Julian had lost track of time.
The room had remained quiet since the wolf and the hunter left. No more questions. No more attempts at manipulation. The silence was almost worse than the interrogation had been.
He sat in the same chair, head leaning back against the wall, trying to keep his thoughts steady. The sedative had faded, but exhaustion remained.
At some point he heard footsteps somewhere beyond the door.
Then voices, not the calm, measured voices of interrogation. These were shorter. Sharper, something was wrong.
Julian straightened slowly in the chair, listening.
A loud noise echoed somewhere in the building.
It was not a gunshot.
It sounded heavier than that. Something breaking. Something collapsing.
Another sound followed a few seconds later.
This one was unmistakable, a scream.
Julian's stomach tightened.
More movement outside the room. Running now.
Someone shouted something down the hallway, but the words were unclear.
Another impact shook the wall.
