The tracker

{ Mia }

As I paced through the room, the sound of the doorbell suddenly rang out in my ears .

Hesitantly I turned towards the door ." Scarlett?, who's at the door ?"

She sighed, " Ugh !" She said frustration evident in her tone ." I tried to warn you but you wouldn't listen, one of the people from the house is approaching us ."

I felt the color drain from my face and my hands start to tremble. A cold knot of dread settled in my stomach as my hand froze on the doorknob." Should I open it ?" I asked hesitantly.

" The person doesn't seem to have ulterior motives ."

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding, and turned the door knob the cold metal , comforting against the heat of my hand .

Just as I was about to open the door she continued. "Mia, I don't like this. The girl's alone, but someone else is standing nearby, just out of sight."

" Scarlett, hide !" I said eagerly.

With trembling hands, as I opened the door Scarlett muttered under her breath."Great, Mia, invite the creepy neighbors into our already compromised security. Genius."

I ignored her , opened the door, and was greeted by a smiling face, a little girl, around 5 years old greated me . She smiled, her blond hair glistening and her blue eyes almost hypnotic.

I smiled at her, ' I couldn't make her feel like I knew something.'

" Hey !" I said smiling." What's your name sweetie"

She looked at me carefully as if analysing me .

Then, suddenly, someone came from behind the doorframe and smirked. I jerked.

" Hey, I'm Henri . It's nice to meet you "

I was confused, and it seemed like he understood since he quickly explained.

" I'm her elder brother." He continued pointing at the little girl, a smirk evident on his face .

I smiled though it didn't quite reach my eyes .

" Yeah, ummm .... So what can I help you with ?" I asked eagerly.

" Our mom forced us to come and invite you to our home , you see , we just moved in and..."

I raised an eyebrow."What do you mean, 'just moved in'? That house has been empty for years." I asked frustration evident in my voice .

" I mean we just bought the house next door " he said a little too quickly.

" There are no records confirming that the house next door was purchased recently."

I stated firmly.

His eyes widened in shock and he quickly scrambled to find an excuse.

" My parents... they don't like official records. It's safer that way, you know?" He glanced over his shoulder, as if making sure no one was listening.

The little girl clung to her brother's hand, but her eyes darted toward the inside of the house. Was she.... looking at Scarlett ? I felt a shiver crawl up my spine.( I had told her to hide but unfortunately she didn't.)

I felt beads of sweat start to form on the crook of my neck . While I calmly said .

" Alright, I'll visit, but maybe later, I've got some things to take care of ."

Henri's eyes darted past me for a moment, lingering on the dim glow of Scarlett's panel. "Nice tech setup you've got," he said, his voice too casual.

" Thanks" I said smiling. " But it's just a TV ." I said forcing a chuckle .' why didn't Scarlett hide like I had told her to !'

" You're welcome anytime." He smiled and left, holding his sister's hand along the way .

Just as they left I heard Scarlett's voice echo through my ears ."Uh, Mia? I just intercepted a signal from his phone. Whatever they're up to, you might want to reconsider that visit." She said her voice warning.

"The signal is encrypted, but it's bouncing off several towers in a loop. That's not normal for a personal device. Whoever these people are, they have resources."

I turned around," send me the signal to my computer." I stated my voice cold.

" Sent."

" Oh , and Scarlett? Please develop a base for house protection. I don't trust anyone."

" Consider it done ."

I went to my room and sat at my desk, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. Scarlett's voice broke through the silence.

"Okay, I've decrypted part of the signal. It's... weird."

My brow furrowed. "Weird how?"

"It's not a standard communication. It's like... data being pulled from an external source and funneled into the house. Like they're running a remote server or... surveillance."

I froze. Surveillance? Were they watching me?

I quickly accessed the signal Scarlett had sent to my computer. My screen flickered as lines of code scrolled past, Scarlett's automated system translating the feed.

"There," Scarlett said. "That's the source."

My eyes narrowed at the blinking dot on the map. It wasn't from the neighboring house it was inside the house.

I bolted upright, scanning the room. "Scarlett, scan the entire house for bugs or hidden devices. Now!!" I barked eagerly.

"On it."Scarlett's voice was sharp, all traces of sarcasm gone.

Seconds felt like hours as Scarlett processed the request. Then:

"Mia... there's a device transmitting from under your bed."

My blood ran cold. Slowly, I crouched and peered beneath the bed. Sure enough, a small, black device with a blinking red light was nestled in the shadows.

My hand shook as I picked it up. "Scarlett, what is this?"

"A tracker. And it's still active."

A chill ran down my spine. If they were watching me, how long had it been? How much did they know? I couldn't let fear paralyze me not now.

I clenched my jaw, my mind racing. Was this from the man who chased me? Or... the neighbors?

Scarlett interrupted my thoughts. "Mia, listen to me this is serious. Whoever left this knows you've found it. You need to act now."

My heart pounded in my chest. I set the tracker down and grabbed the bag of weapons I had confiscated earlier.

"Scarlett, lock down the house. No one gets in or out without my permission."

"Already done."

My eyes flicked toward the window, my breath steadying. If they wanted me, they'd have to come for me. And I'd be ready.

"Scarlett, I need a trace on every device that's connected to this signal. And while you're at it, pull up the schematics for the neighbor's house. I'm done waiting for answers."