Page 47 of Silent Dust
Bear looked puzzled, “But Rhys said he’s heard the dog over there.”
Ghost and Zulu exchanged a quick glance—no words needed to confirm the plan. Ghost stood first, “We’re heading out to scout that house. See what’s really going on.”
Zulu was already moving toward the door, adding without hesitation, “Won’t take long.”
Hawk caught their movement and held up a hand, a knowing smile tugging at his lips. “Easy, boys. Civilians first, operators second. Let’s keep it tight.”
Warden glanced over at Bear, his expression tightening. “You don’t have enough security here, if that b—” He caught himself mid-sentence, cheeks flushing as he shot a quick side-eye at Flora and Lindsey. Clearing his throat, he shifted gears. “If that lady is Charlotte, then things just got serious here. We need to tighten up perimeter watches and set up some discreet patrols—no gaps, no surprises.”
“There’s enough trees here that we can have the entire neighborhood under surveillance, easy!” Nova chimed in, scanning the feeds.
Tapping his tablet, Link called out, “Pizza guy just drove up.”
Blast burst out laughing. “Dude! You put cameras up without Bear even knowing?”
Bear glanced around the room, his eyes landing on Link with a steady, unblinking stare that made Link shift uneasily. Theroom fell quiet for a moment as Link swallowed hard, suddenly aware he might have pushed his stealthy upgrade a bit too far without a heads-up.
Link opened his mouth to apologize, but Bear cut him off with a slow nod. “Good work.”
Just then, the front door swung open and Zulu and Ghost stepped inside, pizza boxes in hand, laughing. Ghost grinned at Hank, “Don’t worry, we took care of the tip—after nearly making the delivery guy pee himself by sneaking up behind him at the door.” The room erupted in chuckles as the tension eased.
The kids came downstairs, grabbed pizza slices, and immediately asked for soda—Flora cut that off fast. “No soda, but Lindsey made fresh lemonade.”
Conversation pausedas everyone focused on feeding the kids. Once they were done, Lindsey and Flora rounded them up, shepherding the whole crew upstairs to wash up and get ready for bed—even Samir, who was grinning ear to ear at the idea of a sleepover.
Ghost scanned the room,making sure everyone was tuned in. “No one lives at that house but the dog. Poor thing’s stuck in there all alone.”
Nova shot up, eyes blazing. “What the hell?! I’m getting that dog out of there—that’s straight-up abuse.”
Zulu held up his hands, trying to cool things down. “Whoa, hold up, girly!” But the moment he said it, Nova’s icy glare froze him in place. “Girly?? Seriously?”
Before the tension could boil over, Hawk and Bear both cleared their throats. Hawk cut in first, voice calm but firm. “Let’s hear the whole story before you two start tearing each other apart.”
Ghost pressed on, “The dog’s got food and water, but no furniture inside. The place isn’t secured—no cameras, no alarms. We can get in and get him out.”
Zulu frowned, skeptical. “Or maybe the dog’s just a prop. Like, maybe she’s trying to lure one of the girls over there?”
Bear’s face paled at the thought, “Shit, she knew Flora would follow the kids…”
Hawk spoke quickly, cutting off Bear’s thoughts, “OK, so now we find her. She's got to be close by, waiting for one of the kids to lure away.”
Voices overlapped as plans took shape around the room. Nova was already gearing up to rescue the dog, teaming up with Blast and Moose for backup. Nearby, Warden outlined new security watches, emphasizing shifts to keep Bear’s family safe through the night.
At the far end, Swede and Link hunched over their laptops, fingers flying as they hacked into doorbell and traffic cameras across the neighborhood, hunting for any footage of the mysterious woman—or a car she might be using.
Meanwhile, Hank leaned in close to Bear, quietly discussing how to set a trap—something subtle but effective—to catch whoever was lurking nearby. The room buzzed with focused energy, each piece falling into place as they prepared for whatever came next.
Within twenty minutes, Nova, Moose, and Blast returned, a very happy puppy wagging its tail between them. Bear glanced upstairs, relieved the kids were hopefully asleep by now—if they found the puppy down here, there’d be no chance of anyone getting any rest tonight.
Security schedules were nailed down, each shift carefully planned to keep watch over the house and Bear’s family.
Hank and Bear exchanged a look—finally, they had the outline of a plan. The big BBQ on Saturday would be the perfect opportunity to lure Charlotte out into the open.
Out of an abundance of caution, Hank and Swede methodically searched the three rooms they’d been in for any hidden cameras or listening devices. Bear watched the active-duty members exchange shocked glances—surprised that someone outside the military had access to such sophisticated gear. Once the sweep was complete, Bear gathered everyone closer, including Lindsey and Flora, lowering his voice so they could all hear without worrying about their voices carrying upstairs to the kids.
Bear grinnedover at his team, “One of the perks of the Brotherhood Protectors is access to all kinds of equipment, without all the red tape.”
Bear clearedhis throat and started, “Hank and I have talked it over. We think Charlotte might’ve been out in the woods today, watching Flora and me. If that’s true, then she knows about the BBQ on Saturday. That’s probably when she’ll make her move.”
