The main touch screen flickered back to life.

A line of green code scrolled across the display.

*SYSTEM RESTORED UNDER USER: CLAIRE CALDWELL.*

Vanessa gasped.

“That’s impossible,” Julian muttered, stepping closer to the screen. “We deleted her profile.”

The screen showed a green progress bar.

*REVOKING ALL SECONDARY ACCESS.*

*USER: VANESSA CALDWELL – ACCESS DENIED.*

*USER: JULIAN VANCE – ACCESS DENIED.*

The heavy deadbolts on the front doors clicked into place, sealing them inside.

A quiet chime sounded from Nathan’s phone in his pocket.

He pulled it out.

His screen lit up with a directory of video files that began to play automatically.

I stood in the shadow of the pantry door, holding my breath so they would not notice me.

My hands were cold, wrapping tighter around the bottle of warm milk I had prepared for Sophie.

Vanessa lunged at the wall panel, her manicured nails scraping against the glass screen.

“Get it back, Julian!” she shrieked, her voice cracking in the dim blue emergency light.

“Override it right now!”

Julian tapped his phone screen furiously, his face pale under the glowing interface.