Chapter 5 - The Voice from the Earth
Before Michael could drop the dirt, a sharp, metallic sound echoed from beneath the soil near Elena's shoulder.
BEEP. BEEP.
Michael froze, his eyes darting to the dirt around Elena’s collarbone. "What is that?"
Elena smiled weakly through cracked, dirt-stained lips. "Dig and find out."
Dropping the shovel, Michael ripped his gloves off and dug his bare hands frantically into the packed earth beside her neck. His fingers tore through the dirt until they struck the plastic freezer bag. He yanked the phone upward, shaking off clumps of loam.
The screen lit up brightly in the dark. It displayed an active emergency call timer: 03:42:18.
A crisp, authoritative voice suddenly boomed through the speakerphone, cutting through the silence of the night:
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"Michael Vance, this is Sergeant Miller with County Law Enforcement. Step away from the victim and put your hands behind your head. We have your exact location, we have recorded your entire confession, and our units have already surrounded your perimeter."
Michael’s face drained of all color. The shovel slipped from his fingers, clattering loudly against the garden stones.
