Daniel heard the voice through the monitor and stopped cold.
“Thank you for bringing him outside.”
The speaker went silent.
Across the kitchen, his wife Emma held their newborn tightly against her chest.
Daniel’s mother, Ruth, stood near the back door.
For the first time since Daniel had pulled his son away from the pig enclosure, Ruth looked frightened.
Daniel turned toward her.
“Who was that?”
“I don’t know.”
“You looked at the camera outside.”
Ruth shook her head.
“I didn’t know anyone was watching.”
“You carried my son directly beneath it.”
“I take him outside every morning.”
Emma stared at her.
“No, you don’t.”
Ruth looked toward her.
Emma’s voice shook with anger.
“You’ve never taken him near that enclosure before.”
Ruth said nothing.
Daniel stepped between them.
“Mom, why did you take him there?”
Ruth’s expression hardened again.
“He needed to be cleansed.”
Emma’s face changed.
“Cleansed?”
Ruth looked at the baby.
“He came into this family carrying something that doesn’t belong here.”
Daniel slammed his hand against the table.
“He is three weeks old.”
Ruth flinched.
“He isn’t carrying anything.”
“You don’t understand.”
“Then explain it.”
Before Ruth could answer, a floorboard creaked in the hallway.
Daniel looked toward the kitchen door.
Someone was inside the farmhouse.
Emma immediately backed away with the baby.
Daniel lowered his voice.
“Upstairs. Lock yourselves in the bedroom.”
“No.”
“Emma.”
“I’m not leaving you down here with whoever just walked into our house.”
The baby began crying again.
Ruth whispered, “He’s here.”
Daniel turned toward her.
“You know who it is.”
“I know who I think it is.”
“Who?”
Another creak.
Closer.
Ruth’s eyes filled with tears.
“Your uncle.”
Daniel stared at her.
“I don’t have an uncle.”
“Yes, you do.”
The kitchen door opened.
A man stood in the hallway.
He appeared to be in his sixties, with a weathered face and mud on his boots.
Daniel didn’t recognize him.
But Ruth did.
“Samuel.”
The man looked at her.
“Hello, Ruth.”
Daniel moved in front of Emma.
“You have five seconds to get out of my house.”
Samuel lifted both hands.
“I didn’t come for the baby.”
Emma looked toward the monitor.
“Then who said that?”
Samuel’s expression changed.
“Said what?”
Daniel repeated the sentence.
Samuel went pale.
“That wasn’t me.”
Ruth shook her head.
“You told me you’d come.”
“I told you to get everyone away from the farm.”
Daniel looked between them.
“What is happening?”
Samuel stepped inside.
Daniel immediately moved toward him.
“Stay there.”
Samuel stopped.
“Fine.”
“Start talking.”
Samuel glanced toward the window.
“You need to leave this property.”
“Why?”
“Because somebody thinks your son belongs to them.”
Emma’s arms tightened around the baby.
Daniel stared at Samuel.
“Who?”
“I don’t know yet.”
“Wrong answer.”
“It’s the only answer I have.”
Daniel pointed at Ruth.
“Did you tell her to take him outside?”
“No.”
“Did you contact her?”
“Yes.”
“When?”
“Last night.”
Ruth looked confused.
“You called this morning.”
Samuel stared at her.
“No.”
Silence.
Daniel turned toward his mother.
“What exactly did the caller tell you?”
Ruth sat down.
“He said he was Samuel.”
“What did he want?”
“He said the old family promise had to be honored.”
Samuel’s expression hardened.
“What promise?”
Ruth looked at him.
“You know.”
“I don’t.”
“The first grandson.”
Samuel stared at her.
Then he understood.
“No.”
Ruth’s eyes filled with uncertainty.
“You told me—”
“I didn’t tell you anything.”
Daniel leaned over the table.
“What promise?”
Ruth covered her mouth.
Emma spoke sharply.
“Answer him.”
Ruth finally did.
“When your grandfather bought this farm, he didn’t have enough money.”
Daniel waited.
“A neighboring family helped him.”
“So?”
“There was an agreement.”
“What agreement?”
Ruth looked ashamed.
“It wasn’t legal. It was just something the families said.”
Samuel interrupted.
“It was nonsense
