Rath entered through the back door without making a sound. The fact that the door was already partially opened only slightly concerned him. His boots leaving a trail of wet footprints as he made his way through the kitchen and into the living room, he found the first floor to be only a tad warmer than the outside. Blowing out, he watched his frozen breath float away and vanish as he rounded the staircase and paused. Transitioning from the carpeted hall onto the slated oak hardwood flooring of the entry, Rath’s weight pushed in a loose section and with it came the first sound he’d made since entering the home. The squelch it made echoed through the family room and into the other downstairs rooms. He closed his eyes, held his breath, and waited for a sign that he may have company on the upper level. After thirty seconds and with no other activity within the deep reaches of the home, Rath delicately removed his foot from the plank and headed back to the kitchen.
