The air was tense and unnaturally still. When Wallace reached the end of the hallway, he pushed the door open — and froze.
Leo’s parents were sitting against the wall, their wrists bound, mouths taped. Standing beside them was a man with a glinting object in his hand, something sharp that caught the dim light.
The man jolted, startled, then dragged the mother closer, using her as a shield.
“Back off!” he barked, the edge of panic cutting through his voice.
For a breathless second, the world held still. Then, from behind Wallace, came a sound small enough to break any heart — a child’s trembling whisper.
“Please… don’t hurt my mom.”
Leo had followed, standing in the doorway, his tear-streaked face lit by the hall light. That brief distraction — that pure, terrified plea — was enough.
Wallace lunged forward, knocking the weapon from the intruder’s hand while Carter swept in to pull the mother clear. The struggle was over in seconds. The man was cuffed, the family freed.
Safe at Last
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