He opened the video file. Instead of a movie or security footage, the screen displayed a live feed of a dark hallway. It looked familiar. He turned his head toward his own front door. At the end of the real-life hallway, a small red light was blinking—a camera he hadn't installed.

Suddenly, the screen flickered. The progress bar jumped. Download Complete.

Here is a short story inspired by the high-stakes, "heist-gone-wrong" vibe of that title. The progress bar was stuck at 99%.