The candles had burned down to little more than stubs, leaving the sandbagged living room in soft, flickering shadows. Kane stayed in the armchair with the Mk18 across his lap, listening to the quiet. Outside, the wind had settled, but every so often a distant gunshot cracked through the dark. Inside, the house smelled like the simple meal they'd shared and the faint gun-oil scent that always clung to him.
Raven and Willow had finally dozed off on the couch, sharing the one spare blanket. Raven lay on her side, long black hair with silver streaks spilling across the cushion. Willow had curled up against her back, red curls loose and glasses left on the table. They breathed steady now, the kind of sleep that only came after everything had been too much.
A low crackle broke the silence. Kane's old battery-powered emergency radio sat on the side table, volume turned way down. The signal came through weak but clear enough.
"…repeat… Jade Voss… spreading word through the east-side crew… looking for her ex, Kane Harlan… says he's got supplies, a kid, and a safe house… wants him taken care of… calls him a danger… offers anything they want if they bring her the girl…"
Kane's hand tightened on the rifle. Jade. Using the radio like she was already part of some crew, feeding them lies for payback. The message looped again, faint and spiteful.
He clicked the radio off before it could repeat. The sudden silence felt heavier.
From his room, Liora's door creaked open. She stood there in the oversized Marine Corps T-shirt, messy auburn hair wild, hazel eyes wide and wet. "Daddy… I heard Mom's name."
Kane set the rifle aside and opened his arms. She crossed the room fast and climbed straight into his lap, small body pressing against his chest, trembling. "She hates us," Liora whispered, voice cracking. "She's telling people to come get me. Why does she hate us so much?"
He wrapped both arms around her, one hand rubbing slow circles on her back. "She doesn't hate you. She's just mad at me. Always has been. But she can't touch you here. Not with these walls and me in them."
Raven stirred first. She sat up carefully, wincing at the pull on her bandaged side, and rubbed her eyes. "Um… is everything okay?" she asked, voice sleepy and soft. "We heard the radio too."
Willow woke right after, pushing herself up and reaching for her glasses. She slid them on, green eyes blinking behind the lenses. "Was that… your ex? On the radio?"
Kane nodded once, keeping his arms around Liora. "Yeah. Jade. My ex-wife. She's out there stirring up trouble. Telling people I've got supplies and a kid worth taking."
Liora buried her face against his neck, small shoulders shaking. "I don't want her to find us. I don't want any of them to find us."
Raven scooted closer on the couch. "Hey… it's okay. Your dad's here. We're all here. Nobody's getting in."
Willow leaned in on the other side, her voice quiet. "We can help watch too. If you want. We're good at staying quiet and listening."
Liora stiffened in Kane's lap. She lifted her head, hazel eyes flashing with that blunt nine-year-old honesty. "I don't need you to help. I just need my dad." She turned her face back into his chest, arms wrapping tighter around his neck. "They're not my family. You are."
The words hung there. Raven pulled back a little, dark eyes dropping to the floor. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "We didn't mean to… we just wanted to make it better."
Willow sat back, adjusting her glasses. "We get it. She's your daughter. We're just… the girls you saved. We won't push."
Kane rubbed Liora's back, voice low and steady. "It's late. Everybody needs sleep. Liora, you're staying right here with me tonight." He looked at the girls. "Couch is still yours. We'll talk more in the morning."
Raven nodded, silver-streaked hair falling across her face as she lay back down. Willow curled up beside her again, the two of them huddling under the blanket like they had before.
Liora stayed in Kane's lap a long time, breathing slowing as she finally drifted off. He held her there, one hand on the rifle, the other on her small back, listening to the three of them breathe in the dark.
The radio message kept playing in his head. Jade wasn't done. She'd keep sending people. The city was turning into a kill box—gangs forming, supplies running out, people turning on each other faster than he could clear a room.
He looked at the two girls on the couch, then down at his daughter asleep against his chest.
Denver's done. We ghost at first light. Head west. The cache is waiting.
The house stayed quiet except for the occasional far-off shot. Four people breathing together, but only one decision left to make.
They were leaving.