Are you kids okay?" Eagan asked as he walked into the storeroom to see the children huddled together, with a small and fierce girl standing protectively before them. "Who are you?" Samantha asked. "Are you one of those bad guys?" Eagan raised his hands slowly, daggers shimmering faintly in the dim light of the storeroom. "I'm not with them," he said calmly. "I’m here to help. Are you kids okay?" Samantha’s eyes narrowed, her grip on the broken chair leg tightening. “How do we know you’re not lying? The bad guys talk smooth too.” Eagan sighed inwardly, understanding the girl’s caution. “You’ve got guts, kid. But I just took out the guys outside, and you don’t have time to argue with me. Whatever is coming down this alley won’t care if you’re armed with a stick.” Samantha hesitated, her gaze flicking to the other children, who clung to one another. A boy whispered, “What if he’s telling the truth? What if he can save us?” The tension in Samantha’s posture eased slightly, though