Martin Hale checked the time on his phone as the night bus pulled away from the depot. He was late, again, but the city never waited. He worked as a contractor for a telecoms firm, tracing faults in emergency call routes. Tonight he was covering a colleague and the screens in the control room showed a strange pattern: calls connecting, then dropping, always from the same postcode.
He followed the signal trail to a retail park on the edge of town. The shops were closed, shutters down, car park empty. His phone rang. The caller ID read Unknown.
“Do not leave,” a calm voice said. “Stay where you are.”
Martin ended the call and laughed, uneasy. He opened the service panel beside a fibre cabinet and plugged in his tester. The line spiked. Another call came through, then another, all silent. He realised the silence was not empty. It carried a faint breathing sound, multiplied.
A van rolled into the car park without lights. Two figures stepped out. They did not hurry. Martins phone rang again.
“We are routing calls away,” the voice said. “People panic. Panic is messy.”
Martin closed the panel and backed toward the lit shop front. He called emergency services. The call connected, then dropped.
The figures were closer now. One raised a hand, not a weapon, just a finger to the ear, listening. Martin understood. They were intercepting calls, rehearsed and patient. He smashed the cabinet lock and yanked the main link free. The breathing vanished.
Sirens bloomed in the distance, delayed but real. The van doors slammed. The figures ran, slipping on oil, vanishing into the dark.
Police arrived and took statements. Engineers restored the link. At dawn, a senior officer thanked Martin and promised arrests.
Weeks later, the case closed quietly. The pattern stopped. Martin returned to routine shifts and ordinary faults.
One evening his phone rang. Unknown.
“Well done,” the calm voice said. “You taught us where not to touch.”
Martin changed his number. He moved jobs. He never worked nights again.
But sometimes, when the city hummed and calls flowed cleanly, he imagined a breath on the line, waiting.
Vocabulary Notes
Contractor
A contractor is a person who is hired to do specific work for a company but is not a permanent employee. Contractors often work on short term projects or cover for others.
Example: “He worked as a contractor for a telecoms firm, tracing faults in emergency call routes.”
Similar words: freelancer, temporary worker, consultant, self employed worker
Postcode
A postcode is a group of letters and numbers used to identify a specific area or location, especially in the UK, to help with mail delivery and location tracking.
Example: “Calls connecting, then dropping, always from the same postcode.”
Similar words: zip code, area code, district, location code
Intercepting
Intercepting means stopping something while it is on the way from one place to another, often secretly or without permission.
Example: “They were intercepting calls, rehearsed and patient.”
Similar words: blocking, capturing, diverting, interfering with
Spike
A spike is a sudden sharp increase or rise, often used to describe data, signals, or activity levels.
Example: “The line spiked.”
Similar words: surge, jump, peak, sudden rise
Routine
Routine refers to regular, usual, or repeated activities that happen in a predictable way.
Example: “Martin returned to routine shifts and ordinary faults.”
Similar words: regular pattern, daily schedule, habit, normal procedure
Story written by ChatGPT.
Image created by ChatGPT.
CC Music: Drifting at 432 Hz – Unicorn Heads.
Reading Short Stories/Content for English Learners 
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