{"id":2164,"date":"2026-06-01T01:01:32","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T01:01:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/?p=2164"},"modified":"2026-06-01T01:01:32","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T01:01:32","slug":"part-2-the-living-room-fell-into-a-suffocating-silence-broken-only-by-the-low-hum-of-the-television-screen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/?p=2164","title":{"rendered":"PART 2: The living room fell into a suffocating silence, broken only by the low hum of the television screen."},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a class=\"skip-link screen-reader-text\" href=\"https:\/\/newsentertai.com\/thunga\/part-2-the-living-room-fell-into-a-suffocating-silence-broken-only-by-the-low-hum-of-the-television-screen\/?fbclid=IwY2xjawSJuQJleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFBRFRSZ1lpSHFZSU5LdE82c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHptRSGZuggHTKKXnmOx5HHmDxPHWu-p7224U6tHsvw4SKDUnXS__mpf4Nq3S_aem_YWdncwArI_1T7epPmFUYeCYg49Uw&amp;brid=YWdncwHiV2oTQixShml1ElRTwa8S#content\">Skip to content<\/a><\/p>\n<header id=\"masthead\" class=\"site-header clear\">\n<div class=\"site-start clear\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div class=\"site-branding\">\n<div class=\"site-title\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"primary-bar\" class=\"container\"><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div id=\"content\" class=\"site-content  container\">\n<div class=\"clear\">\n<div id=\"primary\" class=\"content-area\"><main id=\"main\" class=\"site-main\"><\/p>\n<article id=\"post-62101\" class=\"post-62101 post type-post status-publish format-standard has-post-thumbnail hentry category-news\">\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<div id=\"idlastshow\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"main-content\">\n<div class=\"container\">\n<div id=\"model-response-message-contentr_d6eeaa6aac056e19\" class=\"markdown markdown-main-panel stronger enable-updated-hr-color\" dir=\"ltr\" aria-live=\"polite\" aria-busy=\"false\">\n<figure id=\"attachment_62102\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-62102\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-62102\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Signature: \/+DYwLl4aFWGVVrh0vLHNHn6rW2fHUAWipd03oy6G2Qzj6ShpNQPkLO\/orBzQCrMndEWpeRza3UW41KI2fs06umKoPrNgPDJwyb5NdLxf+uKnFyvQZUzTYQJdQafOBs55FHD9slo2dWek0o+ZdwaogECrL5TddGo3ljD6g47XlwW4nErkFgLVu5IDcIqSakZKb\/2MMaHLkVXKRfz4xBHD6Us+aWTq4QLZq0AWSFLu+4=<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"1\">The living room fell into a suffocating silence, broken only by the low hum of the television screen.<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-10\">\n<div class=\"gliaplayer-container styles-module_container_xuywD\" data-slot=\"newsentertai_desktop\" data-gc-slot-occupied=\"\" data-gc-donotuse-internal-id=\"slot-element\" data-gc-boot-time=\"2026-06-01T01:00:37.838Z\" data-gc-test-id=\"gc-instream-slot\" data-gc-instream-style-scope=\"\">\n<div class=\"InstreamDom_root_21jVv\" data-ref=\"root\" data-gc-test-id=\"gc-instream-root\">\n<div class=\"InstreamDom_main_2Up_2\" 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role=\"slider\" autocomplete=\"off\" max=\"100\" min=\"0\" step=\"0.01\" type=\"range\" value=\"0\" data-plyr=\"seek\" aria-label=\"Seek\" aria-valuemin=\"0\" aria-valuemax=\"91.045011\" aria-valuenow=\"0\" aria-valuetext=\"00:00 of 00:00\" \/><progress class=\"plyr__progress__buffer\" role=\"progressbar\" value=\"79.0773697638413\" max=\"100\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/progress><span class=\"plyr__tooltip\">00:00<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"plyr__controls__item plyr__time--current plyr__time\" aria-label=\"Current time\">00:00<\/div>\n<div class=\"plyr__controls__item plyr__time--duration plyr__time\" aria-label=\"Duration\">01:31<\/div>\n<div class=\"plyr__controls__item plyr__volume\"><button class=\"plyr__control\" type=\"button\" data-plyr=\"mute\" aria-pressed=\"false\"><\/button><input id=\"plyr-volume-6987\" role=\"slider\" autocomplete=\"off\" max=\"1\" min=\"0\" step=\"0.05\" type=\"range\" value=\"0\" data-plyr=\"volume\" aria-label=\"Volume\" aria-valuemin=\"0\" aria-valuemax=\"100\" aria-valuenow=\"0\" aria-valuetext=\"0.0%\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"plyr__video-wrapper\"><video muted=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"150\" data-poster=\"https:\/\/gnetwork.gliastudios.com\/gnetwork\/english_zodiac\/c5ead553af3276bc918108a698ffa98093ede260.jpg?verify=1780274362-tEwff%2Fu8DJx50xgh1LAN%2FkrhjtBX6w6jgV8jFRU9xtQ%3D\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/video><\/p>\n<div class=\"plyr__poster\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"gliaplayer-container\" data-slot=\"newsentertai_mobile\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"2\">Karla\u2019s smile didn\u2019t vanish immediately; it morphed into a tight, patronizing smirk. She leaned back, smoothing the fabric of her designer skirt. \u201cOh, Ethan,\u201d she sighed, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. \u201cAre we playing games now? I know you\u2019ve been doing well with your little computer programs, but adults are talking about your future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"3\">Her lawyer, a sharp-eyed man named Mr. Vance, didn\u2019t share her amusement. He adjusted his glasses, his eyes darting from Ethan\u2019s unreadable face to the glowing folder on the wall-mounted monitor.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"4\">\u201cEthan,\u201d I whispered, my hands trembling as I clutched the armrest of my chair. \u201cWhat is this?\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"5\">Ethan didn\u2019t look at me. He kept his eyes fixed on the screen, his long fingers hovering over the tablet with absolute precision. \u201cGrandma, your blood pressure increases when you worry,\u201d he said, his voice entirely devoid of inflection, yet carrying a strange weight that commanded the room. \u201cPlease breathe. I have kept the receipts.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"6\">\u201cReceipts for what?\u201d Karla scoffed, though her voice pitched slightly higher this time. \u201cYou were five years old when I left, Ethan. You don\u2019t remember anything. You\u00a0<i data-path-to-node=\"6\" data-index-in-node=\"166\">couldn\u2019t<\/i>\u00a0remember.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"7\">\u201cMemory is unreliable,\u201d Ethan agreed quietly. \u201cData is not.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"8\">With a single tap of his finger, the folder opened.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"9\">Instead of a chaotic mess of files, the screen displayed a meticulously organized timeline stretching from eleven years ago to the present month. The first subfolder was labeled:\u00a0<b data-path-to-node=\"9\" data-index-in-node=\"179\">October 14, 2015 \u2013 The Departure.<\/b><\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"10\">\u201cMr. Mendez,\u201d Ethan said, addressing our pale, silent lawyer. \u201cUnder Arizona Revised Statutes Section 8-533, abandonment is defined as the failure of a parent to provide reasonable support and maintain regular contact with the child, including providing normal supervision. Karla\u2019s representation claims she was \u2018sick\u2019 and that Grandma \u2018took\u2019 me.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"11\">\u201cThat\u2019s exactly what happened!\u201d Karla interjected, her face reddening. \u201cMom, tell him! You forced me out because you didn\u2019t approve of my lifestyle!\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"12\">Ethan tapped the screen. An audio file began to play.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"13\">The audio was crackly, recorded on an old device, but the voices were unmistakable. It was the night before Karla left.<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-11\"><\/div>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"14\"><i data-path-to-node=\"14\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">\u201cI\u2019m leaving him, Mom. I can\u2019t look at him anymore. He\u2019s broken.\u201d<\/i>\u00a0Karla\u2019s recorded voice echoed through our simple Phoenix living room, sharp and venomous.\u00a0<i data-path-to-node=\"14\" data-index-in-node=\"156\">\u201cIf you want to waste your life cleaning up his messes, go ahead. But the moment I walk out that door, he isn\u2019t my son anymore. Don\u2019t call me. Don\u2019t look for me. He is dead to me.\u201d<\/i><\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"15\">A gasp escaped my lips. I remembered that night. I had forgotten I was on the phone with my sister when Karla started screaming at me. My sister had recorded the call out of sheer shock, but I thought the file had been lost when her old phone broke years ago.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"16\">\u201cWhere\u2026 how did you get that?\u201d Karla stammered, her high-gloss lips parting in disbelief.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"17\">\u201cYou threw away your old Samsung Galaxy S5 in the dumpster behind Grandma\u2019s old apartment before you left,\u201d Ethan explained, his tone conversational, as if he were explaining a math problem. \u201cYou did not wipe the internal flash memory. At age thirteen, I extracted the data. I recovered deleted text messages, browser history, and geolocation data from the preceding six months.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-12\">\n<div id=\"sp_passback-mobileinpage_971\" data-id=\"sp_passback-mobileinpage_971\">\n<div class=\"sp-mobileinpage-google-adx sp-demand-div\" data-demand=\"google-adx\">\n<div class=\"nl-scroll-div\">\n<div>\n<div><iframe data-origwidth=\"\" data-origheight=\"\" data-mce-fragment=\"1\"><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"18\">Mr. Vance leaned forward, his professional composure cracking. \u201cAn unauthorized data extraction from a discarded device may not be admissible\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"19\">\u201cIt is a discarded item abandoned in a public waste receptacle,\u201d Mr. Mendez interrupted, a sudden spark of life returning to his eyes. \u201cLegally, it\u2019s abandoned property. Go on, Ethan.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"20\">Ethan tapped the next file. A series of screenshots filled the screen. They were text messages between Karla and a man named Marcus, dated just weeks after she left.<\/p>\n<blockquote data-path-to-node=\"21\">\n<p data-path-to-node=\"21,0\"><b data-path-to-node=\"21,0\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Karla:<\/b>\u00a0<i data-path-to-node=\"21,0\" data-index-in-node=\"7\">The old woman took the bait. She thinks she\u2019s saving him. I\u2019m finally free. Vegas is amazing.<\/i><\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"21,1\"><b data-path-to-node=\"21,1\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Marcus:<\/b>\u00a0<i data-path-to-node=\"21,1\" data-index-in-node=\"8\">What if she calls the cops for abandonment?<\/i><\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"21,2\"><b data-path-to-node=\"21,2\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">Karla:<\/b>\u00a0<i data-path-to-node=\"21,2\" data-index-in-node=\"7\">She won\u2019t. She\u2019s too proud. Plus, she doesn\u2019t have the money for a lawyer. As far as the state knows, I\u2019m just \u2018missing.\u2019<\/i><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"22\">\u201cThis proves intent,\u201d Ethan noted, looking directly at Mr. Vance. \u201cIt refutes the claim of illness. The search history on her device during that period includes \u2018how to relinquish parental rights without court,\u2019 \u2018Vegas cocktail waitress hiring,\u2019 and \u2018highest payout casinos.&#8217;\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"23\">Karla slammed her expensive handbag onto the coffee table. \u201cThis is ridiculous! This is ancient history! So what if I was young and stupid? I am still his mother! The law protects biological parents. You can\u2019t just use some old texts to steal my custody!\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"24\">\u201cI am not finished,\u201d Ethan said.<\/p>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"26\">The Paper Trail of Silence<\/h3>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"27\">The screen shifted. The timeline jumped forward, year by year.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"28\">Ethan had compiled a comprehensive financial and social log of the last eleven years. On the left side of the screen, a column titled\u00a0<b data-path-to-node=\"28\" data-index-in-node=\"134\">Ethan\u2019s Expenses<\/b>\u00a0listed every medical bill, every occupational therapy session, every pair of broken glasses, and the exact cost of the ingredients for the tamales I sold to keep us afloat.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"29\">On the right side, a column titled\u00a0<b data-path-to-node=\"29\" data-index-in-node=\"35\">Karla\u2019s Contributions<\/b>\u00a0remained stubbornly, glaringly at\u00a0<b data-path-to-node=\"29\" data-index-in-node=\"91\">$0.00<\/b>.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"30\">\u201cOver 4,015 days,\u201d Ethan recited, his eyes tracking the numbers. \u201cTotal financial contribution from Karla Gomez: zero. Total inquiries into my medical status: zero. However, under the subfolder \u2018IP Tracking,\u2019 we find something interesting.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"31\">Ethan tapped a folder labeled\u00a0<b data-path-to-node=\"31\" data-index-in-node=\"30\">2024-2026.<\/b><\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"32\">\u201cWhen my app,\u00a0<i data-path-to-node=\"32\" data-index-in-node=\"14\">RoutineBuddy<\/i>, was launched on the app store, it remained open-source and free for the first six months. During that time, the developer console logged an account creation under the email\u00a0<i data-path-to-node=\"32\" data-index-in-node=\"201\">karlagomez91@gmail.com<\/i>. The IP address was traced to an apartment complex in San Diego.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"33\">Karla froze. The color drained from her face so fast I thought she might faint.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"34\">\u201cYou didn\u2019t download it to help a child,\u201d Ethan said, his voice dropping an octave, becoming colder, sharper. \u201cYou downloaded it because the tech blogs began speculating about the app\u2019s valuation. You tracked the acquisition rumors. I have the logs of your account logging in every time a financial article was published regarding my work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"35\">\u201cThat\u2019s\u2026 that\u2019s just a mother being proud!\u201d Karla cried out, her voice cracking. She looked at her lawyer, her eyes pleading. \u201cVance, do something! He\u2019s tracking me! Is that even legal?\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"36\">Mr. Vance didn\u2019t answer her. He was staring at the screen, his legal mind calculating the sheer disaster unfolding before him. \u201cMr. Gomez,\u201d Vance said carefully, \u201cwhile this paints a\u2026 complicated picture of family dynamics, the law is clear on guardianship. Without a formal adoption or termination of parental rights, Ms. Gomez remains your legal guardian. A minor cannot legally hold property or execute contracts of this magnitude without a guardian. The 3.2 million dollars from the Austin tech company\u2014how was the contract signed?\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"37\">I felt the panic return, a cold claw wrapping around my throat. Vance had found the weak spot.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"38\">When the tech company bought Ethan\u2019s app, we were in such a rush, and I was so overwhelmed, that Mr. Mendez had rushed the paperwork through under my name as his grandmother and defacto guardian. But we had never gone to a judge to formally strip Karla of her rights because we didn\u2019t even know where she was.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"39\">\u201cHe\u2019s right,\u201d Mr. Mendez whispered to me, his voice trembling again. \u201cTeresa, the contract for the sale of the app\u2026 if Karla claims she never authorized it as his legal guardian, she could void the sale, or worse, sue the tech company for dealing with an unauthorized party. They would freeze the funds immediately to protect themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"40\">Karla caught the shift in the room. She saw the fear in my eyes and the hesitation in our lawyer\u2019s face.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"41\">She stood up, her high heels clicking loudly against our tile floor. The panicked look vanished, replaced by a venomous triumph.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"42\">\u201cThat\u2019s right,\u201d Karla hissed, stepping toward Ethan\u2019s armchair. \u201cYou think you\u2019re so smart with your little computer? You\u2019re still a kid. A kid who belongs to\u00a0<i data-path-to-node=\"42\" data-index-in-node=\"159\">me<\/i>. That 3.2 million dollars? It was signed away illegally. I can tie that money up in court until you\u2019re old and grey, Ethan. Or, we can do this the easy way.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"43\">She leaned down, bringing her face close to his. The scent of her expensive perfume filled the air\u2014a scent that felt entirely alien in our home.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"44\">\u201cGive me management of the trust,\u201d she whispered loudly. \u201cGive me my share of the house. Sign the papers making me the primary executor of your estate, and maybe I\u2019ll let you stay here with Grandma. Otherwise\u2026 I take you to San Diego today, and you never see this kitchen again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"45\">\u201cKarla, stop it!\u201d I screamed, pulling myself up from the couch, ready to throw myself between her and my boy. \u201cYou won\u2019t touch him!\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"46\">\u201cTry me, Mom!\u201d she snapped back, her eyes flashing with malice. \u201cThe law is on my side!\u201d<\/p>\n<h3 data-path-to-node=\"48\">The Trap Snaps Shut<\/h3>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"49\">Ethan didn\u2019t flinch. He didn\u2019t cover his ears. He didn\u2019t hide under the table like he used to when people screamed. He just looked at Karla\u2019s face, inches from his own, and let out a small, slow breath.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"50\">\u201cYou should not have said that on camera,\u201d Ethan whispered.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"51\">Karla blinked. \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"52\">Ethan pointed a finger toward the small, unassuming digital clock sitting on the bookshelf across from the armchair. A tiny, microscopic blue light was blinking on its face.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"53\">\u201cThis room is equipped with a high-definition audio and video recording system, streaming directly to a secure cloud server,\u201d Ethan said. \u201cYour explicit threat to remove me from my caregiver as a extortion tactic for financial gain has just been uploaded.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"54\">\u201cYou little\u2014\u201d Karla lunged forward to grab the tablet from his hands, but Ethan was faster. He tapped the spacebar on his keyboard.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"55\">\u201cBut that is not the reason why you have already lost, Karla,\u201d Ethan said.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"56\">The television screen went black for a second. Then, a new document appeared. It wasn\u2019t a text message. It wasn\u2019t an audio recording. It was an official federal document bearing the seal of the United States Government and the Department of Health and Human Services.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"57\">At the top of the page, in bold, terrifying letters, were the words:<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"58\"><b data-path-to-node=\"58\" data-index-in-node=\"0\">NOTICE OF LIEN AND CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION FOR INTERSTATE CHILD SUPPORT EVASION.<\/b><\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"59\">Mr. Vance\u2019s jaw dropped. He stood up so fast his chair screeched against the floor. \u201cWhat is the date on that document?\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"60\">\u201cIt was issued forty-eight hours ago,\u201d Ethan said calmly. \u201cWhen Karla registered her email and IP address on my app\u2019s server, she inadvertently cross-referenced her location with the federal database. For eleven years, Grandma survived on tamales and laundry. She never asked the state for help. But two years ago, when I turned fifteen, I filed a formal petition with the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement as an emancipated applicant for past-due support.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"61\">Ethan looked up at Karla, whose face was now entirely devoid of blood. She looked like a ghost.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"62\">\u201cThe state of Arizona, in conjunction with the state of California, has calculated your unpaid child support, plus eleven years of compounded interest, medical penalties, and legal fees,\u201d Ethan continued, his voice steady as a heartbeat. \u201cThe current total owed to Teresa Gomez is exactly $184,000.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"63\">\u201cThat\u2019s\u2026 that\u2019s nothing compared to 3.2 million!\u201d Karla screamed, her voice cracking with desperation. \u201cI\u2019ll pay it from the trust!\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"64\">\u201cYou cannot,\u201d Ethan said, a tiny, almost imperceptible smile touching the corner of his lips. \u201cBecause child support evasion over $10,000 across state lines for a period exceeding two years is a Class E Felony under the Child Support Recovery Act of 1992. The maximum penalty is two years in federal prison.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"65\">The room went dead silent.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"66\">Karla looked at her lawyer, her eyes wide with terror. \u201cVance? Vance, tell me he\u2019s lying! Tell me a kid can\u2019t do this!\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"67\">Mr. Vance didn\u2019t look at her. He was staring at the bottom of the document on the screen. \u201cMs. Gomez\u2026 he\u2019s not lying. And that\u2019s not all.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"68\">Vance pointed a trembling finger at the TV. \u201cLook at the bottom authorization line.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"69\">I looked at the screen. My eyes blurred with tears, but I could make out the signatures at the bottom. There was Ethan\u2019s signature. There was a federal judge\u2019s signature.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"70\">But there was a third section. A section labeled:\u00a0<b data-path-to-node=\"70\" data-index-in-node=\"50\">Criminal Asset Forfeiture and Pre-Arrest Warrant.<\/b><\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"71\">Suddenly, the loud, unmistakable wail of a police siren echoed from the street outside. Then another. And another.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"72\">Red and blue lights began to flash through our living room windows, painting the walls in a frantic, rhythmic pulse.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"73\">Ethan slowly put his headphones back over his ears, adjusting them until they fit perfectly. He looked at his mother one last time.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"74\">\u201cI didn\u2019t invite you here to negotiate, Karla,\u201d Ethan whispered over the sound of the approaching sirens. \u201cI invited you here so they wouldn\u2019t have to look for you.\u201d<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"75\">Before Karla could even scream, the front door was kicked open with a deafening crash, and three armed federal agents rushed into the room, guns drawn.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"76\">But as the agents yelled for everyone to put their hands up, Ethan\u2019s eyes suddenly widened in horror. He looked down at his tablet. The screen was flashing red. A string of code was erasing itself at lightning speed.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"77\">He didn\u2019t look at the police. He didn\u2019t look at Karla. He looked at me, his voice cracking for the very first time in his life.<\/p>\n<p data-path-to-node=\"78\">\u201cGrandma\u2026\u201d Ethan gasped, his fingers flying across the keys in a panic. \u201cThe server\u2026 someone else is inside the system. They aren\u2019t here for Karla. They\u2019re taking the money right now.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div id=\"idlastshow2\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-post-after\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"code-block code-block-8\">\n<div class=\"eyeo\" data-type=\"_mgwidget\" data-widget-id=\"1879521\" data-uid=\"05e2c\">\n<div id=\"mgw1879521_05e2c\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"mgbox\" data-template-type=\"container\">\n<div class=\"mgheader\" data-template-type=\"header\" data-template-placed=\"before\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<p><\/main><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"container clear\">\n<div id=\"site-bottom\" class=\"clear\">\n<div class=\"site-info\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Skip to content Signature: \/+DYwLl4aFWGVVrh0vLHNHn6rW2fHUAWipd03oy6G2Qzj6ShpNQPkLO\/orBzQCrMndEWpeRza3UW41KI2fs06umKoPrNgPDJwyb5NdLxf+uKnFyvQZUzTYQJdQafOBs55FHD9slo2dWek0o+ZdwaogECrL5TddGo3ljD6g47XlwW4nErkFgLVu5IDcIqSakZKb\/2MMaHLkVXKRfz4xBHD6Us+aWTq4QLZq0AWSFLu+4= The living room fell into a suffocating silence, broken only by the low hum of the television screen. 00:00 00:00 01:31 Karla\u2019s smile didn\u2019t vanish &hellip; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2165,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2164","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2164","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2164"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2164\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2166,"href":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2164\/revisions\/2166"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2165"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2164"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2164"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmpackz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2164"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}