The silence that followed was suffocating.

I could hear the faint click of a lighter outside.

“I’ll give you ten seconds,” Camille said.

I looked down at the triplets, who were still asleep, oblivious to the threat on the other side of the wall.

If I stayed inside, they would burn or cut through the door.

If I opened it, I would face her.

I reached for the manual override wheel on the inside of the door.

My hands were wet with sweat, slipping on the cold iron.

I braced my feet against the floor.

“Five,” Camille called out.

I took a deep breath, preparing myself for whatever lay on the other side.

I began to turn the wheel.

The heavy steel teeth of the lock began to disengage, grinding slowly in the dark.

The door cracked open, a sliver of yellow light cutting through the blackness of our hiding place.

I stepped through, pulling the door shut behind me so she couldn’t see the children.

The bright lights of the warehouse hallway made me squint.

Two men in black tactical gear stood behind Camille, their weapons pointed at my chest.