After the call with Agent Williams ends, the house falls into a silence so thick it feels alive. It was not peaceful or empty, but watching and waiting. The hours until dawn drag, heavy with tension. Every creak made us jump. Every gust against the window feels like a warning. The journal lies open on the coffee table, its blank pages trembling faintly, as if something on the other side is trying to push through.
Zeke sits beside me on the couch, his arm around my shoulders. He isn't watching the TV anymore. The screen is on, the sound low, forgotten. His eyes keep drifting to the windows, scanning the dark outside. Uncle Donovan sits in the recliner, elbows on his knees, hands clasped tight. He looked like he was praying or trying not to fall apart.
"Sunrise. We just have to make it to sunrise," Zeke said, tightening his hold on me. A chill ran the length of my spine. At this point, I'm not sure sunrise will save us. We stay together the rest of the night, no one wanting to be alone. The fear of danger hangs over our heads like a dark cloud.
The first hint of dawn creeps across the sky, turning the horizon pale gray. The house feels colder, like the night has left something behind. Then a car engine rumbles in the distance.
"That's him," Zeke says, shooting to his feet.
"Finally," Donovan muttered, rubbing his face as he stood too. "I aged ten years waiting for this man.
I move to the window and peek through the blinds. A dark SUV rolls into our driveway, headlights cutting through the early morning fog. Agent Williams steps out, grim and cautious. His eyes sweep the street before he shuts the door and heads for the house. He looks different, harder, like he's aged ten years since the last time we saw him. Zeke opens the door before he can knock.
"Get inside," Zeke says. "Quickly."
Agent Williams doesn't argue. He steps in and locks the door behind him with a quiet click. The second he enters the living room, the journal flies open, then slams shut as if protesting his presence. I gasp. Everyone else jumps.
"What was that?" Agent Williams asks.
"The veil," I whisper, as if that explained everything. "It reacts to danger and the truth." He stares at me for a long moment, something unreadable in his eyes. Then he nods once, like he's expected something like this.
"Alright," he says quietly. "We need to talk."
"Let's start with Ted, then," Uncle Donovan says, crossing his arms. "Was his abduction because of Dunhill?"
"Yes. It was someone working for him," Agent Williams answers, exhaling slowly.
"Why now?" I ask, my stomach twisting.
It seems ridiculous for them to quiet Ted now when he has been involved in so many incidents involving my property. He had to have been working under his orders.
"Because Ted talked to me," Agent Williams answers. "And Dunhill found out somehow. I am almost confident Dunhill has an informant inside the FBI. I can't prove it. Let alone unmask this individual. I will eventually; it's just going to take time we don't have."
"So he silenced him," Zeke snaps angrily. His jaw clenches so hard I saw the muscle jump. Agent Williams doesn't deny it. Instead, he steps closer to the table and the journal. The moment he does, it pulses faintly. He stares at it.
"I can't believe this thing is real?" he breathes, startled by its reaction. "I'm still wrapping my mind around the fact that it reacts to people."
"Yes," I whispered, confused about why he was asking. "And it's been warning us."
Agent Williams drags a hand through his hair. "Then listen to it, because Dunhill isn't just dangerous. He's desperate, and desperate men make mistakes." The veil hums again, louder this time, vibrating through the floorboards.
Agent Williams looks at me, his expression darkening. "Roxanne... he knows who you are. We need to be careful."
"I know," I say, trailing off. "But how long has he known?"
"When he first met you at the closing. He had no idea who you were until the sheriff asked if you were related to the Catalano's. That caught his attention, and he started digging into your background," Agent Williams said. "He's been looking for your mother and for you for years. He never believed she died that night. He just never expected you to fall right into his lap."
The journal pulses again, a sharp, insistent thud. Agent Williams stands, unable to stay seated. He stands in the center of the living room like a man about to deliver a blow he knows will land hard. Zeke sits close beside me, one hand on my back. Uncle Donovan hovers near the recliner, arms crossed tight, bracing himself.
Agent Williams took a slow breath. "I need you to understand something. Dunhill isn't working alone." The room seemed to shrink around us. "Although he is the man in charge, he has people," Agent Williams continues. "A network. Some loyal to him, some scared of him, some paid off. And they're everywhere."
Uncle Donovan's jaw tightens. "In the sheriff's office. We already know about them."
"Yes," Agent Williams says. "In the sheriff's office. In the city council. In local businesses, even the damn zoning board. As I said before, there are traces in the FBI, too, though I'm still trying to figure out how far it goes. He's woven himself into this town like rot in the foundation." A cold shiver crawls up my spine.
Uncle Donovan mutters, "Of course the zoning board. Evil does love paperwork."
"How does he control them?" Zeke asks, frowning.
"Fear," Agent Williams says. "Money, blackmail, and promises of power. He knows exactly what each person wants—or what they're terrified of losing." The journal pulses once, a sharp thud that makes all of us flinch. Agent Williams glanced at it. "And then there are the ones who follow him because they believe in what he's trying to do."
My stomach twists. "What is he trying to do exactly?" I ask, already terrified; I know the answer.
Agent Williams hesitates. I can see the battle in his eyes over how much to reveal, how much he thinks we can handle.
Finally, he meets my eyes. "He wants access to the veil. Not just access it, but cross over into it."
The air leaves my lungs. Zeke swears under his breath.
Uncle Donovan's face drains of color. "Oh great. He wants to break into ghost-land. That's just perfect."
Agent Williams continues, voice low. "He believes the veil is a source of power, influence, and knowledge. He thinks it can be controlled. Weaponized."
"That's impossible," I whisper.
Agent Williams shakes his head. "He doesn't care if it's impossible. He cares if he can force it." The veil hums sharply in my ears, angry and warning.
I press my hand to my temple. "He can't break it. He can't. Only I can walk between both planes." I keep repeating the words, but they don't feel like mine. It's like something has slipped into my mind and taken hold. The journal reacts instantly, flying open so violently its pages whip as if a storm has burst through the room.
Agent Williams jumps back, yelling, "Holy Shit!"
Zeke rushes to me, grabbing my arm. "Rocky, baby. Calm down." His words snap me out of whatever had come over me.
"I'm okay," I whisper, as my voice trembles.
"The veil is reaching out to Roxanne," Uncle Donovan says, his voice shaking. "It's worried about what you're saying."
"No," I say. "It's reacting to Dunhill's plans." The instant the words leave my mouth, the ringing in my ears sharpens, then softens into a whisper. Faint. Breathy. Urgent. It says only one word.
Daughter….
My breath hitches. "Someone's here."
"Who? Yurei?" Zeke asks, tightening his grip.
"No. Someone else," I say, shaking my head.
"Roxanne, what does it want you to see?" Agent Williams asks, stepping closer, his eyes lock on the page.
"Roxanne, what does it want you to see?" Agent Williams asked, stepping closer, his eyes lock on the page.
The shadows deepen around us, blocking what little light comes through the windows. It feels like we're trapped in a room full of smoke.
"Dunhill has people watching you and this house," Williams says, dropping the bomb in a low voice. My heart seems to stop, then drop straight into my stomach.
"What?" Zeke snaps.
Agent Williams nods grimly. "I saw a car two blocks down. Similar to the one that's been tailing me for days. They're not subtle anymore."
The journal slams shut. The lamp flickers violently. The veil screams, a sharp, piercing sound only I could hear.
I stagger, clutching my head. "Something's coming."
Williams grabs my shoulder to help Zeke steady me. "Then we don't have much time." The house falls silent. Too silent. The kind that tells you the next move has already begun. Zeke stands rigid beside me, fists clenching. Uncle Donovan looks like he's been punched in the gut. And I... I feel the veil pressing against me, heavy and urgent, like it's trying to push me backward or pull me forward. I can't tell which.
Agent Williams moves to the window, lifting the curtain just enough to peer outside. His jaw tightens. "The car's still there."
Zeke stepped closer to him. "How many are in the car?"
"It's parked too far away. I can't tell," Agent Williams says, frustration edging his voice.
A cold ripple slides down my spine. Then the house creaks, a long, low groan that made all three men freeze.
"Tell me that's just the house settling," Donovan says, swallowing hard.
"It's not," I say. "I think it's trying to warn us."
Zeke moves closer, slipping an arm around my waist. "Rocky, you're shaking."
"I'm fine," I lie. I'm not. The air feels charged, like the second before lightning strikes. The shadows seem to pulse with my heartbeat and the veil. It was like something was screaming without a sound.
Agent Williams steps away from the window. "Listen carefully. Dunhill's people aren't just watching. They're waiting."
"For what?" Uncle Donovan asks.
"For an opening," Agent Williams answers. "For a moment, when Roxanne is vulnerable, or they think they can get to her."
"Damn it," Zeke says, staring out the window. His face was a mix of anger and fear.
"What?" Uncle Donovan and I yell at the same time.
Agent Williams moved back to the window and lifts the curtain again. "There's another car farther down the road. They're trying to box in the street."
My heart pounds so hard it hurts. "They're coming for me."
"Not yet, but soon," Agent Williams told me. For a long moment, none of us move. He stays near the window, shoulders tight, scanning the road like he expects something to burst out of the fog. Zeke hovers beside me, protective and restless. Uncle Donovan starts pacing again, rubbing the back of his neck and muttering under his breath.
"What do we do?" I ask, terror filling me.
"We stay inside. We stay quiet and wait," Agent Williams says, looking out the window.
"For what? For them to kill us all? Or break down the doors?" Uncle Donovan snaps.
"For them to make a mistake," he says. "They always do." He finally steps away from the window. "Listen to me. Dunhill's people won't move unless they think they can get in and out clean. Right now, they're watching, waiting for us to panic, maybe testing our perimeter."
"Too late, I'm already panicking," Uncle Donovan mutters.
Agent Williams ignores him. "They're waiting for a moment when Roxanne is separated and vulnerable."
"That's not happening," Zeke says, his jaw tightening.
"Good, because if they get their hands on her..." His words trail off. He doesn't need to finish. We all know. The lights flicker once, twice, then steady.
Zeke moved toward the hallway, peering into the darkness. "Rocky, stay behind me," he says as I step up beside him. I don't argue. The house creaks again, louder this time, and the floorboards beneath us vibrate.
"It's the house," I say before anyone can ask. "Not just the house. The veil, too."
"Then we need to take this seriously," Agent Williams says.
Zeke shoots him a scathing look. "We are taking it seriously."
"No," Agent Williams says. "You're not. You're just scared. There's a difference." The veil hums again, long and mournful, curling down my spine. I stiffen. Deep in my bones, I knew it was warning me. Agent Williams looks out the window again, lifting the curtain just enough to see. "Shit," he exclaims.
"What now?" Uncle Donovan asks, voice tight.
"There's movement," he says. "Two figures dressed in black just got out of the first car. They're not approaching yet." Fear shot through me at the thought of them taking me like they took Ted.