Chapter 2 - THE SOUND OF STEEL
The footsteps in the hallway were not those of a neighbor or a delivery person. They were measured, synchronized, and heavy—the sound of tactical boots striking the floor with rhythmic, military precision.
Ryan turned his head toward the door, his face draining of color. "What is this, Colonel? Who did you bring here?"
Colonel James Bennett did not look at the door. He did not look at Linda. He kept his eyes locked on Ryan, his expression shifting from a father’s grief to the terrifying, cold calculation of a man who had led battalions through the most dangerous zones on Earth.
"I didn't bring them," James said, his voice a low, gravelly vibration that seemed to make the very walls tremble. "I didn't need to. I only needed to see for myself."
The door swung open without a knock. Three men in civilian tactical gear—men who had served under James for twenty years—stepped into the small, cramped apartment. They didn't draw weapons; they didn't need to. Their presence alone filled the room with an atmosphere of absolute authority.
"Secure the perimeter," James ordered. His voice was no longer that of a concerned father; it was the voice of a Commander.
"No," Linda shrieked, her voice cracking as she tried to regain her composure. "You can't do this! This is a private residence! You have no right—"
"I have the right of a father whose daughter was being systematically destroyed by a coward," James interrupted, taking a step toward Ryan.
Ryan tried to retreat, but his back hit the dresser. He started to stammer, his hands trembling. "Sir, it was... she was being difficult, and the baby... it's just stress! Everyone has arguments! Emily, tell him! Tell him you were just being... being dramatic!"
I looked up at my father, my eyes swollen from weeks of crying. I felt a surge of strength that I hadn't possessed in months. "I wasn't dramatic, Ryan. I was terrified."
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James turned to me, his eyes softening for a fraction of a second, before turning back to Ryan with a look that promised a reckoning far beyond the laws of the civilian world.
"Get out," James said to Linda and Ryan. "You have five minutes to gather your personal belongings. If I see either of you near my daughter again, you will find out exactly what happens when you mistake a father’s patience for weakness."
