“Kayla, listen to me. Take Tommy. Walk outside. Right now. Don’t run. Don’t go upstairs. Don’t say anything out loud. Just go.” Her breath caught. “Mark, what’s happening?” “I’ll explain when I get there,” he said, voice trembling. “But you need to leave the house. Quietly. Now.”
The line clicked. Kayla’s hands shook violently as she scooped Tommy into her arms. She forced a smile for him even though her heart felt like it was punching through her ribs. “Hey, buddy,” she whispered, “we’re going outside for a minute, okay?” Tommy nodded sleepily, unaware of the terror tightening Kayla’s chest.