The gates opened with a low, metallic groan — the sound of something forbidden finally slipping through.

I stood beside Carl on the porch, my palms hidden behind my back so he wouldn’t see how hard they trembled. The morning sun was bright enough to sting, but the real burn was somewhere under my ribs — wild, impatient, impossible to cage.

They were here.

Two black cars rolled in, tires whispering against the gravel. My heartbeat fell in sync with every inch they covered toward the ...