My four-year-old son called me at work, crying: “Dad, Mom’s boyfriend hit me with a baseball bat.” I was 20 minutes away…

“Right now.”

“I’m moving.”

He hung up before I could say anything else.

By 1:20 p.m., I was in my car with one phone connected to emergency dispatch and the other line waiting for Derek to call back.

I gave the dispatcher everything.

Noah’s full name.

His age.

Lena’s address.

The fact that Travis was an adult male.

The fact that a baseball bat was involved.

The fact that my son said he had been threatened if he cried.

The dispatcher kept her voice steady.

“Is the child breathing?”

“He was talking less than a minute ago,” I said. “Then the man took the phone.”

“Are you currently at the location?”

“No. I’m driving there. My brother is closer.”