[ WP ] You are awaken in the middle of the night by the sound of your baby crying on the baby monitor when you hear an unfamiliar voice saying `` It 's alright ... '' in your child 's room .

The noise was incessant. A buzz in my ears. I closed my eyes and opened them, listening to the droning electric sound of my kid crackling through the speaker. A pale blue light lit up the room a moment, then changed to red then back to blue. Repeating the pattern over and over as the neon sign across the street advertised it's wares. *Live Nude Girls. * *No Cover Charge. * It was a piss poor excuse for a strip club, miles from the Vegas Strip. It was a place where old strippers came to die, figuratively. 
 
 `` Shut up, kid.'' I muttered, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. My five day growth of beard rasped like a wire brush beneath my hand. I kicked and rolled, trying to turn myself and after three attempts, I managed to sit up. My head felt like it was splitting, like gravity had taken a fresh hold on it was trying to pull the skin from my weary sleep-wollen face like extra cheese sliding off a pizza. 
 
 *'' It's alright kid. I'm going to take you away from here. `` * 
 
 The sound of that voice over the baby monitor was better than Red Bull and coffe. I came awake in that moment. My swollen ankles supporting me, even though my feet hurt with each step. I grabbed the.38 off my night stand, and hurried down the hall. My feet punching the hardwood floor with each step. Knick-knacks bounced from shelves, book cases swayed back and forth, slapping the wall as the weakened floor gave way a little with each ponderous stride I took. 
 
 I hit the nursery door with my shoulder, blowing it apart. I was heavy and obese and out of shape, but in my day, I was force to be reckoned with. I slapped the door aside and raised the snub-nosed.38, pointing the silver barrel at the head of the intruder. She fell back against the crib, the baby held to her breast. 
 
 I could read part of the sign across the street through my daughter's window. 
 
 `` Put Sophie down,'' I roared. I was alive in that moment. I was aware of my dry oily skin, my greasy hair, the stench of my own body. I smacked my lips a couple times to do away with the metallic taste in my mouth, alternating between sucking my bottom and top to wet them. 
 
 The woman gave no indication that she would obey my command. `` Put the kid down, or I'm going to shoot you in your motherfucking face. Put her down!'' 
 
 She was afraid. Her eyes darted left and right, looking for escape, but there was n't any. We were on the second floor in an apartment above a bar, and the only way out was through me. 
 
 `` She's not your child,'' the woman said, turning to set Sophie down.'' 
 
 `` Say that again,'' I snarled, thumbing back the hammer. 
 
 `` She's not your child, and you know it. She has a father and he wants her back.'' The woman told me calmly. She was exagerating the slowness of her motions, trying to diffuse the situation. 
 
 `` You're right about that. She does have a father. Me. Who the fuck are you?'' I croaked, swallowing. My mouth was so fucking dry. I needed another beer. 
 
 `` Victoria Smiles. I'm a private investigator. I was hired by Sophie's real father to find her and bring her home.'' She said, slowly sidling toward the middle of the room. The glare from the sign across the street was like needles being stuck into my brain. She blocked out the light with her body and I sighed with relief. 
 
 `` So, you admit you're here to steal my daughter?'' The gun was shaking in my hand. I needed a fix. It'd been hours since my last. `` I should blow your fucking face off right now. I'd be well within my rights. Cops come by, scoop up your body, and congratulate me for protecting my family.'' 
 
 `` What are you going to do, Victor? Kill me? You caught me. You win. I'll go back and tell Sophie's dad I failed. There's no need to make this bloody. I was hired to do a job. I sure as hell do n't want to die doing that job.'' The detective crooned. `` I do n't know why you took Sophie, and I do n't care. I'm sure you had your reasons. I just want to get out of here. I just want to go.'' I could see the desperation in her face, but not her eyes. She was n't scared, not really. 
 
 `` I did n't steal her. I was married to her mother. She was two weeks preganant when we met, was n't even showing then. I loved her, but she did n't survive the pregnancy. Died up there in the hospital giving birth to my little girl, to my Sophie. She picked out the name before she died.'' I felt the tears wetting my eyes, blurring the neon like a kaleidoscope. `` I really loved her.'' 
 
 `` I know you did, big guy. But, Sophie's real father would like her back. It's the law.'' Victoria whispered cooly, turning to look out the window. 
 
 `` You wo n't make it out that window,'' I promised, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. 
 
 `` Oh, I'm not going out the window, Victor.'' She pulled her gun faster than I could follow and stepped out from in front of the window. The light stabbed into my eyes, blinding me even as her nine millimeter coughed. The pain was horrible, burning through my side. I managed to squeeze off a couple of shots before she could disarm me. 
 
 The detective took my.38, kicking me in the face for good measure. It would take more than a kick from her tiny frame to put me under. I held on, spitting out blood and tried crawling to my feet. 
 
 `` Stay down, dammit.'' Victoria spat, stepping back. I slapped a hand over the hole in my side, but stopped rising. The room was silent. Victoria had both guns pointed at my chest. `` I will kill you.'' She warned, but I did n't care. The room was silent. 
 
 I put my hand on the door knob and rose to my feet. 
 
 `` Dammit. Do n't make me kill you.'' She cried, stepping back further. 
 
 `` Oh, you're going to have to kill me.'' I promised, tears spilling from my bloodshot eyes. I took an unsteady step toward the crib. I heard the click of the hammer on my.38 being drawn back because the room was silent. 
 
 `` Stay away from her,'' Victoria warned moving closer to the window. 
 
 `` How are you going to explain this?'' I asked. 
 
 `` You attacked me.'' She said, shrugging. `` I defended myself.'' 
 
 `` Yeah. But, how are you going to explain this,'' I asked, pointing toward the crib. She did n't say anything at first, perhaps she found the silence too much. `` You can shoot me now.'' 
 
 She did n't say a word. She just looked at the crib in horror. I could see it in her face. It was the face of someone who realized they'd screwed up. I grabbed the baby monitor and turned it off, flinging at the detective's head. She ducked beneath it, but it was never meant to hit her. I plowed into her a moment later, blasting her out the window. She caught the edge of the awning below and flipped over, landing on the sidewalk head first. I could hear the sickening sound of her neck snapping. No big feat that. After all, the room was silent.
