The children were not at school. They were not at home. Monica was frantic at the thought of Danny and Eric being missing. Where did they go? It was 7:30 pm on Wednesday, the day they usually got out early and went to Mrs. Frank's for what they called "playtime" before Monica got home from work. But Shelly Frank said they never arrived off the bus, and the Principal said they didn't arrive at school that morning, and Monica's husband, Max was notified. "That bastard," thought Monica. After 3 years of being absent, Max was still a contact for emergencies at the school, if Monica was in a meeting or traveling. But this time, this time, Monica thought, was different. Danny and Eric were 8 and 12, old enough to know that they should be in school, but young enough to miss their father enough to want to see him. Max, Danny, and Eric showed up on the news later that night on an Amber Alert; Monica and her mother pleading for their safety. Max had a horrible violent history and even though these were his children, he would do anything, just to get back at Monica for taking them away from him. Max was on parole for a violent felony in which he robbed a prostitute in San Antonio, then beat her until her face was no longer recognizable.