A voice cut through the lawn, sharp and practiced, loud enough to carry without turning into a shout. "Put your weapons down. Now."
Iyisha felt Malcolm's body tense beneath her, the shift subtle but unmistakable, his attention snapping outward as his eyes moved, tracking positions, doors, distance. He looked around once more, jaw tightening as calculations ran their course, then his gaze dropped to her.
He nodded.
Her chest clenched as she met his eyes. She nodded back, fear and frustration burning together as she loosened her grip on him just enough to let him move.
Malcolm lowered the shotgun slowly, deliberately, placing it on the floor where it could be seen, his movements calm despite the tension humming under his skin.
Others followed.
