Chapter 335

MASON To all of our surprise, the gates are open when we arrive. Conor peers through the windshield like he’s expecting something to happen as the car crawls along the gravel drive. Nothing comes. “I would have expected them to have more security,” he says to Shane, who hums his agreement. As we get closer to the house, I notice King’s bike, and I’m filled with both panic and relief. We climb out of the SUV, and Conor grabs a black gym bag from the trunk. I don’t want to know what’s in there, so I don’t ask. My heart is already racing hard enough to explode. It goes on racing as we climb the few stone steps. So we’re just going to ring the doorbell? Like regular visitors? Conor does exactly that, and the three of us glance between each other while we wait for an answer. “Looks like they’re not coming,” Shane says after what feels like forever. Conor shrugs. “I guess we let ourselves in?” He pulls a huge steel mallet-style hammer from the bag and starts smashing his way through the door