"No, don't hurt them," Arthur cried out, lunging for the phone in a desperate attempt to protect his family. But before his fingers could touch the device, Silas swung the back of the gun into his face with brutal force.
The sharp crack of metal against bone echoed in the room, and Arthur fell backward, crumpling to the floor. Pain shot through his jaw as the bitter, metallic taste of blood filled his mouth. However, he could barely register the pain. It was the fear—the dread of losing his wife and daughter—that twisted like a knife in his gut.
"Papa…" His daughter's small, trembling voice came through the phone. Hearing her cry out for him broke something deep inside Arthur. His heart shattered into pieces.
"Silas, I'm begging you," he choked out. "Let them go. They're innocent… They've done nothing wrong."
