Chapter 16
The next night James walked into the great room to see the blinds still drawn, the blackout curtains closed, the room left in eerie shadows that echoed the darkness outside. Sarah sat on the sofa, her eyes darting from James to the front door to the window and back to James, a quiet but alert Grace in her arms. Olivia, Jennifer, and Chandresh stood along the wall glancing uneasily at each other while Timothy hovered close to Howard.
“Here’s James,” Sarah said. “Oversleeping as usual.”
She tried to smile but her lips quivered. James stopped midstep, his head tilted, listening until he made out the footsteps, the voices, and the clicking cameras outside.
“What is it?” he asked. No one answered. “Sarah, what’s wrong? Who’s outside?”
“Everyone,” Olivia said, the weariness weigh
