Chapter 18

William Zabo finished packing his Land Rover and glanced out of his windows, spotting an unfamiliar car parked halfway down the curved street where he lived. He double-checked his sidearm, not exactly his forte but hoping it would serve as a deterrent. Heading back into the garage, he swiftly removed all the quick-set pins securing the support posts for the flimsy one-eighth-inch plywood garage door. Setting aside the beams, he then unbolted and removed the locking mechanism before detaching the cold-rolled steel posts from the wheels, allowing them to drop to the floor with a soft thud. Leaving only the top wheels in place to maintain the door's curvature, he ensured his Range Rover could pass through without a scratch.

Starting the car, he connected it to the exhaust hose for ventilation and then returned inside for a quick shower. Dressed in a heavy cable-knit turtleneck sweater to fend off the cold, he systematically switched off all the lights in his house, one by on