Chapter 4 - Darkness swallowed the house.Claire felt Adrian's arm around Lily.

“Stay behind me.”

His voice had changed.

The warmth was gone.

Only command remained.

He moved through the bedroom with frightening precision.

Claire heard another shot downstairs.

Then a body hit the floor.

Marcus shouted.

“East entrance!”

Adrian opened the hidden panel beneath the bookshelf.

Claire stared.

A passage.

Inside his own house.

He looked at her.

“Take Lily.”

“What about you?”

“I'll follow.”

“No.”

Claire surprised herself.

Adrian did too.

“If you leave me here, I'm coming back.”

His gaze locked onto hers.

“Claire.”

“I won't leave you.”

For one second, something passed between them.

Then Lily tugged his sleeve.

“Daddy.”

Adrian nodded.

“Go.”

The passage was narrow.

Claire carried Lily while Adrian followed with his gun raised.

They moved through darkness.

Lily buried her face against Claire's shoulder.

“Where are we going?”

“Somewhere safe.”

“Is Daddy coming?”

“Yes.”

Adrian glanced at Claire.

“I'm right behind you.”

They reached the underground safe room.

Adrian opened the steel door.

Claire took Lily inside.

Then Adrian froze.

A tiny red light blinked on the wall.

Claire noticed it.

“What is that?”

Adrian's expression changed.

“A camera.”

Lily whispered:

“Someone is watching us?”

Adrian ripped the device from the wall.

The wire sparked.

Marcus's voice came through Adrian's earpiece.

“Sir.”

“Report.”

“One intruder down. Two escaped.”

“Any injuries?”

“Two guards.”

“Police?”

“On their way.”

Adrian looked at Claire.

“Stay here.”

Claire shook her head.

“I'm not a child.”

“You are if you're standing between bullets and your own life.”

She stepped closer.

“And you're what?”

Adrian stared.

“An idiot who thinks he has to protect everyone alone.”

For the first time, his face softened.

“Maybe.”

Then the safe-room door clicked.

Both turned.

Adrian raised his weapon.

The lock released.

The door opened.

No one stood outside.

A small envelope slid across the floor.

Claire looked at it.

Her name was written on the front.

CLAIRE BENNETT.

Adrian bent down and picked it up.

“Don't.”

He opened it.

Inside was a photograph.

Rebecca.

Alive.

Claire stared.

It was clearly recent.

Rebecca stood beside a car, wearing a dark coat.

On the back was a handwritten sentence.

YOU WERE TOLD SHE WAS DEAD.

Claire's heart stopped.

“Adrian.”

He didn't move.

Marcus entered.

“What happened?”

Adrian handed him the photograph.

Marcus went pale.

“That's impossible.”

Adrian looked at Claire.

“Apparently not.”

Then his phone rang.

Unknown number.

He answered.

A woman's voice whispered through the speaker.

“Adrian?”

He went rigid.

Claire heard it too.

It was soft.

Familiar.

Lily suddenly crawled out from behind Claire.

“Mommy?”

The voice on the phone answered.

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“Yes, baby.”

Lily screamed.