The echo of the gunshots was still ringing when Aaron ducked instinctively, adrenaline surging through his veins. His phone slipped from his hand, bouncing once against the polished floor before landing near his foot. His breath was shallow, and his heart raced as he crouched in the small corner just outside the main auction hall, shielded for the moment from view.

“Aaron? Aaron?! What was that sound? What is going on?” his mother’s voice cried from the phone’s speaker—shaken, ...