Silent: A serial killer story

Daniel sat in the plush leather armchair of his room. In his hands was A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin, the thick tome resting comfortably in his lap. He turned the pages, his eyes scanning the words.

The room's door slowly opened, it was his mom Sarah with a smile on her face. "Kiddo time for breakfast." 

"May I ask what's on the menu?" Daniel put the book aside as he stood up.

"Wagyu steak with scrambled eggs and sourdough toast," Sarah replied with a bright smile, her tone cheerful as always.

Daniel gave her a small, polite nod, smiling as he followed Sarah to the dining room. "Sounds great. Thanks, Mom."

They reached downstairs to the spacious dining room, where the table was immaculately set. The sunlight streamed through the large windows, casting a warm glow on the polished oak surface.

The smell of the Wagyu steak filled the air, mingling with the aroma of freshly brewed coffee. The chefs bringing out the plates and arranging them for the two. Daniel sat on the chair beside his mother.

"Yesterday was concerning." Sarah took a sip of her coffee from the cup Daniel had gifted her a few years back it said Best Mom Ever.

"Yep, a tenth grader was killed." Daniel sliced a piece of the steak and casually ate it.

Sarah began cutting her steak as well. "A serial killer out of nowhere... I f***king forgot the name."

"It's the Owl." As cheesy as it is I have to agree it is better than The Ridgewood Butcher, Daniel thought to himself as he took a sip of orange juice.

"Well be careful... I don't want anything happening to you."

"Will do..." Daniel looked outside the window. "A new bush design looks like a chicken nugget."

"Oh well I'd like you to make a design," Sarah teased crossing her arms. 

"I definitely can and will make a better design."

Sarah chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, is that so? A better design than my chicken nugget bush?"

Daniel smirked, his gaze shifting back to his mother. "Absolutely. I'll make it into a dragon, something worthy of Aegon first Targaryen's approval."

Sarah laughed, shaking her head. "You're something else, kiddo. You and you're books" She paused, her tone softening. "But really, Daniel, be cautious. This city feels different lately—tense. And with the news... it's f***king scary."

"Is that why you're going to Paris." Daniel casually took another bite of the steak.

"How'd ya know?" Sarah asked caught off guard by Daniel's insight.

"Well, you always bring out the fancy breakfast when you're about to drop something big," Daniel said with a slight smirk, gesturing to the perfectly cooked half-eaten Wagyu steak on his plate. "It's like your trademark."

Daniel paused for a moment. "Also I saw you pack, you're stuff." 

Sarah chuckled, setting her knife and fork down. "You got me. Yeah, I'm leaving for Paris today. Business trip—conference stuff. I'll only be gone two weeks, but I'll feel better knowing you're keeping an eye on things here."

"I'll hold down the fort," Daniel said, his tone light and reassuring. "You've got nothing to worry about."

Sarah gave him a warm smile, but her expression carried a hint of unease. "I mean it, Daniel. If anything feels off—or if you even hear a whisper about something dangerous—call me. Or security. Or the police. Promise me?"

Daniel's smile didn't waver, but there was a glint in his eyes, cold and calculating beneath the surface. "I promise, Mom. I'll be fine." The irony hahaha. 

******

An abandoned construction site that Nerss.Co initially planned to make their consulting branch's HQ but was abandoned after a better place was found, one would think that now no one lives here maybe the homeless but still.

The only sounds were the occasional whistle of the wind and the distant hum of the city beyond. But three peculiar teens were there. three boys 

The tallest of the group, Ethan, was leaning on a rusted metal beam, his dark hoodie blending with the gloom. His curly black hair spilled out from under his hood as he stared down at his friends with confidence that made him seem older than his sixteen years. He fiddled with a small pocket knife a stupid thing to do.

"Tell me again why the f***k we're here," grumbled Jamie, the smallest of the trio, as he paced. His shaggy blonde hair and freckled face made him look younger than his fifteen years, but the rapid tapping of his sneakers on the concrete betrayed his anxiety.

He shoved his hands deep into his oversized jacket, trying to ward off the creeping chill of the abandoned site. "This place feels like Jason's gonna pop outta nowhere."

"Relax," Ethan said lazily, spinning the knife with practiced ease. "Nobody comes here. It's perfect for what we're doing."

Jamie shot him a doubtful look but didn't argue.

The third boy, Oliver, stood near a pile of concrete rubble, his hands buried in the pockets of his worn jeans. He was the quietest of the three, his sharp blue eyes constantly scanning their surroundings.

With his mop of dark brown hair and a perpetual frown etched on his face, Oliver had an air of introvertness that the two imbeciles missed.

"Ethan, this better not be one of your stupid ideas," Oliver finally said, his voice low but firm. "If we get caught here, it won't just be a slap on the wrist. We're trespassing."

Ethan smirked, hopping down from the beam with a grace that seemed almost rehearsed. He strolled over to the other two, casually flipping the knife closed and tucking it into his pocket.

"Trust me," Ethan said, his tone dripping with arrogance. "You two worry too much. This is going to be fun and profitable."

Jamie raised an eyebrow. "Define 'fun.'"

Ethan's smirk widened. "You'll see soon enough. But first, let's get to the top floor. The view's killer."

Ethan pointed at a house the biggest and most lavish looking in the entire city, the Nerss Manor. A giant of modern architecture and it was looking heavenly. 

"We will rob that house," Ethan said with a smirk. 

Oliver's brow furrowed as he took in the sight. "You're f***king kidding, right?"

Ethan's smirk only grew wider, his confidence bordering on cocky. "Do I look like I'm joking?"

Jamie's mouth fell open as he stared at the manor, a mix of anxiety and sheer terror washing over his face. "We're gonna rob that house? Ethan, you've lost it. That's not just some random rich guy's place—it's the Nerss Manor! Do you have any idea how much security that place must have?"

Ethan shrugged, his nonchalant demeanor almost infuriating. "Of course I do. That's what makes it fun."

Oliver crossed his hands, his blue eyes narrowing. "Fun? This isn't fun—it's suicidal. Do you think they don't have cameras? Alarms? Hell, probably a dozen f***king guards patrolling the place. This isn't some corner store you can just walk into and grab a pack of gum."

Ethan turned to face them, his smirk faltering slightly as his expression grew more serious. "Listen, do you guys want to spend the rest of your lives as nobodies? Stuck in this dump of a city, barely scraping by? That house is a goldmine. Jewelry, tech, cash—hell, they probably have stuff worth millions just lying around. One good score, and we're set for life."

Jamie shook his head furiously, backing away a step. "No way. No f***ing way. This isn't like sneaking into a warehouse or lifting some old lady's purse. This is next-level. You get caught, you don't just get grounded—you go to prison!"

Ethan rolled his eyes. "We won't get caught. I've been watching the place for weeks. I know their schedules and the weak points in their security. Trust me, it's foolproof."

Oliver stayed silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the manor. His gut told him this was a terrible idea, but the allure of what Ethan was promising tugged at the edges of his thoughts. The Nerss family was loaded beyond imagination—one successful heist could change everything.

Finally, Oliver spoke, his tone measured. "Even if you've got a plan, you're asking us to risk everything on your word. If we screw this up, there's no coming back from it."

Ethan took a step closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "That's why I need you guys. You're the only ones I trust to pull this off. Think about it—one night, and we're free. No more scraping by, no more worrying about bills or shitty jobs. We'll finally have control of our lives and we can help our parents."

Jamie looked between his two friends, his face pale. "This is insane…"

Ethan clapped a hand on Jamie's shoulder, grinning. "Insane? Maybe. But it's also genius. Now, are you in, or are you out?"

The three boys stood silently, the weight of the decision hanging heavily in the cold night air.

"If we get f***king caught we're ratting you out," Jamie said glancing at Oliver who nodded.

"So you're in?" Ethan asked with a cocky grin. 

"Yeah, we are fucking in."

"Great, here's the plan my mom works there as a maid and she told me that Sarah Nerss is going to Paris today and will be gone for two weeks. His son, Daniel Nerss, is the one we need to worry about. He's usually at his mansion, but he's always out with his friends—he's got his little clique. He'll be at school during the day, and at night, he's usually in his room, gaming or reading."

Jamie's eyes narrowed, processing the information. "Alright, so we have a couple of weeks to hit this place. What's the next step?"

Ethan raised a finger as if to punctuate his brilliance. "We go in, take what we can, and get out. My mom told me there's a security team at night, but they're pretty light. They do random patrols, but nothing too consistent. We'll go in at night when they're least likely to be paying attention. There's a side door we can slip in through—my mom made sure to mention it. It's often left unlocked by the cleaning crew."

Oliver raised an eyebrow. "Are you telling me your mom works there as a maid and you've been gathering intel from her?"

Ethan gave a half-shrug, clearly unbothered by the question. "She doesn't know the whole picture, but yeah, she's been a great help. She's been giving me details for weeks now. The last piece of the puzzle was figuring out when Daniel was not around. Now we know."

Jamie looked skeptical. "So, we sneak in, grab the goods, and dip. Simple, right?"

"Exactly," Ethan confirmed, his eyes gleaming. "Once Sarah leaves for Paris, we'll have two weeks of freedom to pull off the perfect heist. No one will suspect a thing."

Oliver glanced over at Jamie, who still looked unsure. "What about the security cameras?"

Ethan grinned wider. "I've got that covered. There's a blind spot near the back of the house where they're not watching. I've seen the footage. We'll avoid the cameras, and the guards won't even know we're there."

Jamie frowned, unconvinced. "You sure about this?"

Ethan gave him a look, his tone firm. "You wanted a way out, right? This is it. We do this right, and we're set for life. You won't have to worry about anything anymore. Just trust me."

Jamie looked at Ethan. "When are we planning to do it?"

"The day after tomorrow." 

The three looked at the manor. The day after tomorrow they were going to pull off a heist. One would think it was a good plan but we know who lives there and what he does to people he doesn't like.