Chapter 10. Change

About 40 minutes later, Jared and Beck rushed into the house, guns drawn. They didn’t waste time with words, just nodded and walked past them. 

Jared checked the shattered window while Beck swept through the hall and upstairs, then both men vanished into the darkness outside.

Myla clutched Hayden’s hand, heart thudding, listening to the faint crunch of boots fading into the trees. The minutes stretched tight until they returned, their boots and pant legs muddy, their expressions grim.

“All we found were fresh tracks," Jared said. “Whoever it was, took the north ridge into the mountains. That means they may know the terrain."

“And this house,” Beck added, eyes narrowing as he looked through the camera footage on Hayden's tablet. “They knew that there was a blind spot in the cameras and that Myla's room window was the only one not covered. That was why they targeted it."

Jared nodded grimly. "What they weren’t expecting was for Hayden to be