The sound, raw and terror-stricken, tore through the muffled quiet of the alley like a shattering pane of glass. Linsy’s foot slammed on the brake instinctively, the sedan lurching to a halt that threw both her and Sarah against their seatbelts.

“What was that?” Sarah gasped, her eyes wide.

Linsy didn’t answer. Her gaze, sharp and focused, scanned the dim recesses of the alley ahead. There, huddled in a grimy cul-de-sac formed by overflowing dumpsters, was a group of men. Their hair ...