The heavy click of a latch echoed from the darkness above.

Giovanni shoved me forward, his hand pressing firmly against my shoulder blade.

“Move,” he hissed.

I clutched Luca closer to my chest, his small, rapid breaths warm against my neck.

The steps were cold concrete, rough beneath my thin shoes.

Dr. Sullivan stumbled behind us, his heavy leather bag scraping against the wall.

“Quiet,” Giovanni whispered.

We descended into the dark, the air growing colder with every step.

Above us, the heavy steel door creaked open further.

The sound of heavy boots vibrated through the concrete frame of the stairwell.

I held my breath, trying to stifle the sound of my own racing heart.

Luca let out a soft, whimpering cry.

I quickly pressed my hand over his back, rocking him slightly as we hurried down.

His skin felt like a furnace through his cotton sleeper.

“We are almost there,” Giovanni muttered, his voice barely a breath.

We reached the bottom of the stairs, where a solid steel door blocked the way.

Giovanni reached out in the dark, his fingers finding a recessed keypad.