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I had been home, late in the evening, sipping at my third or fourth drink. My wife of sixteen years was working the overnight nursing shift at the hospital. My fourteen-year-old daughter, Aubrey, had just gone upstairs to bed.

I was startled by a movement out of the corner of my eye. Suddenly, standing in my living room was the figure of a man. He must of come in through the garage door I had left open, and then on in through the kitchen.

Although it was a warm spring evening, the intruder was dressed in dark clothes, long sleeved, and was wearing a ski mask. In his hand he held a rather heavy handgun. He didn't point it at me – in fact, he simply stood there rather nonchalantly.

But one thing I can tell you. The instant I saw him I knew he would get what ever he wanted form our home that evening.

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"Wake-up honey. Aubrey, wake up."

"Huh, Dad? What's the matter? What time is it?"

"Hush, honey, listen to me. I don't want you to be afraid. Listen to me carefully."

"Dad, what is it?"

"Shh, just listen. We're not alone. In a second, the bedroom light is going to turn on, and you'll see there's another man in here. I don't want you to scream. He says that if we cooperate, nobody will get hurt. OK?" Her adorable eyes, which I could see well enough in the dim light, widened appreciably. She nodded silently.

Seeing this from his post, the intruder flipped on Aubrey's bedroom light.

Aubrey gasped, but bless her heart, she didn't scream. The intruder brandished the threat in his hand, but didn't point it directly at either of us. Quietly, my brave little girl spoke.

"What does he want, Daddy?"

"I need you to be really brave, sweetheart. He wants...he wants to...he wants to have sex with you. Do you know what that means?"

"What! Daddy, do something. I know what sex is. And I know what rape is! Daddy, don't let him do it!"

"Oh, Aubrey, I wish I could. But he's made it very clear. If we cooperate, we live. If we don't, we die." ......(cont)