Chapter 2: The Secret Beneath the Floor
Chapter 2: The Secret Beneath the Floor
At first, Gavin heard nothing.
Only the old house settling against the November wind.
Then...
Footsteps.
Slow.
Careful.
Coming from directly below him.
He held his breath.
The guest bedroom door opened.
A flashlight beam swept across the hallway.
Tristan.
Gavin watched through a narrow crack between two attic floorboards.
His son-in-law wasn't wearing pajamas anymore.
He was dressed in black.
Latex gloves covered his hands.
He carried a small metal case.
"What on earth..." Gavin whispered.
Tristan knelt beside the fireplace in the living room.
He removed a decorative floor vent.
Then reached inside.
Seconds later, he pulled out a black package wrapped in waterproof plastic.
Another.
Then another.
His hands moved with practiced precision.
This wasn't the first time.
Gavin's stomach turned.
His phone vibrated once.
A text from Dominic.
DO NOT MOVE. FBI IS SIX MINUTES OUT.
Gavin typed with shaking fingers.
What is he doing?
The reply came almost immediately.
Retrieving evidence. Let him think he's alone.
Before Gavin could ask another question, headlights silently appeared outside.
Not police cruisers.
Black SUVs.
No sirens.
May you like
No flashing lights.
Only shadows.
