The Philadelphia air that night felt like blades of ice slicing through Scarlett's lungs every time she drew a breath. She did not know where that strength came from, but the moment the flash grenade exploded and flooded the warehouse with chaotic light, Scarlett did not wait for Jonathan or the tactical team to reach her. Her primal instinct, the instinct of prey long cornered, took over. She jerked her hands free from the plastic ties, ignoring the searing pain in her wrists, and ran toward the side door that stood wide open.
She did not look back. She did not dare to look back.
Behind her, Joshua's furious shouts and the pounding of heavy footsteps echoed against the brick walls. The industrial warehouse complex was a maze of darkness. There were no streetlights, only towering shadows cast by old buildings that loomed like ancient monsters at rest.
"Scarlett! Stop, you ungrateful child!" Joshua's roar tore through the silence of the night, growing closer.
