The tall burglar slumped to his knees, gathering his strength. His shirt was torn in several places, dark streaks of blood across his chest and arms, and faint bruises forming along his jawline and ribs. The calm burglar approached, expression controlled, hands slightly raised in caution.
"You able to move?" he asked quietly, his voice low and steady.
The tall burglar flexed his shoulders, wincing but forcing a grunt of affirmation. "Yeah... I'm fine. Just... a few cuts, a couple of stabs here and there," he said, deliberately downplaying the severity of the beating.
He wiped blood from his lip with the back of his hand, trying to appear composed. He couldn't let it be known that a woman had actually overpowered him. "She got lucky. That's all. Nothing more."
The calm burglar's eyes flicked toward him for a long moment, silently noting the injuries, but he didn't comment. He knew better than to contradict the tall burglar's pride—or ego—especially in front of the others.
Together, they made their way down the hall to the stairs, toward the dining area, where Amy and David sat, their bind hands tense on the table, and the leader of the operation stood, pacing like a predator sensing a disturbance.
The tall burglar entered first, leaning heavily on the calm burglar, who supported him silently. The leader's eyes immediately zeroed in on the sight: the tall burglar's shirt ripped in multiple places, blood staining his forearms, his face a little swollen and scratched.
"What the hell happened here?" the leader barked, stopping mid-step. His voice sliced through the room, cutting off any semblance of calm.
The calm burglar spoke, measured but firm. "There's a situation," he said, glancing at the tall burglar before continuing. "Jen... she's out of the room. She's somewhere in the house."
The leader froze for a heartbeat, processing the information. His lips curled downward, a dangerous fire lighting his eyes. "She's... what? How do you let a woman in her early thirties get the better of you? Tell me—how does that even happen?" His voice was low and deadly, each word heavy with fury.
The tall burglar's pride flared, and he straightened his shoulders despite the pain. "Like I said," he muttered, his voice tight. "She got lucky. That's all."
The leader's jaw clenched, and he slammed a fist against the table, rattling the plates and silverware.
"Lucky?" he spat. "There's no lucky here! We're professionals! We don't get outsmarted by civilians!"
The calm burglar stepped slightly forward, keeping his tone even, trying to diffuse the tension while not sounding weak. "She's fast, smart, and clearly willing to fight. We need to find her before she does more damage—or worse, finds a way to escape."
"What about the kids?" Amy interrupted
Leader looked at the calm and tall burglar waiting for a response
"They are asleep."assured the tall burglar
The leader's eyes narrowed, scanning the room as if assessing the situation. He gritted his teeth, muttering under his breath, then straightened abruptly. "Spread out. Now. Search the entire house. Every room. Every corner. I don't care what it takes, I want her found before she causes any more problems." His glare landed on Amy and David, icy and sharp. "You two stay put. Sit tight. Don't move. This is my problem to handle, and when I'm done, we finalize this transaction. Understood?"
Amy and David exchanged a quick glance, tension high, surprised by what they heard, but neither moved. David nodded slowly, keeping his hands on the table as if to reassure himself he wasn't going anywhere. Amy's jaw was tight, her knuckles white as pressed her hands closely together.
The calm burglar moved to the leader's side, ready to follow orders, while the tall burglar straightened as best he could, shaking off some of the pain. Pride and shame warred in his eyes. The woman hadn't just escaped—she had humiliated him. But now was not the time to dwell on that. They had orders: find her before she could act again.
The leader stepped toward the hallway, eyes blazing with controlled fury. "Move! And don't come back until you've found her. I don't care how long it takes. We end this tonight."
With that, the calm burglar , the huge and the tall burglar turned and disappeared down separate corridors, silently spreading out through the house.
The dining area remained tense and silent, Amy and David frozen in place, every creak of the floorboards outside making their hearts skip. Outside, the house seemed calm—but inside, the hunt had begun.