Page 127 of Shattered Veil

“Tagalongs would be helpful…get in, spread out, poke around, get out…it’ll go faster.”

Liam said, “I’ll go, too.”

With one glance in his direction, I saw the ever-present concern for me that was flaring in his eyes, and there was no need to question him.

“Me too,” Luke spoke.

I heard Claire nervously whisper, “Luke, you sure?”

“Uh huh—no way I can sit still through this shit.”

I thoroughly understood that feeling.

“Okay…Zoey,” Claire called to her, “come sit with me while they go—you can watch up the street, I’ll watch down.”

“Mhm,” she returned, apprehensive. “If—if there’s any movement at all out here, even neighbors, y’all are getting the fuck out of there, okay?”

Her tone was laced with her usual protective mentality.

“Assuming there are multiple exits, this should be fine,” Colton noted.

“Liam.”

He twisted to look back at Zoey, and as their eyes locked, they seemed to share a silent conversation. I looked away from them and back to the house to give them a means of privacy, and Colton pressed:

“Y’all good?”

“Good,” Liam instantly replied.

“’Kay,” he returned in an exhale. “Let’s get this over with—we’ll go around back and see if there’s an easy entry. Front door’s just askin’ for trouble if he has a doorbell cam. Y’all ready?”

There was no verbal confirmation from any of us. We all just began to move—out of our respective vehicles, hoods on our jackets up in mock protection from the falling snow, and casually across the street. A car door opened and shut twice behind us as we all walked along, and I knew it to be Zoey going to sit with Claire and keep watch.

When our feet met the sidewalk, Colton reached into his hood, up by his ear with one hand, and then let it fall back to his side.

“Hello, Claire,” he cooed. “I…did not see that. Observant—cockiness doesn’t become you, though.” He nodded toward the fencing on the left side of the house and told us, “Gate to the back.”

We all followed the gesture of his head, the black hinges visible along the light wash of the wooden fence that enclosed the backyard, and we stepped through the snow to reach it. It opened with no trouble, and Luke glanced up and around.

“Private back here,” he remarked.

Greenery encompassed us, planted just inside the fence line—the pine trees stood tall, and I felt myself breathe out a sigh of relief because Luke was right. The neighboring houses were invisible to us here…and I assumed that meant that we were invisible, as well.

“Good,” I muttered.

The remainder of the backyard was small, with just enough space for a wooden deck on our right. Three small steps led to the patio, and as we all looked it up and down, Liam voiced:

“Back door on the porch?”

“Maybe,” Colton responded. “Windows, too.”

He pointed at the one situated next to the sliding glass door. Similarly to the one in front and unlike the door beside it, there were no blinds drawn, though we were at such an angle that I couldn’t view the inside.

We trailed behind Colton as he walked up the steps, Liam at my back and Luke at my front, and I barely heard the wood creak before he pointedly pulled his hoodie sleeves to stretch over his hands, grabbed the handle, and gave it a gentle tug to the left.

It didn’t budge.

“Locked,” he murmured. “Figures.”

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