👉 Previous Decision: You chose Option A – Discreetly trip the smart home alarm siren remotely while silently dispatching a trusted off-duty unit.
My thumb hit the “panic” button on my smart home app, simultaneously sending a silent page to Officer Ben Carter, my neighbor and a close friend, who was off-duty. The alarm siren blared through the house, a sudden, piercing shriek.
Arthur Pendelton jumped back from Chloe’s door, dropping the handful of forged documents he was about to put back. His face was a mask of shock. He glanced frantically around the living room, then bolted.
“He’s running!” the caller exclaimed, relief and fear warring in her voice. “He just ran out the back door!”
Within minutes, I watched on the camera feed as Ben’s cruiser pulled up to my curb, lights flashing. He entered carefully, finding Chloe safe and sound, though startled by the alarm. The planted documents were still there, scattered where Arthur had dropped them.
Two days later, at St. Jude’s Hospital, I stood in the bustling staging bay, waiting for Chloe’s transport. Nurse Elena Harper, an employee of Arthur’s transport agency, walked past me, pushing an empty gurney.
Our eyes met. She hesitated, glancing nervously over her shoulder. Then, with a practiced subtlety, she slipped a flash drive into my palm as she passed.
Her lips barely moved. “This is everything. Arthur’s office. Don’t tell anyone.”
Her eyes, wide and urgent, conveyed a silent plea for help. She disappeared into a busy corridor before I could respond. The small, cold drive felt like a loaded weapon in my hand.
Arthur’s employee. The woman had risked everything to get this to me.
➡️ Read Chapter 6 to continue the story
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