Part 2
The road wound upward,
stretching into the black heart of the hills,
where the trees grew thick and ancient.
I killed the headlights,
allowing the darkness to swallow the sedan,
as I coasted the final half-mile.
The estate of Haven Crest sat atop a jagged ridge,
looming like a stone fortress,
surrounded by a high iron fence.
The rain,
which had been threatening all evening,
finally began to fall,
tapping softly against the roof,
and blurring the world outside.
I pulled the car into a narrow clearing,
deep within the shadow of the pines,
completely hidden from the main road.
The engine died with a quiet shudder,
leaving only the sound of my own breathing,
steady,
measured,
and cold.
I sat in the dark for a full minute,
letting my eyes adjust to the gloom,
feeling the old instincts awaken in my blood.
They thought twenty-six years of retirement,
had turned my mind to rust,
had made me soft and forgetful.
They were wrong.
I reached into the passenger seat,
grabbing the heavy flashlight,
the thick work gloves,
and the steel crowbar.
I slipped my phone into my inner pocket,
ensuring the screen was completely dimmed,
so no stray light would betray me.
The air outside was bitter,
carrying the scent of wet earth,
and pine needles.
I closed the car door softly,
holding the latch until it clicked,
making no sound at all.
The gravel crunched beneath my boots,
but I quickly stepped onto the grass,
moving silently along the perimeter line.
Ahead,
the iron gates of Haven Crest stood closed,
guarded by two security cameras,
their small red lights blinking in the dark.
I watched them from the tree line,
timing their slow,
mechanical sweep.
They had a five-second blind spot,
a fatal flaw in their programming,
that Victor’s expensive security team had missed.
I moved during the interval,
slipping past the cameras' field of view,
and pressed my back against the cold stone wall.
My heart didn't race,
my hands didn't shake,
because anger had burned away all fear.
I looked up at the high iron bars,
noticing the sharp spikes at the top,
designed to keep intruders out.
But they didn't know the type of intruder,
they were dealing with tonight.
I reached up,
gripping the wet metal,
and began my steady climb.
Every muscle in my back strained,
but I ignored the dull ache,
focusing only on the goal ahead.
I reached the top,
carefully maneuvering my body,
between two jagged spikes.
I dropped down onto the other side,
landing softly on the manicured lawn,
sinking into the shadows.
The main house was still two hundred yards away,
its windows glowing with a warm,
deceptive light.
It looked like a peaceful sanctuary,
but I knew better,
I knew it was a prison.
I knelt low in the grass,
scanning the wide,
open lawn for any signs of movement.
A security guard appeared around the corner,
shining a bright beam of light,
across the gravel driveway.
I froze,
becoming part of the darkness,
holding my breath until the light passed over me.
He was lazy,
walking with slow,
indifferent steps,
unaware that the predator was already inside.
I waited for him to turn the corner,
before I stood up,
and sprinted toward the side of the mansion.
The grass muffled my footsteps,
and within seconds,
I was pressed against the brick foundation.
The hunt was moving forward,
May you like
the first barrier was breached,
and I was one step closer to my daughter.
