Chapter 10: The Knock at the Door
Before anyone could process the full scope of the corporate conspiracy laid bare on the tablet screen, a sharp, heavy knock echoed through the house. It wasn't the friendly tap of a neighbor dropping by to return a borrowed lawnmower. It was three deliberate, authoritative strikes against the heavy wood of the front door.
The entire house seemed to hold its breath. In the living room, the television cartoon continued to play, its bright, cheerful audio providing a sickeningly surreal soundtrack to the sudden stillness in the den.
"Stay here," Thomas whispered, his voice dropping into the tone he used when ordering his crew to hold their positions during a dangerous interior attack. He turned and walked out of the den, his heavy boots making controlled, silent steps down the hallway.
Sarah grabbed Elena’s arm, her fingers digging into the fabric of the grey top. "Who could it be? It hasn't been twenty minutes since Arthur left."
"It's not Arthur," Elena replied, her eyes fixed on the open doorway. "Lawnix didn't send Arthur to warn us. They sent him to test us. When he didn't report back within their window, they sent a cleanup crew."
Down the hall, the front door creaked open. A deep, unfamiliar voice spoke near the entryway.
"Good evening, Captain Miller. We're looking for an unrecorded data drive that was recently brought onto these premises."
Thomas’s voice rang out, cold and level, carrying easily down the corridor. "You have the wrong address. There's nothing here for you."
"With all due respect, Captain, your home is zoned within the municipal water district affected by the 2021 incident," the stranger replied, his tone smooth, professional, and entirely devoid of human warmth. "Under emergency corporate liability clauses, our security detail has the authority to inspect private residences for missing company property without a warrant."
In the den, Elena acted instantly. She didn't wait for Thomas to handle the situation. She reached down, unplugged the metallic flash drive and the external backup drive from the tablet, and slipped both into the deep pocket of her trousers. She grabbed the tablet, powered it down completely, and shoved it beneath a stack of magazines on the corner of the desk.
"Sarah, go to the back window in Clara’s room," Elena whispered urgently, her face inches from Sarah’s. "Get her out through the side yard toward the neighbor's property. Don't look back."
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Sarah shook her head fiercely. "I'm not leaving Thomas alone with them."
"If they get these files, we all die quietly in a house fire next week," Elena said, her voice hard as steel. "Go! Now!"
