Since no one had been hurt, I thought that was the end of it.

Again, I was wrong.

The next morning, my phone rang while I was off work. I almost didn’t answer.

Then I saw the school’s number, and something in my chest tightened.

“Hello?”

“Sarah?” It was Principal Harris. “You need to come to the school. Now.”

Her voice sounded shaken.

My stomach dropped.

“Is Leo okay?”

There was a pause.

“There are men here asking for him,” Harris said, her voice unsteady.

“What kind of men?”

“They didn’t say much, Sarah. Just… please come quickly.”

The call ended.

I didn’t hesitate. I grabbed my keys and left.

My hands wouldn’t stop shaking on the steering wheel. Every possible outcome ran through my mind, and none of them were good.

By the time I pulled into the parking lot, my heart was racing too fast to think clearly.

I walked straight to the principal’s office and froze.

Five men stood in a line outside, dressed in military uniforms. Still. Focused. Composed, like they were waiting for something important.

Harris stepped out and leaned toward me the moment she saw me.

“They’ve been here for 20 minutes,” she whispered. “They say it’s connected to what Leo did for Sam.”