Ivy lifts her head sleepily against my arm. “What happened?”
No one answers her.
Another crash explodes through the building, much closer this time, followed by the sound of shouting somewhere outside near the loading area.
The few volunteers left nearest the hallway exchange frightened looks while the dogs lose their minds completely, barking hard enough to rattle the kennel doors. Then the lights cut out. Darkness swallows the shelter instantly. Someone screams.
My pulse slams painfully against my ribs while emergency backup lights flash overhead a second later, flooding the hallways with distorted red light that makes the entire building look wrong and twisted.
“What the hell?” one of the younger volunteers gasps.
“Back office,” Alexei orders immediately.
The tone of his voice turns my blood cold.
Irina grabs Ivy, pulling her close against her side. “Come with me.”
Everything starts happening too fast after that. Radios crackle violently outside while one of the guards shouts in Russian near the front entrance, and then gunfire erupts somewhere behind the building hard enough to tear straight through the shelter.
Ivy screams.
Panic detonates inside the lobby. One volunteer starts crying while another stumbles backward into the donation table, knocking supplies across the floor. Dogs bark hysterically from every direction while someone near the grooming room yells for help.
“What’s happening?” one of the volunteers cries.
“Oh my God!”
“Get down!”
Alexei grabs my arm hard enough to pull my full attention toward him. His eyes lock onto mine with terrifying intensity beneath the flashing red emergency lights.
“Stay inside,” he orders.
Irina disappears down the side hallway, carrying Ivy toward the staff offices while Viktor moves tightly beside them.
Alexei reaches down, pulling a weapon from an ankle holster beneath his slacks before disappearing toward the rear exit alongside Luka and two other guards.
And suddenly I understand. This isn’t suspicious phone calls, extra security lingering outside the shelter, or strange cars parked near my apartment anymore. This is real.
The remaining volunteers huddle together near the front desk, terrified.
“Maggie,” one of the girls whispers shakily, “what do we do?”
I force myself to breathe through the panic.
Move, Maggie.
“Take everybody into the laundry room,” I say immediately. “Lock the door and stay down until I come get you.”
“What about you?”
“I’ll be right behind you.”
That’s a lie. A complete lie. Because the second another scream echoes from the side hallway, my body moves before my brain fully catches up.
“Ivy.”
I take off running.
