Chapter 2: B: Landline Call

👉 [Previous choice]: You chose Option B – Mute line and call home landline directly to scare intruder.

I muted the dispatcher line, my heart pounding in my chest. Reaching for my personal cell, I dialed my home landline number, a sequence of digits burned into my memory since childhood. The phone rang once, twice.

On the live camera feed, the hooded figure paused in Clara’s room. His head tilted slightly, listening.

The ringing stopped. Then, through my dispatcher headset, I heard a click. A voice, deep and calm, spoke directly into my ear. “Did you really think that would work, Maya Holloway?”

My blood ran cold. He had traced the call. Not just to my house, but to *me*.

“This is a secured line!” I blurted, my voice cracking.

“Not secure enough for old Julian Kincaid,” he chuckled, a chilling sound. “Now, this little stunt of yours… calling a private number from a 911 dispatch console? That’s a serious protocol violation, wouldn’t you say?”

Captain Evans’ voice boomed from behind me. “Holloway! What is going on with Line 4?”

I spun around, my face pale. Kincaid’s voice still echoed in my ear. “Enjoy your suspension, dispatcher. I’ll be in touch.”

The line went dead. Captain Evans stood over me, his face a mask of disbelief and anger. “You compromised a 911 channel? Unacceptable, Holloway. Hand over your badge. You’re suspended, effective immediately.”

As I walked out of the station, badge in hand, my phone buzzed with an alert. My home camera feed. The front door was wide open. The hooded man was walking out, carrying a large, dark object wrapped in cloth.

My house was being stripped clean. And I was helpless.