Rachel did eighty-five the whole way there, cutting off several people and receiving a chorus of blaring horns as she merged off of the interstate. When she came to the small subdivision, she nearly slammed into the side of a parked car on the curb. She saw Jack cringing from his place in the passenger seat and understood that he wasnt simply being dramatic; she wasnt sure shed ever driven so recklessly before.

It was 6:41 when she pulled the car up in front of the McNeil house. The street lights illuminated the mostly darkened streets. As they got out of the car, the neighborhood was quiet with the exception of a dog barking somewhere nearby. Even further away, almost like a ghost, Rachel could hear two kids laughing about something.

They hurried to the front porch, Jack taking the lead. They quietly made their way up the stairs and Jack wasted no time knocking on the door. Almost right away, there was a commotion from inside. It was hard to tell through the closed door, but to Rachel there was a noise that sounded almost like a windchime, and then the sound of glass breaking.

Just as Rachel and Jack shared a concerned look, there was another noise: a womans muffled cry of pain and surprise.

Rachel tried the door but found it locked. Jack ushered her to the side, took two large strides backwards, and then delivered a vicious kick to the door. It gave, but not quite enough. But on Jacks second attack, it went flying inward, sending small chunks of the doorframe with it.

It was one of those moments where neither of them yelled out to announce their presence. The commotion theyd heard through the door had been more than enough. As theyd done in the past in such a situation, they split up to cover more ground in the event the suspect made a run for it. Rachel headed straight into the house while Jack ran off of the porch and made his way around the house to find the back door.

Rachel strode inside and found herself stepping straight into a large living room. It was mostly tidy, but with signs of recent use: a pair of discarded shoes, an empty glass on the coffee table. She heard more noises from the back of the house. It was that same windchime-like sound and what was obviously the sound of a skirmish of some kind.