Chapter 9
Zora dragged me off entry tile onto hardwood where warm lamplight thinned. Her hand stayed locked around my wrist. My pendant swung, tapped black zip top, settled cold against skin. Outside, red light pulsed across frosted glass panel, threw long stripe across floor. SUV still idled beyond dark wood frame. I heard its engine low through doors.
Zora crouched beside narrow console. Phone screen glowed green in her palm. ZORA BANKS EXEMPT burned bright against dark background. My own phone showed NYLA BANKS SELECTED red record icon pulsing slow. She set both face-down, killed glow.
Zora whispered cover story. Voice low, fast, rehearsed. She said Nyla not home, said house belonged to her, said mistaken identity, said county records lagged, said sister moved toward town months prior. She coached herself on cadence. She kept sentences short. She kept tone bored, not defensive. She planned to lean on EXEMPT status as credibility, said green indicator proved she lived here alone, said she would offer ID through glass without opening doors.
I nodded. Breath shortened. I forced slow inhale through nose, exhale through mouth, tried to quiet ribcage. Gold bracelet slid down wrist, clinked faint. Zora caught it, eased it still.
She positioned me just beyond sight line, behind inner wall edge where hallway turned toward kitchen. From exterior doorway gap, my silhouette would not show. I pressed back against plaster, cargo pants brushed baseboard, black zip top snagged light. I stayed frozen, controlled breathing, counted pulse between red flashes.
Zora stood, smoothed brown crop top under dark open jacket, rolled shoulders back, became calm neighbor, not sister. She stepped toward double doors but did not touch exterior handle. Instead she cracked inner storm latch, spoke through frosted glass panel and narrow gap where wood met frame. Cold air slipped in, smelled of wet asphalt, exhaust, night air.
Outside voice answered immediate, flat, amplified slight. Male voice called through door, asked for Nyla Banks, referenced FINAL NOTICE, stated continuity response detail on scene, requested visual confirmation. Zora cut in, kept voice level, delivered rehearsed cover.
She said Nyla Banks not present, said she was Zora Banks, resident, said EXEMPT status cleared her household, said sister no longer resided here, suggested database error. She held phone up toward glass, green EXEMPT indicator lit her jaw, cast glow on frosted panel. She did not unlatch exterior doors wide. She kept double doors closed, spoke through barrier.
Outside voice paused. Then asked for last known address for Nyla Banks, asked when she vacated, asked if Zora would consent to interior scan for SELECTED device signal. Zora laughed small, said she had lived here alone while, said county road house behind elementary school sometimes mixed addresses, said sheriffs knew this block, said she could show utility bill if needed. Lie sat thin. Her hand trembled slight holding phone. She steadied it against door frame.
I stayed behind wall edge, listened to exchange, held breath until lungs burned. Red record icon on my phone pulsed against hardwood where face-down light leaked. I pressed palm over screen, smothered glow, felt heat through case. Outside detail repeated phrase SELECTED subject located, said handheld detected signal inside structure, said visual confirmation required per protocol.
Zora answered fast, said signal must be old device, said Nyla left phone behind months ago, said she kept it in drawer, said she would power it down. She offered to step onto porch with EXEMPT phone only, said she would not open house to strangers at night, cited dusk, late hour, single occupant safety. She kept door barrier closed. Her protective behavior sharpened, body angled between glass and my hidden position.
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Outside voice shifted tone, said protocol required compliance, said EXEMPT status granted deference but not override, said refusal to provide visual triggered escalation, said unit would hold position and request formal continuity protocol invocation. Response pending hung in air. Red light kept flashing, painting Zora's dark jacket in pulses. Engine idled. Footsteps shifted on sidewalk outside, boots scuffed concrete, stopped.
Zora glanced back toward my corner, eyes wide, reddish tint in dark wavy hair catching lamplight. She gave tiny shake of head, signaled stay hidden, stay silent. Her lips formed words without sound: stay down. I held position, knees locked, pendant pressed into zip fabric, breathing shallow, waiting for exterior detail to accept or challenge cover.
