CHAPTER FOUR HUNDRED AND EIGHTY – PARANOID VIGILANCE

The next few hours were a lesson in silent vigilance. Raquel moved through the house with practiced efficiency, checking locks, drawing curtains, and gathering what Jasmine realized with a chill were potential weapons – kitchen knives, a heavy rolling pin, even a can of insecticide that could be used as makeshift pepper spray. They took turns watching from various windows, always careful to stay hidden from view. The car remained, its occupants a constant, menacing presence in the quiet street. As the sky began to lighten with the first hints of dawn, Jasmine's nerves were frayed to the breaking point. Every creak of the old house made her flinch, every distant sound had her imagining the worst. Raquel, on the other hand, seemed to have settled into a state of grim determination. She moved with purpose, her earlier skepticism replaced by a steely resolve that Jasmine found both comforting and terrifying. "Raquel," Jasmine whispered as they crouched together by the front window. "I'