But Brenner was already between us and the exit, the heavy iron bar swinging toward my head.

I threw myself to the floor, the cold concrete scraping my palms as the bar missed by inches.

The yellow light of the lamp flickered and died, plunging the warehouse into darkness.

In the dark, the sound of a struggle echoed from the center of the room.

“Lauren!” Ethan screamed.

A sudden shot rang out, the flash illuminating the empty space for a fraction of a second.

In the brief light, I saw Paul reaching for Lauren, his hand grabbing her arm.

And then, the sound of glass shattering above us filled the air.

The heavy skylight on the roof gave way under the weight of the snow, sending a shower of glass and white ice crashing down into the center of the room.

A cold wind rushed in through the opening, blowing the snow across the concrete floor.

I scrambled to my feet, my hands searching the dark for Mary or Lauren.

“Mary!” I called out.

No answer.

The wind howled through the broken roof, a relentless, freezing roar that drowned out every other sound.