Chapter 17 - The Locked Chamber
The metal stairs retracted into the ceiling.
Mara, Theo, June, Evelyn and Iris were trapped beneath the house.
The central column displayed a countdown.
59:43.
“What happens when it reaches zero?” Theo asked.
Evelyn shook her head.
“The chamber wasn’t designed with a timer.”
Iris inspected the cabinets. Three glass moths were missing.
“One is connected to Mara,” she said. “Where are the others?”
A map appeared, showing two moving signals.
One was traveling through the city.
The other was directly above them.
Theo looked up.
“Someone is inside the house.”
The upstairs cameras activated.
A man entered the kitchen wearing Theo’s jacket. His face remained hidden beneath a cap, but he moved as though he knew the house perfectly.
He opened a drawer and removed a key Theo had hidden years earlier.
Then he looked directly into the camera.
It was Adrian.
Theo’s brother had supposedly died in a warehouse fire seven years ago.
Theo pressed both hands against the monitor.
“Adrian?”
The man touched the scar on his neck.
“I don’t have much time,” he said. “The person downstairs wearing Evelyn Rook’s face is not Evelyn.”
Everyone turned.
May you like
Evelyn backed toward the central column.
Her access card was already connected.
