Chapter 43: Calculated Distraction
Sophia stared at Adam, her eyes wide with a mixture of fear and confusion. He looked back at her for a fraction of a second, a silent acknowledgment passing between them.
Then, he turned and closed the bedroom door, leaving her and her family locked inside. He took the small paring knife from his waistband.
This time, he did not descend the stairs. He returned to his previous hiding spot on the landing, crouching behind the low wall that overlooked the staircase.
He closed his eyes again, focusing his enhanced senses, trying to pinpoint the assassins’ locations. This time, their movements were even quieter than before. He could hear almost nothing.
But he could feel a faint vibration through the floorboards, a subtle pressure in the air. They were directly below him, at the bottom of the stairs.
He took a deep breath. He knew this loop would not be as straightforward as the last. They had been surprised once. They would not be so careless again.
He waited. He knew he had to distract them, to create an opening. He had to force them to separate, to break their formation. He needed to finish this loop quickly and without any further casualties. The weight of that responsibility was a heavy burden.
He remained in his crouched position for several minutes, his mind racing through countless scenarios. Finally, he heard it. The faint creak of a single footstep on the bottom stair. They had decided to make their move. They were coming up.
He didn’t know if they would all come up the stairs together. He didn’t know if one of them was already trying to enter Anastasia’s room from the outside. But he had one assurance. They couldn’t get into Sophia’s room through the window. The house next door was too close. There was no other way up.
He heard another faint creak. They were ascending slowly, cautiously. He took a deep breath. He looked at the small paring knife in his left hand. He decided to use it as a distraction. He pulled his arm back and then, with a flick of his wrist, he threw the knife down the hallway towards Anastasia’s room.