A sudden loud noise echoed through the hallway.
Bang.
Then another.
Bang!
Adam's head lifted immediately.
Aria sat up on the bed. "What was that?"
Outside the room, voices began shouting. Footsteps rushed past the door.
Something was definitely wrong.
Aria quietly moved closer to the door and pressed her ear against it.
For a few seconds, she listened.
Then her eyes widened slightly.
She turned back toward Adam.
"Look," she whispered, "the men have gone crazy."
Adam stood up slowly.
More shouting erupted outside.
"Move! Move!" someone yelled.
Another voice shouted back, full of panic.
"This wasn't the plan!"
A loud crash followed, like something heavy being knocked over.
Aria stepped away from the door.
"…Okay, that's not normal."
Adam walked over and listened carefully.
The voices weren't controlled anymore.
They sounded frantic.
Fearful.
Unstable.
Which meant something had changed.
"What do you think happened?" Aria asked quietly.
Adam didn't answer immediately.
Then—
A gunshot echoed down the hallway.
BANG.
Both of them froze.
A few seconds later, someone screamed.
Aria's expression hardened.
"…That definitely wasn't part of their calm kidnapping strategy."
Adam's eyes narrowed.
If the people running this place were losing control…
That meant their plan had broken somewhere.
And when plans broke—
Opportunities appeared.
He stepped back from the door.
Aria crossed her arms.
"Tell me you're not thinking about using this chaos."
Adam looked at her.
"I'm observing."
Aria groaned.
"That's code for 'I'm absolutely going to use this chaos.'"
Another loud shout echoed outside.
More running footsteps.
The situation in the hallway was getting worse by the second.
Adam glanced toward the small barred window.
Then back at the door.
Then at the ceiling vent.
Aria noticed the way his eyes were moving.
"…Adam."
He didn't respond.
She sighed.
"I knew it."
Adam finally spoke.
"Something disrupted their plan."
Aria raised an eyebrow.
"And?"
A faint spark appeared in Adam's eyes.
"And chaos creates openings."
Aria stared at him for a long moment.
Then she muttered,
"…I really should have stayed on that train."