[Lee gasps when the shot rings out, it's so loud against the near silent manor but more than that it's as if that single shot is the one that starts the race and suddenly plunges everything into chaos. Voices are yelling and feet are thundering above them as the squatters arm themselves and come for them.

'Keep your wits about you.' Ed's voice whispers, as if he were standing next to her and speaking in her ear and she pulls in a deep breath and socks the shotgun into her shoulder, holding it with arms she wills not to shake.

Alfred seems unaffected by the dead man on the stairs and begins to climb them with a sort of slow, single minded determination that is almost scary. The fireplace poker is held tightly in his hand, the muscles in his arm tense and poised.
Ready to strike.]

Alfred, watch out!

[She yells when a skinny, bald man comes suddenly launching out from the dark with a large knife in his hands. She pulls the trigger but her shot goes wild, hitting the ceiling and causing a puff of debris to rain down instead.]

Fuck!

[Alfred moves to meet the bald man instead of avoiding him, grabbing his wrist with a snarl and bending it so savagely Lee can hear the bones break from where she is standing. A second later there is the dull clang of the poker being struck across the man's face, he moans and sags against the wall and Alfred finishes him by wrapping one beefy arm around his neck and twisting it hard to one side.

Craaaaack.

It sounds like eggshells being broken and Lee knows she's never going to be able to eat breakfast again without hearing that sound.]