THE BREAKING POINT

The boom echoed through the tiny safe house as the door blasted inward. Wood fragments flew like shrapnel, and my heart raced at the sound of the door crashing against the wall. The first man to charge through the opening was immediately engaged by Marcus, who reacted instantly, his dagger gleaming in the low light.

"Remain motionless!" Marcus yelled above the commotion.

I knelt next to the cot where Ethan was lying and gripped the wrench until my knuckles were white. As the room burst into a haze of noise and bustle, my heart raced. The dark silhouettes of the soldiers filled the little room as they rushed in.

Marcus was outnumbered despite his lightning-fast movements and accurate blows. Marcus's knife sliced through the air as he parried a man's baton-wielding lunge. Marcus retreated as another man snatched a metal pipe and swung.