Unseen Watchers

The long drive was a test of endurance, both physically and mentally. They had left the lakeside bungalow before dawn, cramming into Ryan’s SUV with the essentials—Monroe’s files, the flash drive, the journals, and a handful of burner phones. The paranoia sat thick in the air, unspoken but ever-present.

Jess sat in the passenger seat, staring out the window as the forests and empty highways blurred past. She had barely said a word since they left. Every so often, she caught glimpses of headlights behind them—different cars, different drivers—but it all felt too convenient.

She couldn’t tell if she was imagining it or if they really were being followed.

Leanna, sitting behind her, leaned forward. "Jess? You okay?"

Jess didn’t answer right away. "I keep seeing the same cars. I think. I don’t know." She shook her head, frustrated. "Maybe I’m just losing it."

Ryan tightened his grip on the wheel. "You’re not losing it. We’re being careful, but we can’t afford to assume we’re safe."

Jess exhaled sharply, gripping her knees. Safe. That word didn’t mean anything anymore.

******************************************

They arrived in Carver, Indiana, just before noon. It was a small, unassuming town—quaint, but eerily normal. The kind of place where everyone knew each other, where an outsider would stick out like a sore thumb.

They checked into a roadside motel under assumed names. It wasn’t much—two rooms, three people in each—but it would have to do. The clerk barely looked at them as he slid over the keys.

As soon as they were inside, Kevin dropped his bag on the bed. "Alright, game plan. We can’t all be out there at once—we’ll draw too much attention."

"Leanna and I will go to the records office," Jess said, her voice steadier than she felt. "See if there’s any trace of my mom."

"I’ll check out the coffee shop," Olivia added. "It’s near Vanguard’s facility. If they have a presence in town, someone there will know. Kevin, you’re coming with me."

Kevin smirked. "Ah, I see. You need my charm."

"I need a guy who can pretend to be a dumb tourist while I do the real work," Olivia shot back.

Ryan and Hannah exchanged glances. "We’ll keep an eye on things from here," Ryan said. "Make sure no one is watching us."

Jess nodded, but something about this town made her skin crawl. Something wasn’t right.

******************************************

The Carver Town Records building was small, tucked between a bakery and an antique shop. Inside, the scent of old paper and stale coffee filled the air. A woman in her sixties sat behind the desk, peering at them over thick glasses as they entered.

"Can I help you?"

Leanna took the lead. "We’re looking for property records—old rental agreements, land purchases, things like that."

"Looking for something specific?"

Jess hesitated. "The name Margaret Carter. She may have lived here at some point."

The woman frowned, typing into an ancient computer. Minutes ticked by before she spoke again. "Margaret Carter… Yes, she was a tenant here about five years ago. Rented a house on the outskirts of town." She clicked through a few more screens. "Paid in cash. Left without a trace."

Jess’s stomach twisted. "Do you have an address?"

The woman scribbled something down and slid it across the desk. "Don’t expect much. That place has been empty for years."

Jess took the paper, her fingers trembling. She was here. But why? And why did she leave?

******************************************

Olivia and Kevin stepped into Lenny’s Café, a small-town coffee shop packed with locals. Olivia ordered two coffees, subtly scanning the room.

"There’s a group of men over by the window who keep looking at us," she muttered under her breath.

Kevin stirred his coffee. "Could just be nosy townsfolk. Or they know something."

Olivia sighed. "Only one way to find out."

She turned to the barista, a friendly-looking woman in her forties. "Hey, can I ask you something? That big facility on the edge of town—what’s the deal with it?"

The woman’s expression stiffened. "Vanguard Biotechnics? Not much to tell. They keep to themselves. Lot of science types in and out. Why do you ask?"

"Just curious. We saw it on our way in. Seems like an odd place for a big company like that."

The barista hesitated, then leaned in. "Word of advice, hon, don’t go poking around there. They don’t like questions."

Olivia forced a smile. "Noted."

******************************************

They regrouped back at the motel as the sun began to set.

"She was here," Jess said, holding up the slip of paper. "Five years ago. And then she just vanished."

"Vanguard has a presence in town," Olivia added. "And they don’t like attention."

Leanna sat on the bed, rubbing her temples. "We have too many loose ends. We don’t know if your mom left on her own or if she was taken. And we still don’t know why they need you alive."

"There’s one more thing," Jess muttered. "I got a text."

She pulled out her phone, the message still glowing on the screen.

> Unknown Number: Stop looking. Go home. This is your final warning.

An uncomfortable silence fell on the room. Then, Kevin let out a slow breath. "Well, that’s comforting."

Ryan stood. "We need to check the rooms."

Everyone sprang into action. They tore through the motel rooms, checking drawers, vents, even under the mattresses. And then they found it—Olivia’s duffel bag, zipped but slightly open, her clothes rummaged through.

"They were here," she whispered. "While we were gone."

Jess’s blood ran cold. "Then they already know what we found."

Leanna looked at the scattered belongings. "But they didn’t take anything. Why not?"

"Because they don’t need to," Ryan said grimly. "They’re just letting us know they can."

Jess felt a wave of nausea. They had been here less than a day, and already they were being watched.

"What do we do?" Hannah asked.

Jess clenched her fists, her heart hammering. "We go to the house. We find out what my mom was doing here. And we do it before they stop us."

No one argued because they all knew that this wasn’t just about finding her mother anymore. It was about survival.