For the first time in months, he felt something he had almost forgotten.
Anger.
Not explosive anger.
Something deeper.
The feeling of being watched.
The feeling of someone somewhere deciding that his home was a resource available to them if they could produce enough paperwork.
That evening, Marcus stood beside the pool.
The water was still.
The sun was dropping behind the houses.
He looked at the gate.
Then at the keypad.
He remembered Patricia's hands gripping the bars.
He remembered her voice.
Open this gate right now.
He remembered the crowd.
The money.
The accusation.
And the moment when she had finally realized that she could not force a door open simply because she had promised someone else that the door would be open.
Marcus shook his head.
"No."
He said it aloud.
Not because anyone was there.
Because sometimes a boundary needed to be remembered before it needed to be defended.
Friday arrived.
At 1:42 p.m., a white SUV parked outside Marcus's house.
A man in a gray suit stepped out.
He carried a leather briefcase.
Another man followed.
Both looked toward the backyard.
Marcus was already standing inside the fence.
He wore a dark polo shirt and jeans.
The gate was locked.
The man in the gray suit approached.
"Mr. Reed?"
"Yes."
"My name is Gregory Sloan. I'm with Horizon Community Solutions."
"I know."
"We're here for the scheduled inspection."
"There is no scheduled inspection."
Sloan lifted a document.
"Actually, there is."
Marcus looked at it.
"That's not valid."
"You aren't qualified to determine that."
"My attorney is."
Sloan smiled.
"We'd prefer not to make this adversarial."
Marcus looked at him.
"You drove to my house with a document telling me when you're entering my backyard."
"We're acting under an agreement."
"Then enforce it in court."
Sloan's smile disappeared.
"We don't need to."
"Then we're done."
The second man stepped closer.
"Sir, we're just asking for access."
Marcus looked at him.
"You're not asking."
Silence.
Sloan glanced toward the pool.
"Your property is one of several scheduled for assessment."
"Assessment of what?"
"Community amenity resources."
Marcus almost laughed.
"Community amenity resources?"
"Yes."
"That's my backyard."
"Yes."
"My pool."
"Yes."
"My patio."
"Yes."
"My house."
"We aren't requesting access to the interior."
Marcus pointed toward the gate.
"You're not getting through there."
Sloan took a breath.
"Mr. Reed, I strongly recommend you reconsider."
Marcus stepped closer.
"Why?"
"Because refusing access may create financial consequences."
"According to whom?"
"The HOA."
Marcus nodded.
"Then send me the bill."
Sloan stared at him.
"You think this is funny?"