The silence of the bunker was suffocating, pressing against their ears and amplifying each heartbeat. It had been days since Brad's body had been removed, but the air still hung heavy with the reminder of violence. Outside, the wind howled, scraping against the reinforced steel like the claws of some unseen predator. The cold seeped in, a reminder of their fragile reality.
Claire paced the main room, the tension in her frame palpable. Her eyes, sharp and unblinking, flicked to every shadow that moved across the frosted windows. The glow of the security monitors lit Daniel's androgynous features, highlighting the tense lines carved into his otherwise serene expression. He worked in silence, fingers flying over the console as he checked and rechecked their defenses. The breach that allowed Brad in had made his paranoia spike, and he wasn't taking any chances.
