CHAPTER 3 — The Woman Behind the Wall
The third knock was louder.
Not imagined.
Not the creaking of old pipes.
Not the settling of a century-old mansion.
A real knock.
Roman Blackwood's heartbeat thundered in his ears.
Every person in the basement stood frozen.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
It came from behind the brick wall beneath the old staircase.
Celeste's face drained of color.
"No..." she whispered.
Roman turned slowly toward his security chief.
"Break that wall. Now."
Within seconds, two guards grabbed heavy iron bars from the maintenance room.
The first strike echoed through the basement.
CRACK!
Dust exploded into the air.
The second strike knocked loose several bricks.
Behind them...
...wasn't solid concrete.
It was an old steel door.
Hidden inside the wall.
"What is this?" Roman whispered.
No one answered.
Except Noah.
"My mother told me there was always another room."
Roman stared at him.
"How could she know?"
Noah lowered his eyes.
"Because she cleaned this basement every Friday."
The guards ripped away the remaining bricks.
The steel door appeared completely.
Rust covered the hinges.
A heavy padlock hung from the handle.
Roman looked at Celeste.
"Open it."
"I... I don't have the key."
Roman stepped closer.
"You lied once."
Another step.
"You lied twice."
Another.
"If you lie again..."
His voice became frighteningly calm.
"...I'll tear this entire house apart until I know everything."
Celeste began shaking.
Then...
Dr. Malcolm Voss quietly reached into his coat.
Everyone noticed.
Roman's eyes narrowed.
"What are you doing?"
The therapist slowly removed...
...a tiny brass key.
The basement became silent.
"You had it?" Roman growled.
Dr. Voss closed his eyes.
"I'm sorry."
Roman punched him so hard he collapsed onto the floor.
"For THREE YEARS!"
Blood dripped from the doctor's lip.
"I never wanted anyone hurt."
"Liar!"
Roman grabbed him by the collar.
"My daughter lost her voice!"
"My wife died!"
"And you helped hide the truth!"
Dr. Voss finally broke.
"It wasn't supposed to happen!"
Celeste screamed.
"Shut up!"
But it was too late.
"I only helped after Evelyn died!" the doctor cried.
"Celeste said the police would blame me if they found the room!"
Roman slowly released him.
His hands were shaking with rage.
"Open."
"The."
"Door."
The brass key slid into the lock.
CLICK.
The rusty door groaned open.
A cold smell escaped.
Old blankets.
Dust.
Medicine.
The flashlight beam swept across the darkness.
Then...
Everyone gasped.
A woman sat against the far wall.
Her hair had turned almost completely gray.
Her face was painfully thin.
Chains hung from one ankle.
She raised trembling fingers to shield her eyes from the light.
"Who's there?" she whispered.
Noah dropped to his knees.
His voice cracked into a sob.
"Mom..."
The woman stared.
Then her eyes widened.
"Noah?"
The little boy sprinted across the room.
They collided in a desperate embrace.
Both crying too hard to speak.
Roman felt something inside him break.
Three years.
Three years this woman had been alive.
Only a few hundred feet from his bedroom.
While everyone believed she had disappeared.
Clara looked up through tears.
"Mr. Blackwood..."
Roman could barely answer.
"I'm sorry."
She slowly shook her head.
"No..."
She pointed toward Amelia.
"Save her."
"She's still in danger."
Roman turned.
Celeste was gone.
The basement door upstairs slammed shut.
"She escaped!"
A guard shouted.
Roman roared,
"Seal every exit!"
But the mansion lights suddenly went out.
The entire estate was plunged into darkness.
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Somewhere above them...
...a car engine exploded to life.
