“Mia,” I said, my voice low and sharp, forcing her to look at me. Her eyes were wide, her chest rising and falling too fast. “Listen carefully to what I’m about to say right now.”
She nodded, trembling.
“I think we’re being attacked by a sniper,” I continued, pointing quickly at the row of nearby houses. “See that building—twelve o’clock? That’s where he’s set up. The distance between us and the door is a death sentence if we run blindly. But if we time it right…” I let the words hang heavy.
She swallowed hard.
“We’ll have only a few seconds. If we don’t make it before the time runs out—” I paused, “—we might really lose our heads.”
Her hand clutched mine tighter.
“I’ll make the distraction first,” I whispered. “When I count, you don’t think—you run. Do you understand?”
Her lips par
