June Summers

Whatever It Takes June Summers

What are the odds?

Gabe Wakefield is a thief burglarizing the immaculate home of Dr. and Mrs. Derrick Byrnes when he notices an odor coming from a closet. Inside he discovers an emaciated child clothed in dirty underwear lying in filth and excrement. He kidnaps the child.

Single, twenty-five, and working as a stocker in a local superstore, Gabe is challenged with how to deal with what he has done. He is hell-bent on bringing down the Byrnes. How is that possible when he just committed both a burglary and a kidnapping?



As Gabe entered the garage, the rancid odor that he thought he had detected from the kitchen instantly became overpowering, assaulting his nose. He also thought he heard a scratching noise. Damn! They weren't supposed to have a pet. Gabe tested the knob, but the door was locked. He wasn't sure if it was wise, but he grabbed the key from the nearby hook and unlocked the door.

Oh, my God! The stench was unbearable. He shone the light into the dark space. A filthy dog bed with shit and dried vomit lay in one corner. Directly inside were two rusty dog dishes, both green with fuzzy mold. Next to the doorway, was a small child scrunched in a fetal position and making soft, squeaky sounds. The kid was dressed only in a pair of filthy underwear with dirt, shit, and piss caked over his entire body. And the small body was so frail Gabe could almost make out every bone in his arms and legs through his paper thin, pale skin.

Gabe felt bile forming in his throat. Who the hell would keep a child in these conditions? Not even an animal should be treated like this.

What could he do? He was in the middle of robbing these scumbags; he couldn't call the police. He had to make a decision... He knew he wasn't thinking straight, but against his better judgement, he did what he had to do without regrets or second thoughts.