Recap: Shekeret is knocking on the door, and Evie decides to let her in, even though she is a suspected terrorist. She shares her story of escaping from her father, the terrorist, and how she helped Junie to escape. There’s a noise, and Shekeret’s father breaks in, and he’s pointing a gun at Evie and Maggie.
Maggie screamed. My heart pounded in my ears. If only I had my phone.
He waved his gun at us. “Sit on the floor!” he spat the words. “You move or scream, I shoot! Tell me quick. When is Mrs. Berson’s flight due? I need to know now!”
“I don’t know,” I said. My voice rose in fear.
He slapped me on the cheek hard.
“You lie!”
I heard Junie whimpering in the kitchen. I willed her not to come into the room.
Hashem, please save us.
Maggie was trembling. We both exchanged terrified looks.
I thought fast. I had to think of some way to distract this madman.
“The FBI is watching our house. You won’t get away with this.”
“No one is watching any house in this storm!” he laughed, and the howl of the wind seemed to echo his words.
“I am not a patient man. Tell me now what I want to know.”
My heart was pounding so hard I was sure it would explode.
I heard Junie whimpering again. Stay, don’t come in the room! I tried to send my thoughts to Junie.
Hashem, please save us! I kept repeating that prayer like a mantra in my head.
Suddenly, I heard a sound besides the howling wind.
Someone was yelling on an amplifier outside.
At the door: “Come out with your hands up!”
Moving backwards, still pointing the gun, Muhamed stepped by the wall near the window and shut the blinds with his free hand while he kept his gun leveled at us, facing us the whole time.
My whole body shook. I squeezed my eyes shut. This was a horrible dream, and I’d wake up from it. Only when I opened my eyes, it was clear that this was real.
The voice from the amplifier yelled, “We’re coming in if you don’t respond.”
It sounded like Herb. Herb was here to rescue us, but would he be able to stop this man from shooting us? How? This was a known terrorist who had killed so many.
Muhamed Abdullah’s voice was low and angry, like the growl of a vicious dog. “No one gets hurt if you tell me schedule for flight. You know what I want.” He pushed the nozzle of his gun into the small of my back.
“Talk now or die!”
I said Sh’ma. This was my last moment.
He clicked the trigger.
Just then, Junie sprang out of the kitchen and jumped between me and the gun.
He aimed the gun towards Junie.
“Tawaqqaf! La!!” Shekera rushed into the room and pushed Junie away just as the gun went off with a tremendous boom. The flying bullet struck Shekeret, and she fell to the floor.
Muhamed Abdullah let out a startled breath.
At that exact moment, ten FBI men stormed into the room and grabbed Abdullah. They handcuffed him.
“You betrayed me!” he shouted at his daughter, who lay on the floor bleeding.
An ambulance came, and Rabbi Berson and my mother, Jake Cohen, Aunt Ruthie, and Uncle Arnold all piled into the house. Everyone was hugging me and Maggie and talking at once.
To be continued…
Susie Garber is the author of 11 popular Jewish books, including her newly released historical fiction novel The Blizzard (Menucha 2026) and recently published novel Captured (Menucha 2025). She is also the current news editor of Binyan Magazine.
