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The brown car was dim on the inside. I dashed across the street, trying to be obvious so I wouldn’t scare him. Part of me wanted to make sure it wasn’t Volto again, just in case I was wrong. The window rolled down as I got close. Mr. Morris peered out at me.
“What the hell is going on?” he asked.
“I was hoping you knew,” I said. I tried to think of something I could tell him that was honest. “We got here and the security system isn’t working.”
“It hasn’t been working since earlier today,” he said. “Mr. Blackbourne and that tall kid hopped the gate, too.”
My heart lifted. “So they were here?”
“They’re still here,” he said. He pointed to a car parked a block down the road. “They showed up in that around four this afternoon. I’ve been waiting here for hours.”
I didn’t understand. Did they give Mr. Morris the slip? But if that was true, they didn’t come back for the car. We hadn’t heard from them, either. Have they been here all this time? “Did anyone else show up?”
“The rich one who lives here. He showed up. But the side gate opened for him. After that point, though, everything’s been quiet. Lights were going on and off inside at intervals.” Mr. Morris shoved a palm over his brow. His eyes drooped. “I’m about to give up. I need to get back. I’ve got class tomorrow. This whole thing is ridiculous.”
“I can take over from here,” I said. “I went to the door and the maid basically said no one was home.”
Mr. Morris shrugged. “Someone’s been up. The second and third floor lights keep switching.”
I turned to the house, noting how the second floor had two windows lit up, as if someone were awake. A window on the third floor, from what I thought was the office, was lit up as well.
My heart stopped. I wondered if Volto was up there now. Were we too late? Without security responding, he could walk right in.
Mr. Morris sighed. “Fuck it,” he said. “I’m getting out of here. Let me know if anything interesting happens.” He started his car. He pulled out, but waited until he was down the street before he flicked on his lights.
I stepped across the street quickly, heading toward the truck. Gabriel had the door open. “What in the world is going on?”
“I think Mr. Blackbourne, North and Victor are inside. He said he saw them enter. Victor’s car was accepted at the gate. Mr. Blackbourne and North had to scale the wall.” I relayed everything else to them.
Luke squinted. He tapped his fingers against the steering wheel. “I don’t like this.”
“Well if they’re here, why are we?” Gabriel said. “They have this covered, right? It’s got to be they’re babysitting up there and they want us to pretend to be normal again. Maybe they’re waiting to catch him.” Gabriel curled his fingers at me. “Get in. We’ll get out of here.”
I shook my head, stepping back. Something was wrong. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but if they had snuck in and hadn’t left for hours, there was a reason. I didn’t think we should leave them. “We need to get inside.”
“Sang,” Gabriel said, his voice so commanding that I almost mistook him for Kota. “If you don’t get into this car, so help me god—”
“No,” Luke said. “I want to go in, too.”
“What?” Gabriel asked. “You’re crazy!”
Luke’s face met mine. I don’t know how I understood him, but I did. He was asking me if I was ready for this, like how we broke into the house to steal the camera.
“We have to be sure,” I said. “We need to know what’s going on inside.”
THREE AMIGOS,
TO THE RESCUE
Luke pulled the SUV up the road and around the corner, trying to make it look like we’d taken off in case anyone was watching from the house. He parked in front of a shop that was closed for the night.
“You all are nuts,” Gabriel said. “We’re going to get shot at.”
“No one’s here to shoot us. Stay behind if you want,” Luke said.
Gabriel made noises like he wanted to curse but they jumbled together into one smashed up word.
I followed the boys across the street, and to the edge of the wall. The neighborhood was quiet. I heard the echo of a tiny dog voicing his opinion. My lips parted and I found myself yipping back at it under my breath.
Gabriel chopped me on the head.
Luke pointed to the corner of the wall. “We should scale the wall instead of going over the gate,” he said. He hunched down, putting his hands out. “Gabriel.”
“I hate you both,” Gabriel said, though stage whispering now. He dropped his foot into Luke’s palms. Luke boosted him. He waited, sitting on the wall. I was next and Luke and Gabriel lifted me until I was on the wall.
Gabriel shifted, keeping himself on the wall by his stomach. He dropped his hands, reaching for Luke. Luke backed up, took a quick run at the wall. He seemed to nearly bounce off the wall, running up it before he snagged Gabriel’s hands. Gabriel gripped him, hauling him up.
When Luke was up, he dropped down quickly on the other side. Gabriel followed, landing next to him on the grass and spilling out. I didn’t wait for them, I dropped, landing on my hands and knees next to them, tucking myself into a short roll, knocking into Luke on the ground.
Luke chuckled. “Did anyone mention you fall like an angel?”
“Or a bag of rocks?” I asked. “That’s what it feels like. I’m good at crash landings.”
Luke got up, wiped at his pants and then caught my hands, pulling me up.
“Did I mention I hate both of you?” Gabriel said. He had his hand on his thigh. “I’m pretty sure I busted a stitch that time.”
“Considering you got stapled,” Luke said, “that’s pretty impressive.”
Gabriel halfheartedly kicked at Luke’s leg before he rolled onto his stomach and did a push up. He got up, leaning heavily on the good leg. “Okay. What now?”
“Over here,” Luke said. He tucked into the corner of the lot. “Quiet mode from here on. I don’t want anyone on the inside knowing we’re coming.”
We followed Luke who seemed to be able to see in the dark. He headed into the yard, along the edge, using the deeper shadows of the trees and bushes against the street lights and the thin glow of the moon through clouds. I couldn’t tell much about the layout of the massive yard. I stumbled along, seeking out Luke’s back, placing my hand on it so I wouldn’t lose him in the dark.
He reached back, finding my hand and taking it in his. When Gabriel was close behind, I reached for his hand. He squeezed mine, holding on. This was what kept my heart from exploding, having them beside me.
We slowed as we got close. We approached the broader part of the house. Luke led us toward the front, but kept to the shadows along the edge. He hefted himself onto the porch, and then climbed the ledge of the handrail that surrounded the porch. He inched his way to the corner by the outside wall. He motioned to me, pointing to the second floor balcony.
I let him help me up the edge of the porch. When I was beside him on top of the handrail, he put his hands around my hips.
I was about to turn, looking for what I was supposed to be grabbing on to when Luke swooped in on me. I felt his lips press to my face. He lingered only for a moment, kissing my cheek, warming my skin.
I stopped, forgetting what I was doing, blinking wildly out into the darkness. My heart had been pounding, but with Luke and Gabriel there, I was okay. Suddenly my heart was so loud in my ears, I thought everyone could hear it.
Luke pulled back slightly, but his lips found my ear. “Be careful,” he whispered.
I squeezed his arm, as if to tell him I would without saying so out loud.
He clutched at my hips, lifting me. I grabbed for the edge of the house wall. Luke paused, seeming to balance himself. When he was ready, he lifted me higher, pushing me by my thighs. He inched me up further, and I reached for the ledge of the second story balcony. When I was able to grasp it, I pulled one of my legs away from Luke, p
lanting my foot on the side of the house, using the angle to heave myself up.
When I was able to grip the posts of the second floor balcony railing, I was able to continue on my own. I landed as quietly as I could on the balcony. The moment I did, I had to sink down, as there was a window, and the light was on inside. I glanced back once at Luke, who was helping Gabriel up. I slipped over to the window, crawling on my hands and knees, low to the concrete porch floor. I rose slowly to try to peek inside.
There was a queen-sized bed with an opulent headboard pushed against the wall inside. The bed was unmade. The sheets were white, the bedspread looked like something I’d seen in magazines, quilted and expensive. Had someone woken up? The overhead light was on, and a door on the far side was open into a lit bathroom. The inside of it was in disarray, with a couple of towels on the floor and one of the rugs bunched up at an awkward angle like someone tripped on it and never bothered to fix it.
