After a couple minutes, Nick had what he wanted. A plain black pistol, Beretta, model 84 Cheetah. His father had been shot and killed by burglars years ago, and a year ago, thoughts of self-defense and protecting his family had plagued Nick. He had purchased the Beretta, and trained thoroughly in its use. A compact model, only about seven inches in length, and weighing only about a pound and a half, it was a decent handgun for self-defense.

A large thump downstairs startled Nick from his thoughts. He breathed in heavily as he loaded the full magazine into the grip. Training at the shooting range was much different then shooting an actual man, intruder or not. He breathed in and out slowly, nodded to himself and stood up.

Nick looked to the doorway nervously. Jenna should have been back with Nikki by now. He stepped to the window and looked down. The large man was no longer outside. He glanced farther away from the house, and his mouth dropped. There were two more men behind the white fence, headed this way. They would be on the house in moments.

Nick heard footsteps out in the hall and turned his head, only to see a large figure walk past the doorway. The next door down the hall was Nikki's.

Jenna opened the door, holding Nikki's hand, only to come face to face with a man who was not her husband. She gasped, and they both just stood there, shocked by the sudden revelation of the other. Then, Jenna did the only thing she could think of.

She kneed him in the nuts and didn't wait to see his reaction, slamming the door and locking it shut immediately. A furious pounding arose from the other side of the door, surprising her. She had nailed him pretty good and had hoped he'd be down for a few minutes at lest. Jenna prayed the door would hold though she could hear it cracking and the wood splintering.

“Mommy, who was that?” Nikki whimpered, obviously scared.

“Quick, honey, get on your bed.” Jenna replied gently pushing the girl away from the door. The rapid-fire pounding had stopped, but something worse had replaced. Slower, but louder thumps that made the door itself shudder. The man was throwing himself at the door, and at the rate he was going, he would be through in a matter of minutes.