“Wait here.” Dean whispered and in one motion pulled himself up to the top of the fence. Sophie did not even have time to argue as the man dropped down the other side and into the yard.
The big man knew how to move quietly, as she didn’t even hear him land on the other side. Within moments the door swung open and Dean beckoned Sophie in with a mischievous smile. They shut the door behind them, and crept up to the back door, which was thankfully not obscured by roll shutters.
THEY APPROACHED THE door, up the steps and onto the small landing. When they got to the solid wooden door they hesitated. Dean frowned and scratched the top of his head, trying to decide what his next move would be.
“Maybe try knocking first? Maybe they’re home...” Sophie suggested.
Dean nodded and winked at Sophie in acknowledgement. He raised his hand, hesitated for a moment, then rapidly knocked on the door.
Immediately, they heard movement inside the building. It sounded like somebody scrambling to their feet and rapidly approached the door. Sophie instinctively took a step backward, and almost lost her balance as she had nearly stepped off the landing.
They heard a bang as an object got knocked onto the floor, then a small impact against the door itself. They backed off, down the steps. There was definitely something on the other side of the door now. They could hear muffled sounds and scratching.
“Dean...” Sophie started. Dean put up his hand to silence his girlfriend. His eyebrow rose as he stepped back up the steps and to the door. He put his ear to the door and listened intently for a few seconds. Sophie watched in nervous anticipation.
Dean surprised Sophie when he turned to her and smiled. “Nuggets.” He said, proudly.
Sophie shot him a confused look.
“It’s Nuggets – their dog.” I can hear him whining.
Sophie breathed a sigh of relief. The Wilsons did not have any kids – but they did have a yellow Labrador dog named Nuggets. That dog was their baby, and they spoiled it rotten.
The dog continued scratching at the door, but there were no other sounds indicating anybody else moving around in the store or upstairs.
Sophie was about to ask Dean what they should do, when Dean took a half step back and raised his size 12 boot. He kicked the door right beside the keyhole, driving his heel into the door with all his might. The loud bang shattered the silence.
But not the door.
The door didn’t budge. Nuggets barked in surprise on the other side of the door, as Dean danced on one foot with a grimace of pain.
“Oh. Damn.” Dean exclaimed. Looking to the side of the door he saw the hinges. “The fucking door swings outward!”
Just then another bang could be heard, followed by several others. Sophie could picture the silent screamers moving around, searching for the source of the noise.
“They’re coming.” Was all Dean said. He quickly looked around and saw a window about seven feet up, near the corner of the building.
He jumped past Sophie and looked around on the ground until with a triumphant guffaw he found what he was looking for. With a couple of kicks, he dislodged a brick, formerly used to line the edge of the grass.
Without hesitation, he picked up the brick, walked up to the window, and launched the missile through the glass. The crash of the shattering glass was thunderous.
Dean used his table leg club to smash and rub away the glass along the bottom of the window, then looked around again.
Noises were coming from all around them now, including inside the house. Nuggets was going crazy inside. Much to Sophie’s consternation, Dean did not rush himself though. He dropped his club and walked towards the shed at the back end of the yard. Within seconds he found what he was looking for.
Dean brandished a neatly folded up tarp with a great grin on his face.
“Here. Watch this.” He said as he unfolded the tarp a couple of times. With a deft toss, he draped the tarp over the bottom of the window frame. Then he reached up, got his hands on the window frame and did a pull-up so he could have a quick look inside.
“Ooof! Stinky!” He grunted, as he lowered himself back to the ground.
“Ok, come on over here.” He told Sophie, who cautiously came closer.
“I didn’t see anything moving around so it should be safe.” He turned Sophie to face the window and put his hands on her waist.
“What are you d–” Before she could say anything, the big man had lifted her up to the window ledge.
“Crawl inside, babe! Be careful of all the glass!” Dean said as he thrust her body through the window.
Sophie balanced for half a second on the window ledge before falling through into the dark interior.
With a crash she hit the floor. She barely had a chance to put her hands up to catch her fall. Sophie was lucky that the tarp had slid inside with her, as it protected her from most of the glass.
However, before any of this could register, she was bowled into by a whining ball of fur.
Nuggets was all over her, trying to lick her face while emanating sounds somewhere between a whine and a moan.
“Easy, Nuggets. Get off!” She said as she pushed the dog away from her so she could get to her feet. The dog kept whining and crowding her, his tail like a whip.
Sophie stood up and forgot about the dog for a minute. First, she was overcome with fear. The inside of the store was pitch-black. The only light coming in from the window she had just climbed through. The second thing
