What a story. You have such a great grasp of character development, suspense-building and the critical story arc, @samsmith1971. I was definitely hit with shock waves by the twist at the end!

The suspense right here really had me in its grip:

Then, in the stillness, he saw it... a shadow... ghostlike... moving swiftly through the trees on the dimly lit edge of the park. Unnerved, David's pulse quickened. He stifled a cough, his throat constricting with the dry night air. His eyes darted left to right. He reached into the bag, removed the gun, and loaded the magazine with the oversized bullets.

Eeks!

This story is actually a great example of how to handle violence without using blood, gore, or anything NSFW. Well done!