Footsteps in the corridor grew clearer.
Not just a small team.
The rhythm was dense.
Orderly.
Approaching at a speed that left little time to think.
Richard Blackwood stood in front of the door, his body slightly angled to block part of the entryway. Weapon raised, breathing steady.
Leonard Graves took the left side, leaning against the wall with an open line of fire. His gaze swept the corridor, measuring distance, estimating entry points.
Daniel was at the back, near a small panel beside the door. His hands moved quickly, trying to make sense of the makeshift system.
"We can partially close this door," he said softly. "Won't hold long, but enough to slow them down."
Richard nodded briefly.
"Do it."
Inside the room.
The child still sat.
But their demeanor had shifted.
The cables around them trembled more actively. Some even lifted slightly from the floor, as if responding to something only they understood.
Their gaze was no longer empty.
There was focus there.
