AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The hand Hans has on the worktop balls into a fist. “That’s it,” he growls.
“What’s—”
Before I can finish asking, Hans strides across the room. Opens the door. And storms out into the basement.
I open my mouth to shout after him. To ask him what the hell he’s doing. To tell him to grab a gun or a knife or something. But I don’t want to yell and be heard by the intruders.
The door swings shut, locking between us.
“Charred sweet corn cookies,” a male voice says, confused. “Is this supposed to be a code?”
Slowly, I turn back to the monitors.
Those aremyPost-it notes. The ones I handwrote for each baked good. The ones I gave to Hans.
And First Man is touching them.
My eyes dart around to find Hans on the screen.
He’s already climbing the stairs.
Second Man is still in the garage, looking around. But he could step back into the house at any moment, and then it will be two on one, and Hans is unarmed.
“Please be careful.”
But Hans doesn’t slow down. He doesn’t move cautiously.
He takes the steps three at a time and flings the door open at the top. Leaving it open, he strides across the living room. Hands opening and closing into fists at his sides.
The man in the garage doesn’t come out. He doesn’t see Hans or sound the alarm.
Meaning First Man has no idea what’s coming for him.
CHAPTER87
Hans
My boots aresilent on the carpet as I step into my bedroom.
“Those are mine.”
At the sound of my voice, First Man spins around.
And then I see them. My pristine squares of paper have been pulled apart, crumpled into two uneven stacks. And… Is that one torn?
The red that usually spots the edge of my sight flares bright across my vision.
He freezes, just for a second, but I use that second to grab the notes out of his hands.
First Man recovers quickly, reaching for the pistol he holstered.
Accepting they’re already damaged and needing to keep them close, I shove the Post-its into my mouth and bite down, holding them there as they protrude from my lips like a mouthful of hay.
The man’s gun has cleared leather.
He’s big. We’re nearly eye to eye.
I don’t have a weapon on me. But that doesn’t matter.
