Chapter 6 - Beneath the Floor
Daniel ran.
Officer Grant shouted after him.
The sound came from the library.
Three knocks.
Pause.
Three knocks again.
Daniel shoved the bookshelf open and raced down the hidden stairs.
“Claire!”
Grant followed.
“Daniel, stop!”
Three more knocks.
Not from the steel room.
Farther down the corridor.
Daniel swept his hand across the stone wall.
“Claire!”
Nothing.
Then—
Knock.
To his right.
He pressed his ear to the wall.
Cold stone.
Another knock.
Weak.
Grant aimed his flashlight.
“There.”
A narrow seam ran vertically between two foundation stones.
They pushed.
Nothing.
Daniel remembered Vanessa’s words.
Tunnels.
He searched the wall.
Found an old iron ring nearly invisible beneath dust.
He pulled.
A section of stone shifted inward.
Darkness opened.
The air beyond smelled old and wet.
Grant drew his weapon.
“Stay behind me.”
Daniel ignored him.
They entered the tunnel.
The ceiling was low.
Old brick walls disappeared into darkness.
Electrical wires had been added recently.
Someone had been using this place.
They followed the sound.
“Claire!”
A faint voice answered.
Daniel stopped breathing.
“Help.”
He ran.
The tunnel turned.
Then ended at another steel door.
No keypad.
Just a heavy lock.
Grant fired one round into it.
The lock shattered.
Daniel ripped the door open.
Inside was a woman lying on a mattress.
Thin.
Barefoot.
Wrapped in a gray blanket.
For one second, Daniel didn’t recognize her.
Then she lifted her face.
Blue eyes.
Claire’s eyes.
“Daniel?”
He dropped to his knees.
“Oh my God.”
She reached toward him.
He pulled her into his arms.
She felt almost weightless.
“You’re alive.”
Claire started crying.
“I tried.”
“What?”
“To get out.”
Daniel held her tighter.
“Who did this?”
Her whole body stiffened.
“Where are the kids?”
“Safe.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Vanessa?”
“Police have her.”
Claire grabbed his shirt.
“No. No, you don’t understand.”
“What?”
“She’s not the one running this.”
Daniel stared at her.
“Michael?”
Claire shook her head.
“Not anymore.”
“What does that mean?”
Footsteps echoed in the tunnel.
Grant spun, weapon raised.
“Police! Identify yourself!”
No answer.
Daniel pulled Claire behind him.
The footsteps stopped.
Then a man’s voice came from the darkness.
“Claire?”
Michael.
Daniel stepped into the corridor.
“You son of a bitch.”
Michael emerged slowly with both hands raised.
His clothes were wet from the rain.
His face looked wrecked.
“Daniel, listen.”
“You knew she was here.”
“Yes.”
Daniel punched him.
Michael hit the wall.
Grant grabbed Daniel.
“Enough!”
“You kept my wife underground!”
Michael wiped blood from his mouth.
“No. I was trying to get her out.”
Claire whispered from the room.
“He’s telling the truth.”
Daniel turned.
“What?”
Michael straightened.
“Vanessa found Claire before I did.”
Claire closed her eyes.
“She promised she would help me expose the foundation.”
Daniel looked between them.
“What happened?”
Claire spoke slowly.
“Vanessa was part of it.”
“Part of what?”
“The money wasn’t just stolen.”
She looked at Michael.
“It was buying people.”
Daniel felt cold.
“Buying who?”
“Judges. Contractors. Police. Anybody who could protect the Mercer deals.”
Daniel stared.
“That’s impossible.”
Claire shook her head.
“Daniel, your father started it.”
The tunnel went silent.
Daniel’s father had been dead six years.
A respected businessman.
A philanthropist.
A man Daniel had spent his entire life trying to live up to.
May you like
Claire whispered:
“And somebody has been keeping his system alive.”
