PROLOGUE
As I opened the door to step into the hallway, I heard a quick hush of voices and rustle of movement, and I hesitated.
“Step away from the door,” a harsh, unseen voice commanded me. My heart flapped furiously in my chest. This was not what I’d expected, not at all. “Can I come into the hallway?” I asked timidly.
Several rifles appeared, all trained on me. Other than the rifles, which seemed to glisten in the moonlight streaming in, the hallway was black, the men holding the rifles invisible. Bathed in deep shadow, their identities remained obscured, which made the moment all the more sinister. I hesitated, my breath catching in my throat, my lungs seizing up.
“Show your hands!” a voice demanded, and I put my now trembling hands into the air.
Motioning with their rifles, they directed me into the hallway . . .
Damn it, I thought. What the hell am I doing here, anyway?