"In here!" I shouted, voice bouncing off the walls. "Everyone. Now."
Sherry moved first, quick pivot, shoulder brushing the frame as she slipped through. The rest followed in a tight, wordless flow: bodies low, elbows tucked, no questions, just the pure mechanical efficiency of people running on instinct and trust. Sinn peeled away last from his firing position, rifle swinging down as he backed through.
I grabbed the door's edge, muscles straining, and hauled it shut. The thick slab met the frame with a deep, resonant boom. I slammed the heavy bolts home, one, two, three, each lock clanging into place like final punctuation.
The outside roar of moans dropped instantly. Not gone, but muffled into a low, constant vibration that traveled through the floor and up into the bones of our legs. We knew they were still there. We just no longer heard the wet details.
