d the chaos unfold on the tablet in his lap. The screen showed a live feed

hrough Casimiro's earpiece.

ped bre

oor, weeping and clutching her knee. Her two hired go

center of the storm

y in the front. The one with the me

p, straight at C

een punched in the gut. The

se

t him from the mirror every morning. The shape of the brow, the stubborn s

warp, slowing d

"Casimiro! Help me! These monsters atta

nuckles white as he gripped the tablet. He watched as Casimiro, following silent orders, step

He held his ground, c

ered over the child, but the boy didn'

is voice a neutral vessel for the qu

bear," Blace said. His voice

little girl. She was clutching a dirty bear,

Archibald's chest. A

wrong

stroom door

ay from

r hair wild, water dripping from her chin. She saw the

Phantom waiting at the curb. The windows were tinted black, but she could feel a gaze from within, cold and heavy, pinning her in pl

d absolute, flo

iro and the kids, spreading her arms wide. "Tell

f she had screamed directly at him.

howed a soft, pampered socialite. This woman was thin, her clothes were wo

did she look at his car with such fear? And why did her terrified face stir a me

ing shallow and fast. She was looking at Casimiro, b

, trying to de-escalate. "Mr.

idn't hear it, but the microphone on his lapel picked it

ze. What did

ainst the wall. "She's insan

is hand outstretched. "Ma'am, p

He saw the fear in her eyes. H

, crude remote control he had assembled from a garage door opener.

slapped onto the front tire's valve stem during the fire panic-a device conta

Just a sudden, vi

y in under a second, the heavy car slamming down onto its rims with a metallic cru

amed at the sudden, violent noise and

ard in his seat by the su

, everyone w

hesitate. She

reamed to the