تسجيل الدخولTHE SECOND CAMERAThere was no sound in the room anymore. Ethan was looking at Blake and still kept his hand hidden below the table's edge. They failed to notice the blinking red dot in the corner — it blinked once, blinked twice, then disappeared.Finally, Blake let go a heavy sigh. "So, what do we do?"Ethan shrugged. "I don't know.""That's comforting.""I know."Blake smiled a little. Suddenly, his phone started vibrating. He pulled it out and read the message from Aaron.COME HOME. NOW.His smile vanished."What?"Ethan noticed right away. "Is that Aaron?"Blake nodded. "He wants me to return home.""Any reason why?""Probably."Ethan got up from the chair. "Then I'm coming with you."Blake looked at him. "You sure?""No." Ethan quickly grabbed his backpack. "But I'm still coming."Blake smiled wryly. "Are you insane?""Probably."They left the classroom together. They did not notice the security camera above the hallway.---Across the city, Aaron threw the photograph on the t
A DEBT THAT NEVER ENDSJake pushed himself off the floor with a loud groan as one hand cupped over his nose. Blood streamed between the cracks, dripping down his wrist onto the kitchen tiles. “Fucking hell," he cursed, stumbling forward and crashing into the cupboard. His head throbbed from the punch and his vision blurred, distorting whatever stood before him. Aaron walked toward him, fists already clenching again. But before he could take another swing Nathan dropped between them and shoved Aaron back. "That's enough, man!” he barked. "Fucking hell, Aaron, I think you broke the bastard's nose.”Aaron grimaced, glaring past him to Jake. Grunting irritatedly, he flexes the wrist he'd punched Jake with before turning away. "Tch,” he hissed, shaking his head. "Fucking idiot's not worth breaking my hand over." Grabbing one of the dining chairs, he walked across the kitchen and dropped into it. Jake stayed where he was for another moment, the taste of iron settling in his mouth as he
THE SECOND WARNINGThe police officers arrived at the SUV even before those inside reacted. One of the officers moved toward the door by Nathan, and another approached the passenger side.Aaron did not move. He just looked through the windshield at Commissioner Hawthorne. The two men looked at each other for a couple of seconds. Then Aaron smiled."You're making a mistake."Hawthorne did not change his facial expression. "Get out of the vehicle.""You already let me go.""I did.""Your sheriff did."Hawthorne's eyes became even colder. "Do not confuse corruption with the law."Aaron's smile faded. An officer who stood next to him knocked on the window."Mr. Thompson. Step out of the vehicle."Aaron slowly turned his head toward Jake. "Stay here."Jake swallowed. "Why?""Because I'm asking you to."Aaron stepped out of the vehicle. The officers immediately approached him. Aaron raised both hands."Easy."Hawthorne observed all of this several feet away from the scene. Aaron looked arou
THE WARNING Ethan stared at the message until the words became blurry.*YOU SHOULD STOP ASKING QUESTIONS.*His thumb hovered over the screen. And then another message appeared.*NEXT TIME, WE WON'T WARN YOU.*He swallowed hard. Several seconds passed before he managed to move. Laughter of students echoed in the corridor, lockers slammed, somebody yelled from the stairs. But Ethan couldn't hear anything else. Nothing but the tiny screen in his hands mattered to him right now.Somebody knew. Someboby saw him. And someboby somehow knew that he was asking questions."Ethan."He looked up. Blake stood a few feet away from him."What did they say?"Ethan remained silent."Tell me!" Blake walked closer. "Ethan!"He finally turned the phone around. Blake read the messages, and his face instantly became harder."Who sent it?""I don't know.""Can you track the number?"Ethan shook his head. "It's blocked."Blake took the phone from him and stared at the screen. "When did you get it?""Just no
THE FIRST MOVEThe next day, Aaron Thompson woke up sure he had won. He stood in front of the mirror in his bedroom, adjusting the collar of his shirt and humming. After two days, he finally wasn't woken up by a knock on the door, a cruiser parked outside, detectives asking questions, handcuffs threatening. He was left alone. In silence.Aaron smiled at his reflection. "This is what money buys." He buttoned his sleeves and went to put on a watch.The door opened behind him. Blake walked in. "Are you going somewhere?"Aaron looked at him through the mirror. "Yes.""Where?""Outside."Blake frowned. "That's not an answer."Aaron turned around. "Since when have you the right to demand answers?"Blake did not reply. He simply watched his brother. There was something new in his posture. Not physical – the expensive clothes, the cocky attitude, the cold eyes were still the same. But Blake had grown accustomed to Aaron well enough to recognize nervousness in him."Are you sure everything is
CHAPTER 89: THE MEN WHO CAN'T BE BOUGHTThe last thing Commissioner Daniel Hawthorne hated about his job was wasting his time. He hated the bureaucracy, he hated politics, and most of all he hated corrupt cops.The door to his office flew open with enough force to jolt his certificates from the walls. Hawthorne strode inside with an impressive case file under one arm and some papers crushed into a ball in the other hand. His secretary looked up."Sir?""Not now."She knew better than to try to talk sense as he strode into his office and slammed the door behind him. It slammed and then quieted as Hawthorne dropped the case file down on the desk and watched it slide across the surface to crash against his nameplate–COMMISSIONER DANIEL HAWTHORNE.Standing with both palms flat on the edge of the desk, he stared at the crime scene photographs laid out in front of him. Pictures of a dead pharmacist. A second corpse outside. Bullet casings. Blood stains. Then the surveillance shot–Aaron Thom
THE HOUSE DOWN THE STREET 2The name hit Ethan like a brick and he found himself choking on his own breath. His head snapped up instantly to Tom standing a few feet away. “…Huh?” was all that slipped past his lips as his eyes widened. Tom just shrugged again like it was nothing. "He met me after
THE HOUSE DOWN THE STREETThe glass door slid shut behind Ethan as he stepped into Tom's lawn. Thin sprinklers scattered lazily across the grass sent arcs of water glistening in the late afternoon sunlight, and the air held a faint smell of wet grass and mud. Somewhere over one of the fences, a dog
LEFTOVERSThe class buzzed with almost instantly. The moment Dr. Keller said they should pick their partners, the sound of chairs scraping across the floor echoed across the room as students began turning toward “Calm down," Dr. Keller shouted over the noise, slamming his palm against the desk. “G
THE TASTE OF REGRETThe house carried the strong smell of beer–one that Ethan knew too well. It mixed with the faint scent of cigarette smoke clinging to the couch cushions and curtains, welcoming him as he opened the door. Coughing, he pushed through the ash cloud as he prayed his brother was alr







