red . ▁ ▁Af raid ▁for ▁his ▁wife ▁Peg gy ▁and ▁ 1 4 - year - old ▁daughter ▁Nancy , ▁Bow den ▁takes ▁them ▁to ▁their ▁house bo at ▁in ▁the ▁Cape ▁F ear ▁region ▁of ▁North ▁Carolina . ▁In ▁an ▁attempt ▁to ▁trick ▁C ady , ▁Bow den ▁makes ▁it ▁seem ▁as ▁though ▁he ▁has ▁gone ▁to ▁Atlanta . ▁He ▁fully ▁expects ▁C ady ▁to ▁follow ▁his ▁wife ▁and ▁daughter , ▁and ▁he ▁plans ▁on ▁killing ▁C ady ▁to ▁end ▁the ▁battle . ▁On ▁a ▁dark ▁night , ▁Bow den ▁and ▁local ▁deput y ▁Ker se k ▁hide ▁in ▁the ▁sw amp ▁nearby , ▁but ▁C ady ▁real izes ▁that ▁Ker se k ▁is ▁there ▁and ▁d row ns ▁him , ▁leaving ▁no ▁evidence ▁of ▁a ▁struggle . ▁El ud ing ▁Bow den ▁and ▁setting ▁the ▁house bo at ▁ad rift ▁down ▁current , ▁C ady ▁first ▁attacks ▁Mrs . ▁Bow den ▁on ▁the ▁boat , ▁causing ▁Bow den ▁to ▁go ▁to ▁her ▁rescue . ▁Meanwhile , ▁C ady ▁sw ims ▁back ▁to ▁shore ▁to ▁attack ▁Nancy . ▁Bow den ▁real izes ▁what ▁has ▁happened , ▁and ▁also ▁sw ims ▁ash ore . ▁ ▁The ▁two ▁men ▁eng age ▁in ▁a ▁final ▁fight ▁on ▁the ▁river bank . ▁Bow den ▁man ages ▁to ▁reach ▁his ▁gun , ▁which ▁he ▁had ▁dropped , ▁and ▁sho ots ▁C ady , ▁w ounding ▁and ▁dis abling ▁him . ▁C ady ▁tells ▁Bow den , ▁" Fin ish ▁the ▁job ," ▁but ▁Bow den ▁dec