"And don't give us that tired line about your rights—the moment a state of emergency is declared, your rights go out the window," said the younger HOA goon.
"My rights go out the window?" asked Cami. She arched an eyebrow. “Tell me…exactly how do you plan to enforce this little Gestapo mission of yours?" Cami asked. "What if I said ‘no’ and slammed the door in your face, because this conversation is boring?"
The younger man behind Harriet smiled and looked more like an ambulance chaser lawyer than a prestigious member of the homeowners association. "Well, the board voted to give us broad executive powers. We can simply force our way in.”
"To be clear, though,” Harriet said quickly as Cami’s face darkened, “that's not what we want to do.” She shot a glance over her shoulder at her outspoken colleague, then turned back to Cami.
"But if we need to," said the older man behind Harriet, "the HOA ruling says we have the power to do so.”
Harriet turned the paper in her hand around and held it up for Cami to inspect. "This right here says that we can come into your house and inventory your emergency supplies." She said as if that was the final word on the subject.
Cami didn't even bother to read the garbage in front of her face. She reached out with her right hand and grabbed the smooth stainless-steel barrel of her husband's maritime shotgun. She pulled the big 12 gauge into view and smiled as all three of them froze. The older one—perhaps with a bit more common sense than the others—took a step back and raised his hands as Cami brought the shotgun to her shoulder. She purposely kept the barrel pointed at the ground, but her finger rested outside the trigger guard and she could snap the weapon up in the blink of an eye.
“And this right here says that not a single person I don't invite will step one foot inside my house. Is. That. Clear?" Cami snarled. She didn’t wait for an answer and slammed the door in their faces.
Heart thudding in her chest, Cami turned and put her back against the door as she reached behind her and locked it with a hand that trembled. A heated, if muffled, discussion took place on the other side of the door. Cami turned and watched through the peephole as the two men argued about what to do next. Harriet stared at the door, her mouth slightly open, her eyes wide.
A shiver went down Cami’s spine. Never before had Marty's words of warning about Harriet hit home so powerfully. There was no doubt about it—Harriet Spalding was a plotter. She turned, muttered one word, and the two men from the HOA ended their argument abruptly. She turned and cast a final glance over her shoulder at Cami's door, pushed her designer sunglasses up her nose, and walked away as if she ruled the world. The two men shot angry glares at the door, then turned and dutifully followed their leader.
The radio attached to Cami's belt chirped. “Don't know what you said to them, but it sure was fun to watch!" Marty cackled.
Cami took a second to calm her heart rate, then snatched the radio from her belt. She brought it to her mouth and pressed the transmit button. "You were right."
"Course I was right," Marty replied immediately. “About what?”
Cami smiled and pressed the transmit button again. "Whatever they're up to, it's not good. We're going to go ahead with our plan—the one we discussed this morning."
"Good. Remember, anyone could be listening. Keep it brief, no names."
"Gotcha," Cami replied. “I’ll let you know when we’re ready to start.”
“Roger that,” Marty replied. “Out.”
"What was that about?" Amber asked, as she approached the front door from the living room. "Harriet Spalding just walked away with those two guys…”
“Things are getting serious, sweetie," Cami said. "Harriet just tried to force her way into our house."
"What? What for?" Amber asked. Mitch, attracted to the rise in Amber’s voice, emerged from the kitchen. "They tried to break in?" he asked as he wiped his hands on a dishrag.
"Well, not through a window or anything, but yes, they tried to force their way in. Under color of authority, if you can believe it,” Cami spat. "Evidently the HOA board, in their infinite wisdom, decided that they need to determine what everyone has in the entire neighborhood. Remember what I told you about the meeting last night?"
"Yeah," Amber said. "From what you said, it didn't sound like it was all that serious yet."
"Well, it is now. Harriet showed me an order made by the HOA that grants them the ability to enter any member’s house. They want—”
“They can't do that!" blurted Mitch.
"I know that, and you know that," Cami said, "but the HOA doesn't know that. And I have a feeling a lot of people in this neighborhood don't know that either—Harriet wouldn't come to me first. She knows Reese and I are cut from a different cloth than most of the people who live in Bee’s Landing. I have a feeling they've been building their confidence by going to other homes first. That's the only way I can explain the reaction of those two goons she had with her. They thought they already owned the place and everything in it!" Cami said, exasperated. "This was the only message they understood," she added, and hefted the stainless shotgun with its brushed steel barrel.
Amber and Mitch grew quiet for a moment. "I don't like this, mom," Amber muttered.
"I don't either," Cami replied. She put a hand on Amber's shoulder and the other on Mitch's. "Guys, we need to step up our plans. Get your bags packed, we’re
