David thought he had broken the only woman who could stop him

The decision to take a brief, highly protected vacation was violently interrupted before I could even pack my bags.

It was a cold, rainy Tuesday evening. I was at the foundation headquarters, finalizing the last few legal documents for a case in our Dallas chapter. The building was heavily secured, the perimeter monitored by elite, armed contractors.

My private, highly encrypted cell phone rang. Very few people possessed this number, and a call at this hour instantly triggered my deepest tactical instincts.

"Sarah Miller," I answered, my voice carefully modulated.

"Ms. Miller. This is Warden Higgins from the maximum-security federal penitentiary in Leavenworth," a gruff, deeply serious voice echoed through the speaker.

The blood instantly drained from my face. Leavenworth was where David was serving his twenty-year sentence.

"What is it, Warden?" I asked, gripping the edge of my desk, bracing for the worst possible news.

"I am calling to inform you of a significant security breach," the Warden stated, his voice laced with professional embarrassment and genuine concern. "During a massive, coordinated transport transfer this afternoon, several high-risk inmates managed to bypass the security protocols. I am deeply sorry to tell you this, Sarah, but David has escaped."

The room seemed to violently spin. The absolute terror I had spent years meticulously burying beneath layers of corporate power and security protocols instantly roared back to life. David was out. He was free, and he had promised in his burned letter that he would come for me.

"Are you absolutely certain?" I whispered, my voice trembling slightly.

"We have federal marshals sweeping the state, but he had external help. He vanished, Sarah," the Warden warned. "Given your history, the FBI is dispatching a protective detail to your location immediately. You need to lock down."