THE UNEXPECTED GUEST

r. Claire dozed and woke fitfully on the sofa while Thomas Gray paced the kitchen, the revolver never more than an arm's length away. The brass bell sat at the center of the table, the silent epicent

y, Thomas finally spoke up, "We can't s

ed for. He wasn't reckless, he always left escape routes, there's a safehouse in the hills, we'll

ew a thick book bound in cracked leather, its edges worn, its spine threatening collapse. He laid it on the table, Nyra reached for it, the cover smelled faintly of seawater and old smoke. Inside, the pages were filled with Henry's handwriting, lists of names, coded notations, sums of money, dates stretching back nearly a decade. Some names she recognized, politicians, merchants, even a magistrate, others meant nothing to her but were written with underlines, as though dangerous secrets pulsed beneath the ink, "It's everything," Thomas said quietly, "Proof of their trades, stolen relics, contraband, even human ca

homas could stop her. There he stood, gaunt, disheveled, bu

torn between fury and longing, "You've brought danger to my doorstep, to Claire's, to Thomas's, how dare you claim it was for me?" The room fell silent. Henry looked down, "You're right, I have no excuse, only hope, hope that you might still stand with me." Thomas cleared his throat, breaking the tension, "We can debate morals later. Right now, survival comes first, If they track him here," Even as he spoke, glass shattered, the kitchen window burst inward, shards scattering like ice, a figure leapt through, knife glinting in the lamplight, Thomas fired, the shot deafening. The intruder collapsed, but more followed, three men forcing the front door, another crashing through the back, chaos erupted, Henry grabbed the ledger, shoving it into Nyra's arms, "Run!" Claire screamed as one of the men lunged toward her, Henry tackled him, fists flying, Thomas's revolver barked again, but he was outnumbered. Nyra clutched the ledger, heart pounding, she spotted the brass bell on the table. Without thinkin

ls," Thomas said, "The safehou

glass in her kitchen window but as she looked at Henry limping beside her, Claire's determined face, and Thomas guiding them with grim focus, she felt something else beneath the