Page 17 of Erase Me
As I leaped over, a dog inside barked, and a motion sensor light flickered to life as I stepped beneath it.Solar-powered lights.Ignoring them, I dashed across the yard to the next fence and jumped it in moments.The second yard remained dark, presenting an obstacle course of children’s outdoor toys and a swing set.Staying close to the back wall of the house, I maneuvered to the next boundary, a six-foot concrete wall.Scaling it was no problem, but I skidded when my feet hit a lawn that was wet from water sprinklers.Somehow, I managed to stay on my feet and raced to the next fence.The dog from two houses back continued to bark.
Minutes later, after circling around a swimming pool, I climbed over one more fence and descended into the yard of my destination.
Darkness covered the backyard.From my research, I knew that the carefully landscaped gardens offered greenery and color from the terrace that extended across the back of the house.The outlines of tables and chairs were visible beneath protective coverings.
Remembering the car on the street, I wasn’t about to linger here.I moved up toward the raised patio, confident that Payam was managing the security system.
As I ran toward the lower end of the house, a solar motion sensor light suddenly illuminated the patio.A few seconds later, I went through a gate onto the paved driveway.No lights here, but it wasn’t difficult to find the entry door beside a three-car garage.
“Code?”I asked softly.
Payam recited the string of numbers, and with a soft click, a green light illuminated the keypad.
“Two of your friends are approaching the house.They clearly plan to enter through the patio door.”
“How many…total?”I asked.
“A third one is by the shrubs in front.”
“The driver?The bike rider?”
“The SUV is circling the block.The electric bike has positioned itself at the next intersection, keeping watch.”
“Keep me posted if anything changes.”
I was pressed for time.It was pitch-black, but I used my phone light to find the interior door.As I crossed the garage floor, I swept the light around the space.The only vehicle in here was a four-seater golf cart.A pair of surfboards and two more paddleboards hung in racks along one wall beside a workbench and a cabinet.None of this would appeal to the thugs breaking into the house.
The inside door had another security pad.“Another code?”
“Same as the last one,” Payam said.
Entering the code, I went through the steel door into a short hallway.Stairs led up from the garage level to the main floor.
I was nearly at the top when I heard glass break in the front of the house.The bastards moved fast.
I knew they’d be hitting the second-floor study and bedroom, prompting me to quickly navigate through the house and position myself in the central foyer, near the foot of the stairway.
Within moments, the two intruders emerged from a front room, clad in dark coveralls with hoodies.The beams from their headlamps lit their path, and tools hung from their belts while black trash bags dangled from their hips.
They were both taller than me and, even in the coveralls, looked heavier by a large margin.Well, the bigger they are...
“What the fuck are you doing here?”I demanded, shielding my eyes.
They took a step back.I knew these people had a specific way of operating.They used a bike rider to surveil wealthy neighborhoods, looking for times when the residents were not at home.They steered clear of confrontations like the plague, never resorting to opening exterior doors or windows.They simply broke a slider or French door, and went for jewelry, cash, gold coins, or whatever they could steal.They’d be in and out of the house in fifteen minutes, where a van or SUV was waiting.
“Turn around and go out the way you came.”
I didn’t see the blow coming until it landed.The third intruder came out of nowhere, delivering a solid body blow to the ribs and driving me hard into a built-in bookcase at the base of the stairs.I felt the air rush out of my lungs, leaving me momentarily breathless.
The thug tried to pin me to the wall, but I wasn’t about to let that happen.Striking his forehead hard with the heel of my right hand, I followed quickly with a sharp chop to his throat.He fell back, clutching his neck.In the light coming from the headlamps of his accomplices, I could see his eyes bulging as he sank to his knees.
I was sure the other two had been ready to run, but that all changed when they saw their partner go down.They were not about to leave him.
One charged at me fast, raising a hammer as he approached.One good thing about those headlamps.I knew exactly where he was looking, and the intruder’s weapon of choice was clearly aimed at doing damage to my skull.
He was bigger than me but not faster.When he was two steps away, I dropped down, spun, and swept his knee.The crack told me he was going to be in a lot of pain for a while, and the hammer clattered to the floor behind me.
The last man was not as enthusiastic, but he wasn’t about to leave his partners, either.
