Daniel moved down the hall with the phone still warm in his hand, every step against the wood a test of his nerve. The officer’s words echoed in his head: Stay with your family. Don’t try to be a hero. But the thought of Claire and the boys trapped upstairs was unbearable.
At the top of the stairs, he paused, heart hammering. Below, the faint glow of the porch light spilled across the living room. A figure crouched near the drawers, rifling through them with frantic, jerky movements. The missing inmate. His jacket was torn, his face hollow, but his eyes glinted with desperate focus.