Then, the curtain in the side window of unit 204 twitched.

A hand reached out, pushing the glass pane upward from the inside.

“Stop her!” Marisol yelled, her voice cutting through the sudden chaos of the room.

Arispe twisted Stephanie’s arm back, pulling her away from the kitchen island with a sharp jerk.

She stumbled, her silk robe catching on the corner of a barstool as she cried out in pain.

“I didn’t do anything!” she screamed, her voice cracking as she tried to pull free. “It was an accident!”

The red progress bar on the silver screen was already at ten percent.

My heart hammered against my ribs, the skin of my chest feeling tight and hot under my clothes.

“The blue cable,” I said, my voice rising in panic as I pointed at the island. “Unplug the hard drive!”

Arispe didn’t hesitate.

He reached across the granite counter and snatched the thick blue USB cord, ripping it out of the side of the laptop.

A sharp electronic beep echoed through the quiet kitchen.

The screen of the laptop flickered, the red progress bar freezing at twelve percent.