Chapter 9 - The Room Beneath the House
Carter searched every room.
Nothing.
Then Maya appeared from the basement.
Her face was pale.
“Mr. Hayes.”
“Where's my mother?”
“I don't know.”
“You were with her.”
“She told me to hide.”
“From whom?”
Maya pointed downward.
“The basement.”
Carter followed her.
Behind a storage shelf was a hidden staircase.
It led beneath the mansion.
At the bottom was a room filled with old equipment.
Cameras.
Documents.
Hard drives.
Photographs.
The entire operation had been running from beneath the house.
Carter stared.
“My father built this.”
Maya shook her head.
“No.”
She pointed to a wall.
Someone had written dates across it.
Eight years ago.
Seven years ago.
Six years ago.
Five years ago.
The dates continued until the present.
Carter stepped closer.
At the bottom was today's date.
Beside it were four names.
Carter.
Chloe.
Eleanor.
Maya.
One name had been crossed out.
Victor.
Carter stared.
“What does this mean?”
Maya whispered:
“Someone has been tracking your family for years.”
Carter found another door.
Locked.
He opened it.
Inside was Eleanor.
She was sitting safely in a chair.
Beside her stood a woman.
Rebecca.
Carter stopped.
Rebecca looked at him.
“You finally came.”
Eleanor closed her eyes.
Carter stared at Rebecca.
“You're alive.”
“Yes.”
“Why did everyone think you were dead?”
“Because your father needed me to disappear.”
“Why?”
Rebecca looked at Maya.
Then at Eleanor.
Then at Carter.
“Because we were trying to protect you.”
“From what?”
Rebecca hesitated.
“From the truth about your birth.”
Carter felt the room closing around him.
Maya began crying.
Rebecca continued.
“Your father loved you.”
Carter whispered:
“Then why did he lie?”
Rebecca looked toward the ceiling.
“Because the truth would have destroyed more than one family.”
Carter stepped forward.
“What truth?”
Rebecca took a breath.
“You were never supposed to inherit the Hayes fortune.”
Carter stared.
“You were supposed to inherit something much bigger.”
Before she could explain, every light in the underground room turned red.
A warning alarm sounded.
Rebecca looked terrified.
“They found us.”
Carter grabbed Eleanor's wheelchair.
“Who?”
May you like
Rebecca whispered:
“The person who started this.”
