Her response was brief.
Do not speak to Jared about this until we review the full agreement.
I spent the day trying to distract myself.
I reorganized my books.
I made soup.
I called an old friend from Atlanta.
I folded laundry that didn’t need folding.
By evening, a hard rain had begun falling across the mountains.
The wind rattled the branches outside my bedroom.
At 11:43 p.m., the power went out.
The house went black.
I sat upright in bed.
Then, within seconds, the backup system engaged.
Soft hallway lights returned.
The refrigerator hummed.
Thomas’s solar batteries and generator controls were working exactly as intended.
I slipped on my robe.
As I walked toward the kitchen, the security system chimed.
An alert appeared on the screen.
MOTION DETECTED — SOUTHERN SERVICE ROAD
I froze.
The camera showed two figures near the equipment shed.
Both wore dark rain jackets.
