Chapter 2: Investigating the Mansion

Watching from the Shadows

Twilight was giving way to darkness as Jackie crouched behind a thick bush, her heart pounding with a mix of excitement and nerves. The silhouette of Cedar Mansion loomed ahead, half-hidden by the gnarled trees that encircled the property. It looked like something straight out of a horror movie—a towering structure that had seen better days, its windows dark and lifeless, the air around it thick with foreboding.

But Jackie wasn’t scared. Far from it. She was practically buzzing with excitement. They were finally here, at the mansion, and the shady figures they’d seen the night before were back. Just a few yards away, two men were hauling a heavy crate through the back entrance of the mansion. The rusted gate creaked with every push, but the men moved with purpose, their faces shadowed and unreadable.

Jackie leaned forward, trying to get a better view. Holly, crouched next to her, was not so eager.

“This is insane,” Holly whispered, her voice barely above a breath. “We shouldn’t be here. We should call the cops, or… I don’t know, anyone who isn’t us.”

Jackie smirked, her eyes never leaving the mansion. “We’ve got to follow them. This could be the break we’ve been waiting for.”

“Or,” Holly shot back, panic creeping into her tone, “it could be the break that gets us arrested. Or worse—killed. Is that what you want?”

Max, crouched on Jackie’s other side, gave a half-hearted shrug. “I mean... it’s not not what I want?”

Holly stared at him, incredulous. “Are you serious?”

Max grinned, but Jackie could see the unease behind his humor. He was trying to keep it light, but she knew him well enough to catch the tension in his voice. Still, he was game for this, just like she was. The thrill of the mystery was too much to ignore.

Jackie glanced at Eddie, who had his eyes glued to the two figures in the distance, his face pale. “Eddie, what do you think?”

Eddie swallowed hard, his gaze darting between the mansion and Jackie. “I think this is the part where, in every horror movie, we all die.”

Jackie rolled her eyes. “This isn’t a movie. In horror movies, they don’t have me.”

Holly groaned softly. “That’s not comforting.”

The tension hung heavy in the air as the group debated what to do next. Jackie’s mind raced. She knew Holly was right—this was dangerous, and getting in over their heads was a very real possibility. But the adrenaline pumping through her veins drowned out those rational thoughts. This was their chance to crack the mystery wide open, to figure out what Blackwell was up to, and maybe even get Eddie’s invention back.

They couldn’t turn back now.

Jackie turned to the group, her voice low but firm. “Look, we can’t just walk away from this. We’re so close. If we follow them, we might finally figure out what’s going on.”

Holly shook her head. “And if we get caught? What then?”

“We won’t,” Jackie said, her confidence unshakable. “We’ll be careful. But if we don’t follow them, we’ll never know what’s inside that crate, or what Blackwell is planning. We need to figure this out.”

Max glanced at Holly, then back at Jackie. “She’s got a point, Holl. We’ve come this far. Might as well see it through.”

Holly opened her mouth to argue, but the words never came. Instead, she let out a long, frustrated sigh. “Fine. But if we get caught, I’m blaming both of you.”

Jackie grinned. “Deal.”

Without another word, Jackie led the way, creeping through the thick underbrush toward the rusted gate that separated them from the mansion’s back entrance. The figures had disappeared inside, the heavy crate in tow, and the door was left slightly ajar. Perfect.

They slipped through the gate, careful to avoid the squeaky hinge, and disappeared into the shadows of the mansion.

Entering the Mansion

The inside of Cedar Mansion was worse than the outside. The moment Jackie stepped through the back entrance, a wave of musty air hit her like a physical force. The stench of moldy furniture and dust clung to everything, and the dim light from their flashlights did little to chase away the shadows lurking in the corners. The long hallway stretched out ahead of them, its faded wallpaper peeling from the walls like forgotten skin.

Jackie led the group, her flashlight cutting through the darkness as they crept forward. The floorboards creaked under their weight, each sound echoing through the empty house like a warning. Holly stayed close to Jackie, her breath quick and shallow. Max and Eddie brought up the rear, the latter glancing nervously over his shoulder every few seconds as if expecting the walls to close in on them.

“I’ve seen horror movies that start like this,” Eddie muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. “And they don’t end well.”

Jackie didn’t turn around. “This isn’t a movie, Eddie. And if it were, they wouldn’t have me.”

Max snickered softly behind her, but the tension in his voice was clear. Even he couldn’t laugh away the creeping sense of dread that hung over the mansion like a thick fog. The hallway seemed to go on forever, the air growing colder with every step.

As they reached a bend in the corridor, Jackie noticed something scratched into the walls. Symbols—similar to the ones on the pigeon’s note—carved deep into the old wood, barely visible beneath the layers of dust and grime. She paused, shining her flashlight over the markings.

“Eddie, take a look at this,” Jackie called softly, motioning him forward.

Eddie stepped closer, his eyes widening as he scanned the symbols. He ran his fingers over the carvings, comparing them to the copy of the pigeon’s note he’d stuffed into his jacket pocket. After a few moments, he nodded, his face pale.

“These are the same symbols,” Eddie said, his voice low, almost reverent. “Well, close enough. Whoever made these… they knew the code.”

Jackie’s heart pounded in her chest. “So this place is connected to the message?”

“Seems like it,” Eddie replied, still staring at the carvings. “But these symbols… they’re older. Much older. Whoever left these didn’t just scribble them down yesterday. They’ve been here for a long time.”

Holly shuddered, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. “Okay, that’s creepy. Can we please get out of here before something jumps out at us?”

Jackie shook her head, her excitement growing. “No way. We’ve got to keep going. We’re onto something big.”

Max leaned against the wall, shining his flashlight down the hall ahead. “I hate to say it, but Jackie’s right. If these symbols match the pigeon’s message, then this place is more than just a hideout. It’s connected to whatever Eddie’s invention got tangled up in.”

Holly groaned. “Of course it is.”

Jackie’s pulse quickened. This wasn’t just some abandoned mansion anymore—it was a key to something much bigger, something that went deeper than they’d realized. The symbols, the coded message, Blackwell’s smuggling operation… it was all tied together, and now they were in the thick of it.

The group moved forward again, their steps cautious but determined. The hallway opened up into a larger room, once opulent but now a dusty relic of its former self. Jackie’s flashlight swept over the space—high, crumbling ceilings, furniture draped in thick cobwebs, and a grand fireplace that had long since gone cold.

“This place gives me the creeps,” Holly muttered, sticking close to Jackie.

“It’s just a house,” Jackie replied, though her own heart was pounding harder now. “An old, abandoned house with secrets. Exactly the kind of place we need to be.”

Eddie was quiet, his gaze lingering on the walls and symbols. Jackie could tell his mind was racing, trying to piece together the puzzle. This mansion wasn’t just a hideout—it was part of a bigger operation, one that had something to do with his stolen invention.

They had to keep going.

“Let’s check the next room,” Jackie said, her voice steady. “We’re getting closer. I can feel it.”

But as they moved deeper into the mansion, Jackie couldn’t shake the feeling that they weren’t alone. The shadows seemed to shift in the corners of her vision, and the air felt heavier, almost oppressive. Her excitement was still there, but now it was laced with something darker—fear.

Fear that they were about to uncover something far more dangerous than they’d ever imagined.

The Vase Incident

The grand room was once the height of opulence. Jackie could picture it in its prime: glittering chandeliers casting warm light over polished floors, plush chairs arranged around a grand fireplace, and a long table where the mansion's original occupants might have hosted elegant dinners. But now, the room was a decaying shadow of its former self. Dust coated every surface, the once-beautiful wallpaper was peeling in long strips, and cobwebs clung to the corners like eerie decorations.

Max, ever the curious one, was the first to stray from the group. His flashlight flickered across the tarnished remnants of luxury—a grand piano in the corner, a chandelier hanging precariously from the ceiling, and dusty portraits of long-forgotten figures.

“Whoa, check this out,” Max whispered, stepping closer to the piano. He reached out to touch one of the ivory keys, sending a small plume of dust into the air.

Holly’s voice was a sharp whisper from across the room. “Max, would you focus? This isn’t a sightseeing tour.”

Max gave a half-smile, his eyes twinkling in the dim light. “What? It’s not every day you get to explore a creepy, abandoned mansion. Might as well enjoy the ambiance.”

Jackie smirked but kept her focus on the room, scanning for any clues. Her flashlight swept over an old bookshelf, its shelves filled with dusty, forgotten books. She paused, shining her light over the spines, hoping to spot something useful. But her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden, sharp noise.

A crash.

Jackie whipped around just in time to see Max standing frozen in horror, a large vase shattered at his feet. The pedestal it had rested on was knocked askew, and the vase—once a piece of expensive décor—was now a pile of jagged shards.

Max’s face turned white as he stared down at the broken vase. “Oh no! Oh no no no—this is bad. This is really bad.”

Holly’s eyes were wide with panic. “Max, what did you do?! We’re dead. We are so dead. This is how we die.”

Jackie felt her pulse spike as the shattering sound echoed through the mansion’s empty halls. Her heart pounded in her chest, a mix of frustration and fear gripping her. She shot Max a look that was part exasperation, part disbelief. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

Max ran his hands through his hair, clearly panicking. “I didn’t mean to! I was just—”

“Shh!” Jackie hissed, raising her hand to silence him. Her ears strained to pick up any other sounds. For a few moments, there was only silence, the dust settling around them like a fine mist. But then…

Footsteps.

From somewhere down the hall, the sound of heavy boots thudding against the floorboards reached their ears. Jackie’s heart leapt into her throat as she turned toward the sound. The shady figures they’d seen earlier—the ones hauling the crate—were coming back.

“We need to hide. Now,” Jackie whispered urgently.

Without waiting for a response, she darted across the room, searching for a place to conceal them. Holly grabbed Max by the arm and pulled him along, while Eddie followed close behind, his face pale as a ghost. Jackie’s eyes landed on a small storage room tucked beneath the staircase. It was cramped, filled with old boxes and furniture, but it would have to do.

The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

“In here!” Jackie whispered, pulling open the creaky door.

The group squeezed into the tiny space, huddling together as they pressed themselves against the dusty walls. Jackie’s heart raced as she listened, her breath shallow and quick. Outside, the footsteps grew louder, closer, until they were right outside the door. She held her breath, her pulse pounding in her ears as she waited, praying they wouldn’t be discovered.

Through the crack in the door, Jackie caught a glimpse of the two men walking into the grand room. One of them was Vincent Blackwell.

Her stomach dropped. Blackwell’s tall, imposing figure was impossible to mistake. He was Cedar Hollow’s resident bad guy, notorious for his involvement in all sorts of illegal activity, though no one had ever been able to prove it. And now, here he was, in the mansion, right where they had seen him the night before.

The other man was smaller, wiry, with a nervous energy about him. Jackie strained her ears as they started talking, their voices low but audible in the stillness of the mansion.

“Shipment’s ready,” Blackwell said, his tone rough. “We move it out at midnight, no delays.”

The smaller man nodded, his voice shaky. “You sure it’s safe to leave it here until then? What if someone finds it?”

Blackwell sneered. “No one’s coming here. This place has been dead for years. Besides, we’ll be out before anyone notices.”

Jackie’s mind raced. The shipment. Midnight. This was it. Whatever they were smuggling, it was happening tonight, and they had just overheard the plan.

As Blackwell and his accomplice moved deeper into the mansion, their footsteps fading into the distance, Jackie let out a long, slow breath. She turned to the others, her eyes wide with urgency.

“We have to get out of here,” she whispered. “Now.”

Narrow Escape to Eddie’s Garage

The air outside Cedar Mansion was cold, biting into Jackie’s skin as she led the group through the woods, their footsteps muffled by the thick layer of fallen leaves beneath them. The trees loomed over them, their dark branches twisting in the night sky like skeletal fingers. The mansion was disappearing behind them, but the tension still clung to the group like a second skin.

Every step felt like a race against time. Jackie’s mind was running on overdrive, replaying the conversation they’d overheard in the mansion. Shipment at midnight. Blackwell was definitely up to something illegal, and they had barely gotten out in time before being discovered. Her pulse still hadn’t slowed.

“Keep moving,” Jackie urged, her voice low but sharp.

Max, struggling to keep up, panted heavily behind her. “Are we... sure... no one’s following us?”

“No one’s following us,” Jackie said, more to convince herself than anyone else. But she kept glancing over her shoulder, just in case.

Eddie was white as a sheet, his flashlight beam bouncing wildly as he trotted behind Jackie. “I’ve... never... been this close to a real criminal before,” he wheezed. “And I never want to be again.”

“Same,” Holly muttered. She was practically glued to Jackie’s side, her eyes wide and her breaths short and quick. “This is exactly why I said we shouldn’t do this. Breaking into an abandoned mansion? Chasing after Blackwell? We’re insane. This is insane.”

“We’re not insane,” Jackie shot back, her heart still pounding in her chest. “We’re figuring this out. And now we know for sure that Blackwell’s involved.”

Holly scoffed. “Oh great, we know a dangerous criminal is involved. Wonderful.”

Max, barely catching his breath, interjected. “I think what she’s saying, Jackie, is that we could’ve just... I don’t know... not done this?”

Jackie flashed him a grin. “Come on, where’s your sense of adventure?”

Holly stopped in her tracks, staring at Jackie with disbelief. “Adventure? We almost got caught by Vincent Blackwell, Jackie. I swear, I am never—never—doing this again.”

“Sure, sure,” Jackie said, smirking. “You say that now. Wait until we crack this thing wide open.”

Holly groaned but continued walking, her face filled with frustration and fear. Jackie understood, but there was no turning back now. They were in too deep, and the closer they got to figuring it all out, the more Jackie felt the thrill of the chase. This wasn’t just about Eddie’s invention anymore—it was about something much bigger. And now they had Blackwell’s operation right in their sights.

The group finally broke through the tree line and into the open streets of Cedar Hollow. Jackie’s body felt both exhausted and wired, her mind racing with everything they’d learned tonight. She had no idea how they were going to stop Blackwell’s shipment, but she knew they couldn’t let him get away with whatever he was planning.

Eddie’s garage came into view at the end of the block, and Jackie felt a wave of relief wash over her. They’d made it. No one had followed them. They were safe—for now.

The group piled into the garage, and Eddie immediately locked the door behind them, his fingers shaking as he fumbled with the bolt. The garage was cluttered and chaotic, as usual, but it felt like a sanctuary compared to the mansion’s eerie, decaying halls. The faint hum of gadgets and machines filled the air, and for a brief moment, the tension eased.

Jackie sank onto a stool near the workbench, wiping a layer of sweat from her brow. Max collapsed beside her, his chest heaving from the run, while Holly stood by the door, arms crossed, still visibly shaken.

“I can’t believe we just did that,” Holly said, her voice shaky. “I can’t believe we went into Cedar Mansion, saw Blackwell, and... and overheard him planning something huge.”

Eddie was already pacing, rubbing his temples as if trying to process everything. “What do we do now?” he asked, his voice tight with worry. “If Blackwell’s smuggling something—if it has anything to do with my invention—we can’t just ignore this.”

“No, we can’t,” Jackie agreed, her eyes sharp. “But we can’t go back in unprepared, either. Whatever’s going down at midnight, we need to figure out exactly what it is.”

Max glanced at the clock on the wall. “It’s what... eight-thirty now? We’ve got time.”

“Not much,” Jackie muttered. “If Blackwell’s moving the shipment at midnight, we need a plan. Fast.”

Holly groaned, leaning back against the door. “Oh no. No way. We are not going back there.”

Jackie met Holly’s gaze, her expression determined. “We have to. You heard him, Holly. He’s moving something big, and it’s happening tonight. If we don’t do something, he’s going to get away with it.”

Eddie, his pacing more frantic now, nodded. “Jackie’s right. We can’t let him use my invention for something illegal. This is all my fault.”

“It’s not your fault,” Jackie said firmly. “But we need to stop him. We know the plan. We just need to figure out how to stop it.”

Holly let out a long, tired sigh. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but... okay. What’s the plan?”

Jackie’s grin returned, full of mischief. “We go back tonight. But this time, we’re ready.”

Decoding the Message

Eddie’s garage was no longer just a workshop—it felt more like a war room now. Tools and half-built gadgets cluttered every available surface, the air heavy with the smell of burnt metal and solder. The group gathered around Eddie’s workbench, the decoded pigeon message still clutched in Jackie’s hand. Flashlights, extra batteries, and a tangle of wires lay scattered across the table, each piece representing their makeshift preparation for whatever came next.

Eddie was hunched over his laptop, his fingers flying across the keyboard, eyes flicking between the coded message and the data he was pulling up. His face was a mix of intense focus and rising anxiety. Max leaned against the wall, watching, while Jackie stood beside Eddie, her eyes sharp as she traced the symbols from the pigeon’s note. Holly, still looking rattled, paced the floor, unable to sit still.

“Come on, come on,” Eddie muttered under his breath, the faint glow of the laptop illuminating his face. His makeshift decoding software was humming, matching the symbols on the pigeon’s note to the ones they’d seen scratched into the walls of Cedar Mansion.

Max broke the tense silence with a mock-serious tone. “So, what happens when you crack this thing? Do we get to be secret agents? I feel like we’re missing the sunglasses.”

Jackie rolled her eyes but couldn’t suppress a small smile. “Secret agents? Really, Max?”

Max grinned. “What? We’re decoding messages, sneaking into mansions, and spying on criminals. If this doesn’t scream spy movie, I don’t know what does.”

“You do realize most secret agents don’t almost break their cover by knocking over vases, right?” Jackie shot back.

“Hey, I got us out in one piece, didn’t I?” Max retorted.

Holly, mid-pace, shot him a look. “Barely.”

Eddie interrupted them with a soft exclamation. “Got it!”

Jackie’s attention snapped back to the laptop as Eddie tapped a few keys and the screen flashed with decoded text. The message, which had once been a jumble of symbols, was now legible.

Shipment confirmed. Midnight. Mansion. Device essential for extraction.

The air seemed to thicken as the weight of the words settled over them. Jackie’s mind raced, her pulse quickening. Device essential for extraction. It had to be Eddie’s stolen invention. Everything was connected—the pigeon, the message, the mansion, and Blackwell’s smuggling operation.

“It’s about my invention,” Eddie whispered, his face pale. “They need it for whatever they’re doing tonight.”

Holly stopped pacing, her eyes wide. “Are you saying that thing you built—the communication device—is part of some smuggling operation?”

Eddie nodded, his voice hollow. “It looks that way. They’re using it to communicate without being detected, and probably for something else. Something worse.”

Max let out a low whistle. “Well, that escalated quickly.”

Jackie’s heart was pounding now, the pieces falling into place faster than she could keep up. Blackwell’s operation wasn’t just about smuggling—it was about using Eddie’s device to cover his tracks, and if they didn’t stop him, he’d be gone by midnight with whatever he was moving out of the mansion.

“This is it,” Jackie said, her voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through her. “We’ve got our answer. The shipment at midnight is tied to Eddie’s invention, and we know where it’s going down.”

Holly’s face twisted with anxiety. “Okay, but how do we stop it? We’re not exactly equipped to take down a smuggling ring.”

“We don’t have to take them down,” Jackie said, pacing as her mind churned out a plan. “We just need to disrupt them. If they’re using Eddie’s invention, we can mess with the communication. Throw off their timing. Create enough chaos to delay them until we can get help.”

Eddie perked up, his fear momentarily overshadowed by his technical mind. “I could rig something to scramble their signals. It won’t stop them completely, but it’ll slow them down long enough for us to figure out our next move.”

Max glanced at Jackie, a smirk creeping back onto his face. “So, this is where we officially turn into secret agents, right?”

Jackie shot him a look. “More like saboteurs. But sure, let’s go with that.”

Holly let out a sigh, clearly torn between the fear of what they were about to do and the pull of their mission. “I can’t believe we’re going back there.”

Jackie met her gaze, her voice calm but firm. “We have to. If we don’t, Blackwell gets away, and Eddie’s invention becomes part of something illegal. We have to stop this.”

Eddie nodded, his fingers still flying across the keyboard. “I can finish setting up the signal scrambler in a few minutes. It’s risky, but it might be just enough to throw Blackwell off.”

Jackie felt a surge of adrenaline as she watched Eddie work. This was it. They had the message, they had the plan, and now it was time to put everything into action. The stakes were higher than ever, but the thrill of it all—the rush of being so close to uncovering the truth—was impossible to resist.

“This is going to work,” Jackie said, more to herself than anyone else. “We’re going to stop him.”

Max leaned back against the wall, arms crossed and a grin spreading across his face. “Famous last words.”

Planning to Return

Eddie’s garage was buzzing with nervous energy as the group gathered their gear, preparing for what felt like the biggest, riskiest plan they’d ever come up with. Flashlights, extra batteries, and a handful of tools lay spread out on the workbench alongside Eddie’s laptop and the decoded message. The faint hum of electronics filled the air as Eddie worked to finalize the signal scrambler, his fingers moving deftly over the tangled mess of wires and circuit boards.

Jackie stood at the center of it all, her arms crossed as she mentally ran through the plan. It was a risky one, no doubt about it, but they didn’t have a choice. If they didn’t stop Blackwell tonight, whatever he was smuggling out of Cedar Mansion—along with Eddie’s stolen invention—would be gone by midnight.

“We go back tonight,” Jackie said, her voice firm and steady as she looked around at the group. “We’ve got the message, we’ve got the scrambler, and we know what Blackwell is planning. If we time this right, we can throw off his entire operation.”

Holly, sitting on the edge of the workbench, looked up from where she was fidgeting with a flashlight. “And if it all goes wrong?”

Jackie met her gaze, her expression serious. “We’ll make sure it doesn’t.”

Holly’s eyes were wide with fear, but she nodded, though her hands still trembled slightly as she tightened the batteries in her flashlight. “I’m just saying... we barely made it out of there last time. What if this time we don’t?”

Max, who had been leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, gave her a playful grin. “Then at least we’ll go out in style. Come on, Holly, live a little.”

Holly shot him a look that could have melted ice. “Living is the point, Max.”

Jackie cut in, her tone serious but not without a spark of her usual confidence. “We won’t get caught. We’re going to be in and out before Blackwell even realizes what’s happening.”

Max stepped forward, picking up a small flashlight from the table and tossing it to Jackie. “So, what’s the plan, chief?”

Jackie caught the flashlight and clicked it on, watching the beam flicker across the room before turning back to the group. “First, we sneak back to the mansion, same as before. Only this time, we know what we’re dealing with. Eddie’s going to rig the scrambler to mess with their communication. That’ll buy us some time while they try to figure out what’s going wrong. While they’re scrambling, we’ll figure out what’s in that shipment and get any evidence we can. We’ve got to disrupt their operation, but we also need proof of what they’re doing.”

Max’s grin widened. “So we’re back to being secret agents. I knew it.”

Holly groaned softly, running a hand through her hair. “This is so insane. Why do I let you guys talk me into this?”

Jackie smiled, trying to ease Holly’s nerves. “Because deep down, you know this is the right thing to do.”

Holly shook her head but couldn’t argue. “Fine. But if we get caught, I’m never letting you hear the end of it.”

Jackie grinned. “Deal.”

Eddie looked up from his work, holding up a small device that resembled a modified radio, wires and circuits exposed. “The scrambler’s ready. It’ll mess with their signals, but only for a short time. We have to be quick. Once they realize something’s wrong, they’ll start troubleshooting.”

Jackie nodded, her mind already running through every possible scenario. “Quick is the plan. We’ll be in and out before they can fix it.”

Max picked up one of the flashlights and flicked it on, casting a beam of light across the room. “Well, looks like we’re as ready as we’ll ever be.”

The weight of the moment hung heavy in the air as the group gathered their gear. Jackie felt the adrenaline building in her chest, the familiar rush of excitement and nerves as they prepared for the next phase of their plan. It was risky, sure, but that was part of the thrill. They had come too far to back down now, and tonight, they were going to stop Blackwell.

As she slung her backpack over her shoulder, Jackie glanced around the room. Holly was still fidgeting nervously, but she was in. Eddie’s face was tight with determination, and Max, ever the optimist, was grinning like they were headed on the adventure of a lifetime. This was their team, and as ragtag as it was, Jackie wouldn’t have it any other way.

“We’ve got this,” Jackie said, her voice full of conviction. “We’ve been through worse, and we’ve come out on top. This time won’t be any different.”

Max raised an eyebrow, his grin playful. “Uh, remind me of the time we’ve gone up against a criminal smuggling operation before?”

Jackie rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”

The tension in the room eased slightly as everyone shared a small laugh, but it was quickly replaced by the seriousness of the task ahead. The clock was ticking, and midnight was approaching fast.

Eddie packed up the scrambler, securing it in his bag. “We’d better get moving. We’ve only got a few hours, and we need to be in position before Blackwell gets the shipment ready.”

Jackie nodded. “Let’s do this.”

As they stepped out of the garage and into the cool night air, the gravity of the situation settled in once again. This wasn’t just about solving a mystery anymore—it was about stopping something dangerous, something much bigger than any of them had anticipated.

The road ahead was uncertain, but one thing was clear: tonight, they were going to face whatever lay inside Cedar Mansion, and they weren’t leaving until Blackwell’s operation was stopped.

The group walked into the night, flashlights cutting through the darkness, the stakes higher than ever.