PART 2 — The House Was Watching
The 911 operator answered on the second ring.
“What is your emergency?”
I kept my voice low.
“I think my husband has hidden surveillance cameras throughout our home. My six-year-old stepson says he’s afraid of him. We’re in the basement right now.”
The operator asked me to stay on the line.
As she spoke, my eyes moved across the laptop screen. Four camera feeds. Then six. Then more.
The kitchen.
The hallway.
Ethan’s bedroom.
My bedroom.
Even the bathroom door.
A timestamp blinked in the corner of each feed.
My stomach turned.
Ethan tugged my sleeve.
“Daddy watches when I sleep.”
I looked down at him.
“What do you mean?”
His voice dropped to a whisper.
“He talks through the speaker sometimes. He says if I tell anyone, I’ll have to go away.”
A tiny black speaker sat beside the laptop.
My skin crawled.
Then I noticed another window open on the computer.
Folders.
Dozens of them.
Each labeled with dates.
Inside were video files.
Hundreds of them.
Before I could click anything, a crackling sound came from the speaker.
My heart stopped.
“Emily.”
Mark’s voice.
Calm. Flat.
“What are you doing in the basement?”
Ethan let out a small gasp.
The operator heard it through my phone.
“Ma’am, officers are on the way. Leave the basement immediately.”
I grabbed Ethan’s hand.
May you like
As we turned toward the stairs, Mark’s voice came through the speaker again.
“Don’t make this harder than it has to be.”
