My husband, Ethan Caldwell, had been “away on a business trip” for two months.

The kitchen temperature seemed to plunge instantly.

“Casing the driveway?” Ethan stood up so fast his barstool tipped backward, hitting the tile floor with a loud crash. “How did they find us?”

“Your brother’s phone,” Detective Miller said, pointing a finger at Julian. “Even with the SIM card removed, high-end smartphones ping local cell towers when powered on. They tracked him here.”

“We have to get out of the house,” Julian said, his survival instincts kicking in as he tossed off the foil blanket. Despite his exhaustion, a hardened edge returned to his eyes—the shadow of the world he and Ethan had tried to escape.

“No one is going anywhere until my backup arrives,” Detective Miller warned, unholstering his service weapon and moving cautiously toward the front window to peer through the blinds. “There are at least four men out there. They’re getting out of the cars.”

Panic surged through the room. I thought of Lily sleeping soundly in the guest room upstairs.

“My daughter,” I gasped, turning toward the stairs. “We have to get her out of the house—”

“Clara, wait!” Ethan caught my arm, pulling me back. “If they’re surrounding the house, the front and back doors are compromised. Taking her outside right now puts her right in the line of fire.”

“Then what do we do? Just sit here and wait to be executed?” I snapped, tears streaming down my face.

Julian stepped forward, his expression resolute. He walked over to the kitchen utility drawer, pulled out a heavy flashlight, and handed it to Ethan. Then, he looked at Detective Miller.

“Officer, do you have a radio?” Julian asked.

“Yeah. Dispatch already knows we have a hostile perimeter, tactical units are ten minutes out,” Miller replied, keeping his eyes on the front yard.

“Ten minutes is too long,” Julian said grimly. “They carry suppressed firearms. Once they kick the back door in, everyone in this room dies.”

“What are you suggesting, Mr. Vance?” Miller asked, narrowing his eyes.

“I’m suggesting a distraction,” Julian said calmly. “They’re looking for me. They think I’m the one holding the remaining money. If I draw them away from the house toward the detached garage, it buys you, Ethan, and Clara enough time to get the little girl out through the basement storm cellar into the neighbor's yard.”

“No,” Ethan choked out, grabbing his brother’s arm. “Julian, no. You can’t go out there alone. They’ll kill you.”

“They’ve been trying to kill me for two months, little brother,” Julian said, offering Ethan a faint, weary smile. He reached out and squeezed Ethan’s shoulder. “Let me do something right for once in my life.”