Paige stood up, following him, the two of them standing in the kitchen, waiting, hoping that they were right, while they listened to the sound of movement upstairs. Paige heard the creak of the stairs, and Christopher started forward, his gun ready in his hands.

In spite of the training that she'd had earlier, Paige was glad that it was Christopher with the weapon, not her. Being able to shoot a couple of bottles wasn’t the same thing as taking on a serial killer in the dark.

They moved through the house together, heading for the stairs, Paige following close behind Christopher. It was probably dangerous to be heading towards a serial killer, but it felt more dangerous to wait alone in the dark in a house that might have Adam in it.

It was dark in most of the house now, but Christopher didn't turn on the lights. He used a flashlight instead, presumably so that the beam against the darkness might blind anyone he pointed it at.

As they reached the stairs, Paige thought that she saw a flicker of movement there above.

“There!” she shouted, pointing.

Instantly, Christopher had his weapon and his flashlight pointed.

"Freeze! FBI! Don't move!"

The figure there froze, hands going in the air instantly as Christopher's flashlight played over him. Paige found a light switch and flicked it on.

The sudden wash of light revealed, not Adam, but a teenage boy, dressed in a dark hoodie and jeans, with spiked hair and a ring through his nose. Even the fear he showed was the very opposite of anything Adam might have displayed.

"Don't shoot!" he said. "I’m sorry! I... I'm just here to see Celeste."

"Who's Celeste?" Christopher demanded, in a stern tone.

Paige could guess, though, just based on the age of the boy. "The eldest daughter. We've caught a kid sneaking in to make out."

It was a false alarm, but that didn't mean that Adam wasn't coming. The kid had just shown how easy it was for someone to get into the house. That meant that they still had to wait, and watch, and be ready if he did show up.


Tags: Blake Pierce Paige King FBI Suspense Thriller Thriller