Chapter 9
Elena closed the front door, threw the heavy deadbolt, and walked back to the kitchen to check her computer terminal. The cloud backup had completed successfully; the video, the technical logs, and Marcus’s documentation were safely archived in multiple remote servers across the country. She picked up her landline phone to call Marcus and apprise him of the latest developments, wanting to ensure her old friend was locked down securely for the night.
She dialed the number. It rang once, twice, three times—and then disconnected with a sharp, electronic beep, followed immediately by a continuous high-pitched busy signal. Frowning, she hung up and dialed his cellular number. Straight to voicemail.
A heavy knot formed in her stomach. Marcus lived just two blocks away, but in this quiet neighborhood, two blocks could feel like miles when you were cut off from reliable communication. She walked to her front window and peered out through the blinds. The streetlights flickered on, casting long, eerie shadows across the empty asphalt. Down the street, Marcus’s house was completely dark, save for a single amber porch light burning dully in the damp night air.
Elena grabbed her jacket, slipping her house keys and a small canister of pepper spray into her pocket. She couldn't shake the feeling that Arthur's associates hadn't just given up when they left her porch; they had pivoted their strategy. If they couldn't intimidate her into submission, they would go after the only other person who knew the truth about their operation.
She stepped out the back door, choosing to bypass the street and move through the darkened backyards where the tall wooden fences offered concealment from any passing vehicles. The night air was freezing, biting at her cheeks as she moved with quiet, practiced strides across the frost-covered grass.
May you like
When she reached Marcus’s property line, she noticed something was wrong immediately. The wooden back gate was standing wide open, its latch broken off clean from the post. The kitchen window on the ground floor had been shattered from the outside, glass sparkling like diamonds on the dark mulch below.
Elena drew in a sharp breath, her heart pounding against her ribs, but her mind remained ice-cold and focused. She crept forward, pressing her back against the exterior brick wall of Marcus’s house, and peered cautiously through the broken window frame into the dark kitchen beyond.
