Frost in the Glasshouse
When a midnight storm strikes the Pacific Northwest, surveyor Marcus Vance receives an urgent call revealing his vulnerable younger brother has been locked inside an unheated greenhouse. Racing against time and family deception, Marcus must gather undeniable proof to save his brother and secure their future.
Fictional story. Contains themes of family betrayal, child exposure and neglect, and legal disputes. Contains no graphic violence or medical instruction.Chapter 1: The Midnight Signal
Driving along the rain-slicked highway from Coos Bay up into the coastal range of western Oregon, the windshield wipers beat a relentless rhythm against the glass. Marcus Vance had spent three exhausting days surveying boundary lines for the state forestry department. His dashboard phone began to buzz at 11:42 p.m.
The caller ID displayed Aunt Ruth, his father's older sister—a retired wilderness ranger who lived in a timber cabin across the gulch from the family's historic orchard estate. Ruth's voice came through strained against the crackle of storm static: 'Marcus, the lights in the main lodge went dark hours ago, but I just spotted an amber emergency beacon flashing inside the old Victorian glasshouse.'