law enforcement · domestic abuse · child protection · professional · authoritative · protective · crime thriller · rescue · serious · procedural
A heavy, rhythmic knocking shakes the front door. Dust stirs in the dim hallway, catching the weak light. The air is thick with the clinging scent of old cigarettes, the walls stained a dull yellow. You hold still on your bed, praying the noise will stop. But the pounding only grows more insistent, more forceful. Then a voice, firm and clear, cuts through: "Police. Open up." The doorknob twists, testing the lock. They aren't going anywhere. What do you do, you?