Viktor enjoyed traveling to the west coast of the United States. He rarely got to see such nice and sunny weather. It took him over twenty hours to make the journey, but it was worth it to see the sun.

Len was at work when he received an alert that he had visitors. His security system was configured to track all movement around his home and alert him if someone lingered at the door or if a break-in occurred. Len looked at the security app on this phone, but saw no one. He tapped on the icons in the app to view recorded footage. He saw a man wearing a trenchcoat and a large-brimmed hat. It was a sunny but cool day in Los Angeles, and the person didn’t stay long, so Len dismissed the threat.

Len always worked late into the evenings. He rarely took his work home, because if he did, he would risk the source code getting out. As soon as he finished, he headed home.

Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

Len’s front entrance was obscured by several plants and other vegetation. Remembering the alert, he felt a bit uneasy and briefly examined the app, which assured him that his home was safe. According to the app, all of the locks, doors, and windows were secure.

He entered his home and was relieved to find no one lurking in his living or family room. He turned the light on in the kitchen—and found a man sitting at the head of his dining table. He was tall and had a medium build but was not menacing. He was dressed exactly like the man in his security video.

“The boss wants to see you,” Viktor said as he raised a pistol and shot Len in the neck with a dart. Seconds later, Len was out cold.

Viktor rummaged through Len’s pockets, pulled out his wallet, and removed the driver’s license which verified that his first name was Leonard, surname Stanovich. He removed his smartphone and launched the Collective Systems app. He positioned the driver’s license next to Len’s face so both were visible in one frame. Time to transport the luggage.