watch the flames flicker over the dry logs in the fireplace with a cup of hot chocolate in my hand.
But now was not the time. I could worry about relaxing once I took care of my other problems.
No one was in the room as far as I could tell. I moved across the room to the laundry room door. It was open and it took only a quick glance inside to verify that it, too, was empty. From there, I went to the basement door. I stopped to listen for any sounds that might give an intruder away. Of course, if they were in the second basement with the door closed, I wouldn’t hear a thing.
I listened for a good minute and a half before opening the basement door. It swung open on well-oiled hinges, hardly making a sound. The light was on downstairs, but not a single shadow moved at the base of the stairs. I went down carefully, my gun pointed straight ahead, ready to fire the moment I saw someone who didn’t belong.
As I stepped onto the hard concrete floor, I breathed a sigh of relief. No one was there and everything was still in its place. I still had the entire upstairs and Ethan’s lab to contend with, but seeing the basement empty lifted a heavy weight from my shoulders. It was unlikely someone would be hiding anywhere else in the house.
My tension eased and I dropped the gun to point at the floor, irritated at myself for being so paranoid. No one had ever broken into my house before last night. It had clearly affected me more than I realized.
I moved to the lab door and pressed my ear against the reinforced door. I knew I wouldn’t be able to hear anything but did it anyway. Ethan had done a good job of soundproofing his workshop.
There was an intercom by the door. I hesitated on using it, knowing that if Ethan was at work, he wouldn’t like being interrupted.
Still, I needed to know. It was the only way I could talk to him and make sure he was okay. Of all the doors in the house, Ethan’s lab was the only one to which I didn’t have a key. I couldn’t even knock it in. It was built to resist even the strongest monster from getting inside. A bomb could go off and the damn thing would probably keep standing.
I pressed the Call button and waited for Ethan’s response. I wasn’t sure what he heard when I pressed the button, having never been down there since its installation.
“What?” he said. His voice shook ever so slightly. He sounded almost nervous.
I pressed the Talk button. “Are you okay?”
There was a pause. “Of course,” he said. “I was just busy and you startled me. Is there something you need?”
“No, I’m good.” I smiled and eased my gun back into its holster. “I just wanted to let you know I was home.” I would still need to check the upstairs bedrooms before doing anything else, but I was pretty sure my tension-filled stalk through the house had been entirely unnecessary. I felt pretty silly.
“K,” he said, sounding somewhat relieved. “I’ll be down here a little bit longer.”
“See you later, then.”
He mumbled something else I couldn’t quite make out and the intercom fell silent. I stood there a long moment, contemplating pressing the button again to make sure he really was okay. He hadn’t sounded it.
Instead, I turned and headed back upstairs to finish the rest of my search. While I was sure no one else was in the house, I wanted to check just to be sure. You couldn’t be too careful these days.
It took me only five minutes to finish my search. The only disturbing thing I found was the way Ethan’s room seemed even more tousled than before. One quick look in the bedroom closet assured me that it was Ethan’s usual clutter. It never ceased to amaze me how much of a slob he was in his personal life. It was a stark contrast with his work, which was neat and orderly.
As soon as I finished checking the upstairs, I went down to the dining room table to clean my gun. I hadn’t used it, but it made me feel safer just knowing the thing had been cleaned. If the modified
But now was not the time. I could worry about relaxing once I took care of my other problems.
No one was in the room as far as I could tell. I moved across the room to the laundry room door. It was open and it took only a quick glance inside to verify that it, too, was empty. From there, I went to the basement door. I stopped to listen for any sounds that might give an intruder away. Of course, if they were in the second basement with the door closed, I wouldn’t hear a thing.
I listened for a good minute and a half before opening the basement door. It swung open on well-oiled hinges, hardly making a sound. The light was on downstairs, but not a single shadow moved at the base of the stairs. I went down carefully, my gun pointed straight ahead, ready to fire the moment I saw someone who didn’t belong.
As I stepped onto the hard concrete floor, I breathed a sigh of relief. No one was there and everything was still in its place. I still had the entire upstairs and Ethan’s lab to contend with, but seeing the basement empty lifted a heavy weight from my shoulders. It was unlikely someone would be hiding anywhere else in the house.
My tension eased and I dropped the gun to point at the floor, irritated at myself for being so paranoid. No one had ever broken into my house before last night. It had clearly affected me more than I realized.
I moved to the lab door and pressed my ear against the reinforced door. I knew I wouldn’t be able to hear anything but did it anyway. Ethan had done a good job of soundproofing his workshop.
There was an intercom by the door. I hesitated on using it, knowing that if Ethan was at work, he wouldn’t like being interrupted.
Still, I needed to know. It was the only way I could talk to him and make sure he was okay. Of all the doors in the house, Ethan’s lab was the only one to which I didn’t have a key. I couldn’t even knock it in. It was built to resist even the strongest monster from getting inside. A bomb could go off and the damn thing would probably keep standing.
I pressed the Call button and waited for Ethan’s response. I wasn’t sure what he heard when I pressed the button, having never been down there since its installation.
“What?” he said. His voice shook ever so slightly. He sounded almost nervous.
I pressed the Talk button. “Are you okay?”
There was a pause. “Of course,” he said. “I was just busy and you startled me. Is there something you need?”
“No, I’m good.” I smiled and eased my gun back into its holster. “I just wanted to let you know I was home.” I would still need to check the upstairs bedrooms before doing anything else, but I was pretty sure my tension-filled stalk through the house had been entirely unnecessary. I felt pretty silly.
“K,” he said, sounding somewhat relieved. “I’ll be down here a little bit longer.”
“See you later, then.”
He mumbled something else I couldn’t quite make out and the intercom fell silent. I stood there a long moment, contemplating pressing the button again to make sure he really was okay. He hadn’t sounded it.
Instead, I turned and headed back upstairs to finish the rest of my search. While I was sure no one else was in the house, I wanted to check just to be sure. You couldn’t be too careful these days.
It took me only five minutes to finish my search. The only disturbing thing I found was the way Ethan’s room seemed even more tousled than before. One quick look in the bedroom closet assured me that it was Ethan’s usual clutter. It never ceased to amaze me how much of a slob he was in his personal life. It was a stark contrast with his work, which was neat and orderly.
As soon as I finished checking the upstairs, I went down to the dining room table to clean my gun. I hadn’t used it, but it made me feel safer just knowing the thing had been cleaned. If the modified
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