The footsteps got louder.
No more guessing.
No more distance.
They were close.
Amara froze for a split second—
Then forced herself to move.
Fast.
Quiet.
Focused.
Her eyes scanned the room.
Broken shelves.
Dust.
Old furniture.
Nothing useful.
Nothing safe.
"No exits… no weapons…"
Her chest tightened.
Think.
Behind her, Jayden tried to push himself up again.
Failed.
His arm gave out and he dropped back slightly.
Breathing heavier now.
Vision fading in and out.
"Stop," Amara whispered urgently.
"You're not moving."
"They're coming…" he replied weakly.
"I know."
Her voice changed.
Not scared.
Not unsure.
Something else.
"Then let them come."
Jayden looked at her.
Confused.
Amara stood up slowly.
Eyes sharper now.
Mind locked in.
"If we run… we die tired."
She glanced toward the door.
"If we stay…"
A pause.
"…we control it."
Shadows passed the window.
Voices low.
Focused.
"They came this way."
"Check inside."
Amara moved quickly.
Dragged a broken shelf slightly—
Positioned it near the entrance.
Not blocking—
Just enough to disrupt.
Even in his condition—
He noticed it.
"She's thinking…"
The handle moved slightly.
A test.
Then stopped.
Everything paused.
The door creaked open.
Slow.
Careful.
A man stepped inside.
Gun low.
Eyes scanning.
Amara didn't wait.
Didn't hesitate.
The moment he stepped forward—
She shoved the shelf hard.
It slammed into him—
Throwing him off balance.
Gun slipping slightly—
She rushed him.
Fast.
Unexpected.
Grabbed his arm—
Turned it—
The gun shifted—
Now between them—
He fought back immediately.
Stronger.
Heavier.
Adrenaline kicked in.
Fear turned into force.
She drove her knee forward—
Hard.
His grip loosened—
Just enough.
The gun.
Now in her hand.
"Yo—!"
Too late.
Amara raised the gun.
Hands shaking—
But steady enough.
"Don't," she said.
Voice low.
Sharp.
They didn't expect that.
Didn't expect her.
The second man paused.
Hands slightly raised.
"Relax—"
"I said don't move."
From the ground—
Through blurred vision—
He saw her.
Standing there.
Fighting.
For him.
More footsteps.
More voices.
"They inside!"
Amara's breathing got faster.
She couldn't hold this long.
Too many.
"Amara…"
She didn't look back.
"I got it."
She didn't.
Not against all of them.
Dre stepped out of the car.
Eyes scanning instantly.
Locked in.
"They really made it this far…"
A pause.
"They not supposed to."
Voices.
Inside.
Tension.
He walked toward the entrance.
Slow.
Controlled.
Amara's grip tightened on the gun.
Her arms starting to shake now.
More shadows at the door.
More movement.
"Drop it," one of them said.
"You don't want this."
Because now—
She understood something.
This wasn't about what she wanted anymore…
It was about what she was willing to do.