Watcher in the Dark

Chapter 12: The Change of Plans

The end of Ethan's shift was creeping closer, the fog still hanging thick outside the windows of the guardhouse. He could feel the tension in his shoulders begin to ease as the clock ticked toward morning. Soon, he would have two days off-time he desperately needed to clear his head, to process everything that had happened over the past few nights. The fog, the sprinklers, the Congregation-it all weighed heavy on his mind, but a brief break from the guardhouse felt like a lifeline.

He glanced at the clock on the wall: 5:45 AM. Gregory would be arriving any minute to take over for the day shift. Ethan stacked his completed reports in a neat pile on the desk, already planning how he'd use the next forty-eight hours. He needed to check the areas Tom Whittaker had mentioned in his notebook-the park, the clubhouse, the sprinklers. The pieces were coming together, but there were still too many unanswered questions.

Just as he was about to lock the final report away, he heard the familiar clunk of the door as Gregory pushed it open and stepped inside. Ethan looked up, expecting the usual routine: a nod, a quick chat about the quiet night, and then heading home to crash. But this morning felt different.

Gregory stepped inside the guardhouse, his face unusually pale, and his smile seemed forced. His eyes darted around the small room, avoiding direct eye contact as he approached the desk.

"Morning, Ethan," Gregory said, his voice a little too chipper for the early hour.

"Morning, Greg." Ethan raised an eyebrow at the forced smile but said nothing about it.

Gregory rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, hesitating for a moment before blurting out, "Hey, man, I was hoping you might be able to do me a favor."

Ethan's senses immediately went on high alert, though he kept his expression neutral. "Sure, what's up?"

Gregory shifted from foot to foot, still not making eye contact. "I've got some, uh, doctor's appointments coming up this week. And a couple of personal things I need to take care of in the mornings. I was wondering if we could switch shifts for a week-just, you know, you take the day shifts, and I'll take the nights."

The request hung in the air, the weight of it settling in Ethan's gut like a rock.

Switch shifts?

Ethan studied Gregory's face closely. The guy looked off-tense, maybe even a little nervous. It wasn't unusual for the guards to trade shifts from time to time, but something about the way Gregory had framed the request, the way he couldn't quite meet Ethan's gaze, made alarm bells go off in his head.

Ethan forced a smile, trying to keep his tone light. "You okay? Everything good with the doctor?"

Gregory's eyes flicked toward him for the briefest moment before darting away again. "Yeah, yeah, just routine stuff. Nothing serious. Just... you know, personal things."

Ethan nodded slowly, pretending to think it over. His gut told him something wasn't right. Gregory's request seemed innocent enough on the surface, but the way he was acting-jittery, avoiding eye contact-it was enough to raise Ethan's suspicions. Was this really about doctor appointments, or was something else going on?

He couldn't help but wonder if this was part of the Congregation's plan. Were they trying to control his schedule, limit his movements, or keep him distracted? The timing was too perfect-just as he was about to dig deeper into the park and clubhouse during his days off.

But outwardly, Ethan kept his smile. He couldn't let on that he was suspicious. He had to keep up the act.

"Yeah, sure," Ethan said, leaning back casually in his chair. "No problem. I can cover the day shifts for a week. Hope everything's alright with the appointments."