“I hoped we could handle this without making a mess,” he said.

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small black radio.

He pressed the button on the side.

“Securitas,” Charles said into the device.

“We have an intruder on the front porch.”

“Remove him immediately.”

He released the button and slipped the radio back into his pocket.

He looked at me with a thin, cruel smile.

“You should have stayed in your garden, Arthur.”

From the shadows at the side of the house, I heard the sound of heavy boots on the gravel path.

Four men in dark tactical uniforms stepped onto the stone walkway.

They moved with professional coordination, splitting into two pairs to flank the steps.

They carried heavy-duty polymer batons and wore earpieces.

My mind instantly began to calculate the distances.

The first guard on the left was six feet away, his weight resting heavily on his heels.

The second was eight feet away, his hand hovering near a taser on his utility belt.

The two on the right were slightly further back, but they were closing the gap quickly.