Nathan knocks on the Captain's door then enters when the Captain's gruff voice permits him. The Captain raises his head from a large amount of paperwork in front of him.
''Jones, shouldn't you be busy?''
''I have an important question, may I?''
Captain Hodder tenses. He doesn't answer immediately. He shifts uncomfortably in his seat as Nathan sits in one of his guest chairs. He leans forward to capture the Captain's attention.
''Earlier today I received a corpse of a twelve-year-old.....that's normal for a day at work, you know what is not normal? A few minutes ago, I received a total of five adults. All of them, with their hearts missing, gone. The thoracic cavity is empty, and I received strict orders to keep my mouth shut. What the fu- hell is going on? Captain.''
The Captain rubs his tired eyes, ''It's complicated at this moment you must not tell Miles about this.''
Nathan leans back in his chair and crosses his arms.
''Why not?''
''B-because,'' he stutters as he tries to find an excuse, "He has a case that needs all his attention, this doesn't concern him.''
Nathan scoffs, ''Bad excuse. I want an honest answer.''
''There is a possibility that there is a serial killer on the loose-''
''And Miles a Detective shouldn't know about this because?''
Captain Hodder sighs, ''there is a possibility a small one, that Miles is a part of this case.''
''Excuse me? What do you mean, he's connected?'' Nathan's expression turns dark.
Looking dead in Nathan's eyes, he replies, ''Because that's how his-''
''Dad!...hey Nathan,'' both males look at Zayn as he burst into the office, interrupting their conversation.
''Miles's house had sent an SOS message a few hours ago, it said someone broke into Miles's house, well it didn't say that technically.. more like code-"
Both Nathan and the Captain pales.
The Captain stands and quickly speaks into his police scanner then asks, ''Does Miles know?''
''No, hold on, I'm going to send him a message,'' Zayn gets busy on his phone.
''I think he is okay. He said that he is bringing home Jayla. I don't think he is home yet.''
''Hold on, I just got back a message,'' he presses his lips together.
''It says that he is at his house... and Jayla is there, he says it's not a burglar because nothing is missing, well that's weird.''
Nathan curses under his breath.
*
Miles instantly sends a message to Zayn.
I'm at my house. It's not a burglar, and I can't use my gun. Jayla is here.
He looks through the windows in his bedroom, the dense empty, and dark forest stares back at him.
''Don't move an inch, Glasgow.''
She freezes when she hears the grave tone in his voice over the speaker, the fork that she has in her hands eating the cake stops midway.
''w-what? Why? Miles, I'm not in the mood for playing!''
''There is a possibility that there is an unwanted guest in here, don't move. I'll be there in a minute.''
Suddenly her appetite is gone, goosebumps travel all over her skin. Jayla takes a peek into the hallway. She can't see much through the dim lighting.
Neglecting the cake, she spins around the kitchen, looking for a weapon, anything to defend herself. She starts to pull out every draw she meets but only to come up with nothing but blunt-edged utensils.
''Where are the damn knives!?,'' She mutters under her breath as she continues her search. The distant sound of squeaky footsteps approaching the kitchen snaps her out of her frantic searching. Reaching to the nearest thing, which is the plastic fork she was eating her cake with, she holds it like a knife ready to attack the intruder.
Miles steps out from the shadow with a very frustrated expression as he talks on his phone. Jayla's shoulder relaxes as she lowers the fork.
''I should do a what? What's that?'' Jayla goes back to eating the slice of cake as she leans back on the counter. She listens to his conversation.
He puts down the phone on the counter and sits on one of the bar stools, so he is facing her.''
"The house is going to do a scan, so don't freak out or do anything weird I'm not in the mood for it."
''A scan? what scan?''
''I don't know, apparently it's something the house can do. Zayn says it will help in our situation.''
'' Do a thermal scan,'' he says on his phone.
''My service is limited to the house only. Scanning 12%.''
''This is a question I always want to ask,'' she says through a mouthful of cake. ''How does your house speak to you like that? How does it know where you are, like a minute ago, you order it to do something, it instantly replies to you in the kitchen. It's as if it can see you or something that's so cool but creepy-ish. Oh, and what brand phone is that? Is it even released to the public? And how comes you don't call a name when you give orders to the house? Can it tell the difference between you having a conversation and giving an order? That must be expensive,'' She rambles as she stares out in space, lost in her thoughts.
''I'm a detective, not a technician,'' he deadpan then looks back into his phone. ''Ask Zayn. He designed and installed it.''
''Scanning 80%.''
Jayla closes the lid of the cake plate then throws it and the plastic fork in the bin.
''Scanning 90%.''
Jayla's heart is now moving as fast as a freight train. The possibility that there may be someone else in the house with them right now is scary. They might be armed, and as far as Jayla knows, there isn't a single weapon near that they could use to defend themselves.
''Scanning complete.''
Jayla closes her eyes shut as she tries to remember the route to the front door.
"Results," he orders without looking up from his phone.
''Thermal scan
complete. All rooms are empty, excluding the kitchen. There are two homo sapiens. The temperatures recorded are male 36.5° C, female 36.8°C.
Jayla resists the urge to laugh, ''that sounds deeper than a thermal scan. It identified our genders."
Miles stands up and starts to walk out of the kitchen. Jayla quickly follows.
''Let's go before the persons come back. I do not want things to get messy.''
There is a golden chandelier hanging over a large wooden dining table with matching chairs. Near the entrance of the kitchen is a dark oak bookshelf packed with books and two beige sofas facing it. They walk further down the hall towards the exit. The hallway is well decorated, with small wooden furniture and potted plants.
She spots a wall-length mirror decorated with dark green plants. Jayla stops for a photo; then remembers that her phone is out of charge. She couldn't help but notice how immaculate the house is, not a single sign of dust anywhere. It's too clean like nobody lives there. She opens her mouth to ask him a question when his phone lights up, and he answers it.
''Speak.''
He puts the phone is on the speaker so she can hear the conversation.
''For security reasons, you are going in a different car, the Audi!'' the loud and excited tone of Zayn's voice cause Miles to pull the phone from his ears. He walks towards the door to the garage.
''And I am going to do a security check, so follow my instructions. Dad says you should not bringing Jayla home.''
''She is not going home?''
''I am not going home?''
''Dad said it has to do with some security reasons. I don't remember. I already book you two a Motel a few minutes from here. Nothing fancy, just undercover.''
''Without our permission?''
''Obviously,'' Zayn mutters lowly, ''okay, you guys in the car yet?''
Miles unlocks the door to his Audi and starts the car. Jayla slips on her shoes, gets in the car, and buckles down. She breathes in the new car scent then rubs her eyes as tiredness creeps in.
''Go on the Aldridge's road.''
Miles pauses, then put the phone into the phone holder in the car.
''Pardon?'' He starts to reverse as the garage door opens.
''Go on the Aldridge's road.''
''Are you serious? Why do I need to do that?''
''I need their security cameras. Don't worry, they are on vacation, on their new private island, so this is going to be feud free.''
''I have cameras.''
He grips the leather-covered steering wheel. They have been neighbors since he bought this house, but he never gets along with the Aldridge's, especially their spoiled son. He once had a cat that strayed to their property once. Their son threw it in their pool as a dare for his Facebook page. The parents dismissed the situation with a wave of their expensive ring covered hands. Aldridge's name is as big as their mansion and property. They once made headlines for not pronouncing a word correctly during a speech.
''They just broke in your house without a trace. Trust me, Miles. What if the person is hiding in the forest and then decides to follow you? I can't see your car or track you until you are in Naiver. Just drive onto their road to Naiver. They have cameras everywhere that I can hack-access and monitor you, don't think about yourself alone. Think about your passenger, as well.''
He glances over to Jayla; she has her head resting on the window as she snores quietly.
''Fine, I'm going,'' he picks up speed as the gate closes behind him
Out in the darkness, where eyes could not reach, two figures clad in black stands from the thicket as they watch the car driving off onto the road. The first person runs a hand through their blonde hair to untangle the knots as the next person brushes off the dirt from their dark suit. The first person whispers in their mobile phone.
''The mission is complete boss, what next?''
"Meet me by the River, as always. We have a lot of unfinished business."