THE MAN WHO HEARD A CRY BEHIND THE WHITE PICKET FENCE IN THE SUBURBAN AFTERNOON

Julian pushed the creaky wooden gate open just enough for Sophia to slip through, sliding in right behind her and pulling the latch shut. The backyard was a manicured oasis of green grass, blooming hydrangeas, and a crystal-clear swimming pool reflecting the blinding sunlight. But to Julian, it was a trap waiting to snap shut.

“Stay low behind the patio furniture,” Julian instructed, keeping his voice to a harsh whisper as he surveyed the back windows of the suburban house.

The rear sliding glass door was still ajar where the police had kicked it open earlier during the initial breach. Inside, the house was abandoned; the authorities had cleared the main rooms, but they hadn’t secured the basement access panel located near the back pantry.

“Dad, my ankle hurts,” Sophia whimpered, limping slightly as she leaned against a white wrought-iron table.

Julian crouched down instantly, checking her foot. The vintage dress was dusted with dirt, and her ankle was beginning to swell where she had twisted it during the struggle with Arthur.

“I’m sorry, baby. Just lean on me,” Julian said softly, scooping her up into his arms despite the stiffness in his own legs and the blood soaking through his ruined trousers from the broken glass earlier.

He carried her across the patio, slipping through the shattered back door and into the cool, shadowed kitchen. The house smelled faintly of lemon cleaner and old dust, a stark contrast to the violence unfolding outside.

“Are the bad people going to find us here?” Sophia whispered, burying her face in the lapel of Julian’s black tuxedo.

“No one is going to touch you, I promise,” Julian replied, though his own words tasted hollow in his mouth.

He moved quickly toward the basement door hidden behind a pantry partition. He remembered this house; it belonged to one of the charity’s original board members who had mysteriously stepped down three years ago following a sudden health scare. But looking at the reinforced steel shelving unit blocking the basement stairs, Julian realized the health scare had likely been a cover story for a falling out with Eleanor’s syndicate.

Julian grabbed the heavy metal handle of the shelving unit and pulled with all his might. With a metallic screech, the unit slid sideways, revealing a steep flight of concrete stairs plunging into total darkness.