Chapter 4 - The Audio Backup
Caleb did not wait to see what the masked man intended to do.
He turned around and sprinted out of the house as fast as his legs could carry him.
He hid in the bushes across the street and dialed the police from his cell phone.
Within ten minutes, two patrol cars arrived at the scene with their sirens blaring.
The officers searched the house but determined the intruder had already escaped through the back window.
Caleb's parents rushed home from work, terrified by the sheer destruction of their property.
Nothing of significant financial value had been stolen from the house.
However, every single laptop, hard drive, and tablet in the home was completely gone.
Whoever broke in was desperately looking for digital evidence.
Caleb's phone buzzed in his pocket with an urgent text message from Malik.
"Come to my house right now, it is an emergency," the text read.
Caleb snuck out through the back door while his parents were busy talking to the police.
He ran three blocks down the street to Malik's modest suburban home.
He walked into the living room and froze in his tracks.
Sitting on the family sofa was Chief Baxter, the head of the local police department and Mrs. Baxter's husband.
Chief Baxter was smiling coldly at Malik's terrified mother.
"We just want to ensure your son understands the consequences of spreading false rumors," the Chief said smoothly.
Malik looked at Caleb with wide, panicked eyes.
The Chief stood up, adjusted his utility belt, and walked out the front door without another word.
Malik waited until the police cruiser drove away before pulling Caleb into the kitchen.
"The picture doesn't capture what she actually said to me," Malik whispered frantically.
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Malik reached into his pocket and pulled out a bulky, vintage MP3 player.
"But I always record my classes to help me study, and I caught every single word she said."
