The second threat arrived without warning.
Denver’s earpiece chirped just after dusk. The ground team’s voice was tight. “Kane. We’ve got confirmed movement on the secondary access road. Two vehicles, no lights. They’re not circling this time. They’re coming in.”
Denver was already moving. He crossed the living room in three strides, grabbed Ryan by the arm, and pulled him toward the reinforced panic room at the back of the house. The space was small—barely large enough for a narrow cot, a steel door, and a wall of monitors. Denver shoved Ryan inside, locked the door, and killed the main lights. Outside, the first distant crack of gunfire rolled through the trees.
They stayed locked in for forty-one minutes.
When the all-clear finally came, the house felt different. Smaller. The air th
