Zephany and Kendrick slowly looked around.
Every angle was blocked. Every path sealed. The ring of armed men stood too close, too disciplined, their fingers steady on the triggers. There was no gap to exploit, no blind spot to rush through. Even if they moved at full speed, even if they dodged the first wave of bullets, the result would be the same.
Someone else would be hit.
Cassius. Dr. Farah. Reynold. Jeric. Sophia. Brent.
That was the cruel certainty pressing down on them.
Zephany clenched her fists, her jaw tightening as the realization settled in. Speed meant nothing when it would only turn the people she cared about into targets. Kendrick felt it too. The calculation ran through his mind in a split second, sharp and merciless.
This was not a battle they could win.
Slowly, reluctantly, they let their hands fall to their sides.
The Chief noticed immediately.
