Is That Mom

Part 6 of Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

Breaking the Silence

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Part 6:

The Growing Threat

Ethan drove back through the darkened streets, the USB drive tucked safely in his jacket pocket, but his mind was far from at ease. The meeting with Marcus had left him shaken, his thoughts a chaotic mix of fear, anger, and a burning need for answers. As he approached his neighborhood, the familiar streets that once felt safe now seemed shadowed, hiding unseen threats. Every passing car felt like it was watching him, every dark alley held the possibility of danger. The tension was suffocating, as if the night itself had become a cage, closing in around him.

He pulled up to his house and killed the engine, letting the silence engulf him. For a moment, he just sat there, staring out at the darkened windows of his home. He could see the faint glow of a lamp in the living room, where his grandmother was likely dozing off in her armchair, waiting for him to come back. A pang of guilt hit him. She had no idea what he was getting himself into, and Ethan wasn’t sure he wanted her to know. The less she knew, the safer she would be. Or so he hoped.

As he stepped out of the car, a chill breeze swept through the street, carrying with it the scent of damp earth and something else—something faintly metallic, like rust or old blood. Ethan shivered, pulling his jacket tighter around him as he made his way up the driveway. But just as he was about to unlock the front door, he noticed something that made him stop in his tracks.

A car, parked a few houses down, idling quietly with its headlights off. It was an unmarked, dark sedan, the kind that could blend into any street without drawing attention. But there was something off about the way it just sat there, as if it was waiting for something—or someone. Ethan’s heart began to race, the familiar surge of paranoia rising within him. Was this a coincidence, or had someone followed him from the warehouse? He stood there, frozen, trying to make out any details, but the car remained still, silent, and enigmatic.

For a moment, Ethan considered walking over, demanding to know who was inside. But common sense prevailed, and he quickly turned back toward the door, fumbling with his keys. The last thing he needed was to provoke a confrontation on his own front lawn. Instead, he slipped inside the house, closing the door quietly behind him and peeking out through the curtains. The car was still there, the faint outline of the driver barely visible through the tinted windows. Ethan’s mind was racing, trying to make sense of what he was seeing.

“Maybe it’s nothing,” he muttered to himself, though he didn’t believe it. He couldn’t shake the feeling that he was being watched, that the walls were closing in on him, and that every step he took was leading him deeper into danger.

Inside, the house was quiet, almost unnaturally so. His grandmother’s knitting basket sat on the armchair, the yarn draped over the side, half-finished. A cup of tea had been left on the table, cold and untouched. The clock on the wall ticked softly, a steady rhythm that seemed to echo through the empty space. Ethan made his way to the window again, cautiously lifting the curtain to get another look. The car hadn’t moved.

As the minutes ticked by, Ethan’s paranoia only grew. He thought back to what Marcus had said about the organization—how they operated in the shadows, how they could be anywhere, watching without anyone knowing. What if they had found out about the meeting? What if they knew he had the USB drive? The thought made his blood run cold. He felt like a child again, alone and scared, but he couldn’t afford to let fear paralyze him. Not now.

Taking a deep breath, Ethan pulled out his phone and scrolled through his contacts, his thumb hovering over Marcus’s number. Should he call him? Tell him what was happening? But what if Marcus had set him up? What if the meeting was just a way to draw him out, to see how much he knew? Ethan quickly shook the thought from his head. No, Marcus had been genuine—he was sure of it. But that didn’t mean the danger wasn’t real.

He was about to put his phone away when it buzzed in his hand, the sudden vibration startling him. Ethan glanced at the screen, expecting another unknown number, but instead, it was a message. From Marcus.

“Be careful. They know.”

Ethan’s heart skipped a beat, his mouth going dry. He read the message again, his mind struggling to process the words. They know. The simple phrase carried a weight that felt suffocating, like a noose tightening around his neck. His pulse quickened, and he could feel the beginnings of panic clawing at the edges of his mind. What had he gotten himself into?

He turned his gaze back to the window, half-expecting the car to have vanished, but it was still there, unmoving. If they knew, if they were already watching him, then there was no telling how much time he had left before they made their move. He felt trapped, as if the walls of his home, the place that had always been his sanctuary, were closing in on him, threatening to crush him.

Ethan moved away from the window, his mind spinning as he tried to figure out what to do next. He couldn’t stay here, not if they were watching. But where could he go? He thought about the USB drive, the tiny device that now seemed to carry the weight of the world. He needed to look at the files, figure out what his mother had found, but every passing second felt like a countdown to something terrible.

As he paced the room, he heard a creak from the floorboards behind him, and he spun around, heart in his throat. It was his grandmother, standing at the doorway, her face lined with worry. “Ethan,” she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. “What’s going on?”

For a moment, Ethan considered telling her everything—about the journal, the meeting with Marcus, the drive, and the car outside. But he could see the fear in her eyes, the kind of fear that was born from years of silence and secrets. She didn’t need more to worry about; she was already carrying enough. So instead, he forced a smile, trying to make his voice sound as casual as possible. “It’s nothing, Grandma,” he said. “Just... work stuff. I’m fine.”

She didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t press him, either. She simply nodded, her gaze drifting to the window, as if she, too, could sense the presence lurking outside. “You should get some sleep,” she said. “You’ve been working too hard.”

Ethan nodded, even though he knew sleep was the last thing he’d be able to find tonight. “Yeah,” he said, his voice hollow. “I will.”

As she turned to leave, Ethan glanced back at the window one last time. The car was gone. A sense of relief washed over him, but it was fleeting. If they had been there, they knew where he lived. And if they knew where he lived, they could find him anytime they wanted. He was in their sights now, and there was no hiding from that.

As he made his way up to his room, Ethan’s mind was a storm of conflicting thoughts. He could still feel the weight of the USB drive in his pocket, a constant reminder of how deep he was in. He had wanted answers, but now that he was getting them, he wasn’t sure he was ready for what they would reveal.

The night stretched out before him, dark and silent, but no longer comforting. It was a void, full of unseen threats and whispered warnings, and Ethan was starting to realize that finding the truth about his mother might cost him more than he was willing to give. But he had come too far to turn back now. Whatever was waiting for him in the shadows, he would face it head-on.

Lying in bed, his eyes wide open, Ethan felt the familiar sense of dread creeping over him, but this time it was sharper, more tangible. He knew that his search for answers was no longer just a quest—it was a battle. And the enemy was already making its move.