Blake swallowed. Uh, what? Don't look at me like that. She started it. Silence.
He cleared his throat. I'm serious. We were just messing around. Nothing crazy. Still nothing.
The quiet was suffocating. Seth lowered his phone slightly. Come on, miss. We didn't even do anything that bad. Naomi turned her gaze on Seth.
He froze. His fingers twitched. The phone slipped from his hand and clattered to the floor. A girl at a booth whispered, "Oh my god. " The employees near the counter whispered to one another.
Is that her mom? She looks like she could end someone's career with one look. Maybe don't breathe too loud. Only when the entire room had fully absorbed the severity of her presence did Naomi speak. Where?
She asked softly. Too softly is the manager. Her voice was low but not gentle. It was the kind of voice that made people obey before they realized they were moving. The manager, a middle-aged man named Carl, hurried out from the kitchen, wiping his hands nervously on his apron.
Yes, yes, ma'am. I'm so sorry. We didn't know. Naomi interrupted with a single word. Cameras.
Carl blinked. Cameras. The surveillance system. Her eyes did not leave him. Show me the live feed.
Carl's nervous smile wavered. Well, ma'am, the thing is the cameras Naomi's expression sharpened. Don't finish that sentence, Carl swallowed. They stopped recording 30 minutes ago. A ripple shot through the room.
Students whispering, adults exchanging alarmed looks. Blake stiffened. Naomi turned, scanning the ceiling corners. Three cameras, all dark, all dead. Her mind moved like a machine.
Cameras offline. No recording. Perfect timing, a planned gap, not coincidence. Sabotage. Her gaze returned to Blake.
His jaw tightened. His friends shifted uncomfortably as if the walls were closing in. Carl stammered. They were working this morning. I swear.
I I checked them myself. Naomi stepped forward, not toward Blake this time, but toward the manager. What happened 30 minutes ago? She asked. We uh we had a maintenance call.
Someone said the system needed updating. Who? I I don't know. They didn't leave a name. Naomi's eyes narrowed, calculation firing behind them like sparks.