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Declan was steering me down the hall. He lifted his radio.

“Taking Hazel to her room.”

Dad’s answer came immediately. “Copy.”

I looked at Declan. “Why my room?”

“Away from the acreage,” he said.

Right.

My room faced the Bishops. Away from the woods. Bars over the windows.

For once, switching rooms years ago felt like a stroke of genius instead of trauma.

A burst of radio static.

Then Micah. “No person at the south fence.”

Clayton spoke over him. “Something’s making noise in the brush.”

Dad answered, “Leave it until you can clear it from cover.”

“We are.”

Another crash. This one sounded almost like somebody hitting sheet metal.

Rook’s voice came in. “East camera’s gone too.”

Dad stopped somewhere.

I knew because his voice disappeared.

Then:

“Yesterday.”

Riot was breathing hard over the radio. “What?”

Dad’s answer came slower. Thinking while he spoke.

“Shit. He got us all off the property for several hours yesterday, during the search.”

My stomach dropped. Nobody answered immediately.

Yesterday.

Dozens of people in the woods.

Both families gone.

Our houses sitting here.

Empty.

Riot swore. “He set this up yesterday.”

Dad’s voice went hard. “This was the plan.”