A car door slammed, and footsteps began to approach the main entrance.

My hand tightened on the grip of my pistol.

I stepped back into the deepest shadow of the corrugated metal wall.

The footsteps on the gravel grew louder, heavy and slow.

The beam of a flashlight swept across the wet ground just yards from my boots.

I held my breath, pressing my spine against the cold steel siding.

Through the gap in the door, I saw the main entrance creak open.

Sheriff Thomas Wade walked into the yellow light.

He wore his brown uniform jacket, the gold badge on his chest catching the dull glare.

“What the hell is going on here, Caleb?” Wade asked.

His voice was deep, gravelly, and entirely devoid of warmth.

Caleb jumped, nearly dropping the heavy iron flashlight.

“Sheriff,” Caleb stammered, wiping his brow with his sleeve. “She wouldn’t shut up. She was saying things.”

Wade walked over to Sophia, his boots thudding against the concrete.

He looked down at her, his face showing no emotion at all.

Sophia glared up at him through her swollen eye, spitting blood onto the floor near his boots.