Chapter 9
The predawn air was cool and thick with the heavy scent of dew-soaked grass as David slipped out the side garage door into the quiet shadows of the alley behind 428 Maple Street. The engine of the older sedan rumbled to life with a subdued purr, its headlights off as David navigated slowly along the gravel path, keeping the vehicle hidden beneath the sprawling branches of aged maples and oaks. True to their suspicions, a dark, unmarked sedan was parked three houses down near the main intersection, its silhouette barely visible in the dim streetlamp glow.
Inside the house, Sarah waited until the digital clock flipped to 4:15 AM. She wore a dark gray hoodie over her pink shirt, trading her bright loafers for worn running shoes. Slinging the canvas backpack securely over her shoulders, she unlocked the side kitchen door and wheeled her mountain bike out onto the soft grass, avoiding the paved driveway to keep the tires from crunching noisily on the gravel.
Her heart pounded in her throat as she pedaled silently toward the back of the property, where a narrow pedestrian trail wound its way through the dense municipal parkland toward the commuter rail station. The park was pitch black, illuminated only by the faint silver light of a waning moon filtering through the thick canopy of trees. Every rustle of leaves in the wind sounded like approaching footsteps, but Sarah kept her eyes fixed on the winding dirt path ahead, her legs pumping steadily against the pedals.
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Back on Maple Street, David watched through his rearview mirror as the dark unmarked sedan remained parked by the intersection, completely focused on the front of his house. They hadn’t noticed him slip out the back. He shifted the car into drive, rolling silently down the alleyway until he reached the cross street well out of sight of the watcher, finally turning on his headlights and heading toward the highway south.
The tension in the car was palpable, but as the suburban sprawl began to give way to rolling hills and open highway, David felt the first genuine breath of relief he had experienced all week. They were executing the plan, and Marcus was still playing a game against an empty house.
