Tera crouched low behind a tree, gripping the smooth surface of the rock in her hand. Her eyes were fixed on the house where Eric and Isaiah were trapped inside. She needed to create a distraction-something loud enough to draw the killers' attention, but not so much that it backfired on her. A quiet voice inside her head warned her to be careful. Every move mattered.
The plan was to cause a little noise-just enough to lure the killers out. She took a deep breath, eyeing the second-floor window on the far side of the house. The bushes below the window offered some cover, and if she aimed right, she could make it seem like someone was creeping outside.
Tera shifted her weight, lifting her arm back before launching the rock toward the window with all her strength.
CRASH!
The sound was deafening.
Tera froze. The rock hadn't just hit the window-it had smashed through it completely, sending glass raining down with a shattering explosion that echoed across the yard. The window was totaled, and the noise was much louder than she'd ever expected. Too loud. Panic surged through her chest.
"Shit," she whispered, her heart hammering in her chest. She hadn't meant to cause that much damage.
Inside the house, the killers reacted immediately. "What the hell was that?!" one of them shouted, his voice filled with alarm.
The other killer rushed toward the broken window, peering out suspiciously. "It came from over there! Someone's outside!"
Tera pressed her back against the tree, trying to steady her breathing. The noise had been louder than anticipated, but it was working. The killers were distracted. Now, it was up to Eric and Isaiah.
Eric and Isaiah had been holding their breath, waiting for the signal. The sudden, ear-splitting sound of shattering glass startled them both.
"That's it," Eric whispered urgently. "That's the distraction."
"Damn, that was loud," Isaiah muttered, glancing toward the basement stairs, listening as the killers upstairs scrambled to figure out what was happening.
The clatter of footsteps echoed from above. One of the killers stomped toward the door, barking orders. "Go check it out! Someone's screwing with us."
"I'm not going out there alone," the other killer growled, hesitant. "What if it's a trap?"
"I don't care-just figure it out!"
The moment the footsteps faded toward the front of the house, Eric and Isaiah knew this was their chance. Isaiah grabbed the wooden pole, gripping it tight, while Eric snatched up the heavy vase they'd stashed earlier.
Isaiah nodded, his expression tense but determined. "Ready?"
"Ready."
The killers' voices drifted down to them from upstairs, still arguing. Eric and Isaiah exchanged one last glance, then sprang into action.
One killer remained by the staircase, still grumbling to himself. "Fucking amateurs... breaking windows now?"
The other was closer to the front door, moving cautiously toward the source of the noise. The tension between them was palpable as they tried to figure out what had gone wrong.
