“He’s alive,” the officer said. “You did the right thing calling.” Then his expression tightened, the adrenaline still sharp in his voice. “But you were also told not to come in. You understand how bad this could’ve gone?” Sarah nodded, breathless. “We understand.” Eleanor managed a broken whisper. “I know.”
The officer exhaled hard, eyes flicking to the barn where more shouts echoed and metal screamed under bolt cutters. “We’ll be dealing with what’s in there all night,” he said. “And if you’d been hurt… we’d be scraping this place for you too.”