Chapter 1

Three in the morning. A frantic knock at the door jolted me awake.

"Victor, can you move a car for me? My husband parked too far back and it's blocking the trunk. My son's asthma medicine is inside."

It was Gertrude Summers, the owner of Unit 3008.

I rubbed my eyes and took the keys. A line of black text jumped across my vision.

【Don't touch it. If you do, you'll die.】

【There's no asthma medicine. There are body parts in that trunk.】

【She waited for the hour when only you're on shift. She's planning to send you to your death.】

I was wide awake in an instant, and it hit me that her mother-in-law had picked up her son that afternoon.

While I hesitated, she pressed me. "Victor, can you hurry? My son's having an attack, he needs the medicine now."

The keys hit the floor with a clang.

Without thinking, I opened the voice recorder on my phone.

1.

"Victor, what are you standing there for? My son's asthma is acting up, we can't waste time."

Gertrude's face was pale, her forehead slick with cold sweat.

Her urging left me dazed.

Gertrude lived in Unit 3008. Her husband was away most of the year.

Whenever something went wrong with her water or power, she'd come find me for help.

Her son was six this year, with severe asthma. Every change of season brought on an attack.

Under normal circumstances, with a life on the line, I shouldn't have hesitated.

But that line of text that had popped up out of nowhere sent a jolt through me.

I distinctly remembered her mother-in-law taking her son out that evening.

And as far as I knew, they hadn't come back.

"Victor, I'm begging you, just move the car for me, I only need to grab the medicine."

She scooped up the keys and shoved them back into my hand, hauling me toward the garage with real force.

【Do not go down there. The garage is empty, and the second you step into camera range you become the suspect.】

【Once you touch the car, your prints are all over it, and there's no way you can talk your way out.】

【Taking the fall and doing time would be the good outcome. What she wants is for you and the car to go into the river together. Your whole family will be destroyed.】

The doubt kept churning in me.

On one side, an owner I dealt with all the time. On the other, floating text that had come from nowhere.

Who was I supposed to believe?

Gertrude's grip was unnaturally strong. She dragged me toward the garage without once looking back.

I wrenched free of her. "Ms. Summers, don't panic yet."

"Don't panic? My son has asthma. A few minutes late and it could kill him."

Her eyes were rimmed red, and her voice cracked as she screamed at me.

I froze for a second, and her tone eased.

"Victor, I don't mean anything by it. Just a few minutes of your time and you'll save my son's life."

"The car's parked right at the garage entrance. You move it, I grab the medicine, it won't take you more than ten minutes."

Looking at how frantic she was, I said, "Ms. Summers, I understand you're in a rush, but your car's too big. I don't know how to drive it."

"You said your husband parked too far back. If I do it wrong and hit the wall, I could crush the trunk, and then there's no getting your son's medicine out at all."

"Here's what we'll do. Tell me what medicine your son needs and I'll go buy it right now."

She went still, and a flicker of impatience crossed her eyes.

"Victor, what pharmacy's open at this hour?"

"Besides, running there and back is bound to waste time. Moving the car is faster."

She held the keys out to me again. "Victor, it's only a few minutes. My son's waiting on it to save his life."

Seeing my hesitation, she pulled her owner status on me.

"Victor Fox, you're the security guard on duty tonight. Moving a car falls under your job. What gives you the right to refuse?"

I caught the edge in her voice and took two steps back.

【Stay calm. She sees the soft approach isn't working, so now she's going hard.】

"Victor Fox, if anything happens to my son because you dragged your feet, I will report you."

"And when you lose your job, don't come blaming me."

【Don't be afraid. Even a complaint won't cost you your life.】

Looking at that hostile face of hers, I was even more certain I couldn't go down to that garage.

I said evenly, "Ms. Summers, I'm truly sorry. Like I said, I'm willing to go buy the medicine. I can even drive your son to the hospital."

"Or here, I'll come upstairs with you right now, and we'll take him to the hospital together."

The moment she heard I wanted to go upstairs with her,

she panicked.