Countdown the reckoning
Ashley Michael
Author Bio
Ashley Michael lives in the low country near the Atlantic Ocean and is a cancer survivor.
Description
An affluent couple becomes suspect in a terrorist plot after making a purchase from an online store.
Book excerpt
COUNTDOWN
The reckoning
An affluent couple becomes suspect in a terrorist plot after making a purchase from an online store.
Canal Island, South Carolina 2015
When Scott and Kate Hagan decided to replace their family room furniture, they shopped online looking for the best deal. Their large beige stucco house had cost more than a million dollars and boasted an elevator, a wrought iron balcony and staircases and had a swimming pool in the midst of its lush gardens. However, they had worked hard for their money and couldn’t stop a lifelong habit of bargain hunting.
DEAL MARK had a 70% mark down on genuine leather wingback chairs so Kate ordered two. A few days later four chairs arrived in two separate crates. When Kate called the store to advise them of the error, a representative told her that someone would pick up the extra one when they next delivered in the area.
The retired couple, both still young in their mid-fifties, were average in looks- both had medium well-toned bodies. Scott was an easy going blue eyed blonde, while Kate was dark haired with brown eyes. She seemed anxious most of the time. They were childless.
A week later, Kate’s sister Terry, came for a visit. “I’m going to Goodwill to look for a used microwave for the homeless shelter where I volunteer. Want to come along?”
“I can save you a trip. There’s a microwave in the garage that’s going to Goodwill. Want to take a look at it? It still works. We may have to move a crate out of the way.”
Terry and Kate looked almost like twins, except that Terry was taller and slimmer than her big sister. In the garage, Kate told Terry about the chair delivery mix-up. When they moved the large crate, Kate said, “This box feels empty. It’s so light.”
“You’re right. DEAL MARK said they shipped two extra chairs by mistake and they would pick up the second one for reshipment. That was a week ago.”
After they moved the crate away from the front of the work table to get at the microwave, Terry noticed a u-shaped hole about three feet square. Kate came around to see.
“It looks like a big doggie door.” They suddenly felt frightened. “Terry, let’s go back inside and call Scott. He’s walking Buddy.”
They moved quickly to the door leading into the house. Kate slammed the door, locked it and armed the alarm system, scared witless of what, she had no idea. She trembled as she called her husband. Terry stood motionless, looking bewildered and unable to place her feeling of dread. Who had cut the hole in the big box?
Scott was a few streets away with Buddy, the three year old Yorkie he never expected to love when Kate brought him home from the shelter.
“Scott, you need to come home right away! Terry and I went into the garage to get the microwave that we were going to donate, and we moved the crate that was supposed to have the other two chairs in it. That’s when Terry noticed a small door cut in the back of it!”
“What? Slow down, Honey. What in the world? Never mind, Buddy and I will be right there.” Five minutes later Scott and Buddy rushed in the front door, setting off the alarm. The three of them tried to make sense of what was happening and Scott took the elevator up to the second floor to retrieve a hand gun and flash light.
Kate and Terry stood near the cars in the double garage while Scott and Buddy went to the area where they kept stored items. Scott inspected the cut before he used a crow bar to open the crate. Shining his light, he noticed that the bottom of the crate was lined with a layer of soft sponge.
“I think we better call the police and report this. I have no idea what it means.” Buddy was also inspecting the crate. He sniffed his way to the side door. Scott called him to come inside.
“Kate, can you find the invoice for the chairs that we ordered? I think a stowaway may have been in that crate.”
Kate looked stricken. Terry and Scott calmed her down by reminding her that it was currently empty. “If we had opened that one first, we may have been murdered by whoever was in there!”
Scott dialed the police and asked for an officer to be sent to his home.
“Is this an emergency?”
Scott said it wasn’t and told the dispatcher about what he had found in the crate.
Book Cover https://everywritersresource.com/selfpublished/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/kindle-cover-copy.jpg
Genre Fiction