Chapter 5 - Hidden Cameras and Heavy Traps
The temporary order granted me exclusive possession of the house, but Sarah warned me that desperate people do desperate things. Knowing Marcus still had a key and might try to return under the cover of night to retrieve more documents or smash my hardware, I didn't just change the deadbolts—I transformed my home into an ironclad fortress.
I hired a commercial security team to install smart digital locks with custom access codes, heavy-duty window latches, and high-definition covert cameras concealed inside smoke detectors, light fixtures, and wall clocks throughout the house.
At 1:00 AM two nights later, my phone vibrated under my pillow. The security app flashed a motion alert: Back Patio Door - Smart Lock Engagement Attempt.
I sat up instantly, opening the live camera feed on my phone.
Through the infrared night-vision lens, I watched Marcus and Trevor standing on my back deck. Trevor was carrying a black duffel bag, while Marcus was trying to pick the smart lock with a set of hand tools. Lorraine was standing at the bottom of the deck steps, holding a flashlight and looking nervously toward the driveway.
“Hurry up!” Lorraine’s whispered voice bled through the security camera’s high-sensitivity microphone. “If she catches us, she’ll call those cops again!”
“Shut up, Mom, I’m trying!” Marcus hissed back, sweat glistening on his forehead. “She changed the entire cylinder. My key doesn't work!”
“Just break the glass!” Trevor urged, his eyes wide and frantic. “The loan guys gave me until tomorrow afternoon, Marcus! If I don't have forty grand in cash or negotiable bearer bonds by noon, they’re coming to Mom’s apartment!”
Inside my bedroom, my heart pounded, but I didn't feel fear. I felt an exhilarating, razor-sharp clarity. I didn't call 911 immediately. Instead, I pressed the button on my phone that activated the home’s smart floodlights and external siren system.
Instantly, the entire backyard was illuminated with blinding, ten-thousand-lumen white light. A deafening 120-decibel security alarm shrieked across the neighborhood.
Lorraine screamed, dropping her flashlight and falling backward into the hydrangea bushes. Trevor dropped his duffel bag and bolted toward the side gate like a frightened rat. Marcus stood frozen under the blazing light, staring directly into the hidden camera lens mounted above the door, his face caught in absolute horror.
I stepped out onto the second-floor balcony, looking down at them through the glare.
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“The police are already en route, Marcus!” I yelled over the blaring siren. “And every single second of this is being broadcast live to the police dispatch network!”
Marcus stared up at me, his mouth opening and closing silently. He realized, in that exact moment, that the naive, quiet wife he thought he could intimidate and fleece was gone forever.
