Heath Hale aimed the tranquilizer gun at the tree, his voice sharp.
The local police officers scrambled to the scene.
As soon as they arrived, they saw the large pit in the middle of the clearing. They also saw a little boy with a red, flushed face, his hair and clothes covered in dirt, surrounded by two female officers.
Nearby, three boys stood with their heads bowed, watched over by a male officer. A shovel lay not far away.
With their experience, it didn't take them long to figure out what had happened.
The lead officer sucked in a sharp breath, not daring to imagine the uproar if the child hadn't been rescued.
"What's going on here?" the officer asked, jogging over to Zoe Sawyer and Sean Hughes.
Barry Quinn stepped forward, positioning himself in front of the officer. He pointed to the three silent boys and explained, "They were trying to bury this child alive. We caught them."
"Bury him alive?!" The officers behind him couldn't help but gasp, their expressions horrified.
