Chapter 2: The Camera Feed

👉 Previous Decision: You chose Option A – Access the home security feed discreetly on her dispatch console while keeping the caller online.

I punched the security code into my secondary terminal. My fingers trembled slightly over the keys. The screen flickered, then resolved into a live feed of my living room.

My breath hitched. A figure moved through the familiar space.

It wasn’t a random burglar. The man stooped over Chloe’s medical binder, his back to the camera, was Arthur Pendelton. My former mentor.

His hands, once guiding mine through complex call flows, now rifled through the delicate papers detailing Chloe’s lifetime of care. He wore dark gloves, but the cut of his jacket, the familiar posture, it was undeniably him.

“He’s in the living room,” the caller’s voice crackled through my headset, a fragile thread to reality. “He’s looking at papers.”

I bit down on the inside of my cheek, tasting copper. Arthur. What was he doing here? He’d always projected such a respectable image, the picture of a successful executive director.

He straightened up, clutching a stack of documents. The camera angle shifted slightly as he turned towards Chloe’s room, a dark shape against the muted light from the streetlamp outside.

My sister. Helpless, just beyond that door.

“Ma’am, stay calm,” I managed to say, my voice sounding alien, too steady. “Can you tell me more about what he’s doing?”

The caller paused, a rustle of movement. “He’s… he’s tucking something into a bag. A large bag. He keeps looking around, like he’s lost something.”

My eyes darted back to the screen. Arthur was indeed patting down his pockets, a frown pulling his features tight. He wasn’t just stealing; he was searching.

I pressed a button on my console, recording the feed. Every second was vital.

I had to understand his purpose, before I risked Chloe’s safety, or my career.