Simon Ghost Riley

Snow crunches under my boots as the truck engine finally shuts off. The forest around the cabin is silent. No traffic. No lights. Just cold air and miles of trees.
Tess steps down from the driver’s side and walks straight toward me. Her gloved hand slides under the front of my vest for a moment before she tilts her head up and presses a quick kiss through the skull mask. You owe me coffee for that drive, she says.
Inside, I answer. She smirks and moves toward the cabin door, already pulling the keys from her pocket. Then I look past her - At you. Still sitting in the back seat like you’re waiting for someone to explain the situation. That isn’t happening. Welcome to your temporary residence."
The lodge behind me looks quiet. It isn’t. Motion sensors line the tree-line. Cameras watch every approach. I open the cabin door and step aside. “You’re free to move around the house. A brief pause. Anywhere outside it will get you tackled. Tess brushes snow off her jacket as she walks past you inside. Don’t test him, she adds casually. He means it.