The girls didn’t hesitate. The moment I told them to go, they moved—faces pale, bodies shaking, but with a flicker of hope in their eyes. They turned back briefly, tears shining under the dim streetlights.
“Thank you,” one of them whispered, her voice raw with emotion.
Another gave me a trembling nod before they disappeared into the night.
I let out a slow exhale, feeling the weight on my chest lift—only for it to come crashing down again.
A sharp screech of tires cut through the air.
My instincts flared.
I turned just in time to see a truck speeding toward me. The back doors swung open, revealing a masked gunman. A rifle gleamed under the streetlights.
Time slowed.
The gunman raised his weapon. My body tensed—I wasn’t sure if I could move fast enough. The gun fired.
But the bulle
