Luca whimpered, but Liana remained quiet, her small fist clutching the edge of her blanket.

“Go!” Dominic roared.

He dragged his bleeding leg toward the pantry doorway, raising his weapon.

I turned and ran toward the back of the freezer room.

The air was freezing, smelling of stale grease and raw meat.

I found the iron latch of the old coal chute.

It was rusted shut, but my fingers found a heavy metal pipe on the floor.

I wedged the pipe under the latch and pried upward with all my strength.

The metal gave way with a loud, screeching scrape.

Behind me, the diner door burst open with a crash of splintered wood.

Shouts echoed through the kitchen.

“Where is he?” a voice yelled.

Then came the deafening roar of Dominic’s pistol.

The sound bounced off the tile walls, rattling my teeth.

I didn’t look back.

I pushed the heavy double carrier through the narrow chute first.

It slid down into the wet darkness of the side alley.

I scrambled after them, scraping my elbows against the rough brick walls.