The headlights of the lead vehicle swept across the basement window grate.

The security system monitor blinked, a warning light flashing red in the center of the desk.

The main door of the house was being breached.

I hit the enter key one final time.

On the monitor, the security grid went dark, replaced by a single line of text.

*SYSTEM UNDER USER CONTROL.*

I grabbed my rifle from the floor and stood up.

“Stay here,” I told Mara.

“Keep the upload running.”

“What about you?” she asked.

“I’m going to welcome my mother home,” I said.

I turned and walked back toward the stairs, the sound of glass shattering echoing from the floor above.

At the top of the stairs, my phone lit up in my pocket.

It was Voss again.

I answered it, but I didn’t say a word.

“Natalie,” Voss’s voice said, calm and cold over the receiver.

“We are inside.”

“Make this easy on yourself.”

I didn’t reply.

I simply pressed the button to end the call, and then I stepped into the shadows of the hallway.