Zach flinches at the word and for a terrifying moment, Lynell thinks he’s going to lower the gun. Instead, he grips it tighter with both hands and says, “Then I have nothing to lose.”

As if in slow motion, Lynell watches Zach’s finger squeeze the trigger just as a deafening crack fills the room.

Lynell screams and scrambles to her feet. In a split second, Zach is on the floor, and Lynell drops to her knees next to him. She pushes a hand to the wound in his chest, blood bubbling up between her fingers.

Zach coughs and his eyes go unfocused. He doesn’t even get a chance to have a last word. He’s dead before Lynell can say his name.

Lynell hears Daniel yelling. There’s another gunshot and her chest caves in on itself. She imagines Daniel falling too and knows she won’t be able to handle it.

But a glance tells her it was Daniel who fired. His smoking gun is still raised, aimed at a spot past Lynell. Hair tickling her cheek, she turns her head to see the guard who killed Zach dropping to the floor with a bullet hole in the middle of his forehead.

Lynell doesn’t hear Daniel yelling at her to get up, to run. She doesn’t even hear the next gunshot and the shatter of glass as the window explodes. Her eyes find Eric, who hasn’t looked away from his son, lying dead in front of Lynell.

Eric’s mouth forms a word she can’t hear. Her mind is buzzing and her body thrums with panic and grief and anger.

In the corner of her eye, she sees movement. Daniel has crossed the room and is tugging Zoe out of the chair, saying something that makes her nod. She turns and runs to the shattered window, still holding Anna.

Daniel looks to Lynell and finally, sound returns.

“Lynell, get up!” he yells, taking a step toward her.

Eric turns, sees Daniel, then Zoe, who’s made it out of the window.

She shakes her head, knowing what’s going to happen before it does.

Eric pulls his own gun and barely aims before firing it.

Zoe falls.

Lynell screams again, struggling to stand. Zach’s blood feels hot and slippery against her skin, and she feels torn as she starts for Daniel, who has already turned to the window. He makes it first and she’s still too far away when strong arms circle her from behind.

The remaining guard holds her tight as she struggles. Daniel immediately turns from the window and raises his gun at the guard holding Lynell.

“Daniel!” She kicks and claws at the arms holding her, but the guard doesn’t flinch. The doors behind them fly open and more guards fill the room. Outside, Anna is sitting on the ground next to Zoe’s still body, crying.

“Danny!” Lynell yells. Daniel takes a step toward her, but she shakes her head as the guard drags her back. “Anna.”

A war rages in Daniel’s eyes. But with the arrival of new guards and the sound of Eric shouting orders to kill him and the child, he makes his decision.