Jane exhaled slowly, watching Karl as he double-checked the locks on the door. The tension in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. Layla remained close, her brows furrowed with worry.
Jane broke the silence first.
"We don't have much time." She sheathed her knife back into its hidden spot near the kitchen counter. "If Evelyn keeps pushing, it won't take long before the others get riled up. And once that happens..."
Karl rubbed his temples. "Yeah, I know. The whole building will turn on us."
Layla fidgeted, wrapping her arms around herself. "But why now? We've been careful. I mean, sure, they've probably smelled the food before, but no one's ever knocked on our door like this before."
Jane leaned against the counter, tapping her fingers restlessly. "It's the silence, Karl. Think about it. Every other apartment is filled with people starving, arguing, scavenging. The whole place reeks of desperation. Except for here."
