The first knock was no knock at all.
It was a crash, the brutal slam of an iron-booted heel against the rotted wooden door. The frame shuddered, hinges shrieking, and a cloud of dust cascaded down from the rafters. The sound echoed through the safehouse like a war-drum.
Evelyn gasped, clutching Leo tighter against her chest. She felt his body jolt at the noise, not with recognition but with animal panic. Her own pulse hammered so violently she thought her ribs might crack.
"Out the back!" Sofia's voice was the crack of a whip. She was already in motion, blade flashing free in a silver arc as she stepped before the door. Her stance was unshakable, the years of soldiering coiled in her every breath.
