FREAK THE MIGHTY:  SUMMARY, CHAPTERS 14-20

Chapter 14.  Max visits Freak in the hospital. When Max gets home, he begins wrapping his Christmas presents as Grim and Gram argue about whether they should get a gun to protect themselves in case Max's father returns.

Chapter 15.  Gwen and Kevin join Max and his grandparents for Christmas Eve dinner. They each open the traditional one present; Max receives a pyramid-shaped box that folds out into a special dictionary of Kevin's favorite words. Max is so overwhelmed by Kevin's gift that he wonders if he will be able to sleep. But he awakes to a cool breeze blowing through the room--and his father, Killer Kane, pressing his hand against his mouth, telling him "I came back... Like I promised."

Chapter 16.  Killer Kane takes Max to the New Testament tenements, where they visit Iggy and Loretta Lee.

Chapter 17.  Iggy leads Max and his father to another apartment whose owner is out of town. Killer plans to hide out there for the night, promising Max that he did not murder his mother.

Chapter 18.  Loretta brings the Kanes some leftover pizza, which Killer does not appreciate. He wants to see Iggy, who did not come. Killer tells them that he has a plan to become a preacher in order to take money from people who think he is "a man of God." Killer ties Max up; Iggy comes to tell them that Kevin has visited him, looking for Max.

Chapter 19.  Killer and Max leave the apartment, trading it for a boarded-up apartment nearby. Killer takes Max into the basement, and ties him up, placing a torn piece of his shirt over his mouth. After Killer leaves, claiming to "see a man about a car," Loretta shows up, promising to release Max because "Keeping your own kid tied up, it ain't right." But before she can free Max, Killer returns and tries to strangle her.

Chapter 20.  As Max tries to help Loretta, he blurts out that he saw his father kill his mother. Killer decides he has to "clean this up and get out of here," so he begins to strangle his own son. But suddenly, they hear a voice that says "Put your hands up, villain." It is Kevin, holding a squirt gun. Kevin warns Killer that the squirt gun is filled with sulphuric acid, and then he "sprays him right in the eyes." As Killer screams in pain, the two boys try to escape. They make it outside, where Iggy helps him out of the basement. "There must be a million cops" waiting, and soon Killer is handcuffed. They find Loretta still breathing, and as Gram, Grim and Gwen arrive, Kevin gives a thumbs up, claiming that his mix of soap, vinegar and curry powder did the trick; and that "Freak the Mighty strikes again!"