Eric hurried toward Ruth's room without bothering to put on clothes. He forcefully kicked the door wide open and found a dark figure standing next to the bed. The intruder clutched the blanket, gazing emptily at the pillow, which bore three gunshot holes.

The intruder, however, reacted swiftly. As Eric kicked open the door, the intruder aimed the gun at the entrance, firing three shots.

Recognizing the intruder's armed and trained status, Eric had strategically taken cover behind the wall befo