taking a deep breath, Richard stepped back from the door and eyed the small shrubs lining the path. He could hear muffled voices inside, but he couldn’t make out the words. Driven by a mix of worry and instinct, he moved silently to the side of the house, his footsteps light as he peered through the window.
Inside, two men sat with Deidre in the living room. Their voices were low and rough. One of them leaned forward, scowling at Deidre.
“Who was that?” the first man asked gruffly.
“Nobody,” Deidre answered quickly, her voice shaking. “Just a neighbor’s kid playing a prank on the doorbell.”
The second man scoffed. “Back to business then,” he muttered, his voice cold and threatening. “You’re six months behind on your loan repayments, Deidre. Mr. Marco’s getting impatient.”
“I just need more time!” Deidre pleaded. “Business will pick up soon, I’m sure of it!”
The man clicked his tongue in annoyance and pulled out a gun, his eyes narrowing. “Time’s something you don’t have, sweetheart. People who owe Mr. Marco money don’t live long. They end up in a lake somewhere, feeding the fishes…” He aimed the gun at her, his finger on the trigger.
Richard’s breath caught in his throat, a cold terror freezing him to the spot. But before he could make a move, the man tucked the gun away with a sneer. “Look around this dump, Danny,” he ordered the second man, “See if there’s anything we can take. She’s a businesswoman, right? A computer, maybe?”
“No, please!” Deidre cried, her voice desperate. “I need that equipment! I can’t make money without it!”
“Too bad,” the man said with a cruel chuckle, patting the gun on his hip. “Boo-hoo. Don’t be ungrateful. I could still change my mind.”
The men began to ransack Deidre’s house, throwing things around and taking whatever they could. When they left, they didn’t even look back. Deidre collapsed on the floor, sobbing uncontrollably.
Richard stood there, his heart breaking for his daughter. This wasn’t the business she had described. Her life was falling apart, and he hadn’t even known. It didn’t make sense—she had told him everything was fine, but now it was clear she was drowning in trouble.
After the men loaded some appliances into their car and drove off, Richard didn’t hesitate. He followed them. He had to know what was going on.
The men parked at a shabby two-story building downtown. It looked like a run-down bar. Richard hesitated only for a moment before pushing through the door. No one stopped him as he walked inside, his eyes scanning the dimly lit room.
The men sat at a large table in the back, surrounded by other rough-looking men. One of them stood up and walked over to Richard, his face hardened. “The club’s closed,” he growled.
Richard stood his ground. “I’m here to discuss Deidre’s debt.”
“Oh?” The man who’d been seated at the head of the table rose slowly. He was dressed sharply, but his left eye was scarred badly. Richard guessed this was Mr. Marco.
“You must be Richard,” Mr. Marco said with a smirk. “A concerned father, I see. Deidre took out a loan from me—$80,000. She was supposed to pay me back from her business earnings, but she hasn’t made a dime.”
Richard’s stomach churned. “$80,000?” he repeated, his voice shaking.
“That’s right,” Mr. Marco said. “She owes us a lot more than she’s given.” He paused and then leaned forward. “But there’s something you can do to make up the difference.”
Richard’s gut twisted with unease. “What do you want me to do?”
Mr. Marco’s grin widened. “My partner and I are having some trouble with paperwork for a car import business. We need someone to take a car across the border. A nice, unassuming guy like you would have no trouble at all.”
Richard knew he didn’t have a choice. He needed to save his daughter. That night, he found himself at a gas station near the border, parked beside a police cruiser. His palms were sweaty as the German Shepherd in the back of the car began to bark furiously.
“Jesus!” Richard gasped as the dog’s growls grew louder.
He climbed back into the car, a feeling of dread washing over him. The moment he started to reverse, the dog went wild, and he saw two officers rushing out of the store. The sirens went off, and Richard’s heart pounded as he slammed the accelerator.
With a burst of speed, he swerved through traffic, narrowly avoiding several cars. The police were hot on his tail, but Richard pushed the car faster, his mind racing. Ahead, he saw an unmarked dirt road veering into the woods. Without thinking, he turned the wheel sharply.
The Valiant’s tires struggled on the muddy track, but Richard didn’t stop. He needed to get away. He headed downhill, but then the car got stuck on a narrow rise above a river. His heart skipped a beat.
“No!” he shouted as the car started sliding toward the water. He yanked at the parking brake, but it didn’t work. The car slammed into the river with a huge splash, sending water rushing over the hood.
Desperate, Richard scrambled for the door, but the water pressed against it, trying to trap him inside. His legs were pinned as the water surged, filling the car faster than he could react. With one last breath, he pushed the door open and dove into the river.
He fought against the current, his lungs burning as he swam toward the bank. Once on land, Richard collapsed, gasping for air. He’d barely made it out alive. But there was still the matter of Deidre’s debt.
Back at home, Richard rushed to the bank, mortgaging his house for the $80,000 Deidre owed. He could barely stomach the thought of losing the home that held all his memories with his wife, but his daughter needed him.
When Deidre called, her voice full of fear, Richard reassured her. “Don’t worry, honey. I’ve arranged to pay off your debt. I’ll be there soon.”
Hours later, Richard pulled into the club’s parking lot in a rented car. He was ready to face the thugs who’d been terrorizing his daughter. But just as he reached the door, Deidre came running toward him, panic in her eyes.
“Dad, wait!” she shouted. “I’m not letting you face them alone.”
Richard looked into her eyes, filled with both fear and determination. He knew then that he couldn’t turn her away.
Inside the club, the men quickly rounded them up and shoved them toward the table. Richard placed the duffel bag with the $80,000 on the table.
“I’m here to settle the debt,” he said, his voice steady but tense. “Here’s the $80,000, and another $15,000 to cover the car.”
Mr. Marco’s face twisted in anger. “You think this covers everything?” he sneered. “You sank a $100,000 shipment in that car. This is nothing!”
One of Marco’s thugs grabbed the bag and threw it aside, his eyes hard. “You know, Deidre,” Marco said, “I thought you had potential. But in business, sometimes you have to cut your losses.”
Richard stepped forward, his heart pounding. “Don’t hurt her. This is my fault. Take me instead.”
Marco’s eyes narrowed, and he pulled a gun from his jacket. The cold metal glinted as he aimed it at Deidre’s forehead.
“No!” Richard shouted, pushing her behind him. But before Marco could do anything, they heard police sirens wail outside.
The sound of gunfire echoed through the club as the chaos erupted. Richard and Deidre crawled under the table for cover as officers stormed the place.
After what seemed like an eternity, the police escorted them out, Marco and his gang taken into custody. Richard’s mind was racing. Had they really made it out alive?
As he sat in the ambulance, a paramedic checked his vitals. Richard swallowed hard when a detective approached. “What were you and your daughter doing in that club?” he asked sternly.
Richard explained everything, leaving out the car he sank in the river. The detective nodded, but then added, “We found a car full of contraband in the river. You might want to keep your distance from people like Mr. Marco.”
A flood of relief washed over Richard. They were safe.
Later, as Richard and Deidre walked to his car, she turned to him, tears filling her eyes. “I owe you so much, Dad. I dragged you into this mess, and I didn’t know how to tell you how bad things were.”
Richard pulled her into a hug. “You’re not a failure, Deidre. You tried. But you need to trust me, honey. I’ve been here all along. I just wish you’d let me in sooner.”
Deidre buried her face in his shoulder, and Richard held her tight. “Everything’s going to be okay,” he whispered, his voice filled with love. “We’ll get through this together.”
