Chapter 4 - The Visitor at Midnight
The heavy thud against the front door vibrated through the floorboards, shaking the teacups sitting on the entryway console. Daniel froze, his hand still inches from the open wall panel. Clara scrambled to her feet with surprising speed, her face draining of all remaining color as she looked toward the darkened foyer.
"Don't answer it," Clara hissed, grabbing Daniel's forearm with a grip that felt like a vise. "If they're here, it means the firewall protocol failed when Lily walked into the hallway."
Daniel pulled his arm away with a sharp twist. "I live in this house, Clara. I am not hiding in my own hallway."
He strode past the living room archway, his dark blazer swishing against his thighs. The hallway was quiet, save for the faint hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen where Lily had presumably retreated. Another double knock rattled the brass knocker, louder this time, demanding entrance with an arrogant authority that made Daniel’s jaw tighten.
He reached out, gripped the cold brass handle, and threw the heavy oak door wide open.
A tall man in a charcoal trench coat stood on the porch, illuminated by the harsh amber glow of the motion-sensor floodlight. He wore rimless glasses that reflected the porch light, hiding his eyes in deep shadow. In his right hand, he held a sleek black leather briefcase with a biometric lock.
"Mr. Reynolds," the man said, his voice smooth and devoid of any regional accent. "I am Agent Vance. I believe my organization has been leasing bandwidth through your northern pillar."
Daniel blocked the threshold, his shoulders squaring off against the intruder. "You're standing on my property. You have five seconds to explain why your equipment is wired into my living room walls before I call the local police."
Agent Vance offered a thin, humorless smile that did not reach his eyes. He reached into his coat pocket with agonizing slowness. "The local police department received a jurisdiction transfer order forty seconds ago, Mr. Reynolds. As for your wife, she can tell you that dialing 911 will only route your call to a secure server in Virginia."
Clara appeared behind Daniel, her hand gripping the doorframe for support. "Vance," she breathed, her voice trembling. "You said we had another twelve months before the audit."
May you like
Vance stepped past Daniel without waiting for an invitation, his heavy leather shoes clicking against the hardwood. "Audits move forward when subjects start asking questions, Mrs. Reynolds. And your husband has always asked too many questions."
---
