Adopted Son Talks to "Headless Man" at 3 AM — Morning After, My Face Is Cut From Every Photo in the House
👉 Previous Decision: You chose to engage the intruders inside the residence using non-lethal choke points.
The silence stretched, broken only by the drumming rain on the roof. Then, the splintering crack of wood. The first operative kicked through the rear door frame. He stepped into the narrow hallway, his tactical flashlight sweeping the shadows.
That was my cue. I triggered the high-lumen strobe light and acoustic flash disruption unit I’d pre-positioned. A blinding white pulse filled the hallway, accompanied by a deafening screech. The operative recoiled, a choked cry escaping his lips, dropping his encrypted radio transmitter. He stumbled backward onto a pre-set wire trap, his legs tangling, sending him sprawling.
I moved fast, securing the radio. A quick scan confirmed it was active, broadcasting on a proprietary secure channel. I held it to my ear, adjusting the volume. “Status report? What’s happening in there?” The voice was crisp, cold, and unmistakable: Julian Driscoll. He was directing this operation, parked a mile south at the old county bridge.
“Retrieve the rig. Now. It’s no longer needed.” Driscoll’s voice came through, targeting another team. “Don’t leave any trace of the ‘headless man’ behind. Move.”
A chill ran down my spine. The “headless man.” A rig. They’d been using a motorized decoy all along, designed to systematically break the minds of foster parents. It was a physical mechanism, not a ghost.
I toggled the radio’s transmit button. Mimicking the operative’s strained breathing, I transmitted, “Perimeter compromised. Target’s armed. Initiating retreat to tree line. Recommend disengagement.”
A moment of static. Then Driscoll’s voice, laced with frustration, “Copy that. Disengage, fall back. We’ll reassess.”
Through the thermal optics, I watched the second operative, who had been attempting to flank the house, hesitate, then turn and melt back into the treeline. The homestead was safe, for now. I had the radio, proof of Driscoll’s direct involvement, and a new understanding of their psychological warfare.
➡️ Read Chapter 11 to continue the story
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