The gunshot cracked through the warehouse like a lightning strike, a sound that shattered the fragile silence and sent a chill down the spine of everyone present.
Norma was on her feet before the echo faded, her chair toppling backward with a clatter that echoed ominously. “That’s our cue, sugar — they’ve started without us.”
Claire yanked her pistol free, her eyes narrowing. “It came from Madeline’s direction.”
Jorge lunged for the door, only to find it bolted from the outside. “Locked.”
Luis grabbed the back of a metal chair, swinging it hard at the knob. The clang reverberated through the room, but the lock held firm, mocking their urgency.
Joe was already sliding a pin out from under the face of his watch, his expression grim. “Move, I’ve got it.” He dropped to a crouch, the thin
