Chapter 2: The Blocked Feed

👉 Previous Decision: You chose Option A – Break protocol and inspect her personal smart-home camera feed on her mobile phone.

I slid my phone out from under the console, the cool metal a small comfort against my palm. My thumb flew across the screen, pulling up the app for my home security cameras. A knot tightened in my stomach. Leo was alone in that house.

The screen flickered. A loading icon spun relentlessly. I watched the circle, my jaw tight, but the feed wouldn’t connect. A dull buzz seemed to permeate the air around me, a subtle hum of interference.

“Something wrong, Novak?”

Director Davenport’s voice cut through the quiet of the dispatch floor. I flinched, my hand nearly dropping the phone. He stood over me, his shadow falling across my console. His eyes narrowed, fixed on the glowing screen in my hand.

“Just checking the time, Director,” I said, trying to shove the phone back under the desk. My voice sounded thin, even to me.

He reached out, his fingers surprisingly quick, plucking the phone from my grasp. He held it up, the screen still stubbornly showing the buffering icon. “This isn’t just about time, is it?”

“It’s a personal device,” I said, my voice firmer now. “A quick check.”

Davenport let out a short, humorless laugh. He tapped the screen with a manicured nail. “Personal devices are a zero-tolerance security violation on this floor, Maya. Especially when you’re already compromised.”

“Compromised?” I asked, my blood running cold.

“Your performance tonight has been… erratic,” he said, handing the phone back to me, the gesture almost dismissive. “And you know the rules.”

I felt the dull thrum of the RF frequency blocker, now distinct. It wasn’t my phone; it was the signal. Someone didn’t want me seeing what was happening at 1428 Maple Ridge Lane.

➡️ Read CHAPTER 3 to continue the story.