Chapter 5 - Out the Back Door
""Boys, shoes on. Now,"" Clara whispered, her voice dropping into a register of authority the children had never heard before. Leo immediately recognized the danger; his eyes widened, but he obeyed without a word, slipping his sneakers on and helping his younger brother into his shoes.
Clara grabbed her purse, the boys' backpacks, and the small stash of cash. She didn't bother with coats or extra clothes. Every second spent packing was a second closer to a stranger knocking at the door.
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Through the frosted glass beside the front entrance, a heavy silhouette darkened the porch. The doorbell chimed once, followed by three sharp, demanding raps on the wood. Clara took Toby by the hand, motioning for Leo to stay pressed against her hip. They slipped silently down the hallway, into the kitchen, and through the mudroom leading to the back patio.
She unlocked the rear sliding door, sliding it open with agonizing slowness to prevent the metal track from squeaking. The damp backyard air hit them instantly. They scrambled down the wooden deck stairs, keeping beneath the height of the cedar fence. Behind them, the sharp sound of shattering glass tore through the quiet house—the front door had just been breached. Clara lifted Toby onto her hip and pushed open the rear garden gate, fleeing down the alley just as heavy footsteps thudded across their hardwood floors.
