Chapter 17 - THE WOMAN WHO CAME BACKWhen the emergency lights came on, Elena was gone.
So was Noah.
Leo turned in circles.
“Mom!”
No answer.
Sarah struggled to stand.
“She took the ledger.”
Leo looked at the floor.
The black book was gone.
Marcus was gone too.
Mia was crying.
Lucy held her.
Daniel lay unconscious.
Everything was falling apart.
Then Leo saw blood on the floor.
Two trails.
One leading toward the stairs.
One leading toward the hidden room.
He followed the second.
Inside was a small metal box.
His mother's handwriting covered the lid.
FOR LEO.
He opened it.
Inside was a key.
And a note.
“Your father trusted the wrong person.”
Leo stared at Marcus's name written below.
He felt sick.
The basement door opened.
Marcus stood there.
He was holding the ledger.
“Give it to me.”
Leo stepped back.
“Why?”
“Because if you keep it, they'll kill you.”
“You've lied to me my whole life.”
Marcus swallowed.
“I know.”
“Did you help them?”
Marcus closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
Mia gasped.
Leo stared.
“How?”
“I transported children.”
“Why?”
“Because they had my wife.”
Leo's voice cracked.
“You mean Mom?”
Marcus nodded.
“They took Elena.”
“So you helped them.”
“I thought I could save her.”
“But you couldn't.”
“No.”
Marcus looked at Lucy.
“I failed all of you.”
Leo stepped closer.
“Where's my father?”
Marcus looked away.
“He isn't dead.”
Leo stopped.
“What?”
“Your father was taken.”
“Where?”
Marcus hesitated.
“He was sent to a facility in another state.”
Noah's voice came from the doorway.
“Not another state.”
Everyone turned.
Noah stood there.
“He was never moved.”
Marcus looked terrified.
Noah continued.
“He was kept under the house.”
Leo felt the blood drain from his face.
“Under the house?”
Noah nodded.
“Your father was the one who built the basement.”
“Why?”
“To hide you.”
Leo stared.
“Then why did he disappear?”
Noah looked at Marcus.
“Ask him.”
Marcus's hands shook.
“He sacrificed himself.”
“For what?”
“To keep the organization from finding you.”
Noah stepped closer.
“He locked himself below.”
Leo whispered:
“Is he alive?”
Noah nodded.
“Yes.”
A sound came from beneath the floor.
Three knocks.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Everyone froze.
Leo looked down.
“No.”
The knocking came again.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
A voice rose from underneath.
Weak.
Old.
But unmistakably human.
“Leo?”
Leo started crying.
“Dad?”
The voice answered:
“Don't let them open the door.”
Something exploded beneath the basement.
May you like
The floor cracked.
And a hand reached through.
